The Grove is open for tailgating this fall and GameChanger Patch Co. wants to help you prepare.
GameChanger Patches are the only two-patch system available in the market to stop hangovers before they start. The WarmUp Patch is used before or while you drink, and the OverTime patch is used after you’ve been drinking to recover while you sleep. The all-natural ingredients will keep you in the game and ready for your next play.
Go to GameChangerPatch.com and enter Promo Code RebelGrove20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Void where prohibited.
1. I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that Lane Kiffin is severely underrated as a game-day quote machine.
It would be easy for a coach, especially after a long week in which his team played two games in five days and in which he spent almost all of it in quarantine after a breakthrough COVID-19 case, to phone in the post-game presser.
Kiffin's Ole Miss team, after all, had just finished off a fairly sloppy 37-point win over Austin Peay. The game was never in doubt. There were no significant injuries. Most players had played fairly well, though there was a late fumble that ruined a turnover-free start to the season, a dropped touchdown in the end zone, a controversial call that took away what looked like a touchdown for Jonathan Mingo and some pass interference calls that kept several Austin Peay drives alive.
I understand that fans couldn't care less if a coach is a great quote or not. It matters to media, however.
Most know I find Kiffin's dry sense of humor funny. However, I'm coming to appreciate just how insightful and entertaining some of his answers are in the immediate aftermath of a game.
For example:
-- Kiffin was asked about using John Rhys Plumlee as a quarterback some in the second half. The Rebels obviously wanted to get Matt Corral out of the game. Luke Altmyer appeared to suffer some sort of injury. Kinkead Dent played a bit as well. But using Plumlee, a former quarterback turned receiver, was interesting enough to ask about.
“We made a big thing about the fans staying for the fourth quarter," Kiffin said. "Plumlee had not practiced at quarterback at all because he was trying to get receiver down, so I figured the fans will stay longer if Plumlee has the ball so that’s why he stayed in with the young guys. (Offensive coordinator Jeff) Lebby was saying we hadn’t practiced these plays and I was like he’ll be fine we need to keep the crowd around. It was cool to see the young guys have that success too.”
-- A week ago, Ole Miss got victimized by targeting calls. On Saturday, it was pass interference calls that were driving the Rebels crazy. Kiffin's answer when asked about those calls, however, likely shined a light on a point of emphasis in practice this week.
“There were some early that definitely were (interference) and there were some that were questionable, but we’re turning and we’re arm barring a guy before we get our heads around and block them off," Kiffin said. "It’s like targeting. We can sit around and complain all we want but it’s a penalty so it doesn’t matter what we think. We have to coach it better.”
-- Kiffin was asked about his wide receiver corps production. Braylon Sanders has had a slow start, while Dontario Drummond and Mingo have had huge starts to their seasons. Kiffin was asked if he's been surprised by Drummond's early success.
“No, he’s had a really good camp and I didn’t know the numbers would be like that," Kiffin said. "He should’ve had two more touchdowns too. He dropped one and then (tight end) Hudson Wolfe didn’t crack the right guy or he would’ve had another one. He’s done a great job and you just never know with this system how they’re going to play when you’re going fast. In the opener and this game they stayed deep on the outside for the most part.
"I’m sure they read reports of Braylon running by everyone in every scrimmage we have plus when we open practice to you guys (the local media), then you report how great Braylon is, so Braylon says thanks to you guys.”
-- Kiffin was asked about the call on Mingo's oh-so-close play in the end zone, one that was eventually ruled a no-catch. Kiffin questioned the call, but in a way that even the league office will have a difficult time getting angry about. Instead of saying the officials missed it, Kiffin let his son, Knox, watching back home in California, say it for him.
“Knox FaceTimed me at halftime and said that he was watching on TV and that it was definitely a catch so I told him I’d tell the officials for him," Kiffin said. "That would’ve been a big play that would’ve boosted his stats but he’s played great. Even in the first game with how physical he was on a few of his catches. Knox said before the game that he kind of looks like (former Rebel receiver/Seattle Seahawks star) DK Metcalf’s brother, which is a pretty big compliment with how physical he looks out there."
-- Finally, Kiffin was asked about the early success from freshman kicker Caden Costa, who has been terrific in the first two games. It would've been easy to give an almost dismissive answer. Instead, Kiffin went into detail about his philosophy regarding spending scholarships on specialists.
