Preview and Predictions: No. 19 Ole Miss at Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels are looking to build off a home win against Oklahoma last weekend that improved their record to 6-2 (2-2 SEC) on the year. Now, there is another challenge knocking on the door as Ole Miss will travel to Arkansas and face the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, looking for their first win since 2008.

Both Ole Miss and Arkansas have something big to play for. The Rebels’ backs are pinned up against the wall, having to take it one game at a time to stay in the race for the College Football Playoff. Arkansas is looking to become bowl eligible and move to 6-3 on the season. A win over Ole Miss would be a statement victory that could show that head coach Sam Pittman’s program is moving in the right direction.

For Rebel linebacker Christopher “Pooh” Paul Jr., this game will be a homecoming for the former Razorback. The junior transferred to Ole Miss this past offseason after being a leader in the middle of the Arkansas defense. Paul has had a breakout with the Rebels this season after tying a career high in tackles-for-loss in eight games.

Overall, the Rebels have to keep their focus on Arkansas as they have been a tough opponent for some of the top teams in the SEC this season. Looking ahead to an important game against Georgia next week can’t cause any slip-ups in Fayetteville.

Ole Miss has some injuries to monitor but in the latest report, a big name on the defensive line, Walter Nolen, looks like he will suit up for this one as he is listed as ‘ probable.’ Tre Harris has been labeled as ‘questionable’ and his ability to play has the potential to be a big swing for Charlie Weis Jr’s. offense if the wide receiver can go. On the Arkansas side, the Razorbacks will be without Ja’Quinden Jackson, the team’s leading rusher. Instead, the Rebels will have to be ready for the even-larger Arkansas power back in Braylen Russell who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 253 pounds.

So what happens in Saturday’s game?

The Rebel Walk has put together a group of panelists who are weekly sharing their predictions for the upcoming game. Our panel brings a variety of perspectives that showcase many different points of view.

Game Details 

• Kickoff: Saturday, November 2nd, 11:00 AM CT
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: OleMissSports.com
  • Memphis: WHBQ-AM 560
  • Oxford: WOXF-FM 105.1
  • Jackson: WFMN-FM 97.3
• Betting Odds:  Ole Miss -7.5; O/U 54.5 (as of Saturday morning)

The Leaderboard

TJ Oxley (The Rebel Walk): 20 Points (+6)  

Kam Wicker (The Rebel Walk): 16 Points (+3)  

Grayson Weir (BroBible): 15 Points (+4)  

Adam Brown (The Rebel Walk): 12 Points (+1)  

Zach Moreth (The Rebel Walk): 8 Points (+1)

Caleb Salers (Supertalk Mississippi): 4 Points (+1)

Scoring Metric and Panel Predictions

Scoring: Each panel member can earn a total of six points per week.

• One point will be awarded for correctly picking the winning team outright.
• Two points will be awarded if the predicted score is within 7.5 points total. There is a caveat to this. For example, if a panel member says that a team wins the game 21-0 and that team loses 0-21, the total score is technically within 7.5 points. However, points will only be awarded if the score is close to the prediction (i.e. – a score of 24-3 has a total of 27 and is within 7.5 points of 21).
• Lastly, a panel member will be awarded three points if his prediction is correct.

With that being said let’s get to the predictions as Ole Miss hits the road to Fayetteville.

Grayson Weir, Bro Bible

Score: Ole Miss 31 — Arkansas 27

Prediction: Jaxson Dart: 325+ Passing Yards and three touchdowns

Believe it or not, a group of players going out with two children under 10 years old on Halloween is NOT going to have ANY impact on the outcome of this game. However, things always get weird in Fayetteville so no chicken should be counted before it hatches.

