Rebels climb to No. 9 in AP poll; Eli Manning honored
Ole Miss defeated LSU, 31-17, this past Saturday and moved up to No. 9 in the AP College Football poll this week. Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) used an ever-improving defense and a solid ground game to take down LSU for the first time since 2015.
This week the schedule is no easier as the Rebels will visit No. 21 Auburn. Enjoying the win was former Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, who during a halftime ceremony saw his jersey placed next to the jerseys of his father, Archie, and the late Chucky Mullins.
A much-humbled Eli stated, “Seeing my No. 10 hang up there next to my dad’s will be one of the greatest moments of my life.”
Mississippi State (4-3, 2-2) passed Vanderbilt silly in posting a 45-6 win in Nashville. Will Rogers passed for four scores and 386 yards in leading the Bulldogs offense. This week the Bulldogs will celebrate Homecoming by hosting No. 12 Kentucky. In other SEC action, No. 3 Alabama, No. 14 Texas A&M and Arkansas also came up winners.
This week’s SEC schedule is abbreviated as Georgia and Florida meet in the annual matchup and Vandy hosts Missouri. Southern Mississippi made the news off the football field this week as it enjoyed the open week. The Golden Eagles are expected to join the Sun Belt Conference this week.
The current Sun Belt members are Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Troy, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Louisiana (Lafayette), UL-Monroe, Texas State, South Alabama and Arkansas State. Alcorn rolled over Texas Southern, 44-27, to remain undefeated in conference play.
The Braves (5-2, 4-0) will travel to Southern University Saturday night. Jackson State (6-1, 4-0) downed winless Bethune Cookman, 42-12, and travels to Mississippi Valley this Saturday at 3 p.m. Valley (2-5, 1-3) fell to Florida A&M, 31-28. Delta State (3-5, 1-3) pulled the upset this week as they traveled to West Alabama and outscored the Tigers, 35-30.
Mississippi College (3-4, 2-3) fell to Valdosta State, 41-14, while Belhaven (5-2, 4-2) won for the fourth straight time as they beat previously undefeated Howard Payne, 24-10. Millsaps (1-6, 1-3) lost to Centre, 66-34.
This week DSU hosts Shorter, and MC entertains West Florida. Belhaven visits Mary Hardin–Baylor while Millsaps travels to Sewanee. No. 13 Gulf Coast shocked No.1 Jones, 27-23, and Hinds won over East Central to create a three-way tie in the South Division. If Jones wins over Co-Lin and Hinds beats Pearl River this week, they will enter the playoffs as the No. 1 and 2 teams, respectively, while Gulf Coast will be left out.
Gulf Coast hosts Southwest this Saturday. Undefeated East Mississippi is the No. 1 seed in the North, and Northwest is the No. 2 team. The JUCO playoffs begin on Saturday, Nov. 6.
The ageless wonder Tom Brady became the first quarterback ever with 600 touchdown passes. Brady threw his record-breaking touchdown pass to Mike Evans in the first half of Tampa Bay’s win over Chicago on Sunday.