Mississippi State (2-9, 0-7 Southeastern Conference) visits No. 15 Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) on Friday for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC.
The Rebels (8-3, 4-3) are coming off a road loss to Florida that put a big dent in their College Football Playoff hopes. Ole Miss won a program-record 11 games last season and loaded up in the transfer portal, but has fallen somewhat short of its lofty expectations this fall.
To learn more about this Rebels team, The Commercial Dispatch chatted with Michael Katz, who covers Ole Miss for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
The Commercial Dispatch: Ole Miss came into the season with big expectations, but has been tripped up in a few close games. How has this year gone for the Rebels compared to what you expected?
Michael Katz: I think everyone here, at least after the Georgia win, was expecting this to be a playoff team. Coming into the season, that was the expectation with everyone coming back. Jaxson Dart, Tre Harris and others came back to make a run like this, and it hasn’t gone according to plan. Ole Miss, at least coming in, was thought to have a favorable schedule by SEC standards. They’ve lost three games by a combined 13 points, all to teams no longer ranked. The Rebels have some really good wins – Georgia and South Carolina have aged well – but right now this is not what we expected.
The Dispatch: Where do you feel like this Ole Miss team is at mentally after Saturday’s loss?
Katz: That’s the million-dollar question. I truly have no idea which team is going to show up. It’s Senior Day, so there will be some emotion regardless. I think it depends on what the mindset is: Do they think there’s a chance as a three-loss team to still somehow get into the College Football Playoff? If so, that’s motivation. I also think the Egg Bowl is pretty easy to get up for regardless of what has happened in other parts of the season.
The Dispatch: It feels like Jaxson Dart and this offense have been rolling along for most of the year despite a lot of injuries. What have been the keys to their success?
Katz: Dart has been phenomenal this season. He has been dynamic getting the ball down the field, regardless of which receivers are healthy. He’s largely kept the ball out of harm’s way as well. He’s the heart and soul of this team; the Rebels only go as far as he takes them. I’m really not sure what this offense – or team, for that matter – looks like without his presence. He’s a leader who keeps things together, including during the tough times. He’s going to need to show that leadership this week given what happened in Gainesville.
The Dispatch: The tackle-for-loss and sack numbers for the Rebels’ defense are eye-popping. What makes that group so effective?
Katz: The Rebels have lived behind the line of scrimmage this year. Walter Nolen, Princely Umanmielen, Jared Ivey and JJ Pegues have dominated offensive lines. They stop the run equally as well as they rush the passer, which seems to be rare in this era of college football. It usually seems you’re good at one or the other. This defensive line has been elite, but linebackers Pooh Paul and TJ Dottery deserve some credit for their ability to make plays in opposing backfields.
The Dispatch: What has to go wrong for Ole Miss in order for Mississippi State to even hang around in this game?
Katz: If the Rebels let one loss turn into two. If the Florida loss lingers, there is always potential for something weird to happen. On paper, Ole Miss is clearly the better team in nearly every facet of the game. But rivalries are just so, so unpredictable. If the Rebels are focused, there shouldn’t be any mystery as to what happens. But if their heads aren’t in the right place? Then it’s fair game.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