Ole Miss is finally going to break the 30-point mark in SEC play. Arkansas gave up 309 passing yards to State last week. An early emphasis on RPOs will open up the field and allow Jaxson Dart to exceed that mark with 325+ yards and three touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, the Rebels’ top-ranked run defense is going to stuff whichever ball-carrier the Razorbacks roll out there on Saturday. Neither Braylen Russell nor Ja’Quinden Jackson will gain more than 60 yards on the ground. However, Taylen Green keeps Arkansas in the game with his legs as a scrambler whenever Bobby Petrino goes airborne. An aerial attack and a fluke fumble will lead a second-half comeback that makes this one look closer than it actually was.

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Kam Wicker, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 33 — Arkansas 27

Prediction: Ole Miss defense forces 2+ turnovers

Ole Miss versus Arkansas never disappoints, no matter where the teams rank or where they fall in the standings. I expect this year to be no exception, with an offensive shoot-out in the first half, full of Jaxson Dart and Taylen Green highlights. Second-half adjustments from Pete Golding were the key for Ole Miss a week ago, and I expect the same this weekend. The Landshark defense staggers the Razorback offense late in another close SEC victory.

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Zach Moreth, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 20 — Arkansas 7

Prediction: Suntarine Perkins over 1.5 sacks and 5+ tackles

The Rebels historically struggle in Fayetteville and haven’t won there since 2008. I believe they’ll break this curse with the help of an explosive offensive performance. Jaxson Dart will throw for over 300 yards, with the rushing attack gaining over 150 rushing yards. For my bold prediction, I have Suntarine Perkins recording over 1.5 sacks and over 5 tackles. He’ll be facing a quarterback in Taylen Green who has the second-33most rushing attempts on Arkansas. With their starting running back out, I believe he will spend a lot of time scrambling, where Perkins will make plays on him.

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Adam Brown, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 24 — Arkansas 21

Prediction: Look to see a big game from Henry Parrish on the ground with two touchdowns from the Rebel back.

Arkansas is going to come after Jaxson Dart and the passing game which will make it key for the Rebels to run the ball. Last week against Oklahoma, Ole Miss was held to under 100 yards on the ground. Look for Parrish to get about 125. On the defensive side of the ball it will be key for the Rebels to contain Arkansas QB Taylen Green.

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TJ Oxley, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 42 — Arkansas 21 

Prediction: Rebel defense holds Arkansas to under 125 rushing yards

When a run-heavy offense matches up against one of the top run defenses in the country, somebody is bound to break. The Arkansas rushing attack averages 5.26 yards per carry. The Ole Miss rushing defense gives up 2.13 yards per carry. I’m going to take Ole Miss here as Walter Nolen and JJ Pegues are two of the best in the SEC at stuffing the interior rush.  Arkansas started the year on a heater with its rushing attack but averaged 3.1, 3.3, and 2.0 yards per carry against Texas A&M, Tennessee and LSU.

The Ole Miss defensive front is arguably at the top of all of those teams. Now, the Rebels get the opportunity to prove it again. Taylen Green has 10 recorded fumbles on the season along with 7 interceptions. If a couple of early turnovers happen and Ole Miss strikes, this one could get crazy fast. As Grayson mentioned above, the RPO could be key early for the Rebels on offense. Arkansas’ corners have struggled this season, and the top six members of the secondary all give up  more than 10.0 yards per reception. While there’s always some excitement in this one, I’ll take Ole Miss getting it done on the road.

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Caleb Salers, Supertalk Mississippi

Score: Ole Miss 30 — Arkansas 31 

Prediction: Suntarine Perkins records 3.0+ sacks and 4.0+ Tackles for loss

Ole Miss continues its losing streak at Arkansas and drops a close one on the road in Fayetteville. A valiant outing by the defense and a late surge by Lane Kiffin’s offense will ultimately prove fruitless for the Rebels. For Arkansas, dynamic quarterback Taylen Green will use his legs to keep Pete Golding’s crew honest and take shots when given the chance, exploiting an Ole Miss secondary that has been suspect at times this season. Rebel linebacker Suntarine Perkins will shine in the ball game. Despite Green’s overall success in the outing, the sophomore linebacker will live in the backfield, recording more than three sacks and four tackles for loss.