Ole Miss started its must-win run of games the right way, beating Oklahoma in Oxford. The Rebels' schedule gets more challenging as they head to Fayetteville, a place they haven't won in 16 years, to face Arkansas.
The Razorbacks are 5-3, coming off a thumping win over Mississippi State in Week 9. The Rebels will face another explosive dual-threat quarterback and an offensive coordinator in Bobby Petrino, who comes alive in big games.
Arkansas has already caused one upset at home this season, beating Tennessee, but has fallen to LSU recently. We spoke to Razorbackers Austin Farmer to learn how hot head coach Sam Pittman's seat is, where to eat if you are traveling across the border, and other essential answers to Arkansas vs Ole Miss questions.
Q: The big narrative around this game is how the Ole Miss defense stops dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green. How do you see the matchup playing out between Green and the Ole Miss defense?
A: The conundrum about defending Taylen Green is that there’s a perfect amount of pressure needed to effectively defend against his arm and his improvised runs. Too much, and he’ll step up in the pocket to run or throw on the move like Auburn. Too little, and he can tear up a secondary from the pocket like Mississippi State.
The key to stopping Taylen is collapsing the pocket with the defensive tackles and making sure not to over-rush with the defensive ends. For designed runs, Ole Miss will need to attack the mesh point on the read option. On QB keepers, take bigger angles. He’s much faster than he looks.