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1. Ole Miss was dominating Georgia Tech from start to finish Saturday, but if one were just watching Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, with no knowledge of the score, one likely wouldn't have guessed that.
Until, that is, redshirt freshman defensive end JJ Hawkins recorded a sack near the end of the game.
Hawkins, a 6-foot-2, 265-pounder from Lawrenceville, Ga., didn't play at all last season. He's undersized still and has work to do in the weight room. In Ole Miss' loaded defensive line room, playing time is going to come sparingly this fall.
Hawkins was joyful after the sack, earning hugs from Kiffin and defensive line coach Randall Joyner.
"It was really neat seeing those guys making plays at the end," Kiffin said.
A friend wondered if the coaching staff reaction was happiness for a kid who practices hard and was finally rewarded. Or maybe it was a realization, maybe even subconsciously, that there was a time not so long ago when Hawkins would have had to play a bigger role on Ole Miss' defense, whether he was ready or not. Maybe, probably, it was a bit of both.
Ole Miss' defense is really good so far this season, having held three opponents to a grand total of 13 points. Georgia Tech never threatened to score in a 42-0 Ole Miss win, a result of talent, buy-in and selflessness.
"I wouldn't say surprised, but pleased, yes," Kiffin said Saturday when asked if he was surprised by the defense's prowess so far this season. "Those were a lot of moving parts and some people playing spots they didn't play a year ago. People had to be unselfish because not everybody got to start. That's one thing that I think so far guys have done a good job of. The portal guys, everyone wants to start and get the the stats, but that's not going to happen, so they have to play their roles. Our guys on defense have done that really well."
Kiffin said the Rebels pulled out a few new defensive wrinkles on Saturday against Georgia Tech, specifically moving defensive end Cedric Johnson around a bit, using him in role that have given the Ole Miss offense fits in practices.
Ole Miss held Georgia Tech to 214 yards of total offense, including just 53 yards on the ground. It was a dominant performance, and if the Rebels can continue with any semblance of that moving forward to the meat of their schedule, the ceiling for this team will rise precipitously.
2. Jaxson Dart was brought to Ole Miss to be a passer.
On Saturday, Dart was 10-for-16 passing for 207 yards and one interception. He drew praise from Kiffin for several of his throws in the second half, when he led the Rebels to three straight scoring possessions right after halftime.
However, it was Dart's running Saturday that got his teammates fired up. Dart ran 10 times for 40 yards, including a 20-yard run and a couple of situations in which he instigated the collision with a Georgia Tech defender.
"I'm really confident," Dart said. "I feel like a lot of people didn't get to see it last year (at USC) because I had a torn meniscus and a messed up MCL. I was kind of limited on things I could do, but I feel really confident in my running abilities. I just have to keep on working on getting in shape because it gets tiring sometimes. I just have to keep pushing through it.
"I know when I see someone on our team truck someone, it gets me all juiced up, so I think that just kind of how the situation played out, I was just trying to do all I can and when you do something like that, the team gets excited."
Dart said he is feeling more and more comfortable as the weeks roll on.
"The more time I've had just being in the offense and learning the whole schematics of it all, I'm starting to pick on things faster," Dart said. "The more you are in it, you start to play without any hesitation. I would say the biggest thing is the reps."
Dart threw an interception prior to halftime, drawing Kiffin's ire. He responded with a very strong third quarter.
"I thought I played really good up to that point," Dart said. "I told myself that I'm going to make a mistake but the biggest thing is how I respond. I was doing all I can to do my part and not try to do too much, take what the defense is giving me and respond to each and every drive."
3. Last week, it was Nebraska, which had fired Scott Frost on the heels of a loss to Georgia Southern. Today, a day after Auburn was shellacked by Penn State at Jordan-Hare Stadium, it's Auburn that is being linked to Kiffin.
Specifically, it's al.com's John Talty who is calling for the Tigers to make a run at the Ole Miss coach after this season, one that presumably will be Bryan Harsin's final one on the Plains.
