Postgame Points: Texas A&M Game
Point No.1: Rebels Win
The first postgame point this week is that the Rebels win. It marks the sixth time this season a Rebel victory has been included in the postgame points, much to the delight of this writer and Rebels fans everywhere. Ole Miss was very impressive in dispatching Texas A&M 35-20 in College Station on Saturday night. The Rebels improve to 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in SEC play–and are now 2-0 in SEC road games, as well.
Ole Miss has to feel great after winning at Kyle Field, a tough place to play, in front of more than 110,000 fans on national television. The Rebels have defeated a ranked SEC opponent in consecutive weeks for the first time in program history. Ole Miss remains ranked #3 in the AP Top 25 Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll following the stellar win over the Aggies.
The Rebels will look to continue their winning ways this weekend at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Point No.2: Defense
Safety Cody Prewitt returns an interception 75 yards for a touchdown against A&M. (Photo Credit: Peter Rocha)
The Ole Miss defense seems to find its way into the postgame points each and every week and continues to be a major reason why the Rebels are now 6-0 on the season and ranked third in the nation.
The defense was stout and stingy against the Aggies. It shut down Texas A&M in the first half on Saturday night, as the Rebels raced out to a 21-0 lead at the break.
The Rebels held the Aggies to a mere 54 rushing yards in the game, which is far less than the 188 rushing yards per game the Aggies averaged coming into this contest.
Ole Miss recorded 2 sacks against Texas A&M. Further, the Rebel defense created 3 turnovers on the night and returned 2 of them for touchdowns. The Ole Miss defense now has 13 turnovers on the season, including 3 interception returns for a touchdown.
The Rebel defense is dominating opponents, creating turnovers, and scoring points. With a defense that is opportunistic and shuts down the opposition, it is easy to see why the Rebels sit atop the standings in the rugged SEC West and remain in contention for the SEC championship.
Point No.3: Balance
Ole Miss showed a nice offensive balance against Texas A&M. The Rebels put up 338 yards of total offense and had no turnovers. They gained 160 yards on the ground and scored 2 touchdowns and also recorded 178 passing yards and 1 touchdown in the game. Simply put, the Rebels were able to move the ball effectively against the Aggies in both components of the offense.
To continue winning games in the SEC, it is important for Ole Miss to be able to keep moving the ball down the field on the ground and through the air.
Point No.4: Focus
The Ole Miss players and coaches deserve a lot of credit this week for an outstanding performance against Texas A&M. Following a huge, emotional victory over Alabama, it would have been easy for the Rebels to come into Kyle Field feeling great about themselves. Yet, Ole Miss showed a tremendous amount of focus on the task at hand.
The Rebels put the big win over the Crimson Tide behind them and were zoned in on defeating the Aggies. The fact that Ole Miss was penalized only twice in the game for a total of 20 yards says a lot about the focus of this team.
Again, the players and coaches should be applauded for the discipline and focus displayed in the tremendous victory over Texas A&M. It is a great sign to see that the Rebels are not looking at the big picture but are looking at each week’s opponent. It is important to stay sharp and to take things one game at a time to continue winning games and staying in the hunt for the SEC championship.
Point No.5: Making Plays
Ole Miss played a great game as a collective unit versus Texas A&M on Saturday night. Yet, the Rebels had a number of individuals step up and make some outstanding plays that contributed to a total team effort.
Marquis Haynes was credited with 2 sacks against the Aggies. Tony Conner and Christian Russell recorded 11 and 9 tackles, respectively. All-American safety Cody Prewitt took an interception 75 yards for a touchdown, while Keith Lewis grabbed a fumble and went 21 yards for a touchdown. Senquez Golson continues to find the ball, as he picked off a pass for the second week in a row.
Laquon Treadwell caught 5 passes for 53 yards, and Quincy Adeboyejo had 2 receptions for 64 yards and 1 touchdown. Bo Wallace had a big game, completing 13 of 19 pass attempts for 178 yards and 1 touchdown with no turnovers. As well, Wallace ran for 50 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.
Jeff Tetrick
Jeff is a college sports fanatic who was able to recognize many D1 team logos by kindergarten. Growing up, Jeff played football, baseball, basketball, and ran track/cross country. Jeff’s love for college sports was expanded while running track/cross country at Indiana University, where he earned a General Education degree and attended every sporting event possible when not running for the Hoosiers. A proud parent and husband, Jeff resides in Oxford. His wife is an Ole Miss graduate, and Jeff has a year of post-graduate studies at Ole Miss under his belt. Jeff and his family can be found at just about any Ole Miss sporting event throughout the year. Jeff follows the idea of God, Family/Friends, and Football as a way of life. Writing about Ole Miss sports plays to Jeff’s love affair with collegiate athletics perfectly!
