Hogs, Rebels try to get off mat at Oxford
FAYETTEVILLE — Two reeling football teams clash today when Arkansas meets Ole Miss for an 11 a.m. Southeastern Conference kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.
Arkansas is 2-5 overall, 0-4 in the SEC, with three straight conference losses while Ole Miss (3-4, 1-3) has lost four of its last five games. The Rebels defeated Vanderbilt 57-35 Oct. 14 in Oxford.
Both teams go into the game with backup quarterbacks starting. Arkansas’ Austin Allen exited the South Carolina game following the third quarter. He is out with a shoulder injury and redshirt freshman Cole Kelley has played the last nine quarters with starts against Alabama and Auburn.
The Rebels lost sophomore Shea Patterson to injury against LSU last week. Replacement Jordan Ta’amu makes his first start today.
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema has dealt with injuries to key players since the spring game when running back Rawleigh Williams III went down with a career-ending injury. This season the Hogs have lost cornerback Ryan Pulley, wide receiver Jared Cornelius, center Frank Ragnow and running back Chase Hayden for the season. Allen is expected to return at some point, but that isn’t a given.
Bielema talked about Ta’amu and what he sees from the new Ole Miss signal caller.
“When you pop on the film you see an offense that didn’t change much when he came in,” Bielema said. “He ran the ball on a designed quarterback draw and it went for big plays. Played a little bit in the Vanderbilt game as well. He’s got a live arm. I don’t know exactly … I haven’t seen any official press release from them on who is going to be their guy. Of course, we’ll prepare for everything. But they’ve got a system in place that I think they stay with. It involves the quarterback run game, but also involves the quarterback sitting in the pocket and being a pretty detailed passing game as well, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Arkansas defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads is in charge of trying to contain Ta’amu and the Ole Miss offense. He talked about what he has seen from Ta’amu.
“I think he’s a good football player,” Rhoads said. “We’ve heard so much about the other one without seeing him that I didn’t know what kind of dropoff would exist going from one to two. To be quite honest, I didn’t see it. He throws a good ball. He came in and I think was 7 of 11 in the game when he came in against LSU and had a good amount of yards in doing that. He’s light on his feet. He ran the designed quarterback draw, as well as scrambled and got himself out of trouble and made some throws on the run. Very little change in the offensive play calling and what they were trying to accomplish. I don’t see a change in their football team with him under center.”
Although only 10-26 against the SEC, Bielema is 3-1 against Ole Miss. The Razorbacks won 53-52 in overtime at Oxford in 2015 and have consecutive 30-0 and 34-30 Fayetteville victories over the Rebels.
“Got a lot of challenges in front of us obviously with personnel and everything else,” Bielema said. “But … this game has always been a great one for us (with)
a high level of competition the last several years. We’ve been able to win the last couple, so I know our guys have had success, but there’s no guarantees on anything except what’s in front of you.
Ole Miss interim coach Matt Luke is expecting the Hogs to try to run the ball down their throat. The Rebels have surrendered an average of 37.4 points and 260.6 rushing yards per game. Teams have passed for 209.6 yards per game against the Rebels.
“We have had our troubles in stopping the run,” Luke said. “I think they have always done a great job of getting in big personnel against us and being able to run the football. You mentioned Cole Kelley and being the threat of a run game. They don’t do it a whole bunch, but they do; he’s a big, strong guy. So that’s what I’m expecting for them to lean on the run.”
What about changing quarterbacks?
“I think we have to be smart with what we ask him to do,” Luke said. “I think he’s more of a threat in the run game as far as scrambling than like Shea did. I think he can hurt you when he pulls the ball down. You will probably see that a little bit more, but I don’t think we’ll change a whole bunch.”
While Arkansas can still play itself into a bowl game, the Rebels have a self-imposed bowl ban because of some NCAA issues. In addition, coach Hugh Freeze was dismissed before the season.
“I think the part everyone assumes they have nothing to play for,” Luke said. “We have been through a lot but it has been good to see these guys keep fighting for each other. That’s what they are playing for each other. It’s all about that.
“What gets you up off the mat each week. Our guys have done a great job. There’s a lot of examples they are playing hard for each other. I’m excited for that. This is Round 8 of a 12-round fight. We have to respond when the bell rings.”
The game airs on the SEC Network (Resort Channel 79). Ole Miss is a slight favorite.