From Talty:
Soon attention will turn to who Auburn should hire to replace Harsin when the ax falls. Look for Auburn to stay inside the box in which it has long been comfortable, focusing on a coach that won’t be a fish out of water like Harsin. Despite all the drama surrounding Auburn, it is still one of the better jobs in the SEC and will attract quality candidates.
Auburn shouldn’t have to look too far for one of the best candidates, though, given he resides one state over in Mississippi. Lane Kiffin was very interested in the job in 2020 when Auburn hired Harsin, according to those familiar with the search process, and should be one of the first names Auburn calls when it has its next opening. Kiffin’s issues are well-known, but he’s the shot of excitement Auburn needs right now. He’ll win games, his offense will be fun to watch and clearly he’ll have no problem poking the bear over in Tuscaloosa. Kiffin has publicly talked about his love of Oxford, but those who know him well say there will always be a restlessness to the man who once bailed after a single season at Tennessee. At a minimum, it’ll be worth a call to Kiffin’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, to gauge the Ole Miss head coach’s interest level this time around.
Look, I don't fault Talty for writing about Kiffin. First and foremost, it only makes sense that Auburn would inquire about Kiffin, who has won 14 of his last 17 games as Ole Miss' head coach. Talty is right about Kiffin having some interest in the gig in December 2020, when Auburn was moving on from Gus Malzahn amidst another coup, this one designed to promote then-defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.
Secondly, Kiffin's name brings clicks and conversation, and al.com is an aggregator and click monster of the highest order. Again, Talty is good at what he does, and he wrote nothing absurd in the linked article.
However, much has changed, as Talty noted, since December 2020. Kiffin seems much happier in Oxford and with Ole Miss than he did at the tail end of that ridiculous pandemic-addled season. He's mastered the transfer portal, built booster capital that has aided Ole Miss' NIL efforts and assembled a strong roster.
Kiffin is beloved in Oxford and Ole Miss circles. The school has made him the brand. Hell, it's basically taken the family puppy, Juice, and made it Ole Miss mascot. Speaking of family, his daughter is a senior at Oxford High School and she's planning to enroll at Ole Miss next fall. Finally, Ole Miss has stepped up financially and figures to go further if that's what it takes to retain Kiffin.
None of that means Kiffin won't leave at some point. Are there better jobs than Ole Miss? Sure. However, the "Kiffin will get restless" angle is tired and, at best, outdated. He left Tennessee after one year -- for his dream job at USC. When that didn't work out, he went to Alabama as the offensive coordinator and then to FAU for three seasons as the head coach before returning to the SEC.
Is Auburn a better job than Ole Miss? In a lot of ways, sure. However, Auburn isn't likely to make Kiffin the brand. It's unlikely to give him carte blanche to do what he feels he needs to do to win. The boosters on the Plains aren't just going to step away. Ask Malzahn or Harsin or Allen Greene. That's not a knock on Auburn, by the way. It's just the way it is.
Again, Ole Miss would be insane to not do all it can to keep Kiffin happy for as long as humanly possible. And while acknowledging I could be completely wrong, Kiffin to Auburn just doesn't pass the smell test, at least not now.
4. Up next: Tulsa.
Rich Rodriguez, the former Ole Miss offensive coordinator and West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona head coach, had Jacksonville State averaging 37 points and 456 yards of total offense coming into Saturday’s contest, as well as 277 yards per game rushing, but Tulsa handled the Gamecocks quite well throughout the course of a dominating 54-17 victory.
Overall, TU limited Jacksonville State to 208 yards rushing, just 87 yards passing and 295 total, while surrendering just 17 points, with both touchdowns coming in the second half after the game was already decided. The Golden Hurricane led 40-3 at halftime.
“I thought our defense played extremely well. This is a tough offense to go against,” Tulsa coach Philip Montgomery told The Tulsa World. “Rich Rodriguez has been one of those innovative minds offensively throughout his coaching career, so whether you go all the way back to West Virginia, he gives you a lot of different formations, a lot of motions, a lot of misdirection to it. I thought our guys did a really nice job of keeping their eyes in the right spot, playing really sound defensively, trusting the guy beside them, and just making it difficult for them to do some of the tempo things they wanted to do.”
