Tag: Ole Miss Football

Penn State gets hammered by Ole Miss as Big Ten bowl woes continue

Penn State lost one day after Ohio State lost. The Big Ten is taking some hits in the bowl season.

Friday night, Ohio State scored only three points in a high-profile Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. Saturday afternoon, another prominent Big Ten football program stumbled. Penn State allowed 38 points to Ole Miss and lost to the Rebels by 13 in the Peach Bowl.

Nittany Lions Wire has more:

“Both teams scored twice in the second quarter with Penn State scoring a pair of touchdowns with a touchdown pass from Beau Pribula to Nick Singleton and a Drew Allar pass to Theo Johnson. But the half ended with Penn State trailing by a score of 20-17 after giving up 340 yards of offense to the Rebels. And of the 115 passing yards Allar had at the half, 75 of them came on one play at the end of the first quarter when Tyler Warren caught a pass and ran for a big gain.”

It got worse — much worse — for Penn State after halftime. What had been a close game was busted open by Ole Miss. The game ended without drama in Atlanta, and another top Big Ten program took it on the chin.

USC is entering a Big Ten which is not exactly putting its best foot forward. We’re going to have a full offseason exploring just how strong the Big Ten is … or isn’t.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Jaxson Dart couldn’t believe he missed an easy celebratory dunk on Ole Miss’ sideline after a TD

You can’t miss that, buddy.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart had a standout performance Saturday in his team’s 38-25 win over No. 10 Penn State on Saturday in the Peach Bowl, but he might want this “play” back.

After Dart ran in a two-yard touchdown in the middle of the fourth quarter to give Ole Miss a 38-17 lead over the Nittany Lions, he was celebrating with his team on the sidelines.

That celebration included some basketball, and as Dart dribbled toward the Penn State-themed basket, he made an attempt at a 360 slam dunk. It looked good at first — though we’re not exactly sure how high the basket was — but the ball bounced back out at the last second.

An uncontested shot like that? You gotta make it. But he did just score a touchdown so maybe he was a tad out of breath.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Drew Allar’s terrible Peach Bowl interception sparked a meme-able reaction from a Penn State fan

The memes are coming.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar made one of the strangest throws you’re going to see this college bowl game season.

In Saturday’s Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Allar threw an absolute duck on a deep bomb right into the hands of an Ole Miss defender for the easy interception.

The decision was so baffling that one of the ESPN game cameras caught a very confused Penn State fan openly questioning Allar’s throw with some seemingly NSFW language.

While we’re sure this fan didn’t realize they were being filmed, their reaction undoubtedly spoke for all Penn State fans who had no idea why Allar made that careless throw.

Some NSFW language to follow.

It’s never fun to watch a sequence play out like that on television when it happens with your team, and this Penn State fan gave the reaction of the day for Allar’s baffling pick.

Maybe this fan would have a better second half in the stands.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

Lane Kiffin loves Taylor Swift so much he couldn’t pick a favorite song

“I don’t know that I can pick just one.” Fair.

Like so many other millions of people around the planet, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is a Taylor Swift fan. A couple years ago, he described Swift’s All Too Well (10-minute version) as “Absolute 🔥”, and that pretty much confirmed his status as a fan of hers.

Friday during a press conference alongside Penn State coach James Franklin ahead of Saturday’s Peach Bowl matchup between Ole Miss and the Nittany Lions, For The Win’s Meghan L. Hall wanted to dig a little deeper into Kiffin’s status as a Swiftie.

She asked Kiffin what his favorite Taylor Swift song is and if he’d sing it for the group. While the Ole Miss coach declined to show off his vocals — “Lane, we all think you should though,” Franklin chimed in — Kiffin did offer a thoughtful answer about what he thinks makes her a great musician.

Kiffin said:

“I don’t know. She’s got a lot of great songs. I just think she’s really amazing that she can connect to so many people. And I kind of think a lot of times movies, songs nowadays, it’s like how fast can people pump them out and make money.

“And I feel like she takes a lot of time, and there’s a lot of meaning in them, and they can relate to a lot of people. So I don’t know that I can pick just one.”

Surely he’s not alone in not being able to pick one individual favorite Taylor Swift song.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Lane Kiffin lamented the transfer portal impacting Peach Bowl prep despite benefitting from it

Lane Kiffin is not a happy camper right now. His transfer portal success is interrupting his upcoming bowl game.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin showed off a little hypocrisy Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s Peach Bowl game against Penn State, as he expressed frustration about the timing of bowl season and the transfer portal frenzy.

The regular season college football stretch may be over, but activity hasn’t stopped. The transfer portal is buzzing. College recruits are signing early National Letters of Intent. Plus, it’s bowl season.

All those activities at once can put a lot of strain on a coaching staff — though you could argue that’s why they’re paid the big bucks. Still, some schools thrive in the chaos, including Ole Miss, which just landed the top player in the transfer portal, former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolen.

That colossal signing didn’t stop Kiffin from quietly (and rather calmly) slamming the system during a Tuesday media session where Max Ralph of All Penn State on Fan Nation asked him about the timing of schedules in December.

While noting that Ole Miss is on a normal week schedule with a game on Saturday, he expressed his frustration with the timing of recruiting from the transfer portal and likened it to the NFL having free agency start right before the playoffs. Kiffin said:

“Previous to this, it’s been a little chaotic, with not just
recruiting and flying around trying to get back for practice, a lot of the assistant coaches not at the practices, but then dealing with the portal, going to other universities to see kids and dealing with keeping our own kids.

