GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Ole Miss secondary vs. ULM WR Marcus Green. Ole Miss has promoted its talented wide receivers, but the Rebels will face a good one in Green. The difference is the Rebels’ receivers arrived in the SEC with recruiting stars on their resumes and high expectations. Green, from a small high school in North Mississippi, has been an overachiever at the college level. Now a graduate, he had opportunities to transfer but chose to stay with the school that gave him his opportunity.
Green (5-8, 191) is second in the Sun Belt in receiving yards and tied for the conference lead in touchdown catches with four. He’s also a big-play threat on special teams. He’ll match up against an Ole Miss secondary that as of late has given up the catches and points one might expect from a unit that has lost two starters and had other key members limited with injuries. Ole Miss is giving up 310 passing yards a game to rank No. 123.
DRAFT SLANT:
–WR A.J. Brown had nine catches for 72 yards against LSU, not a good day by his standards, especially when you factor in the drops. Brown was in no danger of being held out of the game, but he played with a lingering hamstring issue and left the game with some assistant late, a hand on the hamstring.
ROSTER REPORT
–WR A.J. Brown is expected to play, though he continues to battle the hamstring. He’ll be limited in practice.
–WR DK Metcalf left the game after twisting his foot on a deep route. Like Brown, he’ll be limited in practice but is expected to play.
–S C.J. Moore sustained a torn pectoral muscle. The Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner has been a steadying influence for a secondary that has already lost two key starters. Moore’s injury is not believed to be season-ending, but he’ll be out for an undetermined amount of time.
–DE Victor Evans sat out the LSU game with an undisclosed injury but is expected to play this week.
–RB Armani Linton, a former defensive back, will return to the secondary to provide depth at safety.
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