“It’s great. He did well in camp but he’s kicked better in games even then he did in camp which kickers are like any other player, there’s ones that are gamers, so it’s awesome to see especially when we invested a scholarship in him. If you’re doing it right you’re only doing it every 4-5 years because the guy is really good and he kicks, so it looks like we hit on a good one. I’ve never understood the thing about don’t use a scholarship on a kicker but then at the end of the game everyone is waiting on him to kick the ball to win or lose the game, so there’s my philosophy on scholarship kickers.”
2. Ole Miss' defense has now allowed just seven first-half points this season.
The Rebels' defense has now scored seven first-half points (yes, I'm taking extra points for granted for the sake of this thought) this season.
Sam Williams picked up a fumble and returned it 33 yards for a first-quarter touchdown, extending the Rebels' lead to 14-0. He talked about that play and much more following Saturday's game.
3. Jonathan Mingo had seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns Saturday versus Austin Peay.
He also had an acrobatic catch that appeared to be a touchdown, though it was taken away by review.
Mingo talked about his game, the Rebels' receiving corps/offense and more following Saturday's game.
4. Up next: Tulane.
Tulane posted a convincing 69-20 victory over Morgan State Saturday afternoon at Birmingham's Legion Field to pick up its first win of the season. The Green Wave showed no signs of a letdown after a hard-fought setback the previous week at second-ranked Oklahoma.
Tulane dominated the Bears in nearly every aspect of the game, as it held a 584-228 advantage in total offense. The Green Wave also held a 294-44 advantage in rushing yards.
The 69 points were the most Tulane has scored in a single game during the Willie Fritz era. The 69-point output also marks the fourth time since 2016 that the Green Wave have scored 60 or more points. True freshman Iverson Celestine paced the Green Wave with 77 yards rushing. Freshman Justin Ibieta led Tulane with 166 yards passing. He also threw for a pair of scores and ran for another. Quarterback Michael Pratt started the game and passed for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also ran for a score.
Defensively for the Green Wave junior linebacker Nick Anderson led the way with five tackles. True freshman Keith Cooper also chipped in with a pair of sacks.
Tulane opened up a 17-point lead in the first quarter and held Morgan State to just six yards of total offense. Senior Jaetavian Toles got the scoring going, as he hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Pratt. Six minutes later, senior Merek Glover connected on a 40-yard field. Following a three and out, redshirt freshman Tyjae Spears found the endzone for the first time since he suffered a season-ending injury in 2020 to give the Green Wave a comfortable 17-point lead, heading into the second quarter.
Tulane continued to pour it on in the second quarter, as it outscored Morgan State 35-7, and took a 52-7 lead into the locker room. The 52 points are the most Tulane has scored in a half in the Fritz era. As a team, Tulane held Morgan State to just 47 total yards of offense in the opening half.
5. Here is my weekly ranking of the Southeastern Conference:
1. Alabama -- Until further notice...
2. Georgia -- The Bulldogs' defense is for real. I mean, wow.
OK, here's where it gets really difficult.
3. Ole Miss -- This might be way too high, but having the league's best quarterback has me willing to gamble a bit two games into the season.
4. Kentucky -- Again, maybe I'm nuts, but the Wildcats have balance, though I have no idea why I'm putting them ahead of...
5. Auburn -- The Tigers have played cupcakes, but they've mauled them and they're playing with a clear sense of purpose. Of course, that's not necessarily fair to...
6. Texas A&M -- The Aggies' defense is excellent and they went on the road and beat a Pac-12 team, but that offense is worrisome. So why not...
7. Florida -- The Gators aren't great at anything, but they're good at everything. That something I can't say for...
8. Arkansas -- But the Razorbacks appear very solid on defense and they can really run the football. I mean, they can line up and gash you in the middle of the field. Unlike...
9. LSU -- That's right, the Tigers have offensive line issues, which could be really problematic in the SEC this year. Of course, that's likely shafting...
10. Mississippi State -- Yes, the Bulldogs needed Houdini to beat Louisiana Tech, but that was an impressive shellacking of North Carolina State in Starkville Saturday night.
Here's the next break.
11. Missouri -- The Tigers were blah against Central Michigan and sloppy against Kentucky, but of the bottom four, they're clearly superior.
Big fall.
12. South Carolina -- I will say this for Shane Beamer's team: They're playing really hard for him.
13. Tennessee -- It wasn't a bad effort against Pitt, but the Vols just aren't very good, and there's nothing inspiring about them at all.
