Mississippi Rebels defensive end Robert Nkemdiche (5) and Southeast Missouri State Redhawks wide receiver Art Mueller (84) fight for the line during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Teams: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M
Date: October 12, 2013
Game Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN
Satellite Radio: Sirius 93, XM 199
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Ole Miss (3-2, 1-2 SEC) returns to Oxford for only its second home game of the season. The Rebels face SEC West rival Texas A&M (4-1, 1-1 SEC) and will kickoff tonight at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN with the crew of Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), and Holly Rowe (sideline).
Today’s game is the first of six straight to be played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. In the prior 118 years of football, the Rebels have never before hosted six straight home games.
Ole Miss and A&M have played five times, with A&M holding a 5-0 record against the Rebels. Last year’s game, also played in Oxford, saw the Rebels lead 27-17 before Johnny Manziel took over and launched the Aggies to a 30-27 victory.
Irresistible Force vs. Immovable Object
A&M comes into the game with the SEC’s top passing attack, averaging 365.0 yards per game. The Aggies also lead the SEC in scoring offense (49.2 ppg) and total offense (586.4 ypg). The Aggies have not passed for fewer than 261 yards in any game this year, while Ole Miss has only given up that many yards in one game this season—300 against Vanderbilt.
Not surprisingly, Johnny Manziel sits atop the SEC stats in total offense (360.6 ypg) and second in passing yards (297.8 ypg). His favorite target is wide receiver Mike Evans who leads the league with an average of 138.2 yards per game.
The Ole Miss “Landshark” defense enters the game as the No. 2 pass defense in the SEC, allowing just 185.6 yards per game. While the Aggies have passed for 16 touchdowns this year, an SEC-high, the Rebel defense has only allowed five TDs through the air.
As they say, “something’s gotta give!”