No. 16 Ole Miss hosts Arkansas in series that has produced offensive fireworks lately
Arkansas (3-2, 0-2 SEC) at No. 16 Mississippi (4-1, 1-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network)
Line: Ole Miss by 11 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
Series record: Arkansas leads 37-29-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Ole Miss is trying to remain in the SEC West hunt after a big win The Rebels offense exploded for 706 yards in a 55-49 win over No. 23 LSU after getting contained in a loss to No. 11 Alabama. The Razorbacks are seeking their first SEC win and to snap a three-game losing streak. They've won two of the last three meetings. The rivalry has produced offensive bonanzas and crazy finishes the past few years. Arkansas won 42-27 despite giving up 703 total yards last season. Ole Miss emerged with a 52-51 victory two years ago after the Razorbacks' failed two-point attempt on the final play. Arkansas had six interceptions three meetings ago, including a pick-6 to seal the win.
KEY MATCHUP
The Ole Miss offense against an Arkansas defense that has allowed an average of 35 points during the three-game skid. The Rebels offense is closer to fully loaded these days around quarterback Jaxson Dart, including tailback Quinshon Judkins, wide receiver Tre Harris and tight end Caden Prieskorn. Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks sixth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 44.6 points a game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arkansas: RB Raheim Sanders returned after missing three games with injury to record 11 carries for 34 yards last week. Sanders was the SEC's No. 2 rusher — behind Judkins — last season, when he ran for 232 yards and three touchdowns against Ole Miss. So far he has just 76 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
Mississippi: Harris left no doubt he's a game-changer. Harris returned full steam from a knee injury to tie a career-high with eight catches for 153 yards and a touchdown against LSU. He's averaging 21.3 yards on 16 catches and six of them have been for scores.
FACTS & FIGURES
Five of the last eight meetings have been decided by four or less points. ... Judkins (214 yards) and Zach Evans (207) became the first Ole Miss duo to rush for 200 yards in the same game in last year's meeting. ... Ole Miss has now topped 700 total yards six times, four of them under coach Lane Kiffin. ... This is the third of four straight SEC games away from home for Arkansas. It's the first time since 1925 the Razorbacks haven't had a home game in their first four league contests. ... Arkansas is seeking its first win in Oxford since 2017. ... The Razorbacks have returned three interceptions for touchdowns.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
