Alabama
Ole Miss Football: 4 Bold Rebels Predictions For Week 4 vs. Alabama
The Ole Miss Rebels will meet the Alabama Crimson Tide in what looks to be a loaded Week 4 slate of games. What makes this matchup of value is that it will once again be Nick Saban facing one of his former assistants in Lane Kiffin. Saban has already lost to one former assistant this season in Steve Sarkisian; will Kiffin be another?
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Kiffin has never beaten Saban to date, going 0-4 against the future Hall of Fame head coach. One was before Kiffin was Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama, going back to 2009 when he was the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Even early in his head coaching career, Kiffin took a Volunteers team into Tuscaloosa and only lost by two points after Tennessee missed a 44-yard field goal blocked by Alabama defender Terrence Cody, giving the Crimson Tide a 12-10 victory.
Since that time, Kiffin and Ole Miss have been beaten and outscored in their last three outings, 135-93. But even before Kiffin, Ole Miss hadn’t fared well, having lost a total of seven of their last meetings. The one slight silver lining in that is the last time Ole Miss football beat Alabama back in 2015 was in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels will be back there on Saturday, where they will hope to beat a reeling Alabama football team that’s already lost one and looked possibly worse in a win in the following game against South Florida last weekend. Can Kiffin and Ole Miss finally do it? If there’s any year, this one seems like a good one. Let’s get into some Ole Miss football Week 4 predictions.
4. Ole Miss has more rushing yards than Alabama
Alabama has been known for their strong stable of running backs over the years. Just go look at some of the past Heisman winners since Saban took over the program. But on Saturday, Ole Miss will rush for more yards than the Crimson Tide.
Ole Miss football is averaging almost 200 yards of rushing per game, Team Rankings. Just last week, the Rebels had just a yard shy of 300 yards against Georgia Tech, with most of that coming from quarterback Jaxson Dart. Dart rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns, not to mention his 251 yards and one touchdown through the air. Alabama has a bad history with rushing quarterbacks.
3. Ole Miss continues the bad trend for Alabama’s offensive line
There are a number of surprising things about Alabama this season, but what may be most surprising is how horrendous their offensive line play has been. Alabama has surrendered an unbelievable 12 sacks this season in just three games. Ole Miss will definitely look to take advantage and exploit that. Granted, they’ll now have to deal with a more mobile quarterback in Jalen Milroe. The Longhorns were able to sack Milroe five times; however, the Ole Miss defensive front isn’t that of Texas.
South Florida also recorded five sacks on two Alabama quarterbacks last Saturday not named Milroe. Milroe can at least make some moves out of the pocket and avoid defenders; it’s when he starts looking downfield that is the problem. Ole Miss still has a field day, getting four sacks.
2. Ole Miss football gets an early lead
There’s a good chance that Kiffin is going to have his Rebels’ team amped for this game. Most teams in the country now see a wounded Alabama team that is unlike those of past years. The Rebels have all the capabilities to start hot and fast against Alabama, getting them off track early. Kiffin has already made some peculiar remarks concerning the Crimson Tide defense. Ole Miss takes an early lead by 10 or more going into the half.
1. Kiffin gets his win — Ole Miss beats Alabama
If indeed Ole Miss does get that early lead, they likely win the game. Alabama doesn’t look like a team this year that can play from behind. They couldn’t against Texas. The Longhorns ended up controlling that game throughout and never let up. The Rebels will need a similar approach if they want to beat the Crimson Tide. As difficult as it is to still count Alabama out, this really does feel like a year where they are a 2-3 loss team. Of course, that could change and change quickly, starting with Ole Miss. But I don’t think that happens. Kiffin finally gets his victory over Saban, thus making every delusional Alabama fan call for Saban’s head while simultaneously seeking Kiffin as his replacement in the process.
Alabama
Alabama guard Chris Youngblood finds form in win over Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION, TX — Nate Oats’ continued faith in Chris Youngblood was rewarded Saturday. The fifth-year guard had his best performance of the season during No. 5 Alabama’s gritty 94-88 win over No. 10 Texas A&M, helping the Crimson Tide notch a massive top-10 victory.
Youngblood finished with a season-high 14 points and tallied five rebounds, one assist and a steal in just 18 minutes on the floor. He was one of four double-digit scorers and made a few big shots in the second half to help Alabama survive on the road.
Most critical for Youngblood, and Alabama’s ability to come away with a win, was his 3 of 6 clip from the 3-point line. While the Aggies made things difficult for the Tide with its pressure defense and ability on the glass, Alabama shot the ball superbly well from beyond the arc in the first half, going 10 of 22 from deep.
