WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Notes, Quotes

The Sports Xchange

November 21, 2018 at 1:45 am.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

–C Sean Rawlings left the Vanderbilt game during the Rebels’ first offensive series with a sprained ankle. He’s listed as day to day. Jordan Sims, a senior with starting experience, finished the game at center and will start if Rawlings is unavailable.

–TE Dawson Knox will be available Thursday. The junior tight end missed the first half against Vanderbilt after being suspended due to a targeting ejection the prior week at Texas A&M. His absence was highlighted when his backup, Jason Pellerin, dropped a short touchdown pass in the second quarter, and the Rebels, in a game that reached overtime, ended up setting for a short field goal. Knox had a 36-yard catch in the second half.

–QB Jordan Ta’amu threw for a career-high 457 yards at Vanderbilt but also threw two interceptions. Having sprained an ankle against South Carolina on Nov. 3, Ta’amu is healthier than he was against Texas A&M on Nov. 10. He wasn’t a big factor in the run game against the Commodores who defended the middle of the field and held Ta’amu to 10 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

–WR Braylon Sanders missed the Vanderbilt game but is listed as probable for MSU. Sanders, the replacement for DK Metcalf who was lost for the season with a neck injury in mid-October, suffered a sprained ankle against Auburn in late October. Both Metcalf and Sanders provide the Rebels with solid downfield threats, something they’ve missed in recent weeks.

SERIES HISTORY: Ole Miss leads Mississippi State 64-44-6. The Rebels have won three of the last four with two of those wins coming in Starkville including last year’s 31-28 upset. The Bulldogs’ most recent win was a blowout, 55-20 in Oxford in 2016, denying bowl-eligibility to the Rebels.

QUOTE TO NOTE “You have a short week to prepare for a huge rivalry game. Bouncing back from a difficult loss, you really don’t have a choice.” — Ole Miss coach Matt Luke.

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