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‘What other way to do it?’ Austin Keys, Ole Miss gearing up for primetime showdown with Alabama

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrett•11/09/22•

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Austin Keys
Ole Miss linebacker Austin Keys

Ole Miss linebacker Austin Keys was asked Monday how he spent the bye week.

His answer was short and sweet, and he cracked a big smile afterwards. 

“Preparing for this opponent,” he said.

Sure, he didn’t spend every waking minute of his time off studying and scouting Alabama. The Rebels host the Crimson Tide Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT.

But even if the stakes aren’t as high as they would have been had Alabama beaten LSU, there’s still plenty to play for, and Alabama had most all of Keys’ attention, even if, more than anything, he got off his feet and reset himself.

“(The bye week) felt weird. It felt kind of empty,” Keys said. “But it’s right back in action. I take every game the same. It’s another opponent, a new opponent. We’re trying to take every team the same.”

Ole Miss (8-1, 4-1 SEC) this week was ranked No. 11 in the most recent College Football Playoff Top 25 poll.

LSU holds the tiebreaker for the SEC championship game, but the Rebels, in many ways, still control their own postseason destiny. 

They’re in line for a New Year’s Six bowl, and the playoff isn’t an unrealistic proposition either, but they likely have to win their final three games. Ole Miss travels to Arkansas and hosts in-state rival Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night to close out the regular season.

“Praise to those players, man. They’re really awesome, as you sit and watch film,” Keys said of Alabama. “Kind of wish (it was) a night game, but it is what it is. We’ve got ‘Bama at home in the Vaught. 

“What other way to do it?”

Rebel Insider: Will the real Alabama please stand up? And a little Ole Miss Trigg-onometry

Keys has been a primary starter at linebacker for the Rebels all season. 

He’s eighth on the team in tackles (33.0) and tied for third on the team in sacks (2.0). He has 3.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. 

It’s been a break-out campaign, of sorts, for Keys, who, a year ago, played less than 100 snaps and appeared in just six games, including his first career start. While he was the top-graded Ole Miss defensive player by Pro Football Focus, he was shut down with a knee injury and totaled just 12 tackles, one quarterback hurry and one fumble recovery. 

His last game was at Tennessee October 16.

“I would say pretty good,” Keys said, when asked to assess his play to this point. “I’ve got a few things I could work on — footwork and tackling.”

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