OXFORD, Miss. — Texas A&M and Mississippi are good teams that didn’t play very good football last weekend.
Now the 15th-ranked Aggies (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) must travel to face the 24th-ranked Rebels (5-2, 2-1) on Saturday in a vital SEC West Division game for both teams.
Both teams have plenty of football-related issues to work out. But the most important developments that could determine Saturday’s winner don’t necessarily involve X’s and O’s.
Ole Miss is coming off a sobering 37-24 loss at Memphis. The Rebels have lost two of four games since an upset win over Alabama in late September.
“We are going to see Saturday night if the heart is there,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “I’m sure we will do what we have done every week and prepare them to have that. It is an individual decision. I am going to do everything within my power that I can to make sure that occurs.”
Texas A&M fell flat in a 41-23 loss to Alabama last weekend. The Aggies were plagued by mistakes — quarterback Kyle Allen threw three interceptions that were all returned for TDs.
Texas A&M can take solace in the fact that it has played well in Oxford in the recent past. The Aggies beat the Rebels 30-27 in 2012 and 41-38 in 2013, but those thrillers came when Johnny Manziel, now in the NFL, was throwing the ball all over the field.
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin still believes the good vibes will come in handy.
“Here’s what is going to be important — we will have been there three times in four years,” Sumlin said. “We’re used to going over there. Don’t know how that schedule worked, but that’s the way it worked.”
Ole Miss junior Chad Kelly has been the SEC’s most prolific quarterback this season, throwing for 2,234 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His favorite target is junior Laquon Treadwell, who has 49 catches for 654 yards and four touchdowns.
