Ole Miss has to tackle Texas A&M, as well as its own demons
Ole Miss had a tough loss last Saturday, falling to Memphis. Unfortunately, things will not get easier for the Rebels this Saturday when they play Texas A&M in Oxford.
That’s the way it goes in the SEC.
Ole Miss has now suffered two demoralizing defeats, and the phrase “loss of identity” has been mentioned. After the 38-10 debacle at Florida on Oct. 3, bad losses of seasons past came to mind. After losing to little brother next door Memphis, those losses are even more haunting.
Has this become Ole Miss’ new identity?
Will they always rise to the top of the pack, only to slide back into a hole after an upset?
Texas A&M, on the other hand, is in a different place. Their thumping at the hands of Alabama started out painful, but the offense was able to put together a few scoring drives to make the game competitive for a while, something that didn’t happen a year ago. Last Saturday’s loss to Alabama was the Aggies’ first of the season, which means they are still very much in the hunt for a chance at the SEC West title. They would love to knock Ole Miss down a peg.
Aside from motivation, there are other factors about the Aggies that should cause the Rebels concern. Texas A&M’s defense specializes in shutting down the passing game. Led by Myles Garrett, the Aggies’ pass rush will be swarming Chad Kelly. Ole Miss has struggled running the ball against SEC opponents, and has relied heavily on Kelly to drive the offense.
While it usually works, that game plan seems like a dangerous gamble against Texas A&M.
Ole Miss also has to worry about Kyle Allen’s ability to move his team down the field. Texas A&M did a decent job of this against Alabama, converting 7 of 18 third downs. And once the Aggies are in the red zone, you can expect them to score around 87 percent of the time. Ole Miss has trouble preventing third-down conversions, allowing it to happen 43 percent of the time, which ranks 12th in the conference.
So what should Ole Miss be most concerned with?
Probably not their offense. Tackle Laremy Tunsil returns to the lineup Saturday, which means Kelly will get more protection and the running game should be better. Kelly tends to start games hot, which means the Rebels score early and often. They should be able to score against A&M as well, provided they can convert third downs.
But there are issues on defense. Robert Nkemdiche left last week’s game with a concussion. The Rebels’ weakness is defending the pass, and it’s Aggies strength. The inexperienced Allen has made mistakes, but Ole Miss cannot afford to sit and wait for those moments. Ole Miss needs to force the issue.
Any way you break it down, it leads to the same conclusion. Texas A&M is going to be a major challenge for Ole Miss. In order to win, the Rebels will not only have to tackle the Aggies but also some of their own demons.
TEXAS A&M: CLOSER LOOK
Top player, offense: Kyle Allen, Soph., QB – Even though the coaching staff is not sold on Allen, he still brings the arm strength that Texas A&M needs. Last Saturday was one of his weaker performances of the season, throwing for only one touchdown and three interceptions. But he still passed for 263 yards, and has been good most of the season.
Top player, defense: Myles Garrett, Soph., DE – It should be no surprise that Garrett is doing damage to opposing offenses. Against Alabama, he notched five total tackles, four solo tackles, one sack, two tackles for a loss, one broken up pass, and one quarterback hurry.
Top player, special teams: Christian Kirk, Fr., WR – Kirk returned four punts last Saturday, and his most memorable one came on a 68-yard return for a touchdown. Teams will need to think twice about punting directly to him.