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OFFENSE: F
The Ole Miss offense was shut out for the first time all season by an Arkansas defense that controlled Saturday’s game from start to finish, earning the offense a failing grade by game’s end. The Rebels ran for just 63 yards at fewer than two yards per carry, and they completed less than 50 percent of their passes in a losing effort against the Hogs. To make matters worse, Bo Wallace threw not one but two interceptions in the end zone, costing the Rebels points when a comeback was still realistic. The Rebels have battled inconsistencies on offense all year, but they failed in every way imaginable on Saturday, and their grade reflects that fact.
DEFENSE: B
The numbers will say the Rebels defense was almost as bad as the offense on Saturday, but the defense actually put forth an adequate performance considering the circumstances. The Landsharks may have allowed 30 points, the second-most they’ve allowed in a game this year, but they only allowed 13 points off six Ole Miss turnovers while defending a short field for most of the game. They also held a tremendous Arkansas rushing attack to just 3.2 yards per carry, and did so despite spending more than 34 minutes on the field compared to the offense’s 26 minutes of action. The Ole Miss defense was worn down by the second half and it played most of the game with its back against the wall, so it’s actually quite amazing the Razorbacks didn’t win by more at home on their Senior Day. Nevertheless, the Rebels earn a B for an above-average performance under some daunting circumstances in Fayetteville.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Ole Miss was merely average on special teams, earning a C on the report card as a result. The Rebels averaged 21 yards per kickoff return and their lone punt return of the day went backwards for negative-eight yards. They never attempted a field goal, but they averaged 42 yards per punt on five punts, landing one inside the Arkansas 20 without a touchback. The Rebels special teams never cost Ole Miss the game, but they certainly didn’t help spark a rally either. Thus, a solid C is a worthy grade for this week.
COACHING: F
Hugh Freeze admitted in his postgame media availability that his team was not prepared for the challenge at hand Saturday in Fayetteville, and that falls on the coaching staff first and foremost. Ole Miss looked flat and uninspired against the Hogs, and it certainly didn’t look like a team that entered Saturday still vying for an SEC West title and a New Year’s Six bowl. Freeze and his staff dropped the ball in preparing their team for Saturday’s showdown, and that failure is reflected on this report card with a resounding F.
OVERALL: F
Ole Miss dropped its third straight SEC game with Saturday’s loss, and it now has nothing left to play for but a chance to spoil Mississippi State’s season next week in the Egg Bowl. The Rebels’ showing on Saturday was the most disappointing of the three straight conferences losses, as it came against an unranked foe after the Rebels had two weeks to prepare for the game. The defense was prepared for the challenge as it has been every week this year, but other than that the team failed in every way imaginable, earning an overall F for its season-crushing loss.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
