Ole Miss moved up two spots to No. 7, and Mississippi State fell out of the rankings in the latest Associated Press Top 25.
In Oxford, the Rebels (5-1, 3-1 SEC) defended Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in a homecoming matchup against Missouri (5-2, 2-2 SEC) and its cast of familiar faces. Former Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons, wideout Cayden Lee, and defensive back Chris Graves made their debut against their previous team, and while the trio was well-received by Rebel fans, players, and coaches, they were not given any slack in what was a 31-3 blowout in favor of Pete Golding’s group.
Ole Miss was carried by a dominant rushing defense that held one of the nation’s strongest ground attacks to a mere 39 total yards. Star Tiger running back Jamal Roberts was held to a mere 2 yards per carry in the matchup. The Rebels were also solid on the offensive side of the ball, despite a rocky showing by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. The Rebels had 498 total yards, 257 of which came in the running game. Standout ball carrier Kewan Lacy accounted for 122 yards on 16 carries — an average of 7.6 yards per rush. Makhi Frazier had 101 yards on 15 carries.
On the Mississippi State front, the Bulldogs (4-2, 2-2) dropped out of the top 25 after suffering a 31-0 loss at LSU (5-2, 2-2 SEC). Jeff Lebby’s team was in the wrong place at the wrong time and without crucial pieces. Lane Kiffin’s Tigers were desperate for a rebound after an overtime loss at Kentucky, and with Mississippi State lacking stellar quarterback Kamario Taylor and starting running back Fluff Bothwell, LSU struck while the iron was hot. The Bulldogs turned to Jackson Prep alum Billy Puckett to commandeer the offense in the loss.
Here’s the full AP Top 25:
- Miami
- BYU
- Ohio State
- Notre Dame
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Ole Miss
- Texas Tech
- UCLA
- Utah
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Alabama
- Houston
- Iowa
- USC
- Wake Forest
- LSU
- Texas
- Florida
- Boise State
- Missouri
- SMU
- Northwestern
- Arizona
Ole Miss will have an opportunity to solidify itself as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender on Oct. 24 when the Rebels face No. 19 Texas in Austin. That game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT. Mississippi State will have the chance to get right and work its way back into the rankings in an Oct. 24 home game against Oklahoma. That game will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT.
As always, Ole Miss and Mississippi State football games are broadcast on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