And the way Tulsa shut down the Jacksonville State passing game, including linebacker Justin Wright picking up an interception early in the second quarter with Tulsa leading 12-0, was particularly noteworthy. The fact that the Golden Hurricane had seen its two previous opponents thrive through the air made the performance even more welcome.
Wyoming’s Andrew Peasley competed 20-of-30 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener, while Northern Illinois’ Rocky Lombardi threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-31 passing the next week. So being able to hold the combination of Aaron McLaughlin and Zion Webb (the Gamecocks switched back and forth throughout the night) to a combined 6-for-15 for 79 yards before they put in the third-stringer at the end, was impressive.
They also got their first four sacks of the season, starting with defensive tackle Joseph Anderson and Wright in the first quarter, before adding two more in the second half.
“We talked about it all week, of getting quarterback pressure,” Wright said. “We knew (Webb) was a running quarterback. They like to run the ball. A lot of eye candy stuff that gets you moving. And the D-line had one job this week, and that's to get back to the quarterback. Sacks are huge. You know, the best coverage is a rush, a defensive line getting the pass coverage pretty much. Those are huge for our defensive line, for our linebackers.”
After Davis Brin’s 46-yard touchdown pass to Keylon Stokes gave Tulsa a 47-10 lead with 6:05 left in the third quarter, the main starters came out of the game for the Golden Hurricane.
On the next offensive series, Braylon Braxton took over at quarterback, a slew of backup receivers were in place, and the depth running backs were getting the carries. In the fourth quarter, just about everyone switched out, including the offensive line and the defense, and even a number of third-stringers got in later in the fourth quarter.
Braxton was in for three possessions and did pretty well, completing 4-of-5 passes for 26 yards, including his first career touchdown pass, an 11-yard toss to Marquis Shoulders, who also had his first career TD on the play, early in the fourth quarter.
Braxton also rushed three times for 29 yards. Shoulders, seeing his first-ever action on offense, made three catches for 23 yards. Backup running back Bill Jackson, who had three rushes for six yards when the starters were still in, ended up with a team-high 59 yards on nine carries.
The offensive line starters were shuffled a bit again, for the third consecutive game. Dillon Wade started at left tackle for the third straight contest. At left guard, replacing Chester Baah, it was Darrell Simpson, who started the opener at right guard but didn’t see much action last week. Will Farniok was at center for the third straight game (until he was injured late in the third quarter). Tai Marks started at right guard after replacing Simpson there in the Northern Illinois game, and Jaden Muskrat was at right tackle for the second straight game (after Kai-Leon Herbert was injured in the opener).
5. It's time for my weekly ranking of the SEC.
1. Georgia -- The Bulldogs don't appear to have any weaknesses at all.
2. Alabama -- ULM should've stopped after it scored a touchdown, taken a scoreboard team photo and headed back to Monroe.
Nos. 3-5, in my opinion, are interchangeable as of this moment.
3. Kentucky -- The Wildcats' defensive front is really strong.
4. Ole Miss -- The Rebels are passing the eye test with flying colors.
5. Arkansas -- The Razorbacks were a little flat-footed, a bad idea against a Bobby Petrino offense, but the Hogs' offense saved the day.
6. Tennessee -- I'm getting higher on the Vols by the week.
7. Texas A&M -- The Aggies had to have a win Saturday and they got it, thanks to their defense.
8. LSU -- That was a strong second half for the Tigers against Mississippi State.
There's a falloff here.
9. Florida -- I mean, I guess, but that was a woof of a performance against South Florida. I like Tennessee big next weekend.
10. Mississippi State -- Again, the Bulldogs' second-half performance was damning. It really was.
11. Auburn -- Let the chaos begin.
12. South Carolina -- I'm not quite ready to dismiss the Gamecocks, as they've lost consecutive games to a good team (Arkansas) and a great one (Georgia).
13. Missouri -- The loss to Kansas State looks even worse now.
14. Vanderbilt -- The Commodores are 3-1. Could they possibly flirt with five wins?
6. Speaking of the SEC, let's take a quick tour around the Western Division courtesy of my colleagues at Rivals.
At Alabama, Heisman moments don’t happen against Louisiana-Monroe. However, when it comes to celebrating Will Anderson Jr.’s first touchdown in an Alabama uniform, his fellow Crimson Tide teammates aren’t afraid to drum up a bit of hype.