14. Vanderbilt -- Kudos to the Commodores. That win had to feel awesome, but goodness, how bad is Colorado State? Don't answer. I watched. I know.
6. Here are some leftover notes and observations from around the SEC West, courtesy of the Rivals network:
At Texas A&M, overlooked in the loss of quarterback Haynes King was the impressive fourth quarter from his backup, Zach Calzada.
The Aggies offense picked up 163 yards in the final quarter in Denver, including 118 through the air. It looked like A&M had finally taken the lead with 8:45 to go in the game when Calzada appeared to have capped a 12-play, 87-yard drive with a 13-yard run and dive into the end zone. But a review showed that Calzada had fumbled the ball just short of the goal line and Colorado had recovered.
The Aggies had the ball back 50 seconds later after A&M forced Colorado into another three-and-out. The Aggies took over at their own 23, 77 yards away from a go-ahead score.
"I just told (Calzada), 'You've been waiting for this for three years. It's your time. Ball out," defensive end DeMarvin Leal told AggieYell.com.
Colorado forced the Aggies into a third-and 9 at the Buffaloes’ 18, then flushed Calzada from the pocket and made him roll to his left. Calzada then threw a perfect lob to Isiah Spiller in the corner of the end zone to give the Aggies their first lead with 2:41 to go in the game.
"The throw he made to Spiller was a great play and a great throw to a receiver — who was the third receiver on that route," Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said.
“The second half was perfect (by the defense), and it was what we needed because it was the only way we could win the game.”
The question, of course, for Texas A&M is without King, can the defense be enough to win games against more explosive SEC offenses?
Speaking of, Arkansas piled up 333 yards on the ground Saturday in its win over Texas, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt, with five different players rushing for at least 40 yards. Trelon Smith, AJ Green, Raheim “Rocket” Sanders and Dominique Johnson each scored touchdowns, as well.
On the other side of the ball, meanwhile, Arkansas held Texas standout running back Bijan Robinson to 69 yards on 19 carries. He came into the game with a career 7.6-yard-per-carry average, but managed just 3.6 yards on Saturday.
At Mississippi State, Lideatrick Griffin’s 70-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter sparked a 20-point comeback for Mississippi State in an eventual win over Louisiana Tech.
On Saturday against North Carolina State, Griffin made his presence felt a whole lot faster.
The sophomore took the opening kickoff back for a 100-yard touchdown, and Mississippi State’s defense cracked down from there en route to a 24-10 win over NC State at Davis Wade Stadium.
“He can take it home any second,” running back Dillon Johnson said of Griffin. “Any time he touches the ball, he’s a home run hitter.”
After Griffin’s kick return gave them a 7-0 lead 13 seconds into the contest, the Bulldogs (2-0) held the Wolfpack (1-1) to 4.5 yards per play — with most of the damage coming in garbage time. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s unit held running backs Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person to 50 yards on 16 carries, while quarterback Devin Leary went 30 of 49 passing for 303 yards.
NC State scored its only touchdown with 1:06 remaining on a 4-yard pass from Leary to Thayer Thomas.
“We’ve got some dogs on defense,” Bulldogs safety Jalen Green said. “We played with a lot of swag and confidence. We’ve got a lot to show.”
Quarterback Will Rogers was 33 of 49 passing for 294 yards and two touchdowns for Mississippi State. Malik Heath and Jaden Walley each caught scoring passes from the sophomore.
“I thought he improved in the pocket this week,” Bulldogs coach Mike Leach said of Rogers. “I thought he took command of the offense and was kind of able to keep the energy going throughout the game.”
At LSU, LSU's offensive line was a major concern entering the 2021 season even though Ed Orgeron and the Tigers returned all of their starters.
LSU replaced James Cregg with Brad Davis during the summer and throughout camp Orgeron spoke about protection issues and injuries on the line.
Through the first two games of the season, including Saturday’s 34-7 win over McNeese in Baton Rouge, it’s crystal clear, per TigerDetails.com's Julie Boudwin: LSU's offensive line is this team's weakest unit just as it was in 2020.
During his postgame press conference, Orgeron spoke about being pleased with the defensive effort against McNeese State, but wasn't happy with the lack of protection.
At Auburn, Jarquez Hunter broke off a 94-yard touchdown run in the Tigers’ rout of Alabama State Saturday. The run is the longest in Auburn football history with a 92-yard touchdown run in 1936 being the previous record.
