Ole Miss preview
Marcus Gronauer | TSR Intern
Head coach Hugh Freeze and the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels head into Saturday’s rivalry game looking for revenge against the Memphis Tigers.
The Tigers, which upset a No. 13 Ole Miss team last season, enter Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with both a new quarterback and new head coach in Riley Ferguson and Mike Norvell, respectively. However, don’t be fooled by the fresh faces for Memphis. The Tigers have compiled an undefeated record so far this season at 3-0.
On the other hand are the 2-2 Ole Miss Rebels. Star quarterback Chad Kelly and the talented Ole Miss defense are hoping to give Memphis its first loss of the season in what looks to be an exciting game.
College football through four weeks this season has been filled with a great deal of upsets, surprises, and heartbreaking moments for coaches, teams and fans alike. As we’ve seen, anything can happen. Any team can win on any given Saturday. So let’s make the case for both teams.
Why Ole Miss Will Win
The Rebels are pretty heavy favorites in this game, and quite frankly they should be. A SEC football powerhouse, Ole Miss has a roster filled with NFL-caliber talent and has the size, speed and strength to put points up on the board in a hurry.
Their wide receivers are some of the best in the country primarily because of their combination of size and speed. Senior Quincy Adeboyejo is listed at 6-3, while junior Damore’ea Stringfellow and redshirt freshman Van Jefferson are both 6-2. Also, true freshman A.J. Brown is listed at 6-1. The top six receivers for the Rebels are above 6-1, while none of Memphis’ corners are above 6-1. Keep an eye out for that intriguing matchup.
Although known for their tremendous passing attack, the Rebels will need to improve on one of their weaknesses—running the football—in order to win on Saturday. Everyone knows that a good running game opens up the field for the passing game. If Hugh Freeze’s team can get its running game going, it will ease the pressure off of Chad Kelly, allowing the passing offense to score a lot easier.
Ole Miss is also stacked on the defensive side of the ball, primarily on the defensive line. It features senior D.J. Jones, a 6-0, 321-pound explosive nose tackle who is often unblockable. Also, the Rebels have junior defensive Marquis Haynes who, at 6-3, 222-pounds, is a force to be reckoned with and one of the best defensive ends in the country. In fact, NFL.com ranked him as the No. 81 overall player in the country.
Ole Miss will significantly increase its chances of winning this game if its defensive line can put constant pressure on the quarterback. When put under pressure, Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson can look rattled and has a higher percent chance to mistakes. Ferguson could be in for a long day if his offensive line struggles.
Why Memphis Will Win
Clearly the Tigers are the underdogs in this contest. It’s against an SEC opponent. It’s an away game. And it just so happens that it’s the first career road game for new Memphis head coach Mike Norvell.
The odds are not in Memphis’ favor and many people are expecting a blowout. But don’t count out these Tigers too soon because there are several crucial factors that could in fact flip those odds in Memphis’ favor. So much so that Memphis could pull off yet another upset against Hugh Freeze and company.
First and arguably most important, Memphis’ defense will need to force turnovers against the Rebels. Ironically enough, the Tigers are very good at creating takeaways. In fact, Memphis currently ranks second in the nation in turnover margin average. Through three games, Memphis has forced 11 turnovers and committed only three.
In order to increase its chances of forcing turnovers, the Tigers will need to put pressure on Chad Kelly through blitzes. Memphis linebacker Genard Avery is a guy to look out for on Saturday night. At 6-1, 255-pounds, Avery is a freak athlete who sometimes requires two blockers. This gives other defensive players more opportunities to sack the quarterback.
Second, the Memphis offensive line will have to find a way to block the Ole Miss defensive line in order to take pressure off of quarterback Riley Ferguson. When Ferguson has some time in the pocket, he looks like one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
Ferguson has a talented receiving corps to help him out a great deal in Saturday’s matchup in Oxford, Mississippi. Memphis’ wide receivers include redshirt junior Anthony Miller, junior Phil Mayhue, and redshirt freshman Tony Pollard among others. Miller tore the Ole Miss defense apart in last year’s upset win, finishing with 10 receptions for 132-yards and a touchdown. “It’s Miller Time,” am I right?
Lastly, Memphis will need to dominate on special teams. The Tigers will need to have long punts and good punt coverage, perfect field goal kicking, and big kickoff and punt returns. It just so happens that Memphis has one of the best kickers in the country in Jake Elliott, a Lou Groza award finalist in 2015, and one of the best punters in Spencer Smith, a two-time All-American Athletic Conference honoree. Special teams will be a huge factor in this game, so keep an eye out for that.
Make Your Prediction
Although Coach Freeze says that revenge is not a factor in this game, it most certainly is. Everyone remembers Paxton Lynch and Memphis’ upset of the Rebels last year. It left a bitter taste in not only Ole Miss fans’ mouths, but also in those of the players as well. It ruined their College Football Playoff hopes.
This year the Rebels look to give the Tigers a little taste of their own medicine by beating Memphis on their home turf. Will they do it? You tell me.