Just ask cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, who began his assessment of the reigning Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner with one word.
“Heisman,” McKinstry said shaking his head. “What he can’t do, man? I mean, I’ve done seen it all.”
McKinstry thought that was the case heading into Alabama’s game against ULM Saturday. Last season, the sophomore saw Anderson lead the nation with 33.5 tackles for a loss and 17.5 sacks over 15 games, putting together the most dominant campaign by a Crimson Tide defender since Derrick Thomas’ record-breaking 1988 campaign.
Of course, Anderson had a new trick up his sleeve Saturday as he recorded his first career interception, corralling a bobbled pass at the ULM 25-yard line before racing toward the end zone for a score.
“Actually, that’s my first time seeing him catch an interception,” said McKinstry who now has as many interceptions in his career as Anderson. “We’re just so proud of him. He brings so much energy to the team.”
Anderson’s score came as ULM quarterback Chandler Rogers was pressured by blitzing defensive back Malachi Moore on the right side. Looking to get the ball off quickly, the quarterback fired a pass that ricocheted off the hands of running back Andrew Henry. From there, Anderson jumped up to snatch the ball before scooting down the right sideline. Rogers gave chase, but a simple stiff-arm from Anderson around the 15-yard line allowed the 6-foot-4, 243-pound edge rusher to easily shove aside the quarterback.
Following the game, Anderson was not made available by Alabama to discuss his heroics. However, Mike linebacker Henry To’oTo’o did his best to sum up both the play and Anderson’s reaction from his own vantage point on the field.
“He’s probably surprised he caught it,” To’oTo’o said with a laugh. “I’m not going to lie. Definitely had a little stiff-arm, and then he was just watching it when they put the highlights on the board. He was like, ‘Man, I can’t believe I did that.’"
At Arkansas, with 12:04 left in Saturday's game, No. 10 Arkansas trailed Missouri State 27-17.
Just under three minutes later, the Razorbacks were leading the Bears 31-27 and Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium was roaring after Bryce Stephens ran a punt back 82 yards to give the Hogs their first lead of the evening.
It was a night full of miscues and missed tackles for an Arkansas team that was trying to avoid being the latest top-10 team to be upset.
As Stephens, a redshirt freshman receiver, prepared to go out to field a Missouri State punt, he knew he had to make a big play.
"Man, I was on the sideline and I just knew we needed a momentum play, so I had to make one," Stephens said. "We talked about it on the sideline before that and Sam (Mbake) told me to look at his side when I’m back there, so I did what I did."
Sure enough, as Stephens fielded the ball, freshman receiver Sam Mbake (No. 11) made a block to Stephens' right, where he eventually cut back to and ran 82 yards down the sideline for a score.
"Yeah, Sam Mbake was on their gunner, and we felt like if we could handle the gunner we'd have not an opportunity to score a touchdown but an opportunity to get a decent return," Pittman said. "Mbake did a really good job on the outside, and you know Bryce won the 100 meters in Oklahoma. He's fast. He got up the sideline. Guys did a great job, but he got up the sideline and outran them."
Stephens showed signs of being a talented punt returner last year, but he could never break one off for a score. His teammate Nathan Parodi broke an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown against UAPB last season, and Stephens — wearing the same No. 14 as Parodi did last season — got his own against the Bears.
"Man, it was phenomenal," Arkansas safety Simeon Blair said. "I have to cover Bryce a lot in practice, so I know he’s super fast. We talked about it all week, that we have to make sure we block their gunners and Sam Mbake, a freshman, he did a wonderful job at blocking their gunners. And then Bryce was able to get out of the gate."
With the crowd at Reynolds Razorback Stadium reaching the loudest it had been all season, Stephens said it was a blackout moment.
"It was a blackout moment," Stephens said. "My voice is gone a little bit."
