Allen Flanigan and the Rebels looking ahead to Top-25 matchup against Tennessee Saturday: ‘Everybody is buying into the culture here’
OXFORD, Miss. — Chris Beard and Ole Miss are just a little more than a day-and-a-half away from tipping off SEC play in Knoxville, where the No. 22 Rebels will face No. 5 Tennessee Saturday.
Former Auburn Tiger Allen Flanigan, who has helped Ole Miss become one of just three teams in the country to finish non-conference play 13-0, spoke to the media Thursday, complimenting his head coach what he’s building in Oxford.
“Everybody is buying into the culture here. We are listening to Coach Beard and doing what’s asked of us.“
Allen Flanigan
Last season at Auburn, Flanigan and the Tigers went 1-1 against Tennessee, losing by three in early February but winning by nine a month later in March, a game where the current Reb scored 16 points.
Fast forward to 2024, and Flanigan has a chance to lead Ole Miss to victory against Tennessee, something the Rebels were unable to do last season. He described the difficulty of playing in the SEC against teams like Tennessee.
“It’s a tough league, every game is going to be a dog fight, you know you gotta bring it.“
Allen Flanigan
In recent news, Ole Miss was finally granted access to its entire roster after Brandon Murray and Moussa Cisse got their transfer portal waivers cleared by the NCAA. Despite Cisse only having played in seven games and Murray in four, each player has made a substantial impact and is already seeing around 15 minutes of playing time per game.
Additionally, the team has now had the chance to put all of their pieces together in a game environment, which was not a guarantee at one point in time. Flanigan says he is happy for his teammates and that regardless of who is available, it’s all about improving and getting better as a team in every game on the schedule.
In order to defeat the Vols, those improvements will need to shine in Knoxville to give the Rebs their best shot. For Flanigan, here is what stands out about the fifth-ranked team in the country. “They’re a great team coached by a great coach, they have a lot of discipline, and it’s going to be a tough battle.”
Game info
Tip off between the No. 22 Rebels and the No. 5 Vols is set for 5:00 p.m Saturday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network. Hotty Toddy!
