Sixteenth-ranked Ole Miss will take on unranked Memphis tonight at 7:00 PM. The game is a must-watch for a multitude of reasons. This game will be Ole Miss’ last home game until October 29th and next week, the team will take on Arkansas.
Led by Paxton Lynch, Memphis beat Ole Miss last year so there’s definitely some bad blood there. A 37-24 win by Memphis not only embarrassed Ole Miss but made Memphis look like they were the real deal. They weren’t, but it seemed like it after the win. Since then, both programs have been through some changes from losing players to the draft, Memphis’ coaching change and now, a heated rivalry.
The favorite here is obviously Ole Miss. They were the favorite last year, but going into this game is a lot different than other games. They were embarrassed and they’re looking to avenge that especially with Chad Kelly at the helm of the offense. Kelly has had an impressive ride to the top including helping the team average 40 points a game. Kelly does need to work on decreasing his turnovers, however. If he plays like he did last week against Georgia, then Memphis should be a breeze for the Rebels.
Memphis isn’t playing games, though. Last week, the team faced Bowling Green and scored 74 points more than the other team. QB Riley Ferguson threw six touchdown passes in the first half and was taken out in the second half. Defensively, if Memphis can pressure Kelly, then there will no doubt be turnovers the team can take advantage of especially with his trouble of not turning over the ball.
There’s a lot of pressure riding on both teams for this matchup. The Rebels not only want revenge but want to stay ranked and possibly end up in another bowl game. The Tigers are looking to keep their winning streak going against Ole Miss and show that they’re still a contender despite being unranked. This game could end up being a bloodbath, mostly of words, hopefully not actual blood but it’s going to be one of Ole Miss’ greatest challenges.
For this game, I give the edge to Ole Miss. If Kelly doesn’t turn the ball over, then it should be a cake walk. Hopefully, the Rebels letting go of another early lead in the second half. Other than that, I’m handing this one to the Rebels.