Poetically, former Razorback great Joe Adams — known best for being an incredible punt returner — was in the house to be inducted into the Razorback Hall of Honor. Prior to Parodi's punt return for a touchdown, Adams was the last Hog to do it when he took a punt back 51 yards in the 2012 Cotton Bowl.
Pittman jokingly said having Adams in the house was a good luck charm.
"That’s what it was," Pittman said. "We need to take him down to Dallas (next week against Texas A&M)."
At Auburn, getting beat by a better team is excusable, although the deficit in which Penn State defeated Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday isn't. Losses happen. But one thing that isn't excusable for the Tigers, and specifically the coaching staff, was the fact that Tank Bigsby touched the ball just 11 times in the game.
And Bryan Harsin's response to why that happened raises even more questions than it answers.
"I think the obvious is that we got behind, and we had to throw the football," he said. "I mean, that's really what it came down to."
Sure, this makes excellent sense when the Tigers were down big in the second half, but why did Bigsby see the ball once in the entire second quarter when the Nittany Lions were holding onto a touchdown or less lead?
"I don't know all the reasons," Harsin said. "But yeah. We want to get Tank the ball."
Wait just a second. You don't know all the reasons? Listen, I know Eric Kiesau is calling the plays, but Harsin is and always has been heavily involved in the offense. And when you are facing a formidable team in the biggest non-conference home game in years, it seems you would have prepared to have your best offensive player, arguably Bigsby, be a significant factor in the game plan.
And this doesn't just come down to handing the ball off to him. During fall camp, Harsin and Kiesau spoke about how important it is to get the ball in Tank's hands. That's understandable, considering the talent and explosiveness Bigsby showed in his first two seasons. Getting him involved in the passing game was a crucial element of the revamped offense that Kiesau was now in charge of.
It worked when Bigsby got the ball, too, as the running back took one 37 yards near the end of the first half to give Auburn a little hope of putting points on the board. This is where you interrupt and say, "Hey, wasn't this against soft coverage?" Yes, you are correct. But Tank's moves to get those yards showed why the ball should be in his hands more.
"I think the big thing was the score and trying to do some things to get him the ball," Harsin said. "And the pass game is included in that too, so there was opportunities for him there as well. So it's not all just the touches in the run game. It's the touches in the pass game."
Just not enough opportunities, and Harsin, for all the talk about being consistent and executing, isn't sure why other than a lame-duck excuse about being behind. Of course, there's a chance that when he goes back to watch the game film, the coach will better understand what happened, and possibly Penn State was doing a great job focusing on Bigsby.
But you have to get the ball in the hands of your best players, and right now, that is Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter (just eight touches on Saturday). Until a quarterback steps up and shows he's ready to be productive – and both have shown small signs of that – the two backs need to put this offense on their back despite being behind an offensive line that still struggles in all aspects of the game.
At LSU, after the first three games of the 2022 football season, the only certainty about LSU head coach Brian Kelly’s first Tigers’ team is there’s going to be uncertainty until the last snap of the year.
And it’s not just knowing what or what might not happen game to game.
As we’ve already seen with the Tigers, it’s a first half to second half proposition, even series to series and play to play.
The same team that has been outscored by Florida State and Mississippi State by a combined 33 to 13 in the first 2½ quarters is the same team that outscored the Seminoles and Bulldogs 41-7 in the final 1½ quarters.
But know this – LSU’s defense will usually keep the Tigers within striking distance until LSU’s offense lifts off the launching pad .
So, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, a man who turns into a playmaking comet when he thinks less and reacts more, offered a simple explanation why the Tigers closed on a 31-3 scoring run Saturday for a 31-16 SEC opening win over Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium.
How does a team that falls behind 13-0, has four false start penalties on offense and punts five times and fumbles once in its first six series of the games flips a switch and scores the game’s final 21 points?
“It’s urgency and tempo and not think too much and trust what you see with your eyes,” said Daniels, who accounted for 303 of LSU’s 416 total offense with 201 passing yards and a TD and 93 rushing yards and a TD.
If you’re an opposing defense trying to get a grasp of LSU’s offense, it’s basically a snail tempo that puts itself to sleep until the Tigers’ coaching braintrust finally decides it’s time to cattle prod its offense with a quicker heartbeat.
