In a game that Ole Miss had many opportunities to win, the Rebels managed to get stopped repeatedly at the goal line and lose to Arkansas 33-21.
The offense was shut down by Hudson Clark, an Arkansas walk-on who recorded three interceptions.
Corral threw six interceptions, and two of them were pick sixes. Corral is also the first Southeastern Conference (SEC) quarterback in 14 years to throw six interceptions in one game.
“This game can be really humbling, and you’ve got to be careful with reading all your stuff during the week with how great you are because (this game) will bring you right back down.” UM head coach Lane Kiffin said in a press conference on Saturday. “Once you start playing well, people study you.”
It does not take long to see what cost the Rebels the win. Some may say this loss can be placed on Corral and Lane Kiffin, who opted to keep him in after multiple interceptions.
“I’ve said it before: I believe you don’t pull quarterbacks quick. I think people do that, and it affects confidence and rhythm,” Kiffin said. “I know that most people probably would’ve done that today, but it’s the same guy that, the last three weeks, people have been saying is one of the best in the country. I’ve said to John (Rhys Plumlee) that it would be the same if the roles were reversed.”
With that statement, Kiffin said that Plumlee would be a top quarterback in that nation if he were the starter.
Many fans are asking, “Why not put in Plumlee?” This question will loom into next week and possibly all season.
In terms of successes, the defense only allowed 19 points — the Rebels’ lowest of the year — as the other 14 came from turnovers.
Linebacker MoMo Sanogo had a key 47-yard carry on a fake punt in the fourth quarter while playing special teams. This led to a Jerrion Ealy touchdown that put the Rebels within one score before getting a stop and turning the ball over for a pick six.
The 47-yard run by Sanogo was Ole Miss’s longest rush of the season.
Coming into homecoming week against Auburn, Ole Miss will not have a chance at making the top 25 this week, and the team will most likely stay off that list for the rest of the season unless they can beat one of the big opponents they have left.
Auburn lost to South Carolina 30-22 on Saturday, so both teams will look for vengeance next week.
Ole Miss is set to take on Auburn at 11 a.m. on Oct. 24 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The game will stream on the SEC Network.
