2022 At a Glance: Ole Miss and Arkansas set for encore after last year's barnburner
Call it a classic. Call it a barnburner or whatever you may but last year’s meeting between Ole Miss and Arkansas was one for the books.
Can these two teams somehow top last season’s 52-51 Ole Miss victory when they meet up in Fayetteville mid-November?
The defensive coordinators sure hope not.
Still, Arkansas is part of the juggernaut that is Ole Miss’ second-half schedule in 2022. After hosting Alabama for a rare November meeting the Rebels then have to pack up and head to northwestern Arkansas for their seventh of eight straight Southeastern Conference games.
One thing is for sure and it is that Ole Miss will be battled tested when they take on the Razorbacks in the penultimate game of the season. The Nov. 19 meeting could also have major postseason implications — which is basically true for every game from LSU on.
The scoreboard operator might better do plenty of warmup exercises ahead of this game.
After a 7-0 first quarter there were no less than 27 points scored in each of the final three quarters with 41 total points scored the final 15 minutes.
Last year’s game in Oxford was just chaos as both defenses could do very little but stand there and watch as the offenses tried to tilt the scoreboard at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Nearly 1,300 combined total yards of offense was recorded.
For Ole Miss it was a turning point with its defense. Coming off the nail-biting victory, which could arguably be pinpointed as the win that got them back in the Sugar Bowl, head coach Lane Kiffin acknowledged change needed to happen.
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The locker room also acknowledged it and held a meeting to essentially serve as a ‘get-right’ type of sit down. From there it was a renaissance of sorts.
Related: Ole Miss’ Jordan Watkins plans to be the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ in a talented receivers room
Ole Miss’ defense looks more prepared to handle an offense that will once again be led by quarterback KJ Jefferson.
The Sardis native returned to Mississippi and tallied over 400 total yards of offense to go with three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns last October.
Depth and success in the transfer portal has provided possibly one of the best top to bottom rosters Ole Miss has produced on defense in a recent years.
I for one do not see the century mark being in play when Ole Miss and the Razorbacks get together this fall. But I do see the potential for the Rebels to manage to have the same success on offense they did a year ago.
If that is the case then November could be alright for the Rebels with the Egg Bowl left to go.
Related: ‘I feel confident seeing No. 11 out there’: If math never lies, Ole Miss has at least one stud linebacker in veteran Austin Keys