"At first I was going to the right and then I seen just a great cutback and I took it and then I was gone for the run," Hunter told AuburnSports.com. "And then I didn’t know if anybody was close to me so I just ran as fast as I can."
Before Hunter went onto the field for his 94-yard touchdown, the coaches told him it was going to be his final drive of the game. He knew he had to capitalize on it.
"I was very excited that I scored because that was going to be my last drive so I had to get that one," Hunter said with a smile.
Hunter finished the game with eight carries for 147 yards and a touchdown. That performance comes after going for 110 yards and a touchdown on nine carries against Akron.
The freshman back was the recipient of the game ball for his performance on Saturday.
"What I love about Jarquez is, you know, even in that moment in the locker room, he appreciates it," Bryan Harsin said. "His teammates appreciate him. He's a pretty humble guy, and I think for him it's just a matter of, how do I continue to keep getting better? Because I think he really likes being out there on the field, and I know he loves the game of football. So you can feel that from him.”
Combined with Tank Bigsby and a suddenly comfortable and efficient Bo Nix, Auburn’s offense is something to watch. Penn State awaits on Saturday, and that game is the most interesting one of the week ahead.
At Alabama, for a second straight week, the Tide saw a starting linebacker leave the game with an injury as Will Anderson Jr. made his way to the locker room after taking a blow to the knee in the third quarter of Saturday’s 48-14 victory over Mercer. Following the game, Nick Saban provided an update on the sophomore, calling him “questionable” for next week’s game against Florida.
“We’re checking out his knee,” Saban said. "He’s questionable as to what his circumstance will be here for the upcoming week.”
After leaving the field, Anderson made his way to the team’s injury tent. From there, he walked under his own power to the team’s locker room. With Anderson out, freshman Dallas Turner and sophomore Chris Braswell both saw the field more in the second half. The pair of five-stars recorded three stops apiece.
Alabama has already lost one of its starting linebackers indefinitely as Christopher Allen suffered a foot fracture last week against Miami that will likely end his season.
Alabama was also without both of its starting cornerbacks against Mercer, as Josh Jobe and Jalyn Armour-Davis sat out the game due to injuries. Saban didn’t reveal the injuries of either player but said that they “should be back.”
“We didn’t think that their injuries were that serious to start with, but they were a little more serious than what we had originally anticipated or thought they would be, and they weren’t able to practice all week,” Saban said. “And I didn’t want to play the guys in the game if they didn’t practice against this offense because it’s a lot of rotation and there’s a lot of things going on.”
7. I could never be an Associated Press Top 25 voter, not with my massive level of bias, but if I had a ballot, mine would look like this today:
-- And yes, I'd be subject to ridicule for being a free-thinker on something as vital as ranking college football teams on Sept. 12.
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Oregon
4. Oklahoma
5. Iowa
6. Clemson
7. Cincinnati
8. Penn State
9. UCLA
10. Ole Miss
11. Kentucky
12. Virginia Tech
13. Auburn
14. Texas A&M
15. Florida
16. Ohio State
17. Brigham Young
18. Arkansas
19. Coastal Carolina
20. Iowa State
21. Notre Dame
22. Arizona State
23. Michigan
24. Wisconsin
25. UCF
8. I've got a lot of scattered thoughts about a myriad of topics, so I'll touch them briefly here.
-- I loved watching the full crowds over the weekend. I didn't go to the Grove and can't remember the last time I went to the Grove, but I caught myself perusing social media all day Saturday, just wanting to see more and more pictures of people happily tailgating.
-- I was happy for the Ole Miss players and coaches who got to experience the Walk of Champions for the first time. These guys work so hard and give up so much for a handful of Saturdays. To see them be able to experience all that comes with being a Rebel was awesome. I can't imagine how great it was for them and their families.
-- I got home from Tupelo in time to see a good bit of Iowa-Iowa State and Texas A&M-Colorado. I heard from my daughters, who were making their way to Reynolds Razorback Stadium for Texas-Arkansas. Seeing the shots and photos from those locales and others still makes me joyfully elated. I don't know when I'll go back to taking those scenes and photos for granted again.
-- Yes, a part of me wants to make fun of the hypocrisy of it all. Yes, I find it ridiculous that the Grove can essentially be a tent city with no mask rules while school kids still have to participate in mask theatre, likely for the remainder of the academic year, but that cynicism is overshadowed by the happiness I feel for everyone getting to get normal back.
