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Rebel Notebook, presented by JFQ Lending: Conner ready for more work

Ole Miss Rebels running back Snoop Conner (24) carries the ball against LSU Tigers safety Jay Ward (5) during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Ole Miss Rebels running back Snoop Conner (24) carries the ball against LSU Tigers safety Jay Ward (5) during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

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OXFORD -- Snoop Conner has emerged as a fan favorite over the past couple of seasons at Ole Miss.

When he carries the football, those aren't boos at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Instead, those are fans cascading the Ole Miss running back with his first name.

"When they scream, it gives me energy," Conner said. "I know the fans are showing me love. That's a big thing to me. I love it."

The junior from Hattiesburg, Miss., has rushed 67 times for 388 yards and nine touchdowns this season, including a 117-yard, 14-carry performance in Ole Miss' 31-17 win over LSU this past Saturday in Oxford. Conner figures to be a big part of the attack when the 10th-ranked Rebels (6-1 overall, 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference) travel to No. 18 Auburn Saturday (5-2, 2-1). The game can be seen on ESPN at 6 p.m.

Conner is part of three-headed monster of sorts at running back. Henry Parrish has 407 yards and two touchdowns on 74 carries while Jerrion Ealy has 472 yards and two scores on 73 carries.

"Honestly, we haven't yet played our best game with the whole group," Conner said. "We're still working on that right now, but when we do, when all three of us have a good game, it's going to be hard to stop us. We're still working."

Conner said he's good for 15-20 carries a game, though he admitted he was getting tired after his 14 rushes against LSU. The truth is, however, Conner, Ealy and Parrish might all have to carry huge loads moving forward.

Jonathan Mingo is out for several weeks, and possibly the season, due to a foot injury. Braylon Sanders played sparingly against Tennessee and not at all against LSU. His status, per a source, is week to week. Quarterback Matt Corral played but has an ankle injury that figures to limit the amount of running he'll do, at least in the short term.

"It's more opportunity for the running backs," Conner said. "We stay prepared through the week. We know what type of game plan we'll have. We just have to be ready.

"Actually, they said it was going to be a throwing game (against LSU). It changed during the game, so the running backs came out and we did our thing."

Campbell, Williams honored

With the Ole Miss defense playing a major factor in Ole Miss' 31-17 victory over LSU, a pair of Rebels collected weekly honors from the Southeastern Conference on Monday.

Linebacker Chance Campbell earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week accolades, while teammate Sam Williams was named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.

The senior duo led an Ole Miss defense that collected five sacks, seven TFLs and a season-best three turnovers in the Magnolia Bowl win. The Rebels also forced four fumbles, the most by an Ole Miss opponent in a single game since 2009. The Landshark defense has registered five or more sacks in back-to-back games for the first time since 1999.

Campbell, a graduate transfer from Maryland, totaled 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a sack in leading Ole Miss past LSU. Campbell anchored a Rebel linebacker corps that limited the Tigers to just 77 rushing yards. After LSU scored on its opening drive, Campbell and the Rebels kept the Tigers off the scoreboard until 7:28 left in the game. The Ellicott City, Maryland, native ranks fourth in the SEC with 8.0 tackles per game.

Making the 21st start of his career, Williams tallied a forced fumble, one sack and a quarterback pressure in Ole Miss' win. Williams, a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, leads the SEC and ranks No. 4 in the FBS with 1.07 sacks per game. His 7.5 sacks are tied for the most by any Rebel player in a single season since 2016.

Liberty-Ole Miss time set

The Southeastern Conference has announced an 11 a.m. kickoff for Ole Miss’ Nov. 6 home football game vs. Liberty, with the contest televised on SEC Network.

The game will mark first-ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.

Let the carousel begin

Texas Tech dismissed head football coach Matt Wells on Monday, just days after the Red Raiders' second-half collapse to Kansas State dropped his Big 12 record to 7-16 in two and a half seasons.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram was the first to report that Wells would be dismissed.

According to the terms of his contract, Wells will be paid a buyout of approximately $6.9 million.

Sonny Cumbie is expected to be named interim coach for the remainder of Texas Tech's season.

Wells finishes his career on the South Plains with a 13-17 overall record, having never finished with a winning season or back-to-back Big 12 victories. The 48-year old left Utah State in 2018 as the program's all-time winningest coach but was never able to translate the success that he had on the field in Logan to Lubbock.

Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who has strong Texas ties, is expected to be one of several coaches in the mix for the Red Raiders' gig.

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