Know the Foe 2020: Q&A with Ole Miss insider Neal McCready

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To get a better feel for this Saturday's opponent, we reached out to someone who is around Ole Miss on a regular basis: Neal McCready.

McCready is the publisher for RebelGrove.com, the Ole Miss site in the Rivals network.

1. To get the uncomfortable stuff out of the way, how have you heard the COVID ‘issues’ are impacting the team? Any absences you know of for Saturday whether COVID or injury related?

McCready: "Ole Miss had been COVID clean, if you will, for several weeks before getting hit with some "issues" this week. If what I've heard is accurate, the Rebels are definitely going to be without a starter in the secondary on Saturday. Also, they'll be without a non-starter who contributes on multiple special teams. After that, I think it's kind of fluid. It's going to come down to contact tracing, testing, symptoms, etc. Lane Kiffin was very vague on Wednesday, both with local writers and on the SEC teleconference, so it's a bit of a guessing game. However, if what I've heard is accurate, it's manageable on Ole Miss' part."

2. What has the general fan reaction been to Lane Kiffin so far and the job he’s doing on all fronts?

McCready: "Let me put it this way: Each week, I do a mailbag where I take questions from subscribers. Increasingly, the questions are about Ole Miss' ability to hang on to Lane Kiffin. In short, they love him. He's made that program relevant again. The three games, even though Ole Miss has lost two of those games, have been fun.

"He's done a great job of reaching out to high-profile former players, both behind the scenes and publicly (such as the face coverings giving shout-outs to Eli Manning, Patrick Willis, DK Metcalf and A.J. Brown), and he appears to be gaining some momentum on the recruiting trail. So, that's a long-winded way to say they love him."

3. What’re the folks over at RebelGrove saying about Sam Pittman and the Hogs?

McCready: "Oh, I think it's obvious Sam Pittman has gotten people's attention. One would have to be blind not to notice how much more disciplined Arkansas is this season as compared to seasons past. It's also quite apparent Pittman has the Razorbacks playing very, very hard. It's clear he's done a remarkable job. Arkansas should be 2-1 right now and I know first-hand there's a lot of excitement on campus and in Fayetteville right now that didn't exist this time a year ago.

"As for the team, Feleipe Franks has given Arkansas efficiency and stability at quarterback and Barry Odom has done a really strong job with the Hogs' defense. I was most impressed with the way Arkansas erased a 17-0 deficit at Auburn last week. The last few years -- and I think you'd agree with this -- I think Arkansas folds there and it ends up 34-7 or something. Instead, Arkansas fought back, out-played Auburn and should have won the game. I thought that spoke volumes."

4. Matt Corral and his guys have been rolling, have you seen anything that the Razorbacks could do to slow them down Saturday?

McCready: "You're right; Corral has been nothing short of terrific thus far. He's not making mistakes. He's making big-time throws. He's using his feet when he needs to. Both running backs, Jerrion Ealy and Snoop Conner, have been very effective. Elijah Moore is one of the better receivers in the league. Kenny Yeboah, a transfer from Temple, has given Ole Miss a weapon at tight end. He's giving opponents fits. Other receivers, namely Jonathan Mingo and Dontario Drummond, have stepped up at different times as well. And Ole Miss has been good up front.

"Tempo has really bothered Ole Miss' opponents. This offense loves to go fast. I'm sure Odom has focused on that this week. Alabama was often caught out of position and unprepared when Ole Miss went really fast last week. So far, no one has really stopped them. They've been dynamic on that side of the ball."

5. The Ole Miss defense isn’t devoid of talent but they’re giving up 51.7 points per game. What’s been going on there? How do you see the game playing out Saturday?

McCready: "I'm not sure how much SEC-caliber talent is on the Ole Miss defense. Florida lit Ole Miss up through the air. Kentucky ran for 408 yards a week later. Four. Hundred. And. Eight. Yards. Last week, Alabama moved the ball at will. The Tide had 723 yards of offense, leaving only 41 possible yards on the field. Think about that a minute. Look, three games isn't a huge sample size, but it's at least a trend. Through three games, Ole Miss' offense is elite and the defense is awful. It's as simple as that.

"I think Ole Miss can score into the high 30s/low 40s on Arkansas, but I think the Hogs can put up similar totals. I've seen nothing to support this not turning into a track meet. I think Ole Miss is a little more prepared to win one of those, but really no outcome would surprise me other than a low-scoring game. I just don't see that happening. I think Ole Miss pulls away late and wins, but the Rebels' defense is going to have to improve a bit."