Rebels trying to regroup today vs. Georgia
It’s only late September, but there’s a lot riding on the Georgia game for Ole Miss.
Win against the 11thranked Bulldogs today (11 a.m., ESPN) at VaughtHemingway Stadium, and there’s a chance to build some momentum with a game against the University of Memphis in Oxford the following week before the Rebels head into a bye week. Not to mention, a victory would keep Ole Miss’ SEC West hopes alive.
Lose, and all of a sudden a preseason top-12 team sits at 1-3 with two conference losses and trips to ranked Arkansas, LSU and Texas A&M still lurking down the road.
“All offseason we were talking about the SEC championship and winning the national championship,” Rebels tight end Evan Engram said. “Right now that’s a far cry from where we’re sitting. The most important thing is first of all that’s not out of the picture. Anything can happen, but we have to focus on winning one week at a time.”
It’s not a surprise to see Ole Miss with a 1-2 record. Most teams would probably be in the same boat if they had played No. 14 Florida State and No. 1 Alabama within the first three weeks.
The surprise is how the Rebels have arrived at 1-2, blowing a 22-point lead against the Seminoles and a 21-point lead against the Crimson Tide. Finishing the game will be imperative against the Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC), who have had a penchant for coming from behind this season.
“We play a good 30 minutes, but we have to come out and finish. Those last 30 minutes are a mentality thing,” quarterback Chad Kelly said. “It starts with practice, and we’ve got to make sure we finish strong.”
The Rebels (1-2, 0-1) became the first Power Five conference team to blow two 21-point leads in the same season in 10 years, per ESPN. Those games against Alabama and Florida State took a toll emotionally and physically.
Say this about Arkansas and Texas A&M: The schools have provided plenty of entertainment value since returning to AT&T Stadium two years ago.
Well, for the Aggies and their fans, at least.
The No. 18 Razorbacks (3-0) would like nothing more than to enjoy their own celebration at the giant home of the Dallas Cowboys when the two SEC foes meet today (8 p.m., ESPN). They’d also like to end their skid of four straight losses to No. 13 Texas A&M (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference), the last two of which have come in overtime.
“It wasn’t a happy plane ride home for us the last two years,” Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen said. “We need to get a happy plane ride home this year.”
At the very least, a victory would give either team a strong case as the early second-best-in-the-West behind No. 1 Alabama.
The Aggies already have quality wins over UCLA and Auburn this season, while Arkansas has won nine of its last 10 games — including 10 of 12 since last season’s loss to Texas A&M. It was the second straight year the Razorbacks led in the second half before falling to the Aggies in overtime.
“We’ve lost it, but they’ve earned it,” coach Bret Bielema said. “One thing I’ve always said is, ‘You earn everything,’ and we just haven’t been at the point to close this baby out.”
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin could do without the suspense.
“Do we want it to be as exciting as it has been?” Sumlin said. “Probably not, unless we win and then it can be as exciting as it wants to be.”
In his first year as the Hogs’ starter, Allen leads the SEC in passer rating (160.9) after three weeks. The junior threw for three touchdowns and ran for one in a win at TCU two weeks ago, and he’s completing 67.1 percent (53 of 79) of his passes.
Arkansas running back Rawleigh Williams is third in the SEC in rushing with 354 yards after three games, and he’s tied with Georgia’s Nick Chubb for
Ole Miss now has to get itself off the mat and face its third ranked opponent in the past four weeks. But this game also is the end of one of the toughest September schedules in college football.
“You wish they weren’t all together in a row, but, man, it’s very enjoyable for me, the way I view things, to compete against the best,” Rebels coach Hugh Freeze said. “It’s disappointing and hurts and stings and all those things when it doesn’t go your way, particularly when you feel like you had a good enough team to win on that given day. You can’t worry about the last one. You’ve got to get excited about the next opportunity, and we’ve got a great one.” the most carries (71). The sophomore has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the last two weeks.
VAnDy MAkinG ShORt tRiP tO Meet WkU
Derek Mason isn’t concerned about his Vanderbilt Commodores being the first SEC team to play a football game on Western Kentucky’s campus. He is concerned about how tough it will be to win.
The teams are separated by about 70 miles, and WKU left Nashville last year with a 14-12 win en route to a 12-2 season. The Hilltoppers are looking for back-to-back wins in this series when they host the Commodores today (3:30 p.m., CBS Sports) in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
“It’s a backyard brawl anytime you play Middle Tennessee, you play Western Kentucky,” Mason said.
WKU (2-1) wants to take advantage of its first true “home” game against an SEC opponent. The Hilltoppers were the home team against Kentucky in two neutral-site meetings in Nashville and won both times. This game will be in 22,113-seat HouchensSmith Stadium, and WKU coach Jeff Brohm expects a charged atmosphere.
“Any time you can bring in an opponent of this caliber from this conference, you have to come ready to play and put on a good display,” Brohm said. “We need to go out there and make the most of it.”
WKU is facing its second SEC school in three weeks. The Hilltoppers lost 38-10 at No. 1 Alabama on Sept. 10 but bounced back last weekend with a 31-24 non-conference win at Miami (Ohio), although they nearly blew a 24-3 lead.
Brohm stressed that the Hilltoppers must be better against a Vanderbilt squad that matches up well against them.
The Commodores (1-2) are coming off a 38-7 loss at Georgia Tech, and this second stop in a two-game road swing is crucial with Vanderbilt hosting Florida on Oct. 1. Vanderbilt’s lone win was a 47-24 rout of Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 10, and the Commodores can top the other Conference USA foe on their schedule if they can shut down WKU’s highflying offense.