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By B.J. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor B.J. Bennett reflects on Ole Miss' 30-17 win over Arkansas. Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.
*Saturday's game in Oxford proved that the media has once again been a bit reactionary with its views of both Ole Miss and Arkansas. After losing to nationally-ranked South Carolina in a Thursday night showdown and falling to top-ranked Alabama, many unfairly forgot about the Rebels in the SEC West. On the other hand, many media members pegged Arkansas as a program that would without question win most of their remaining games after they played Florida close last weekend in The Swamp. The Razorbacks are a very good football team, but the bottom line is that each game is a new set of circumstances. And folks gave up on Ole Miss too soon. This is a physical football team with many, many playmakers.
*Speaking of those playmakers, how about the afternoon Dexter McCluster had? In the pre-season, we dubbed him the new Percy Harvin of the SEC. He looked like it against Arkansas. McCluster had 22 carries for 123 yards and seven catches for 137 yards and one touchdown. His 64-yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter sealed the deal for the Rebels. McCluster is one of the most versatile talents in all of college football.
*Give the Ole Miss secondary a lot of credit for how they defended Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. The Rebels held him to his third lowest yardage total of the season (254 yards) and limited him to a season-low one touchdown pass. Mallett was also held to a season-low 12 completions and just 35% passing. The combination of the pressure from the front four and the athleticism in the secondary helped secure the victory for Ole Miss.
*Jevan Snead threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns, making plays when he had to, but he still doesn't look right at times. He had two more interceptions against Arkansas, bringing his season total to 11. In SEC games, Snead has six touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Give him credit for leading his team on scoring drives when he needed to today, but something still doesn't seem right.
*It looked like Arkansas might have been somewhat exhausted emotionally. After playing their hearts out in a near-upset of top-ranked Florida, the Razorbacks didn't have quite the same intensity and focus they had in The Swamp. Playing at Florida and at Ole Miss is a heck of a two game road stretch. Both teams were top five in the pre-season.
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