At that point, Daniels starts running around like the fastest kld in your elementary school that you never lay a hand on, all of sudden LSU goes 75 yards in 88 seconds for its first TD against State 46 seconds before halftime and it’s game on.
“Yeah, he can scoot for sure,” Mississippi State linebacker Jett Johnson said of Daniels. “He’s a slippery guy.”
Daniels’ 8-yard TD pass to Jaray Jenkins just before the half to slice State’s halftime lead to 13-7 did wonders for LSU’s defense which kept the Tigers hanging on and hanging on and hanging on.
“Once our offense gets going,” said Tigers’ defensive end Ali Gaye, “there’s nothing you can do to stop them. As a defense, we knew we had to set the tone (to start the second half). We had to shut them and down and get them off the field.”
After MSU took a 13-0 lead with 2:14 left in the first half on quarterback Will Rogers’ 13-yard TD pass to wide receiver Rara Thomas, State’s last seven offensive series of the night ended in four punts, an interception, a failed fourth-down conversion and a field goal.
A Bulldogs’ offense that entered the game averaging 44 points and 486.5 yards after wins over 49-23 on Sept. 3 and 39-17 at Arizona last Saturday was held to 289 yards.
Rogers, who led the SEC in passing yards per game (381.5), passing touchdowns (9) and completion percentage (78.6%) was just 24 of 42 (57.1 percent) for 214 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception.
He was sacked four times and often mistimed his passes because of LSU’s pressure and confusing scheme.
“They did a really good job of showing me one thing pre-snap and doing something completely different post-snap,” Rogers said. “They moved a lot with their first seven.”
State was a 2½-point favorite prior to kickoff, basically because it had played well in its wins while LSU was disjointed early against Florida State and then beat an overmatched Southern team last weekend by 48 points.
MSU coach Mike Leach gave an honest and accurate summation of his first Tiger Stadium loss after beating LSU here two years ago in his first game guiding the Bulldogs.
“Those guys (LSU) are some of the most decorated recruits in the nation,” Leach said. “Some of them are really good and when you play somebody like that you have to be consistent.”
Strictly from a talent standpoint, LSU won the game like it was supposed to. And if you’re going off recruiting class rankings over the last decade or so, LSU has more talent than anybody else in the SEC except for Alabama and Georgia.
The Tigers’ talent in transitioning to a new coaching staff that continues to figure out personnel. Against Mississippi State, LSU started three true freshmen on offense including both tackles.
“We're still trying to learn more about each other every day,” Kelly said. “But one thing I know about this group for sure is they’re fighters. We saw that against Florida State and I knew they would fight tonight. Our guys are gritty. They were down in the game and they never questioned whether they could come back.
"We're building that kind of mindset. If they keep working hard and keep doing the things the right way, we just want to be a better team in November. If we can incrementally keep working at it, this can be a pretty good football team.”
At Texas A&M, the last time Max Johnson talked to the media, it was after he lead LSU to a last-second win over Texas A&M. So how did it feel to be on the other side in a victory over a top 15 team?
"It feels pretty friggin' awesome," the junior quarterback said.
After No. 24 Texas A&M (2-1) dropped last week's game to Appalachian State in humiliating fashion, Johnson took the helm as the Aggies' starting quarterback and led them to a physical 17-9 win over No. 13 Miami (2-1). The Aggies were seriously short-handed due to injuries and the suspension of four members of the vaunted 2022 freshman class, and things would only get worse with the ejections of safety Demani Richardson and Brian George for targeting.
After managing just one 189 yards of total offense and one offensive touchdown last weekend, the Aggies marched right down the field on their opening possession. Johnson hit his first pass to tight end Donovan Green for 18 yards, then added another completion to wideout Ainias Smith for another 16. The drive stalled inside the 10, however, and the Aggies had to settle for a short field goal from surprising starter Randy Bond.
Miami would tie the game at 3 on their first possession and appeared to have momentum after forcing an Aggie punt. But Tyrique Stephenson muffed Nik Constantinou's punt as A&M Richardson bore down on him, and linebacker Chris Russell recovered at the Miami 29.
