Ole Miss linebacker Chris ‘Pooh’ Paul Jr shines in Egg Bowl, discusses the win and what it means
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr. shined in the Rebels’ 26-14 win over Mississippi State, picking off a pass on the Bulldogs’ opening drive and helping the Landshark defense pitch a shutout in the second half.
After the win, Paul discussed competing in the storied rivalry for the first time and turning all attention to the College Football Playoffs in hopes of chaos occurring throughout the remainder of the weekend that could give the Rebels one last chance.
Ole Miss’ leading tackler commented on finishing the 2024 regular season 9-3, explaining that despite the feeling of letdown from three losses, he still sees this season as a success.
“There are times when we do look back on those games and think, ‘Man I could have done this, man I wish I would have done this.’ We learn from those games week-by-week and we have come out successful this season in my opinion.”
~ Paul on the 2024 Ole Miss season
Although expectations were through the roof for Ole Miss coming into the year, a 9-3 season with a chance to win 10 games for the third time in four years would be remarkable. The last time Ole Miss finished with back-to-back 10-win seasons came in 1959 and 1960. Ole Miss won 11 games last year and has an opportunity to finish this year with ten. Again, that is something that has not happened in 65 years.
Paul has been an important part of the team’s success this year. This week he was named a finalist for the Butkus Award, honoring the nation’s top linebacker.
IMPACT PLAYER: Ole Miss linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr. named one of five finalists for Butkus Award. Congrats to Pooh! https://t.co/8ExTiDwy4i
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) November 27, 2024
Winning the Egg Bowl is obviously very important on both sides of the rivalry, and now under Lane Kiffin, the Rebels have won four out of the last five matchups. Paul, a transfer in this season from Arkansas, discussed what it felt like to compete in his first Egg Bowl and how important it is to the fan base.
“It means more, and I can tell just by the crowd, the atmosphere today. Even at the Grove today, I could feel the energy from the crowd. This is something that is important to them. It was something that was expressed to me on my official (visit) when I came. They told me they don’t care if we win one game, we have to beat Mississippi State.”
~ Paul on what the Egg Bowl means to the fans
Ole Miss picked on Bulldog quarterback Michael Van Buren twice in the game, the first one being Paul’s first career interception. Following the win, he broke down the play, describing how he knew what was coming next.
Here’s another look of Pooh Paul with the interception of State’s Van Buren!
🎥: @KarisChambliss, Rebel Walk pic.twitter.com/t5Ai0iGNQF
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) November 29, 2024
“I was at the end of the line, and I heard him (Van Buren) checking. He checked something like that before and it was like quick slants. I kind of like baited him. I dropped straight back…and I caught it. So, I started thinking ‘I got to score.’ I started running, saw one guy running in front, one guy running right here, quarterback slide, ball game.”
~ Paul on his first career INT
Paul finished second on the team in tackles on the day, racking up six in total along with a sack, a tackle for loss and the interception. The middle linebacker finished the 2024 regular season as the Rebels’ leading tackler, ending with 86 total tackles after the Egg Bowl win.
Although a defensive battle throughout the contest, the Landshark defense had their backs against the wall in the second quarter, trailing 14-10 before the long Ulysses Bentley IV touchdown that gave the Rebels a lead going into the half. From that point on, Ole Miss did not give up a score.
Paul discussed the adjustments defensive coordinator Pete Golding set out for Ole Miss in the second half, noting that communication got better for the Rebel defense, allowing them to find their grit and end the game with a goal-line stand.
“That just came down to grit in my opinion. That just came down to who wanted it more, who was more hungry to be there and who was more excited. Everyone on the defense took a stand on that. Even the energy on the sideline was amazing, and the crowd was getting us amped as well. Coming out in the second half, I just feel like we dialed in on the things we needed to adjust. Basically stop their concepts and schemes from the first half, I feel like we were put in a more comfortable situation.”
~ Paul on the goal line stand and second-half adjustments from Ole Miss
From Matt Corral getting into an endzone scuffle to DK Metcalf and Elijah Moore getting excessive celebration penalties to the same degree, you never know what to expect in the Egg Bowl rivalry that is full of pure hatred. Paul competed in his first Golden Egg game on Black Friday, taking in all of the experiences of the game while on the field.
“It was very chirpy; guys were saying some of everything out there. I am going to be honest with you; I love that atmosphere, guys out there competing and emotions get high. It was kind of crazy.”
~ Paul on the Egg Bowl, on-field trash talk
With the loss to Florida in Gainesville over a week ago, the Rebels’ playoff hopes went from being locked in to barely any hopes at all. Desperately needing a win, it was a positive mindset that propelled Ole Miss to bounce back and move forward to the next one according to Paul.
“Just coming in with a positive mindset, like we did on Sunday. Reevaluating ourselves, and just keying in on things that we need to fix. Like Coach Golding said, the game wasn’t about effort, it was about guys doing their job each and every play at 100 percent pace…Coming in on Sunday, guys were full of energy, ready to take criticism and ready to get better.”
~ Paul on bouncing back after the UF loss
Just like many others across the country, the Rebels will be paying close attention to the college football slate on the Saturday after Black Friday. Needing chaos to ensue, Paul leans on his belief in hopes that a plan is laid out for Ole Miss to get one last chance to play into 2025.
“I will be watching football all day tomorrow. I like to say I am just going to put it in God’s hands and see what goes from there. God has a plan for everybody in every situation, and every situation teaches us lessons in the end. I am excited and I am excited to get a chance if we’re in the playoffs.”
~ Paul on CFP hopes
Up next
Pooh Paul and his Ole Miss Rebel teammates ended the 2024 regular season 9-3 (5-3 SEC), and are now waiting for the remainder of rivalry weekend to play out in hopes of sneaking into the College Football Playoffs. If they do come up short, Ole Miss will look ahead to playing a bowl game that would be determined after the conclusion of Conference Championship weekend.
Kameron Wicker
Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
