Rebels’ Evan Engram remains positive after loss to Arkansas, looks ahead to LSU game
OXFORD, Miss. – It can be difficult for any team to bounce back from a loss, but Ole Miss senior tight end Evan Engram believes the leaders inside the Ole Miss locker room will make sure the Rebels are prepared for Saturday’s game with LSU.
We have so many great competitors, and guys who want to get in there and fix stuff and get better, and guys who want to win. It’s just leading by example. Don’t have to say much.
Evan Engram on team leadership
Engram: ‘Last week will not beat us this week’
Engram knows the Rebels’ team leaders will make sure Ole Miss is prepared for the game with LSU Saturday. (Photo credit: Dan Anderson, The Rebel Walk)
At Monday’s weekly press conference, following Saturday’s loss to Arkansas, none of the Ole Miss players were dispirited as they know there are still plenty of opportunities left to win marquee games.
Engram, who has always been a positive voice for the 23rd-ranked Rebels (3-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference), has high hopes he and his teammates will bounce back from the loss to the Razorbacks and get back into the thick of things in the SEC Western Division as well as have postseason success.
At the beginning of the season, Sports Betting Dime had Ole Miss at 9-1 odds to win the 2016 SEC Championship. In the latest post by ESPN.com, the Rebels are 20-1 odds to win the national championship. The Powder Springs, Georgia native realizes the road is not easy, but he wants everyone to take it one game at a time, putting focus solely on No. 25 LSU (4-2, 2-1). You might want to get to your closest sports betting kiosks and place some bets on the next game! If you’d rather do so from the comfort of home, you could always use a site like Mobile Wins to place a bet mobile from your phone. No matter where you’re putting your bets on, it’s important to take caution when doing so. Unfortunately, some people do fall victim to some of the negative aspects of betting, from getting into debt to experiencing credit card fraud. However, this doesn’t happen often. To prevent this, it might be a good idea to consider reading something about how to stay safe when betting. Perhaps https://www.sportsgossip.com/tips-to-bet-safe-online-in-india/ would be useful to ensure your bet is sensible and safe.
“Our expectation was to win, go undefeated, and win a championship. That’s a far stretch now, but we do a great job of responding and getting ready for the next opponent,” said Engram, who leads all tight ends in the nation with 37 catches and 590 receiving yards.
Last week will not beat us this week. That’s our mentality. We’re going to be hyped all week and we can’t wait to get down there.
Evan Engram on playing LSU
Playing in Tiger Stadium
Engram knows the LSU crowd will be raucous. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland, The Rebel Walk)
The exact location Engram is referring to is Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The last time Ole Miss stepped inside Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley, the Rebels lost 10-7 in a game that wasn’t decided until the final two seconds.
That loss to LSU ultimately ended the Rebels’ chances at an unbeaten season and an opportunity to play for the national championship. Engram remembered how the crowd had an effect on Ole Miss’ offensive rhythm.
The home team has fared well in recent meetings, winning the last four contests.
I went down there sophomore year and that was by far one of the loudest stadiums I’ve been in. Just the magnitude that they bring to the game – they really play behind their crowd. It causes some problems for us. Their crowd and atmosphere is a huge deal with it being tough to play down there.
Evan Engram on playing in Tiger Stadium
Rebels’ offense will be tested by LSU defense
The Rebels’ offense will not only have to deal with a possible raucous crowd of 102,321 but will have to face a stout Tigers’ defense Saturday night (8 p.m. CST, ESPN) that has held its opponents to 14 points per game since the firing of Les Miles, who was replaced by the team’s defensive line coach and former Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron.
LSU DE Arden Key leads the SEC in sacks with 7.
In the SEC, LSU is currently ranked 2nd in scoring defense and third in total defense, giving up an average total of 312 yards per game.
A great deal of LSU’s defensive production has come from sophomore defensive end Arden Key, who leads the SEC with seven sacks. As an offense, the Rebels are averaging 320 yards passing per game and 39.7 points per game, which ranks first and third, respectively, in the SEC.
As for Engram, he is first in the SEC in average receiving yards per game (98.3) and total receiving yards (590).
“They have a lot of great athletes in the secondary. Their whole defense rallies to the ball,” Engram said. “They have athletic ends that can get up field and get to the quarterback and cause some problems. Their secondary is a strong point. They’ve got some top guys back there,” he added.
So, it’s definitely going to be a huge test for our offense. But our coaches will have a great plan for us so we’ll get there and break it down.
Evan Engram
Game info:
Ole Miss and LSU will square off this Saturday in the Magnolia Bowl at 8:00 p.m. (CT) at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. The game will be televised by ESPN.
(Feature image credit: Dan Anderson, The Rebel Walk)
Courtney Smith
Courtney is from Memphis and received his Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Memphis in May of 2014. He began his journalism career covering the Memphis Tigers Men's basketball team, which landed him an intern position on 730 Yahoo Sports Radio and a position with Rivals.com. A freelance writer for the Associated Press, Courtney is also a member of The Rebel Walk team and reports regularly on Ole Miss football and basketball. Courtney, the father of a six-year old girl named Soniyah, prefers to cover NCAA basketball and football, but is happy to report on any other sport that comes his way.
