Mississippi wide receiver Cody Core scores a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. (Photo |Cady Herring)
The last three games on the Ole Miss Rebels’s schedule is the hardest stretch of the season. Last season, the Arkansas Razorbacks finished at a modest 7-6, but won four of their last six games and delivered a crushing 30-0 loss to the Rebels. Arkansas will be an even tougher team this season, as they return the best running back tandem in college football in senior Jonathan Williams and junior Alex Collins, who both rushed for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns, the only tandem to do so in the country. They will run behind a stellar offensive line that’s big for even NFL standards, and quarterback Brandon Allen returns to join them in the backfield. Allen won’t take over the game at quarterback, but was very efficient last season, throwing for over 2,000 yards with 20 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. Allen will have star tight end Hunter Henry, who will help in the pass game and as a blocker. Meanwhile the defense, which ranked 10th nationally in yards allowed per game, returns several key players such as defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson and linebacker Brooks Ellis. and should be stingy once again.
Prediction: Ole Miss should once again have one of the best defenses in the country, but the strength of the defense has always been in defending against the pass, which the Razorbacks don’t do much. Meanwhile the small but fast Rebels defense struggled against the power running teams last year, which bodes well for Arkansas. Ole Miss should have a much better offensive game than last year, where six turnovers cost the Rebels the game, but not quite enough to overcome a Razorbacks offense that should do a little better than normal against the Rebel’s defense. Arkansas 27 – Ole Miss 21.
Last year, the LSU Tigers handed the then number three ranked Rebels their first loss of the season in Death Valley by a score of 10-7. This year, the Rebels will face the Tigers at home, but LSU still presents a very dangerous opponent. The offense returns Heisman candidate Leonard Fournette at running back, who was dominant as a freshman with 187 carries for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns and should be even better this year. Quarterback is the biggest question on the team, as the probable starter Anthony Jennings, had some legal troubles over the offseason, making his playing status uncertain, giving sophomore Brandon Harris a great chance to win the job. Whoever wins the job at quarterback will have a stacked receiving core to get the ball to. Junior Travin Dural is the leader of the group, and is one of the best deep threats in the entire country, catching 37 passes for 758 yards and seven touchdowns. Sophomore Malachi Dupre, who was a highly touted prospect in high school, showed of his potential last season with 14 catches for 318 yards and five touchdowns, and should be much improved this season. Meanwhile, the defense was one of the best in the country last season and is primed for another great season. Corner Tre’Davious White, safeties Jalen Mills and Jamal Adams and freshman Kevin Toliver II should form one of the best secondaries in the SEC, and star sophomore linebacker Kendell Beckwith returns after breaking out midway through last season.
Prediction: The Tigers run and pass game should be better this season, and even with a defensive coordinator change that featured former Alabama assistant Kevin Steele replacing John Chavis, the defense should still be dominant, especially in the passing game. LSU 16 – Ole Miss 10.
The season finishes in the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State. Last year, Ole Miss upset the Bulldogs, taking away their shot at a College Football Playoff berth with a score of 31-17. Mississippi State only returns seven starters, so it will be difficult for the Bulldogs to put together another 10 win season. However, the Bulldogs do return star quarterback Dak Prescott, so the offense should still be dangerous. Prescott threw for 3,449 yards and 27 touchdowns last season, and also ran for 986 yards and 14 touchdowns, while throwing 11 interceptions. Prescott is a darkhorse Heisman contender, and his top target, De’Runnya Wilson, returns after catching 47 passes for 680 yards and nine touchdowns last season. At running back, Josh Robinson, who rushed for 1,203 yards and 11 touchdowns on 190 carries last season, left for the NFL, but junior Ashton Shumpert should be a suitable replacement. The defense returns several key players, like defensive tackle Chris Jones and linebacker Beniquez Brown, but lost several stars in Benardrick McKinney, Preston Smith and Matt Wells to the NFL, who will be very hard to replace. The team also has to plug in new starting safeties in what was the worst secondary in the SEC in terms of yardage last season.
Prediction: It will be hard for the Bulldogs to refrain from stepping backward this season, and the Rebels should take full advantage of it. The defense did a great job limiting Prescott last year, and should be able to once again. Meanwhile, the offense should still be able to move the ball against Mississippi State’s defense. But the important thing to remember is that in the Egg Bowl anything can happen, and the Bulldogs will not go down without a fight. Ole Miss 34 – Mississippi State 16.
Overall Prediction: 9-3. Ole Miss matching it’s win total from last year may not feel like a step up, but with almost all of it’s SEC West foes looking to be much improved this year, the team will have to be better than last year to finish 9-3 again.
