PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Scottie Phillips had a rather pedestrian game against Louisiana-Monroe by his standards, but he still finished with a 6.2-yards per carry and was responsible for three touchdowns.
–QB Matt Corral got in his second game. Coach Matt Luke would like to redshirt the four-star freshman but took the opportunity against ULM to watch Corral in action with the first team, and Corral did not disappoint. He scored on a 61-yard run and was 10-for-10 passing for 143 yards with touchdown passes to RB Scottie Phillips and another freshman, Elijah Moore. While a redshirt is the goal, Corral is clearly Jordan Ta’amu’s No. 1 backup.
–LB Kevontae Ruggs, the true freshman who won the job in camp for the starting outside spot, has had trouble getting his career off to a big start. First there was the concussion early against Texas Tech that kept him out until Week 3 against Alabama. Then a targeting penalty against LSU kept him out for the first half against ULM. The Rebels need the speed Ruggs brings to the position. For the season he’s totaled 13 tackles and a quarterback pressure. He’s expected to be back in the starting lineup against Arkansas.
–TE Dawson Knox, billed as a playmaker in the offense, hasn’t been heard from since the two big catches in the fourth quarter against Kent State. Knox isn’t dropping passes; he’s just not getting opportunities. In game in which the offense rolled up 826 yards — and the three starting receivers each had more than 100 yards — Knox had one catch for 7 yards.
SERIES HISTORY: Arkansas leads 35-28-1. The Razorbacks have won the last four in the series, with the Rebels’ last win coming in 2013. Ole Miss leads the series 8-6-1 in Little Rock.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “The receivers caught every contested ball out there. They didn’t let anything faze them. They knew exactly where to go on every route. It was super huge for us to come out strong. Our goal was to be consistent. We reached that goal, and we have to keep doing it throughout the season.” — Ole Miss QB Jordan Ta’amu
