For the first time since 2016, the Ole Miss Rebels will have to wait an extra week to get their first win of the season.
The Rebels dropped their season opener to the Memphis Tigers 15-10 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday. This the second loss in three meetings for Ole Miss against the Tigers dating back to 2015. While a much improved Rebel defense did what it could to keep them in the game, their offense just made mistakes and their inexperienced showed throughout the game.
“Obviously, we’re very disappointed. I just told the guys in the locker room that it is a long season… offensively, Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke said. “We really struggled in the first half, but got a little better in the second half. We just have to get those young guys and go back, watch the film and get them to grow up in a hurry with SEC play starting next week. We’re going to move forward and get that bad taste out of our mouth,”
The Rebels had a hard time getting anything going offensively in the first half with 42 total yards, including -1 in the rushing category.
“We just struggled up front with them and their movement at times early on. We had a couple of bad decisions. We stayed behind the chains and couldn’t get going. In the second half, we limited the negative plays… Our defense kept us in it for the whole game and it looked like a much improved defense. We have to do a lot of growing up offensively,” Luke said.
It would eventually get better, but they failed to capitalize on their first two drives of the third quarter and it proved costly. Ole Miss ended the after with just 172 yards total offensive yards in the Ole Miss debut of new offensive coordinator, Rich Rodriguez.
“We just didn’t do a good job. I think our guys prepared and worked hard, but we just made mistakes and theres a lot of things we have to get corrected… You have to get Memphis credit though,” Rodriguez said.
Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral went 9-19 for 93 yards and an interception thrown early in the second quarter. Running back Scottie Phillips carried the ball 19 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown. Elijah Moore led the Rebels in receiving with four catches for 60 yards.
The Tigers scored their first points of the season on their second offensive drive. Quarterback Brady White sneaking in a one-yard score with five minuutes to go in the first quarter. On that drive, the Rebels committed a 15-yard facemask and a roughing the passer penalty, each of them occurring on 3rd down which kept the drive alive.
The Tigers took advantage of a big punt return when Patrick Taylor capped off a seven play, 37- yard drive with a goal line touchdown with 40 seconds left in the first half. It wouldn’t be until 3:11 in the third quarter that the Rebels first got on the scoreboard. Luke Logan connected on a 35-yard field goal to cut the Memphis lead to 10 points.
A 4th and 1 stop by defensive back Jaylon Jones was eventually capitalized on thanks to a few defensive penalties and key conversions. Scotty Phillips finished the job for the Rebels, punching in a goal line touchdown with 11:49 left to play. Ole Miss had a chance to at least tie the game at 13 a piece, but a safety coming off the edge gave Memphis two points and the ball.
The Tigers would proceed to milk the remaining 6:21 on the clock en route to victory. Memphis quarterback Brady White completed 23 of 31 passes for 172 yards and rushed for a touchdown. Patrick Taylor carried the ball 27 times for 128 yards and another touchdown.
Ole Miss will return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium next Saturday to open up SEC play against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and televised on SEC Network.
