Ole Miss has been ravaged by injuries this season, but senior quarterback Jordan Ta'amu is still standing.
Which could give the Rebels a chance in each of their five remaining games.
The Rebels nearly had their season derailed last Saturday night against Arkansas in Little Rock, trailing the struggling Razorbacks 33-24 midway through the fourth quarter, but Ta'amu guided his offense to scoring drives of 84 and 97 yards for a 37-33 victory. Ole Miss needed just seven plays and 80 seconds to cover the 97 yards, grabbing the lead on a Scottie Phillips 5-yard run with 42 seconds remaining.
"The clock is just a clock," Ta'amu told reporters afterward. "Our offense is fast. As soon as we stepped on the field, I had confidence in myself and the receivers and the O-line. I had confidence that we could drive down there and put up numbers."
Ta'amu has been putting up numbers all season for the Rebels, who will go after their sixth win of the season Saturday when they host reeling Auburn. The 6-foot-2, 212-pounder from Hawaii leads the Southeastern Conference and ranks fourth nationally in passing yardage with an average of 328.3 per game.
He also ranks second in the SEC to Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and eighth nationally in efficiency, having completed 146 of 222 attempts (65.8 percent) with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
"Jordan is just managing games and making good decisions," Rebels second-year coach Matt Luke said Saturday night in a news conference. "He has been really good with his feet, and that has been effective for him. I am really proud of him."
Ta'amu completed 26 of 35 passes for 387 yards and two touchdowns against the Razorbacks, and he also rushed 17 times for 141 yards (8.3 per carry) and a score. His 528 yards of total offense marked the second-most in school history, ranking behind Archie Manning's historic 540-yard performance during the 33-32 loss to Alabama at Birmingham's Legion Field in 1969.
Rebels offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Monday praised Ta'amu for his ability to run around in the pocket "without running too much." Ta'amu has rushed 53 times this season for 253 yards (4.8) and four touchdowns.
Ole Miss lost sophomore receiver D.K. Metcalf to a season-ending neck injury during the early stages of last week's win, a notable blow since Metcalf ranked third in the SEC with 81.3 yards per game. The Rebels also lost junior defensive end Markel Winters in Little Rock to a knee sprain that could keep him sidelined for a month.
The Rebels traveled to Arkansas having already lost defensive backs Jaylon Jones, Montrell Custis and C.J. Moore to season-ending injuries.
"We just kept fighting and kept competing, and I am just so proud to get a gutsy win that will give us some momentum going forward," Luke said. "Now we're 5-2, and our crowd will be fired up about playing another big game in Oxford. I think that's what you're most proud of, getting the momentum going forward and seeing these kids when they lay it all on the line and get something back.
"They get to be happy, and they get to enjoy it together."
Ole Miss is ineligible for a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions and was no match last month in SEC matchups against Alabama (62-7) and LSU (45-16). Auburn will arrive Saturday having lost to Mississippi State and Tennessee after a 4-1 start, which resulted in Tigers coach Gus Malzahn being asked in his Tuesday news conference whether he felt he was coaching for his job.
"No," he responded. "I feel like I'm coaching for my players."
A victory over Auburn would clinch a second season under Luke that would be considered a success - the Rebels went 6-6 a year ago - with a month's worth of games still to play. The Rebels have won just six of their last 35 meetings against the Tigers, losing last year's contest 44-23.
"It's a big game," Luke said Monday. "You have an open date after this, so it's very important that we do battle through all these injuries and everybody steps up and we close ranks and keep marching forward."
With Ta'amu leading the way.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.