OXFORD − Ole Miss football is headed to a place it has struggled.
The No. 18 Rebels (6-2, 2-2 SEC) play at Arkansas (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN) in Fayetteville. Ole Miss is 2-8 in Fayetteville since 2002.
Both teams are coming off wins. Ole Miss beat Oklahoma 26-14 behind a strong defensive performance. Arkansas flexed its offensive might in a 58-25 win against Mississippi State.
Here are some things to watch for when Ole Miss goes up against the Razorbacks:
Star Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul returns to play former team
Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul has been performing in a way that will make Arkansas miss him.
Paul transferred from Arkansas to Ole Miss in the offseason. He’s racked up a team-high 59 tackles for Ole Miss. Pro Football Focus rates him as the No. 1 linebacker in the country among players who have gotten significant snaps.
Paul played three seasons for Arkansas. Have his teammates seen a difference in his preparation this week?
“Pooh kind of comes with a sense of urgency every game, so it’s really hard to tell a difference,” linebacker TJ Dottery said. “I’m pretty sure it will be (a big game), but he’s a really smart football player. I know his emotions won’t get the best of him.”
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said players should be wary when playing an emotional game.
“That’s got to be handled right,” Kiffin said. “It doesn’t always work. You can get too overhyped. We’re more focused on getting him to prepare and play the same way he has been.”
A rainy forecast could make passing efficiency tough for Lane Kiffin, Jaxson Dart’s offense
AccuWeather has a foreboding forecast for Saturday’s game. It will be a moderately warm day (71 degrees) but there’s possibility of heavy thunderstorms.
Sloppy conditions could prompt to lean on the Rebels’ rushing game. Ole Miss has struggled to get its ground attack going in recent weeks.
Running back Henry Parrish led Ole Miss on the ground against Oklahoma, rushing for 44 yards on 15 carries. Parrish was held to 42 yards on 14 carries against LSU in the previous game. Running back Ulysses Bentley rushed for 107 yards against the Tigers, but he hasn’t consistently gotten the opportunity to get in a rhythm. Bentley got five rush attempts against Oklahoma.
Ole Miss vs. Arkansas score prediction
Ole Miss 27, Arkansas 17: The Razorbacks have a high-powered offense with quarterback Taylen Green. Despite coming off a 58-point performance against Mississippi State, look for Ole Miss’ defense to slow down the Razorbacks significantly. The most Arkansas has scored in three games against a ranked SEC opponent is 17. Ole Miss’ defense is up to par with the conferences’ best.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
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Publish date : 2024-10-31 06:53:00
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