Catherine JeffersThe Ole Miss Rebels came out hot against Liberty, dominating the first half 24-0. Despite a less-than-average second half on offense, the Rebels were able to maintain the lead, beating the Flames 27-14. The Rebels are now 7-2 overall and continue to push for the SEC West.
Next man up mentality seems to be working
It’s known that Ole Miss is without key playmakers on offense. Dontario Drummond is still nursing a hamstring injury. Jonathon Mingo is questionable for the rest of the season with a foot injury, and Matt Corral is “not injured, just hurt,” according to the quarterback in his post-game presser. Despite the lack of offensive prowess, the mentality of “next man up” is constantly thrown around in Oxford. Who is going to step up when their name is called? Last week against Auburn, Casey Kelly and Jahcour Pearson stepped up with seven receptions each. Against Liberty, those next men up were John Rhys Plumlee and Dannis Jackson. Both Plumlee and Jackson had breakout games. Plumlee reeled in seven catches for 110 yards and Jackson had 126 yards on six catches, with one touchdown. After an initial dropped pass, Jackson came up huge with a 40-yard catch in double coverage to set up for an Ole Miss touchdown. Jerrion Ealy had another strong game today after a slow mid-season, with two touchdowns and 115 rushing yards. Injuries have been a consistent issue throughout the season, but the players know that’s no excuse. It’s up to them to prove the depth on this roster.
What did AJ Finley, Sam Williams and Chance Campbell eat for breakfast this morning?
I sure would like to know. Whatever it was, they need to have it before every game. The Landshark defense recorded nine sacks today. For those of you that don’t know, that’s more than half of the total number of sacks in 2020. Four of the nine sacks were recorded by Campbell and Williams, each of them wrapping up Malik Willis twice. Williams’ two sacks against Liberty bring his season total to 10.5 sacks, a new modern-day record for Ole Miss. Ole Miss held Liberty scoreless in the first half, a huge feat against a quarterback who is positioned to be a first round NFL Draft pick. Finley had two interceptions in his career game. His first interception was followed by a 19-yard return and set Ole Miss up for a touchdown to bring their lead to 24-0 before the half. Finley’s second interception came as the clock wound down, going up in the endzone to seal the win for the Rebels. Finley finished the day with five solo tackles and 12 total tackles. Campbell had another huge game on top of his two sacks. Campbell finished up with 2.5 tackles for loss, a pass break up, three solo tackles and 10 total tackles. I’ll have what they’re having.
Can we take a moment to appreciate Caden Costa?
This one’s for you, Ruby. Ole Miss fans have a history of disappointment with kickers. I think we should all be thankful that that does not seem to be the case this season. Caden Costa was sent from above to save us from the humiliation of missing a field goal inside 30 yards. Despite his one miss against Liberty from 41 yards, he was still 2-for-3 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points. That brings Costa’s season to a stellar 39-for-41 PATs and 11-for-14 field goals, with a 50-yard field goal under his belt. If you’re thinking to yourself that it’s not good enough, think again. In 2020, Luke Logan was 6-for-10 with no hits outside of 40 yards. It’s a massive improvement for the Rebels, and Ruby no longer has to hold her breath every time we kick an extra point.