The Aggies quickly took advantage, with a 22-yard run by Devon Achane (18 carries, 88 yards) and a subsequent facemask penalty putting the A&M inside the 2. Running back LJ Johnson would leap over the pile one play later for the first touchdown of his A&M career.
Miami would threaten twice later in the half, but kicker Andres Borregales couldn't convert after the Aggies halted Miami drives short of the end zone. Borregales shanked a kick left from 49 yards, and then had a 36-yard attempt blocked by A&M defensive tackle Albert Regis.
The Aggies took a 10-3 lead into the locker room at halftime, then pounced on the Hurricanes shortly after intermission. After forcing a quick Miami punt, the Aggies put together their best drive of the year, a four-play, 76-yard march that ended with Johnson's first touchdown pass as an Aggie.
The drive's key play came when Johnson found Smith (4 catches, 74 yards), open on a crossing route in the middle of the field. After eluding a pair of Hurricanes, Smith was pulled down by his facemask, making a 25-yard gain a 40-yarder. Two plays later, Johnson found Achane (4 catches, 42 yards, 1 TD) in the right flat, and the talented running back did the rest, breaking four tackles on the way into the end zone on a 25-yard score.
Johnson would complete 10-20 passes for just 140 yards, but he didn't turn the ball over and made several critical throws on third downs to keep drives alive.
"(Johnson) played with very good consistency," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "He played very good and was accurate with the ball."
Miami didn't go away quietly. The Hurricanes started the fourth quarter by embarking on a 14-play drive that took more than 6 minutes after a Constatinou punt pinned them at their 1. But facing a 4th and 4 at A&M's 16 with less than 9 minutes to go, Miami coach Mario Cristobal opted for another field goal attempt.
That cut A&M's lead to 8, but the risk didn't pay off. Even after the Aggies were forced to punt again, a pair of holding calls backed the Hurricanes up into a 2nd and 30 situation, essentially destroying their drive. The Aggies were able to run the clock down to 1:16 before punting the ball away, and the Hurricanes got no closer than the Aggie 40 before struggling quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (21-41, 271 yards) had his pass intended for wideout Brashard Smith knocked away by A&M cornerback Jaylon Jones.
Even though the Aggies were far from perfect and have things to work on as SEC play looms, Fisher was satisfied with his team's performance after a very difficult week.
"I think we fought, had a good week of practice, battled back, did things we had to do," he said.
7. I don't have a vote in the Associated Press Top 25, not after wearing a "Chi O loves the Hogs" sticker on my polo at a couple of tailgates Saturday in Fayetteville. But if I did, my ballot would look like this today:
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Kentucky
8. Oklahoma State
9. Ole Miss
10. Arkansas
11. Clemson
12. Tennessee
13. North Carolina State
14. Penn State
15. Washington
16. Wake Forest
17. Oregon
18. Utah
19. BYU
20. Baylor
21. Texas
22. Pittsburgh
23. Texas A&M
24. Washington State
25. Minnesota
8. It’s time to eat. It’s a double dose today of our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb. Here is he is with Lesson 152 of Taste of the Place — Sticky Rice with Fresh Mango.
First off, I love this Thai dish. The combination of coconut and mango is absolutely out of this world good for me. You can do mango bread with coconut butter during the summer and that will knock some socks off. Yet, this starts with some need-to-knows.
Tidbit #1: You will need “sticky rice” or sweet rice to make this dish because of the high amount of gluten in the rice. This is the reason that jasmine rice will not do. Always wash your rice with cold water in a bowl or saucepan 3 or 4 times by moving the rice around the water using your hand. When the water is clear, the rice has been washed.
Tidbit #2: Soaking the rice overnight will help to absorb more water during the steaming process yet you can cook this rice just as normal rice in a pan without the steaming if you are short on time.
Tidbit #3: Once the rice has been steamed, you will mix it with the coconut mixture. At this point, you can place it in a mold to have individual servings or keep it in the mixing bowl. It might just be a little hard to spoon out of the big bowl so use a giant fork and that should do the trick.
