Notes: Rebels motivated by underdog status at Memphis

OXFORD -- It's odd for a Power-5 program to be an underdog, even on the road, against a Group of 5 opponent.

However, that's the situation Ole Miss finds itself in heading to Memphis on Aug. 31 for the season opener for both teams.

The Rebels are using that underdog status as fuel in the final days of fall camp.

"Us being the underdog and everything, I feel like it's a good opportunity for us to grind in, settle in and focus on our goal, and that's to beat Memphis and go 1-0," Ole Miss tight end Jason Pellerin said Wednesday following the Rebels' 2 1/2-hour practice. "We typically don't like to feed into all of that. We like to take care of what we can take care of, but obviously, we hear it and it's going to give us a chip on our shoulders."

The Rebels were 5-7 last season and were picked to finish sixth in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, just ahead of Arkansas. The Razorbacks were 2-10 last season, 0-8 in the SEC.

Ole Miss is projected as a six-point underdog to Memphis at the Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas. The MGM Mirage sports book in Las Vegas has the Tigers as a 6 1/2-point favorite over the Rebels.

"A lot of these guys on this team and this coaching staff, we have a lot to prove," Pellerin said. "So this game is going to be very important for us and we're taking it very seriously."

Pellerin said the Rebels' underdog status isn't something that is talked about all that much on the practice field or in the locker room, but then again, it doesn't have to be.

"We know what's going on out there," Pellerin said. "We know what people are saying. We're ready for it."

Offensive guard Royce Newman echoed Pellerin's comments, adding that Ole Miss offensive line coach Jack Bicknell reminds his group of the lack of respect from Las Vegas and pundits constantly.

"We just have to go out there and prove everyone wrong," Newman said.

Ole Miss wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler said Wednesday he's still in the process of determining which players are ready to play in the season opener.

Peeler said he would like to play as many as nine receivers at Memphis, but with only three returning receivers with experience, that might not be possible.

"We're always grading and evaluating guys, not just on one play but how they've done in fall camp and how they've impressed out there on live-action plays," Peeler said. "We'll just kind of figure it out before Memphis. We'll throw the first group out there and see how they perform and then we'll go from there."

Peeler said all of the freshmen receivers have had moments. Converted running back Tylan Knight is going to see action in the slot and junior college transfer Dontario Drummond is expected to figure in the rotation as well.

Knight said reading coverages on the fly has been the biggest adjustment for him in his move into the slot.

"You watch film but you have to see it," Knight said. "The more you do it, the better you get."

Knight and Elijah Moore will be on the field together in some sets.

"Against a team that has undisciplined eyes, it's definitely going to force them to read their keys and stuff like that, with all of the motions and stuff we have going on," Knight said.

Newman said Wednesday he likes what he's seen from the offensive line in fall camp. Still, Newman said the Rebels are still figuring things out up front, not knowing whether offensive tackle Alex Givens (back) will be ready to play at Memphis.

Newman has some playing experience over the past two seasons, but he's part of a line that lost Greg Little, Sean Rawlings and Javon Patterson from last season and is counting on several young and inexperienced linemen this fall.

"We're still jumbling around trying to figure out what we're going to do for depth and everything," Newman said. "If I had to guess, probably about eight (will play at Memphis). ...We're just doing different lineups, different scenarios for how we're going to match up and trying to find the five best. We have different lineups for whenever (Givens) comes back. We'll figure it all out when he comes back."