Marcus Gronauer | TSR Intern
Head coach Hugh Freeze and the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels head into Saturday’s rivalry game looking for revenge against the Memphis Tigers.
The Tigers, which upset a No. 13 Ole Miss team last season, enter Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with both a new quarterback and new head coach in Riley Ferguson and Mike Norvell, respectively. However, don’t be fooled by the fresh faces for Memphis. The Tigers have compiled an undefeated record so far this season at 3-0.
On the other hand are the 2-2 Ole Miss Rebels. Star quarterback Chad Kelly and the talented Ole Miss defense are hoping to give Memphis its first loss of the season in what looks to be an exciting game.
College football through four weeks this season has been filled with a great deal of upsets, surprises, and heartbreaking moments for coaches, teams and fans alike. As we’ve seen, anything can happen. Any team can win on any given Saturday. So let’s make the case for both teams.
Why Ole Miss Will Win
The Rebels are pretty heavy favorites in this game, and quite frankly they should be. A SEC football powerhouse, Ole Miss has a roster filled with NFL-caliber talent and has the size, speed and strength to put points up on the board in a hurry.
Their wide receivers are some of the best in the country primarily because of their combination of size and speed. Senior Quincy Adeboyejo is listed at 6-3, while junior Damore’ea Stringfellow and redshirt freshman Van Jefferson are both 6-2. Also, true freshman A.J. Brown is listed at 6-1. The top six receivers for the Rebels are above 6-1, while none of Memphis’ corners are above 6-1. Keep an eye out for that intriguing matchup.
Although known for their tremendous passing attack, the Rebels will need to improve on one of their weaknesses—running the football—in order to win on Saturday. Everyone knows that a good running game opens up the field for the passing game. If Hugh Freeze’s team can get its running game going, it will ease the pressure off of Chad Kelly, allowing the passing offense to score a lot easier.
Ole Miss is also stacked on the defensive side of the ball, primarily on the defensive line. It features senior D.J. Jones, a 6-0, 321-pound explosive nose tackle who is often unblockable. Also, the Rebels have junior defensive Marquis Haynes who, at 6-3, 222-pounds, is a force to be reckoned with and one of the best defensive ends in the country. In fact, NFL.com ranked him as the No. 81 overall player in the country.
Ole Miss will significantly increase its chances of winning this game if its defensive line can put constant pressure on the quarterback. When put under pressure, Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson can look rattled and has a higher percent chance to mistakes. Ferguson could be in for a long day if his offensive line struggles.
Why Memphis Will Win
Clearly the Tigers are the underdogs in this contest. It’s against an SEC opponent. It’s an away game. And it just so happens that it’s the first career road game for new Memphis head coach Mike Norvell.
The odds are not in Memphis’ favor and many people are expecting a blowout. But don’t count out these Tigers too soon because there are several crucial factors that could in fact flip those odds in Memphis’ favor. So much so that Memphis could pull off yet another upset against Hugh Freeze and company.
First and arguably most important, Memphis’ defense will need to force turnovers against the Rebels. Ironically enough, the Tigers are very good at creating takeaways. In fact, Memphis currently ranks second in the nation in turnover margin average. Through three games, Memphis has forced 11 turnovers and committed only three.
In order to increase its chances of forcing turnovers, the Tigers will need to put pressure on Chad Kelly through blitzes. Memphis linebacker Genard Avery is a guy to look out for on Saturday night. At 6-1, 255-pounds, Avery is a freak athlete who sometimes requires two blockers. This gives other defensive players more opportunities to sack the quarterback.
Second, the Memphis offensive line will have to find a way to block the Ole Miss defensive line in order to take pressure off of quarterback Riley Ferguson. When Ferguson has some time in the pocket, he looks like one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
Ferguson has a talented receiving corps to help him out a great deal in Saturday’s matchup in Oxford, Mississippi. Memphis’ wide receivers include redshirt junior Anthony Miller, junior Phil Mayhue, and redshirt freshman Tony Pollard among others. Miller tore the Ole Miss defense apart in last year’s upset win, finishing with 10 receptions for 132-yards and a touchdown. “It’s Miller Time,” am I right?
Lastly, Memphis will need to dominate on special teams. The Tigers will need to have long punts and good punt coverage, perfect field goal kicking, and big kickoff and punt returns. It just so happens that Memphis has one of the best kickers in the country in Jake Elliott, a Lou Groza award finalist in 2015, and one of the best punters in Spencer Smith, a two-time All-American Athletic Conference honoree. Special teams will be a huge factor in this game, so keep an eye out for that.
Make Your Prediction
Although Coach Freeze says that revenge is not a factor in this game, it most certainly is. Everyone remembers Paxton Lynch and Memphis’ upset of the Rebels last year. It left a bitter taste in not only Ole Miss fans’ mouths, but also in those of the players as well. It ruined their College Football Playoff hopes.
This year the Rebels look to give the Tigers a little taste of their own medicine by beating Memphis on their home turf. Will they do it? You tell me.
