Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral has never been to The Grove

Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral is in his fourth season with the Rebels, yet has still not seen one of the most iconic parts of campus. Every Saturday, students, alumni and other fans pack The Grove, a beautiful tailgating haven, with red and blue tents. But Corral has never seen it in person.

“I’ve never been in The Grove,” Matt Corral told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum. “Even when I visited, I wasn’t able to experience it because it was January and the season wasn’t going on.”

There is food, games and drinks. Everything one would expect to find at a college campus on Saturdays. The Grove has been lauded as one of the best college sports experiences in the country according to ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

Former NFL and Rebels quarterback Eli Manning has talked about his experiences at The Grove as a kid. Finebaum asked Corral if he ever gets curious to sneak away and see what all the fuss is about on Saturdays, but the quarterback gave the correct answer.

“Absolutely not,” he said with a smile. “I’d much rather be on the field.”

After a 43-24 victory against Louisville in Atlanta on Monday, Ole Miss returns home to take on Austin Peay at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Matt Corral has his first opportunity this season to experience The Grove, if he wishes. The Rebels are asking all fans to wear white on Military Appreciation Day and the anniversary of 9/11.

Corral is the leading returning passer in the SEC and had a phenomenal performance on Monday. He finished 22-of-32 passing for 381 yards and a touchdown while adding 55 yards and another score on the ground.

The Rebels finished 5-5 facing an all-SEC schedule in 2020. They will aim for a winning record in SEC play and to finish among the top three teams in the West this season. They likely aren’t good enough to challenge Alabama or Texas A&M, but the door is open to move up after LSU’s loss to UCLA.

Ole Miss opens SEC play with Alabama on Oct. 2 in Tuscaloosa. It doesn’t get much tougher than that.