Carter Kerels
Q: What can you say about the job head coach Kevin Sumlin has done in his fourth year as head coach of the Aggies and how has he changed the program?
A: Kevin Sumlin has been a great coach but has failed to win big games, especially at home. He wins in every other aspect. Every year, the Aggies grab top notch recruits and they have arguably the best stadium in the country. Sumlin was able to exceed expectations in the first year he was here and get the program on a path for success, but a lot of that also had to do with the players on the team. Without those players, Sumlin again has not won a big game at all. He is now 1-7 against ranked teams at home, and was 0-6 coming into the season.
Q: What is the quarterback situation looking like with Kyle Allen going through shoulder problems and true freshman Kyler Murray possibly making his first road SEC start?
A: Allen bothered his shoulder in the middle of the Alabama game. He appeared to be somewhat okay, as he finished the game. But, that was definitely the worst game he has played in an Aggie uniform. Nevertheless, Allen will start over Murray, as he should. Before the Alabama game, Kyle played lights out at quarterback and Kyler did nothing to convince anyone that he should be the starter when he played.
Q: How big of a difference has the addition of John Chavis made for the Texas A&M defense?
A: John Chavis made an immediate impact and is fun to watch. There are players on the team, like De’Vante Harris, who made no improvements and was stagnant in his first three years starting at cornerback. Now, his improvement is through the roof and he continues to get better. The defensive superstars like Myles Garrett are also playing with a lot better technique and are thriving under this scheme. Since A&M’s defense is not particularly big, Chavis utilizes the team’s speed with his scheme to fly around to the ball and make plays. This team had 15 TFLs against Alabama, and the adjustments Chavis is able to make mid-game are impressive.
Q: Even with loss to Alabama, what is the ceiling for this team and could this be the best year for Texas A&M under Sumlin?
A: This team has a long ways to go, but their schedule is absolutely perfect. Before LSU, their only road game comes against Vanderbilt, and the other East they play is a Spurrier-less South Carolina. The Aggies only have Ole Miss and LSU left, so at the very least they will go 9-3. If they can beat Ole Miss, their record will be 10-1 heading into Baton Rouge and that game will be a showdown. I’m not sure if I would call this the best year under Sumlin, though. It is hard to beat the 11-2 year with Johnny Manziel, and I think that team would beat this team by 30 points.
Q: How special is sophomore defensive end Myles Garrett and do you see him lining up against Laremy Tunsil in the trenches Saturday?
A: I see Myles Garrett as a possible first round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, seriously. It is either him or Fournette. Tunsil is the best Ole Miss has, and they will definitely line him up against Garrett. But Tunsil has yet to play a down of SEC football this year, so I think Garrett won’t have too much of a problem. Tunsil obviously gets his reps in practice, but I’m not sure if he’s conditioned and ready for the best defensive end in the country. The other defensive end, Daeshon Hall, is a threat too that Ole Miss will have to worry about. The defensive line is A&M’s strongest area.
Score prediction and analysis: A&M- 24, Ole Miss- 17. I liked Ole Miss to beat A&M a couple weeks ago, but the past two weeks they have been exposed and the Rebels hopes at a playoff are diminished. The Aggies backs are now against the wall and will be desperate for a win. Ole Miss will most likely not have Nkemdiche, and I think this game will be fairly low scoring, which will shock some people. The Aggies are playing poorly and inefficiently offensively, while their defense is playing sound. Also, it looks like it might rain Saturday, and for two teams that can’t run the football, that could be a problem.
Collin Brister
Q: It seems like the A&M/Ole Miss game is always exciting, especially when it is at Ole Miss. What is the feeling around campus with the Rebels play the Aggies? What are students saying this week?
A: It’s undeniable how exciting the games in 2012 and 2013 were. I truly believe if Texas A&M had any other quarterback, Ole Miss wins those two games. That’s how special Johny Manziel was. I think Ole Miss rattled Kenny Hill early last year and was able to take control of the game. I think the students are excited, especially after the game last week vs. Memphis. With Memphis being in such close proximity to Ole Miss, I think students are really excited to hopefully get the taste of that loss out of their mouth against such a quality opponent.
Q: Ole Miss a few weeks ago beat an Alabama team that looks to be unstoppable now. What has changed from that game to the past couple weeks against Memphis and Florida?
A: Tony Conner got injured. While it’s too simple to simply say that injury was the sole reason Ole Miss has lost two of their last three games, it had a huge impact. Tony Conner did not miss tackles and his blazing speed made it hard for quarterbacks to take advantage of underneath routes. Since his injury that night in Tuscaloosa, the Rebels have been vulnerable to underneath routes and have missed too many tackles to be successful. On offense, the Rebels haven’t been as good on the offensive line and Florida and Memphis have forced Chad Kelly to make quick decisions while eliminating any threat of a running game.
Q: The Rebels are a lot like the Aggies in that they are not too effective on the ground. Does this hurt the Ole Miss offense?
A: Yes. It hurts the Ole Miss offense a lot. It has been proven that to be in the top part of the SEC you must have a consistent rushing threat. Ole Miss arguably has the best wide receiving core in the country, and if the Rebels were able to have success running the football it would present more one on one match ups for guys like Laquon Treadwell and Evan Engram making the Rebel offense a potent one.
Q: What kind of quarterback is Chad Kelly and what does he bring to the table? Is he the best quarterback in the SEC?
A: I believe Chad Kelly is the best quarterback in the SEC when he has time to throw the football. Even in the losses, Kelly has had successful numbers in the air. While, yes, the turnovers have gone up in the last four weeks, a few of those can be credited to tipped passes and the amount of pressure Kelly is faced with when he drops back to pass. While Kelly isn’t a blazer, he has more speed than Bo Wallace and presents the threat of taking off and running which keeps defenses honest.
Q: Robert Nkemdiche suffered a concussion last week. Will he be out this week? And if so, what will the Ole Miss defense look like without him?
A: Robert Nkemdiche’s status is up in the air. Head Coach Hugh Freeze said he was still going through concussion protocol after practice on Wednesday so I guess we’ll have to see if he’s on the field Saturday. While Nkemdiche is undoubtedly the best defensive player for the Rebels, his position group is the deepest on the team. While the Rebels would obviously prefer Nkemdiche be on the field taking double and triple teams, Breeland Speaks had a breakout performance Saturday replacing Nkemdiche so hopefully for the Rebels’ sake he will have another big game Saturday with or without Nkemdiche
Score prediction and analysis: This Rebel team is confusing, but one thing that has remained consistent under Hugh Freeze is that they play well at home. The Rebels usually score a lot more points in Vaught-Hemmingway as well. I think the Rebels realize this is their last shot. Ole Miss is still in control of their own destiny regarding the SEC West. There was a team meeting earlier this week and the Rebels have alluded to having their “swagger” back. I think this is the week the Rebels come out of their lull and play well in all facets of the game.
Prediction
Ole Miss-34
Texas A&M-30
