I had a conversation with Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com, the Rivals site covering Texas, for today’s radio show, “The Ole Miss Beat.”
I’ve heard more than one Ole Miss fan talk about the “what if” of playing Texas later in the season last year rather than the third game of 2012.
It was no doubt a test for a rebuilding Ole Miss team — 2-0 after wins against Central Arkansas and UTEP — one the Rebels would have handled better later in the year. Not that Ole Miss would have won, necessarily, but would have handled better. The Rebels improved and probably wouldn’t have lost 66-31. Texas gained almost 700 yards that night, and quarterback David Ash completed more than 70 percent of his pass attempts.
The Rebels had chances to win against Vanderbilt and LSU before winning big against Mississippi State. The only team down the stretch that really handled Ole Miss was Georgia in the second half.
Texas left Oxford 3-0 and went 6-4 the rest of the way.
Brown talks about a key injury sustained in that game as part of the problem on defense, but it’s Texas, just bring in the next five-star, right?
Anyway, the Rebels return the trip in September, and it’s a very different mood around both of the programs right now.
There was a lot of excitement from Texas fans coming over to experience the Grove last year, but Brown suggests the campus experience won’t be very impressive for Ole Miss fans if Texas doesn’t win its opener at BYU.
You can listen to the show and the Brown interview here: The Ole Miss Beat
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.
