Ole Miss Football: Jonathan Mingo out vs Alabama, but will that matter?

Ole Miss football will be without wide receiver Jonathan Mingo Alabama. How will that affect the Ole Miss offensive scheme?

According to John Sokoloff of WCBI in Mississippi, Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo will not play this afternoon against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Mingo is the Rebels’ second-leading receiver with 15 receptions and 290 yards this season.

Mingo, however, is also the Rebels’ primary deep threat averaging 19.3 yards per catch. Playing across from leading receiver Dontario Drummond gives Ole Miss one of the better wide receiver duos in the SEC.

In last season’s 63-48 loss to Alabama, the Rebels amassed 647 total yards and 7.5 yards per play. Quarterback Matt Corral threw for 365 yards on just 28 pass attempts. Not having Mingo seriously affects Ole Miss’ ability to get vertical against a stout Alabama secondary.

This season, Mingo’s best game came against Tulane, where he had six catches for 136 yards.

What does no Jonathan Mingo mean for Ole Miss football vs Alabama?

The Rebels have been one of the best offenses in the country in the early part of the season, averaging 635.3 yards of offense, scoring 52.7 points per game. Because of head coach Lane Kiffin’s ability to scheme well against Nick Saban’s defenses, some experts gave Ole Miss an opportunity to pull the upset possibly.

Not having Mingo affects the Rebels’ chances of shocking the world and pulling the upset. Mingo and Drummond are the only two wide receivers that have more than ten receptions. Ole Miss’ third-leading receiver, Braylon Sanders, has just eight catches this season.

Without Mingo begs a serious question, “Can Lane Kiffin out-scheme Alabama’s talent?” Another variant to factor is Matt Corral on the road. Corral has three multiple interception games in his career; two of them have come on the road.

Pitting Corral on the road without his second-best receiver this season places the Ole Miss offense behind the eight-ball on the road. Kiffin and the Rebs need someone to step up in what will be a raucous Bryant-Denny this afternoon.