Published September 11, 2012 - 2:35pm
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The Matchup: #14 Texas at Ole Miss
When: Saturday, September 15th
Where: Oxford, Mississippi
Game Time: 9:15 PM ET
TV: ESPN
What you need to know about Texas: Several have picked Texas as a dark horse to win the BCS National Championship. The Longhorns are 2-0 on the season, defeating Wyoming and New Mexico by a combined score of 82-17. But this is the toughest test yet.
Texas QB David Ash has thrown for 377 yards on the short season, completing 73.5 percent of his passes and three touchdowns. The Longhorns feature running backs Joe Bergeron and Malcolm Brown. Bergeron has carried for 159 yards and three touchdowns, while Brown has rushed for 110 yards and one touchdown. Other backs will work into the mix as well. Receivers Jaxon Shipley and Mike Davis have the most catches and combine for 16 receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Davis is the bigger talent.
Texas’ defense will be revolved around stopping the quarterback this week. Bo Wallace is the playmaker for the Rebels’ offense, and look for Texas to keep him in the pocket and bring pressure. DE Alex Okafor is one of the best in the country, and he is the one to watch, lined up opposite Jackson Jeffcoat.
Texas should have the best defense in the Big 12 by season’s end.
What you need to know about Ole Miss: This is the game Hugh Freeze has circled on his calendar. Ole Miss is 2-0 on the year and still getting very little respect, largely for the opponents they have beaten. If the Rebs beat Texas, they will get national respect. Ole Miss currently leads the SEC in total offense, racking up 551.5 yards per game.
Quarterback Bo Wallace is getting respect in the media, though. He has played very well early, and he’s the reason this team is in the position it is in. He’s put up electric numbers, completing 76.1 percent of his passes and throwing for 438 yards with five touchdowns. But this cat can run, too, as he is the leading rusher on the team with 135 yards and two touchdowns. He’s the real deal, and he has a stud receiver to play pitch and catch with in Donte Moncrief. Expect Texas’ defense to bracket Moncrief in double coverage. He’s caught 11 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns thus far, but he’s a big-play receiver.
The Longhorns will see a heavy dose of Wallace in the running game, in addition to backs Randall Mackey, Jeff Scott, I’Tavius Mathers and Jaylen Walton.
Ole Miss’ defense is ranked in the middle of the pack right now in total defense in the SEC, but the Rebels haven’t really played a formidable offense yet. In addition, the SEC announced that DB Trae Elston has been suspended because of a fourth-quarter hit on UTEP in which a flag was never thrown. Elston has been a stud thus far. This one hurts and is a bit of a head scratcher.
What you need to watch: The Longhorns are 5-1 in their minimal history against Ole Miss.
Everyone knows how Texas will attack Ole Miss. The Longhorns stop the quarterback, and they stop the offense. As Bo Wallace goes, so does this explosive offense. Wallace was actually recruited a little bit at Texas, but nothing ever came of it. They are well aware of his potency on offense.
We know that Ole Miss’ athletes are outmatched on paper against Texas but upsets do happen and can happen any time a ranked team goes on the road. The Rebel faithful will be there and the stage will be set, with the fans pre-gaming in the Grove.
This is the sleeper game in the SEC this week, behind Florida-Tennessee and Alabama-Arkansas.
Behind Florida-Tennessee, this is probably the game I’m most interested to watch on Saturday. An Longhorn upset would be quite enjoyable.
I agree