It was just two weeks ago that Ole Miss suffered a second-half collapse against the now-No. 2 ranked Florida State Seminoles. Now, the Rebels have to face Alabama in their first SEC match of the season.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to kind of get back into the things after the loss against Florida State,” tight end Evan Engram said. “Alabama is ranked No. 1, coming off two big wins. Like I said, it’s a great opportunity for us to be at home in front of our fans. It’s going to be a great crowd, a great atmosphere. A lot of energy surrounding this week, and I’m ready to get to it.”
(Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
Engram has already faced Alabama three times in his career, but this year the matchup feels different for the senior.
“I’m more at ease about it, calmer,” Engram said. “The last couple of years have always been hyped up and kind of looking forward to it weeks beforehand. Really excited for it, but I guess, I have had a lot of big games here, been through the ringer a little bit. I’m really excited about the opportunity and I’m really calm about it.”
In the past two seasons, the Rebels have been much more effective passing the ball as opposed to running the ball when facing the Crimson Tide. Engram saw improvements in the Tide’s pass coverage and overall speed this season but thought they still had good size.
“Their linebackers are slimmer, move a lot better. Their secondary is really good,” Engram said. “I think that’s most they have improved on is their secondary. Even when they send pressure, they hold well. They move a lot better, just a little bit more, kind of like a finesse defense. They are still very physical, really strong up front and really good against the run. But they are definitely moving around a lot better and way better in coverage.”
Even with the improvements in the Tide’s defense, Engram still knew how the Rebels offense needed to execute on Saturday.
“We have to make big plays down field,” Engram said. “It’s really important to control the line of scrimmage in this league. It’s really hard to run the ball against Alabama; their run defense is really solid. But you have to have some type of balance to be successful in this league, and us having big plays through the air down the field will definitely help us in that aspect of our game.”
Engram has been productive in his first two games of this season, catching 11 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. Engram saw an improved chemistry between him and quarterback Chad Kelly.
“I give a lot of credit to the film room. Personally, just seeing coverages and actually being involved in the game plan, actually understanding what we are trying to do, how we are trying to move the ball down the field,” Engram said. “Just being involved in more and the X’s and O’s has really helped me take that next step. And of course, the small things are working, running routes, timing with Chad and some things like catching the ball.”
There’s plenty of attention surrounding the game and the Rebels attempted ‘threepeat,’ but Engram was careful to not let the hype distract him.
“The past two years don’t mean anything. We want to compete for an SEC Championship this year and try to get into the playoffs, and we need to beat Alabama to do that,” Engram said. “The past two years doesn’t mean anything. The fans will have their fun with that. But for us, it’s just another game that we have to win.”