-- I keep hearing people criticizing the derisive cheer making its way through stadium after stadium so far this college football season. I can't begin to tell you how ironic I find that. The country was founded on freedoms -- freedom of speech, freedom to to bear arms, etc. Perhaps the language is in poor taste, but ignoring the sentiment by essentially calling it a meme is likely the equivalent to burying one's head in the sand.
-- I caught myself having to measure just how much 9-11 anniversary coverage I could consume. On one hand, I felt guilty not watching/not reading everything I came across. On the other, I could feel that familiar sadness, interspersed with rage, coming over me, threatening to darken my mood beyond repair. I suspect I wasn't alone.
On Saturday afternoon, I caught myself reading about United Flight 93, which went down in a field in Pennsylvania 20 years ago. The flight was headed for the White House or the Capitol when passengers decided to hijack the hijackers. I was reading about Todd Beamer, about what was and wasn't exactly true regarding the call he made to Lisa Jefferson, a call center supervisor for United in 2001.
The transcript of that call is somewhat debated, but the basics aren't really questioned. I stood on my patio and cried. Beamer left behind two children and his wife, Lisa, was pregnant. Thousands of others who perished that day left families and loved ones behind as well.
May they never be forgotten. May we always tell their stories. May we always remember them and mourn their loss.
9. It's time to eat. Here's our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 103 — Rougets rôtis aux citrons.
There is nothing better than some roasted fish. Of course, others would beg to differ for fried catfish. With the summer heat cooling off in the next couple of weeks, there needs to be one more fish night in your future.
Tidbit #1: Serve this for a lunch with some sautéed spinach that has a little bit of lemon juice added to it along with a heavy hand of cracked black pepper.
Tidbit #2: You can substitute the “rougets” from above with sole or grouper.
Tidbit #3: Keep it simple, with the fresh herbs of sage and thyme. They balance the fish taste super well.
Things you will need:
4 People
A glass of a dry white wine
Preparation time - 5 minutes
Cook time - 10 minutes
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and chef’s knife
Oven
Baking tray with parchment paper
Ingredients needed:
8 Small Rougets or equivalent as stated above
4 Lemons
1 Bunch green onions
4 stems of sage
4 stems of thyme
4 stems of parsley
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Mise en Place
Step 1: Heat your oven to 360°F, have your lemons sliced about 1/2 inch in thickness, and your fish properly cleaned.
Step 2: Place the parchment paper on the baking tray and then add a drizzle of olive oil. Follow this by adding half of the lemon slices, sage, thyme, and green onions. Put the fish on top and then continue with the rest of the other half of the ingredients. Drizzle more olive oil over the top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cooking and serving
Step 3: Now place the baking sheet in your pre-heated oven for around 10 minutes or until the fish has slight blackening on it. Once out, sprinkle over the chopped parsley and drizzle over the olive oil to absorb into the fish. Serve up while warm and enjoy the warmth of the sun while outside eating.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting and whatever else comes up at RebelGrove.com this week. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure, including one at the end that is added just because we all need a laugh:
Kris Bryant returns to Wrigley Field with a Giants team that found the edges the Cubs are seeking
True grit: Max Scherzer operates strictly on his terms; try to keep up
Chris Webber on Fab Five reunion, the 'timeout' ahead of Hall of Fame induction - The Athletic
How NFL survived COVID season without utilizing secret plan - Los Angeles Times
The 9/11 photos we will never forget
He Was the Manager of Windows on the World - The Atlantic
Larry Elder Attacked: Why Isn’t This the Biggest Story in America? | National Review
The specific sadness of realizing vaccines won’t get us back to normal.
How the Delta Variant Defeated Biden's White House - The Atlantic
Judges question constitutionality of felony charge against Jan. 6 defendants | Power Line
Joe Biden Committed a War Crime by Drone Striking Civilian Aid Worker, Not ISIS, Evidence Reveals.
Inside the Taliban's special forces 'Suicide Squad'
Pentagon Chief Says Hopes Fading for More Open Taliban Government in Afghanistan - WSJ
A Parrot Can Say Supply and Demand - by Brian Albrecht - Economic Forces
A U.S. Marine, a curious Afghan boy, an unfathomable moment
A Generation of American Men Give Up on College: ‘I Just Feel Lost’ - WSJ
