Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher Discusses Playing No. 10 Ole Miss
College Station, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies are headed into Oxford to take on the No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday morning.
A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher met with media Monday after his team’s 30-17 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks at Kyle Field on Saturday. Texas A&M rolls into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with a 5-3 overall record and a 3-2 mark in conference action.
“Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1 SEC) is a really good football team,” Fisher said.
“Everybody talks about them offensively. Their running backs are outstanding (Quinshon Judkins and Ulysses Bentley IV). The quarterback (Jaxson Dart) is athletic can make plays and throws the ball to the receivers. He’s a very gifted guy with a lot of ability, and they rely a lot on his legs and his arm.”
Jimbo Fisher on the Ole Miss offense
This season, Judkins has carried the ball 146 times in eight games for 691 yards and nine touchdowns. Bentley IV is right on his heels with 61 touches for 369 yards and three scores in eight games.
“He’s hitting the runs,” Fisher said of Judkins. “You see the cuts, and he very rarely misses cuts and both backs, and they’re blocking. They got in the groove of what they’re doing offensively and done really well. They’re playing well.”
Dart continues to be a dual-threat quarterback in his second year in head coach Lane Kiffin’s offense. Through the air, the USC transfer has gone 136-for-211 for 2,080 yards and 14 passing touchdowns to only four interceptions. On the ground, he has carried the ball 85 times for 326 yards and seven touchdowns.
“They run the football and take shots, and the quarterback can make plays with his legs. You’re playing a team that can run with the backs, run with the quarterback and throw the ball downfield. They’re very balanced.“
Jimbo Fisher on Ole Miss offense
“Receivers, transfer portals done really well with these guys,” Coach Fisher added regarding how well the Rebels’ transfer receiving corps of Tre Harris, Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins are performing.
“Ole Miss’ defense has really played well,” Fisher added. “They have had some shutouts here lately and played extremely well. Their (defensive) front, they have done a really good job in the transfer portal there. JJ Pegues is a dynamic inside guy, physical. Akelo Stone is very physical, Stephon Wynn’s physical with all those guys inside.
This season, Ole Miss has two edge rushers in Cedric Johnson and Jared Ivey who are making it difficult for opposing offenses.
“The ends can rush,” Fisher noted.
“Cedric Johnson and Jared Ivey are athletic and long, 6-2, 6-3, 260-270. One is 6-foot-5 and can rush. They get Suntarine Perkins who is an outstanding young freshman who they get him on the edge and play him at backer in there. The linebackers are Khari Coleman and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste. Deantre Prince has been a great junior college transfer for them, one of the best corners we’ll play. Zamari Walton is a really good player, Daijahn Anthony, Trey Washington, John Saunders. I mean they’ve all done a really good job.“
Fisher added that the Aggies are going to have to play well on the road and must have a good week of practice. They’ll continue with their set schedule of traveling two days ahead of time for a road game, arriving in Mississippi on Thursday instead of Friday.
“That’s the best thing we do and the reason we do it is because academics,” Fisher explained. “It’s the best academic day (because) we get all day (there) on Friday, and we get the whole team there and our academic guys get those guys for 3 hours in the morning. It’s not just about the travel, it’s about getting them off the streets on Thursday night, get extra rest and then you get academics on Friday.”
Ole Miss and Texas A&M kick off at 11 a.m. and the game can be seen ESPN. On Saturday morning, SEC Nation will be live from the Grove at 9 a.m. with Marty and McGee at 8 a.m.
(Feature image credit: Texas A&M Athletics 12thman.com)
Adam Brown
Adam Brown joins The Rebel Walk as the Managing Editor after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 11 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
