NO. 1 ALABAMA (4-0, 1-0 SEC) VS. OLE MISS (2-1, 0-0)
9 p.m. EDT › Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. › ESPN and 97.3/99.3 FM
THE MATCHUP
Alabama has posted rushing numbers similar to the service academies this season, with the Crimson Tide having averaged 303.2 yards on the ground through four games. In last week’s 59-0 decimation of Vanderbilt, the Tide had their top five tailbacks — Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, Najee Harris, Josh Jacobs and Brian Robinson Jr. — average more than 7 yards per carry. Ole Miss had last weekend off after losing 27-16 at California, which rushed for 163 yards and 4.1 yards per carry, and the Rebels expect to have a much stiffer task tonight. “We’re all going to make mistakes, but you’ve got to be able to problem solve and fix them,” Ole Miss senior linebacker DeMarquis Gates said. “If you do mess up, just make sure it is one play. We can’t have many mistakes. That’s what they take advantage of. You make a mistake on Alabama, and they will hit you with a touchdown.”
ONE TO WATCH
Nobody will be a bigger determining factor as to whether tonight’s game is close or not than Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson, who leads the Southeastern Conference with an eye-popping average of 427.0 passing yards per game and a stout efficiency rating of 181.9. Patterson has racked up his stats at the expense of South Alabama, UT-Martin and Cal, so facing an Alabama defense that yielded just three first Shea Patterson downs against Vanderbilt will be a different beast. Still, Ole Miss has a slew of talented receivers who should challenge the Crimson Tide making plays in space. “We’ve got to play fast and try to keep them out of their comfort zone,” Ole Miss coach Matt Luke said. “We have very simple answers for Shea in the pass game. We’ve told him he can’t sit back there and hold it. They’ve got good pass rushers and good coverage guys, so it’s very important to play fast and get them out of their comfort zone. We want to keep some of their guys on the field by going tempo.”
IN THE END
Ole Miss has given Alabama fits three years in a row, which includes two victories over the Crimson Tide. Alabama coach Nick Saban has tried to instill some motivation in his team after last week’s nearly flawless performance, and it doesn’t sound as if this has been his favorite week of practice. This is the closest thing to a bowl game this season for the Rebels, who self-imposed a postseason ban amid looming NCAA sanctions, so don’t be surprised if they make things interesting for a while. Ole Miss won in Tuscaloosa two years ago due largely to a 5-0 edge in turnovers. “It helps when you’ve got guys who have been there and played in that environment,” Luke said, “but the thing about it is that two years ago doesn’t mean anything for this year. This team is the one that’s got to go to Tuscaloosa. Some of those offensive linemen have been in the stadium, so that does help some.”