After four hard-fought quarters Saturday night, Ole Miss found itself bruised, battered and with its third SEC loss. In a game where Ole Miss was unable to establish its offense at any point in the game, it fell to LSU 40-24. As a result, the Rebels were left with injuries in some key positions, including quarterback Shea Patterson, who will miss the rest of the season with a torn posterior cruciate ligament.
“Shea will be immobilized probably two to three weeks,” head coach Matt Luke said Monday. “Then you will have to go and take another picture of it to see where it is. At that point, then, you make the decision (on whether or not to have surgery).”
Provided the doctors and MRI results are accurate and healing goes smoothly, Patterson will have to miss an additional few months to recover. Should he need surgery, the timeline could be extended.
“After these three weeks, we will find out if we want to have surgery or not,” Luke said. “Him and his parents are over here, and everybody’s on the same page. I’m not sure exactly (how long he will be out), but we could be looking at about three to four months.”
With Patterson missing the rest of the season, it will be the responsibility of junior Jordan Ta’amu to step up and lead the team. Jason Pellerin, who filled in for Chad Kelly in 2016 prior to Patterson’s arrival, will be getting second-team reps and listed as the backup in case of injury.
In relief of Patterson over the weekend, Ta’amu, a JUCO transfer from Hawaii, completed 7 of 11 passes for 78 yards.
“I was pleased (with his play),” Luke said. “He led us on a field goal drive right before the half and then a touchdown drive right at the end of the game. I was pleased with his timing. He pulled the ball down and picked up positive yards, and that’s one of his strengths is that he can really run. He’s a very, very good athlete.”
While Ta’amu has the faith of those around him and a promising future ahead, he cannot go it alone. Luke is depending on the rest of the offense to step up, as well, to help him ease into the starting signal-caller roll.
“I think everyone else around him has to step up,” Luke said. “Offensive line, receivers, running backs. Then we have to do a good job keeping the game plan simple for him and just go execute. The more we do that, the better chance we have.”
Beyond the quarterback position, running back Jordan Wilkins injured his ankle in the game and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Arkansas. Should he be unable to play, bruiser D’Vaughn Pennamon and multi-purpose back Eric Swinney are preparing to fill the senior’s cleats.
“I’m hoping (Wilkins) can play. It’s just, with the ankle, you just don’t know,” Luke said. “He probably won’t practice until Wednesday or Thursday. I love Swinney’s physicality, and he looks like he has his burst back, which is what we all saw when he first got here, and we are all so excited about. We know he will do a great job if he gets in there.”
Wilkins and the running game, which has found a rhythm recently, can contribute much of their success to the play of the linemen clearing the way. Critical to that big unit up front has been center Sean Rawlings, who was on watch lists for his position before the year began. After missing time earlier in the season for ankle surgery, the 6-foot-5, 295-pound anchor may be forced to sit out again.
“He’s in concussion protocol,” Luke said. “We will probably know Wednesday whether he will be playing or not.”
With so many injuries surrounding the offense, Ta’amu and the Rebels are going to have to prepare to step up and fill the holes before the next powerful SEC opponent comes to town.
“They’re a big, physical team,” Luke said.
The game will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday and be broadcast on SEC Network.
