“Mississippi begins in a lobby of a Memphis, Tennessee hotel and extends South to the Gulf of Mexico.”- William Faulkner U of M dropout

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Preseason Unranked by Single High Sports and currently ranked 7th in the latest ranking released Sunday Morning, Mississippi has emerged as a true title contender. The team from Oxford, MS is a tough nut to crack for any opponent.

A big reason why is their stellar QB/ RB combo. Two powerful speedsters that are maximizing their potential up to this point.

Mississippi Rebels QB/ RB Duo

• QB Trinidad Chambliss 2240 Total Yards, 14 Td’s
• RB Kewan Lacy 810 Total Yards, 12 Td’s

“I run six plays–split veer. It’s like Novocain–give it time, it always works. See you on the bus.”- Coach Boone

Coach Kiffin may have adopted the playbook of the 1971 T.C. Williams football team because that’s what it’s like watching this offense. The amazing thing is that the opposition knows the run is coming but still cannot find a way to stop these two. The O-Line is certainly part of the reason.

My favorite has to be the sophomore Left Guard #71 PJ Wilkens. He stands at 6’7 and weighs 340 and can move. Sort of like his uncle but Dominique lacked the extra weight. Not sure if Uncle Dom would’ve dominated the NBA if he weighed over twenty stone like his nephew.

The O-Line and the entire offense have played as cohesive as any other team in the country so far as they have scored on even the staunchest of defenses dropping 43 on Georgia and 34 on Oklahoma.

Contributing to the elite scoring, Mississippi also boasts one of the best kickers in the Nation.

• K Lucas Carneiro 29/29 EP, 16/18 FG
  • 4/4 on FG in the 8 point win over Oklahoma

Long story short, Mississippi can score at a rate as high as anyone in the country.

However, the defense on this team needs help, ranked 54th in OPP pts/ game and the unit lacks a true impact player. It’s tough to win playoff games relying solely on offense, but I’ll say it one more time, if this team is involved in a shootout or needs a score late in the game, they’ve got the offense to get it done.

My preference would be for them to learn to get a stop when it matters. Only then could I consider saying something outlandish like “Kiffin might bring a title to Oxford.” I’m confident that the Rebels will find a way to blow it and history is on my side. I’m not rooting for it, but it is the Mississippi way.

South Carolina, The Citadel, Florida, and the Egg Bowl are left on the schedule, and they will be favorites in all of them. This team might just be a shoe-in for the CFP by December. The question is–will their offense be enough to carry them through the playoffs?

We will just have to wait and see. They certainly have one of the best QB/ RB duos in the nation to get it done.

• South Carolina @ Mississippi Primetime on Espn Saturday Night

Until then,

Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’

Whit W.