OXFORD -- Ole Miss had a bit of sleepy second half this past Saturday against Tulsa, holding off the Golden Hurricane, 35-27.
By Monday, everyone inside the Manning Center was wide awake, fully aware of the challenge they will face when the 14th-ranked Rebels (4-0 overall, 0-0 in the Southeastern Conference) entertain No. 7 Kentucky (4-0, 1-0) Saturday at 11 a.m. (ESPN).
Veteran offensive tackle Jeremy James and defensive tackle KD Hill met with the media Monday to discuss the Rebels' SEC opener.
Judkins honored
Ole Miss football freshman running back Quinshon Judkins has wasted little time establishing himself as a premier ball carrier at the collegiate level, and the Southeastern Conference has taken notice, naming Judkins the Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday.
This comes as the first career SEC weekly honor for Judkins, who becomes the second Rebel to earn a weekly honor from the league office this year, joining Nick Broeker, who was named Offensive Lineman of the Week last week.
In Saturday's win over Tulsa, Judkins broke out for a career-best 140 rushing yards on 27 carries—also a career-high—and found the end zone twice for the second consecutive game.
The freshman out of Pike Road, Ala., has 100-plus all-purpose yards in three of four games in his collegiate career. In the effort, Judkins moved to the top of the SEC rushing touchdown chart with five now on the season. His effort helped Ole Miss amass 308 yards on the ground, its second straight output of more than 300 rushing yards.
Judkins now leads Ole Miss with 429 rushing yards on 70 carries through four games. He is the leading producer in a rushing offense that ranks No. 1 in the SEC and No. 4 nationally.
Ole Miss-Vandy time set
Ole Miss football’s game at Vanderbilt on Oct. 8 has been slated for a 3 p.m. start and will be televised on SEC Network, the league office announced Monday.
It will mark the 97th all-time meeting between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt dating back to 1894. It is the third-most played series all-time between Ole Miss and its 2022 opponents (Mississippi State, LSU). The Rebels lead the series 52-40-2 overall.
