Quarterback Bo Wallace rushes for a first down during the first half against LSU on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. Photo: Austin McAfee
The Ole Miss Rebels will get their first shot to become bowl-eligible this Saturday when they welcome Southeastern Conference foe Arkansas to Oxford. The Rebels (5-3, 2-3 SEC) are coming off a bye week, while the Razorbacks (3-6, 0-5 SEC) enter the game on a six-game losing streak. The meeting is the 60th between the two teams, with Arkansas leading the all-time series 31-27-1.
“As excited as we were last week to have an open week, we’re equally as excited to get back to playing,” Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said in his weekly Monday press conference. “To be at home again is always nice. We’re looking forward to getting an early kickoff. That’s something we haven’t had this year. We’ve enjoyed the ones we’ve had, but it’s always good to have a variety.”
Despite the less-than-stellar record Arkansas holds, Freeze knows this team can be dangerous.
“We’re playing a very scary football team, to me,” Freeze said. “If they ever convert drives, they would be very, very dangerous because they control the time of possession. They run the football extremely well, two of the finer running backs that we’ve seen. Again, just for whatever reason, they haven’t finished drives the amount of times that they’ve had chances to. If they ever did that, it would be a very, very scary game.
“We sense that in this building. Hopefully, our kids will sense that and know it’s another SEC battle that’s going to take place Saturday and will be a very difficult task.”
Offensively, Arkansas brings in one of the best rushing attacks in the conference. The Razorbacks are averaging 211.2 yards per game on the ground, which ranks them third in the SEC. Talented freshman running back Alex Collins carries the load out of the backfield, and stopping him will be key for the Rebels.
“Every week you face a really good running back in the league, and he’s no different,” Ole Miss defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said of Collins. “I think he is a great jump cutter and has unbelievable vision. He’ll cut to either side of the box and outside, and I think he just does a tremendous job. That’s why they’ve got the rushing yards. He’s a good football player with great vision.”
Collins ranks fourth in the conference, averaging 98.8 yards per contest and has added four touchdowns. Despite having one of the best rushing attacks, the Razorback offense as a whole has struggled for the most part. They are last in the conference in scoring offense, averaging just 20 points a game, and second to last in total offense, averaging 355.3 yards per game. This is mainly because of the lack of a passing game the Razorbacks possess, which ranks last in the conference at 144.1 yards per game.
However, Freeze knows that if they have to, Arkansas has the ability to make some plays through the air.
“Not that they can’t throw it,” Freeze said. “I think their tight end is going to be a real special player and the receivers have played well as of late.”
Quarterback Brandon Allen will lead the Razorback passing attack. He has struggled, completing less than 50 percent of his passes for 1,067 yards with nine touchdowns, but Allen has thrown seven interceptions.
Ole Miss will have most of the defense back this Saturday, after having around seven guys injured the past few weeks. A few big names that will look to be making a return include freshman defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and sophomore corner Mike Hilton. Some other players who have been banged up but have played and are now even closer to 100 percent include sophomore defensive tackle Issac Gross and sophomore linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche.
“It’s great to have them back,” Wommack said. “We’ve gone a long time without having people. Denzel’s been hurt off and on. Robert’s been out, seems like three or four weeks. Mike Hilton, who is one of our best football players in my opinion, having him back –– those guys are going to make a difference for us and are going to make us a better football team, having them out there.”
Offensively, the Rebels will continue to be led by junior quarterback Bo Wallace, who has thrown for 1,976 yards and 11 touchdowns and only three interceptions, which is a major improvement from last season’s total mark of 17 interceptions.
However, most eyes will be on the running backs, who have seen their roles expand after senior Jeff Scott went down with an injury. Also, freshman Mark Dodson has begun to emerge after having a breakout game against Idaho two weeks ago.
“I like the way they are going about their business,” Freeze said of the backs. “They’ve taken the chances they have been given and made the most of it. All four have looked good in some things this week. We’re not afraid to use any of the four.”
The Rebels may have to rely even more on sophomore Jaylen Walton, sophomore I’Tavius Mathers and Dodson this weekend if Scott is unable to go because of injury.
“It was more than they first diagnosed it as,” Freeze said of Scott’s injured leg. “It ended up being a bone spur on the nerve. Now, they’ve deadened that nerve.”
Kickoff for Saturday is set for 11:21 a.m. and will be televised on SEC TV.
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss football, follow @SigNewton_2 and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
— Matt Sigler
