Standing on the sidelines in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium last Saturday with their first SEC win against Georgia well in hand, Evan Engram and some of his teammates began to discuss what’s next on the schedule.
“We were talking about it on the sidelines, and we aren’t going into it as revenge. We are going in there to execute,” Engram said.
A Memphis player blocks a pass intended for Laquon Treadwell during last year’s upset loss in Memphis. (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
They remember walking out of Liberty Bowl Stadium a year ago, reeling due to the 37-24 thrashing Memphis unleashed on the Rebels. A game that saw Justin Fuente and Paxton Lynch bring the Tiger program into the national spotlight. It also crippled Ole Miss’ chance at the college football playoffs.
“That game certainly didn’t help in regards to the playoffs. I think us not going to Atlanta kept us out of the playoffs. I think at that period in time last year, if we had gone to Atlanta, I think we were playing well enough to win the conference championship,” Head Coach Hugh Freeze said. “That probably would have been enough to get us in. I think it is hard for a team that has two losses. I think it is hard if you don’t go to Atlanta. I think it would be very hard to get into the playoff. “
But to a degree, that was then and this is now. Fuente is now the coach at Virginia Tech. Lynch is a quarterback for Denver Broncos, and guys like Robert Nkemdiche, Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil have also moved on to the professional ranks.
“We won’t get into talking about, ‘We’ve got to do this because of last year.’ I am not a big fan of that,” Freeze said. “Hopefully our kids will understand it is an important game and is one that should have our full attention for sure.”
Revenge won’t necessarily be on the Rebels’ minds, but that doesn’t mean they won’t remember what happened a year ago.
Breeland Speaks and John Youngblood celebrate after a tackle during last year’s loss against Memphis. (Photo by: Cameron Brooks)
“We went up there and got embarrassed last year,” senior defensive lineman John Youngblood said. “I don’t think we prepared well. We didn’t have our mindset well enough going into the game. We definitely need to be on top of our stuff this week.”
That’s not to say Ole Miss won’t face another challenge this week. Memphis’ New Head Coach Mike Norvell seemingly hasn’t missed a beat. The Tigers are 3-0 and have won by a combined margin of 128 points. Memphis dropped 77 on Bowling Green last week and scored 56 in the opening half.
“I have known Mike (Norvell) for a few years; we have kind of traveled in some of the same circles offensively,” Freeze said. “He is very similar to what you saw last year from them, maybe a few more spread sets. Defensively, similar, probably more multiple this year than they were last year just watching the three games.”
Junior quarterback Riley Ferguson has tossed 11 touchdowns and 843 yards in the first three games. He hasn’t thrown an interception since two in the first game.
“He has played really well. I don’t know that it would be fair for me to try to assess it to (Paxton) Lynch until I see him live, but on film he is making every throw,” Freeze said. “He uses his feet and seemed like a leader and competitive dude so I know they are pleased with him to this point for sure.”
The Tigers have hardly faced the September slate that Ole Miss has, but the numbers still show an offense that’s explosive.
Though the team is hesitant to call this a revenge game, it’s hard to deny that last year’s defeat doesn’t give off a sense that this Saturday is a chance at redemption.
“We always say the past is a point of reference and not a destination,” Youngblood said. “We are certainly going to look at the past and say that they are a good team and beat us fair and square. But we are hoping to take care of business this year.”
