Rapid Reaction: LSU runs past Ole Miss, 40-24, in Oxford
OXFORD | Jordan Wilkins had another excellent game to continue his stellar Southeastern Conference season to date, but Derrius Guice's night overshadowed all else and carried LSU to a 40-24 victory in Oxford on Saturday.
It broke a five-game winning streak by the home team in the series and sends Ole Miss to 3-4, as Arkansas comes to Oxford to close a three-game homestand at 11 a.m. next week.
Here are some immediate storylines from the game.
LSU CONTINUES RUN-GAME DOMINANCE VS. OLE MISS: Three of the top four rushing efforts against Ole Miss since 2004 have been by LSU running backs, as Guice's 276 yards on 22 carries joined a list occupied by Leonard Fournette (284 in 2016), Nick Fitzgerald (258 in 2016) and Alley Broussard (250 in 2004).
Also, since 2004, four of the most yards gained against Ole Miss on the ground by a single player have come in the past season and a half. The above list plus Kam Pettway's 236 yards a year ago.
Fits and alignment are the common talking points, but Wesley McGriff's plan seems consistently sound. The Rebels lack speed at linebacker which restricts the ability to play run defense against backs with any burst.
Guice averaged more than 12 yards per rush.
WILKINS CONTINUES QUALITY SEASON: Wilkins had 86 yards on Saturday, averaging 6.6 yards per rush, including a 28-yard touchdown run that displayed improved vision, patience and an example of how he's increased productivity this season.
He has two 100-yard efforts against league opponents and this effort. Wilkins has provided Ole Miss with the needed efficiency to displaying its passing game, but breakdowns in other areas kept it from a big night for the Rebels.
Wilkins has 468 yards on the season despite averaging less than 12 carries per game.
OLE MISS RECEIVERS FAIL TO MAKE PLAYS: In a matchup against a talented and boisterous LSU secondary, Ole Miss' receivers didn't capitalize enough on balls thrown well enough and didn't win their share of one-on-one matchups.
It was a strength on strength showdown and Ole Miss only completed 50 percent of its passes for 194 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
A.J. Brown and DaMarkus Lodge combined for only six catches on 17 targets.
TA'AMU HANDLED A TOUGH SITUATION WELL: Shea Patterson missed moderate time with a knee injury, and backup Jordan Ta'amu showed impressive poise during a difficult situation. He was 7-of-11 for 78 yards passing and added three carries for 20 yards.
It's a small sample size, but from a handling-the-moment perspective he wasn't flustered or overwhelmed. That's a credit to him given the scenario of an injured starter and a defense that was bringing pressure from multiple directions.