“Again, it’s a terrible system, and no other — I wouldn’t think any other sports, professional sports have ever set up a system where free agency starts while the season is still going. It really makes no sense.

“You can leave. You can stay. You can go other places. Coaches can call you. And our season is still going. It would be like before the NFC or AFC playoffs start in a couple weeks, all of a sudden, hey, free agency the week before open, so you can start recruiting other people’s players and fly them on trips and get them to transfer. So really in a really bad system.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Alabama’s all-time record against every SEC team

Now including Oklahoma and Texas, see what Alabama’s all-time record is against every team in the SEC

The SEC will expand in 2024 by welcoming in Oklahoma and Texas, and while the number of teams grows, so does the competitiveness of the toughest conference in college football. Alabama never seems to shy away from the big-time matchups.

The Crimson Tide is known for setting the standard in college football and winning championships.

As you’ll see below, Alabama has a strong history of winning, especially against in-conference opponents.

While the reputation of the Crimson Tide should speak for itself, if you need the numbers to back it up, look no further. Here is Alabama’s all-time record against every SEC opponent, including the Sooners and Longhorns.

Report: Superb sophomore DL Walter Nolen to visit Ole Miss following trip to Eugene

The Walter Nolen transfer portal tour has begun and the Texas A&M superstar sophomore defensive lineman is traveling from coast to coast to weigh his options.

The Walter Nolen transfer portal tour has begun and the Texas A&M superstar sophomore defensive lineman is traveling from coast to coast to weigh his options.

According to Chad Simmons of On3 Sports, Nolen will be visiting another Southeastern Conference school this week at Ole Miss. The SEC visit comes days after Nolen took a trip to Eugene this past weekend to check out the Oregon Ducks program, the report stated.

Nolen has tallied 66 tackles (37 solos), five sacks and a forced fumble during two seasons at Texas A&M. This year, he increased his production with totals of 37 tackles and four sacks.

Nolen was among the highest-rated players in the Aggies’ 2022 recruiting class, which ranked No. 1 in the nation. Former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher racked up eight 5-star signees and 20 more 4-star recruits.

With the departure of Fisher and interim head coach Elijah Robinson, who is leaving the program after the season to become defensive coordinator at Syracuse, players like Nolen are using the portal to find the best fit.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Ranking every SEC Bowl game from best to worst

The 2023 SEC Bowl season is just around the corner, and while only Alabama is in the CFB Playoffs, plenty of exciting matchups are ahead.

The 2023 college football regular season has ended, as the historic Army vs. Navy matchup will conclude the final season ahead of the many changes to come in 2024, including the first year of the 12-team playoff structure.

Focusing on the SEC, I guess you can say it’s been a down year for the conference. Alabama is the only representative in the College Football Playoffs set to face Michigan in the Rose Bowl Semifinal on New Year’s Day. At the same time, Georgia, who finished the regular season with an undefeated record, fell to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship to miss out on the playoffs for the first in two seasons after winning consecutive National Titles.

For Texas A&M, new football head coach Mike Elko brings a new vision to Aggie Football after six years of Jimbo Fisher at the helm. While the transfer portal has taken its toll on the roster, the future is still bright, but questions regarding who will play in the TexAct Texas Bowl vs. Oklahoma State.

However, LSU star quarterback Jayden Daniels is poised to win the Heisman Trophy after accounting for 4,946 yards and 50 touchdowns on the year. If it weren’t for the anemic Tigers’ defense, we’d probably be talking about an LSU team competing for a championship at year’s end.

9 out of 14 SEC teams will play in a bowl game this year, and yes, that’s an impressive feat in one of the most competitive conferences around. Here is a list of the most and least watchable SEC bowl games ahead of the always-entertaining yearly festivities.

Jeremy Scott de-commits from Ole Miss

Jeremy Scott de-commits from Ole Miss.

Mississippi wide receiver Jeremy Scott opened up his recruitment on Saturday. Scott had been committed to Ole Miss.

As a senior at Callaway High School (Jackson, Mississippi), Scott had 40 catches for 496 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Those are all numbers that are career highs.

Physically impressive, the class of 2024 recruit is a 6-foot-4, 185-pound wide receiver with a big catch radius,

Scott had been committed to Ole Miss since mid-March. He also holds Power Five offers from Arkansas, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

In a message posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Scott said that after prayer and conversations with his family, he decided it was in his best interest to open up his recruitment.

 

Scott has not posted any updates on where things might go next in his recruitment.

Former Ole Miss head coach and Georgia assistant a candidate for Clemson’s O-Line coach, per reports

Rumors are swirling around this coach being the Tigers’ next O-Line coach.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program are looking for a new offensive line coach following parting ways with Thomas Austin, and rumors have been swirling around a top-tier coach taking the position.

According to reports from our friends over at the Clemson Insider, former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke is a candidate for the job. The Tigers are looking for experience at the position, making Luke an attractive option for the program.

Luke’s most recent work came with Georgia as their offensive line coach and associate head coach from 2020-2021. Before that, Luke spent three seasons as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.

Luke is as experienced as they come, with the 47-year-old spending time with Ole Miss, Georgia, Duke, Tennessee, and Murray State. We will monitor this situation closely as Swinney looks to solidify the Clemson football staff.