Has clock struck midnight for Ole Miss? Defensive star out for season

Published Oct. 27, 2014 11:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

Mississippi linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche is out for the season after breaking his ankle in Saturday's 10-7 loss to LSU.

Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze confirmed the injury on Monday, saying Nkemdiche had surgery on Sunday. The 5-foot-11, 212-pound junior preseason All-Southeastern Conference selection and had 28 tackles through seven games this season.

No. 7 Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1 SEC) hosts No. 4 Auburn (6-1, 3-1) on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels are giving up just 10.5 points per game, which is the lowest amount in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Freeze said that other Ole Miss players who were hurt during the LSU game -- including offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and safety Cody Prewitt -- are expected to return for the Auburn game.

"It's a pain tolerance issue," Freeze told FOX Sports 1 college football insider Bruce Feldman of Tunsil on Monday morning. Freeze added Tunsil will essentially be day-to-day for the remainder of the season with his biceps injury.