Texas A&M at Ole Miss
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Kickoff: 6 p.m.
Television: ESPNU
Radio: Ole Miss Network; Sirius 123, XM 198
Records: Ole Miss 3-2, 0-1 SEC, Texas A&M 3-1, 1-1 SEC
Series: Texas A&M leads 4-0
Coaches: Texas A&M – Kevin Sumlin 38-18 fifth season, 3-1 first season at Texas A&M. Ole Miss – Hugh Freeze, 33-9, fourth season overall; 3-2 first season at Ole Miss.
Statistical Leaders: Texas A&M – QB Johnny Manziel, 52 carries, 366 yards, 6 TDs. QB Johnny Manziel 87-for-124 passing, 1,094 yards, 10 TD, 0 INT. WR Mike Evans 24 catches, 307 yards, 1 TD. LB Johnathan Stewart 30 tackles, 2 PBU. Ole Miss – RB Jeff Scott 50 carries, 317 yards, 4 TDs. QB Bo Wallace 70-for-112 passing, 840 yards, 7 TD, 6 INT. WR Donte Moncrief 21 catches, 380 yards, 4 TD. LB Denzel Nkemdiche 32 tackles, 6 TFLs, 2 sacks.
Trends: Ole Miss had scored at least four touchdwns in each game before last week’s 33-14 loss at Alabama. … Texas A&M has outscored opponents 89-3 in the second quarter. The Aggies trailed 10-7 after one quarter in last week’s 58-10 win over Arkansas.
Notes: The game is the first on the SEC road for Texas A&M. … In Texas A&M’s first road game as a member of the Big 12 Conference it won 24-21 at Iowa State. … In the most recent meeting between the Aggies and Rebels, Ole Miss quarterback John Fourcade was intercepted four times in a 23-20 loss in Jackson in 1980. … Ole Miss running back Jeff Scott has scored four touchdowns in the last three games. … Both Ole Miss touchdowns against Alabama were on rushing plays, Scott with a 1-yard run, Randall Mackey with a 12-yard run. … Ole Miss penalized just 3.6 times per game, best in the SEC and fourth in the nation. … Ole Miss ranks fifth in the SEC and 31st in the NCAA with 2.6 sacks a game but is last in the league and No. 106 in the nation in sacks allowed at 3.2 per game.
Summing it up: “Week in and week out you have to know the opponent and know what you’re facing on Saturdays, and our coaches do a good job of showing that to us in practice. A&M, they’re going to spread you out. They’re going to throw it. D line, we have to do a great job of keeping our rush lanes, because this quarterback can get out of the pocket and make plays with his feet.” – Ole Miss defensive end C.J. Johnson
Prediction: Texas A&M 33, Ole Miss 31
Denham Springs, La., native, Mississippian since 1989 with a stop in Meridian before arriving in Tupelo. Daily Journal beat writer since 1996, covering Ole Miss since 2002. Proud Northeast Louisiana alum. Follow me on Twitter @parrishalford and listen to Kory Keys and myself daily with The Ole Miss Beat on Rebel Sports Radio.