Things you will need:
4 people
Preparation time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 45 minutes
Resting time - overnight
Thai Coffee
Utensils needed:
Work surface and chef’s knife
Measuring cups
Mixing bowl
Fridge
Stovetop
Sauce pot with steamer attachment inside and lid
Wooden spoon
Ingredients needed:
2 Cups sticky rice
2/3 Cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 Pinches salt
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp sugar
1-2 Fresh mangos
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Wash the rice in the mixing bowl until the water is clear. Pour enough water over the top after to cover the rice and sit in the fridge overnight.
Step 2: Take the rice from the fridge and pour the water into the sauce pot. Place the steamer “vessel” on top and then the rice in it. Steam the rice over medium heat with the lid for 25 minutes.
Step 3: After, pour into the cleaned mixing bowl along with the other ingredients, except the mangos. Mix and let sit for another 15 minutes with a lid over it to capture the flavor.
Final
Step 4: Slice the mango into cubes and serve alongside the rice. You can sprinkle sesame seeds over to enhance the flavor or shredded coconut. Both work mighty fine and the taste is great. So here is catching the last wave of summer until next year.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
9. And here’s Taste of the Place, Lesson 153 — Fried Spaghetti Sticks.
Please don’t send this recipe to any Italian, I will not be able to get back into their country to visit. I am joking but serious, tradition should not be something messed with when it comes to food. But hey, it’s really good and also, times change.
Tidbit #1: Whatever your favorite white pasta sauce or egg base is, give this recipe a whirl. Mainly the concept comes from the pasta being stuck together with “leftovers” in the fridge. So why not put it into a rectangular dish, cut out pieces and fry them? Great to be honest.
Tidbit #2: You don’t have to make spaghetti just for this dish. Yet, make a double batch of your favorite, then you can use the leftover portion to make these bites. You can freeze them as well. Easy go-to for a snack or appetizer.
Things you will need:
4-6 People
Preparation time - 10 minutes
Resting time - overnight
Cooking time - 5 minutes
A glass of Pinot Grigio
Utensils needed:
Work surface and chef’s knife
Bowls x3
Fridge
Mini casserole dish
Stovetop
Saucepot
Parchment paper
Wooden spoon
Ingredients needed:
1 Box pasta
2 Big Jar Cream sauce
2 Cups thick chopped guanciale or bacon
.5 Cup flour
2 Eggs
.5 Cup Panko or breadcrumbs (Italien)
Frying oil
Salt
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Cook the spaghetti for spaghetti night and when finished, pour it into the small casserole dish lined with parchment paper. Let sit in the fridge overnight.
Step 2: When ready to cook, place your oil into the saucepan and heat to 350°F. Then take the pasta from the fridge and slice it into even portions.
Step 3: Flour, egg wash, and then bread each peach. Place in the oil for about 2 minutes or golden brown. Take and let cook for 2 minutes.
Final
Step 4: Serve up with marinara sauce if you would like but they are great by themselves. Yes, you can pour garlic butter over them if you would like as well.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me — and hopefully, to you — for your reading pleasure:
Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina revisit their first start, and it's hilarious
Ohtani: 'I'm having a better season this year'
Sarris: Across MLB, spin rates are back up near their peak. Is the sticky stuff here to stay?
Three Cubs have emerged as clear building blocks despite rough 2022
Joey Votto loves the MLB rule changes: Reds star talks baseball's future and his own - The Athletic
The Lakers' Russell Westbrook quandary: The plan to handle this season and beyond
Curry confirms Warriors' past interest in trading for KD
Inside the Texas spending blitz that hooked Arch Manning and a No. 2 recruiting class - The Athletic
Inside Sun Belt Saturday: How the league beat two top-10 teams and won realignment
EA Sports College Football: The rise, fall — and return — of a beloved video game
Roger Federer, Serena Williams retiring within weeks of each other marks end of tennis' best era
A radio host, Ken Griffey Jr. and a prospect's 10-year trek to the majors
Eddie Hall Credits His 40kg Weight Loss to Doing This Every Morning
California Outages Reported Despite Newsom Saying They Were Avoided - newsweek.com