Youngblood was responsible for a pair of those makes. His three total triples are the most he’s made in a game for Alabama and he finished in double figures for just the second time this season.
“It’s the best feeling,” Youngblood after the game. “But what really helped me do that was just getting lost in the game. Like [Oats] said, the blue-collar points and I knew if I focus on that the offense, that’ll come.”
Youngblood’s focus on the blue-collar plays was crucial as the Tide cooled down slightly from 3 in the second half. He played a vital role in Alabama’s 8-0 run that pushed its lead to 15 points with just under 11 minutes remaining. Youngblood first drilled a 3 to make it 65-55, then stole the ball from Aggies guard Zhuric Phelps, converting an and-1 layup on the other end.
When Texas A&M gutted and ground its way back into the game, it was Youngblood who answered the call when Alabama needed it most. Oats has previously praised Youngblood for his ability on the glass, and he grabbed a big rebound off a Phelps miss with 2:51 remaining and the Tide up by 3. He did the same thing on the offensive end for Alabama, putting himself on the line and making two free throws to put the Tide up 90-84.
“I told him we were gonna get him some shots this game,” Oats said. “We kind of tried to put him up with the press to have some other guys handle it, get him open. He goes 3 of 6. He made a bunch of tough plays too. He’s a winner. He’s a competitor. He’s a leader. You want him in.”
Alabama has high expectations for Youngblood. He was billed as a player who would make a big impact on the offensive end after he averaged 15.3 points per game and shot 41.6% from 3, winning Co-American Conference Player of the Year at South Florida.
Youngblood suffered an ankle injury this offseason after transferring to Alabama. He missed the Tide’s first nine games of the season and has struggled to regain that form since coming back. Being able to step up on the road in one of the Tide’s biggest games of the season will do wonders for Youngblood’s confidence going forward and his performance showcased what kind of a difference-maker he can be on both ends of the floor.
“I thought he did the best job on Phelps tonight and that’s with him still not 100% because he’s still trying to get back from the ankle surgery,” Oats said. “So, his competitiveness, his winning attitude and then, boy it was great to see him drop some shots tonight.”
Going forward, Alabama will continue to depend on Youngblood’s leadership and ability, especially with fellow veteran guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. out for the season with a torn Achilles.
Oats’ confidence in Youngblood never wavered, and that faith was re-paid in a big way Saturday as Alabama notched another big win in the race for the SEC title. As Alabama looks ahead to No. 23 Ole Miss on Tuesday, Oats is confident that Youngblood’s performance isn’t a blip, but a sign that he’s turned a corner at a critical time for the Tide.
“We knew what we were getting with him from South Florida. He’s the conference player of the year. He shoots at a really high clip. He just had to get off that surgery, get himself back comfortable.
Alabama will take on Ole Miss at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday night inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN U.
Alabama
South Alabama adds former SEC offensive lineman via transfer portal
South Alabama on Saturday added a transfer portal commitment from former South Carolina offensive lineman Ni Mansell.
Mansell (6-foot-3, 300 pounds) played in two games for the Gamecocks this past season after redshirting in 2023 due to injury and has one season of eligibility remaining. A native of Anderson, S.C., he played three seasons at Mercer — starting 10 games at guard in 2022, with the 2020 season not counting against his eligibility due to COVID.
Mansell (whose full first name is pronounced “Nye-ju-won”) is South Alabama’s fifth portal commitment in the current cycle, joining linebacker Tre’Mon Henry (Southern Miss), defensive end Tirrell Johnson (Harding), wide receiver Brendan Jenkins (Samford) and defensive back Dallas Young (Arkansas). The Jaguars are expected to add a few more portal transfers before spring semester classes begin on Monday.
South Alabama went 7-6 in 2024, beating Eastern Michigan 30-23 in the Salute to Veterans Bowl.
Alabama
Alabama-Texas A&M free livestream: How to watch SEC basketball game, TV, schedule
The No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide play against the No. 10 Texas A&M Aggies in an SEC basketball game tonight. The matchup will begin at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.
The Crimson Tide enter this matchup with a 13-2 record, and they have won seven consecutive games. In their most recent game, the Crimson Tide defeated South Carolina 88-68.
During the victory, Alabama’s star guard Mark Sears scored 22 points and shot 7-12 from the field. He also shot 4-6 from beyond the arc, so he will try to perform similarly this evening.
The Aggies also enter this matchup with a 13-2 record, and they have won nine games in a row. The team has a 4-0 record against ranked opponents.
In their most recent game, the Aggies defeated Oklahoma 80-78. During the victory, Zhuric Phelps led the Texas A&M offense. He scored 34 points and shot 6-10 from three-point range, so he will try to continue his great play tonight.
Fans can watch this game for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV Stream and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.
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