Texas A&M and Mississippi are not feeling too good right now. Both teams are coming off devastating losses and need to try and bounce back as they face off against one another. The Aggies gave up three pick-sixs against Alabama while Ole Miss was upset by Memphis in a road game. They entered last week with two of the best offenses in college football and did nothing to back up the stats as they both desperately need a win.
The team that loses on Saturday is eliminated from the SEC West race. As a result, both teams are aiming for a shootout as the Aggies were averaging 39.2 points per game before losing to Alabama and Ole Miss was putting up 46.8 points per game before falling to Memphis. LSU leads the West. If Ole Miss were to win they stand a chance at still getting into the SEC title game if they beat LSU. The Aggies still need to play LSU as well, but their loss to Alabama makes things tough especially as the Tide still need to face the Tigers. This game is critical for both the Aggies and Rebels.
Ole Miss is coming off two ugly losses. They were blown out by the Florida Gators and then fell to Memphis who now ranks 18 after the win. For the Rebels, they still played well with 480 yards of total offense. However, they converted just 4 of 13 third downs while failing to move on a fourth-down attempt that sealed the loss. The 40 yards on the ground did not help. Their defense also had no answer for the offense Memphis was producing.
The big get for the Rebels will be the return of Laremy Tunsil who was the subject of an NCAA investigation for illegal benefits. He returns while Robert Nkemdiche and Trae Elston are expected to be out with concussion issues.
The Aggies cannot afford the four turnovers they produced against Alabama. Quarterback Kyle Allen went 20 of 40 for 263 yards while getting benched at one point and then put back in. Allen had been intercepted twice on 139 attempts before the three picks that turned into touchdowns from the Tide secondary. If he can get his confidence back, he can help lead the Aggies to a needed win as they aim to stay alive in the SEC West.
