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OXFORD − Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin heard the chants.
Midway through the third quarter in No. 5 Ole Miss’ 52-13 win against Georgia Southern (2-2) on Saturday, the Rebels were driving toward the south end zone. When Ole Miss (4-0) got down to the 2-yard line, a murmur of excitement rippled through the fans seated in the Field Club end zone section. Defensive lineman JJ Pegues, big No. 38, was joining the offensive huddle.
Pegues lined up as tight end and blocked, helping running back Matt Jones plow ahead for a yard. The fans, hoping to see the crowd-favorite Pegues get a carry and score a touchdown, were clearly disappointed. So Kiffin made a change.
“I felt bad that he was just going in as a tight end to block,” Kiffin said. “So the next play we put him at running back. Harlem (Henry Parrish), our running back, was mad. I was like, ‘I’ve got to do what they want.’ “
Pegues took a handoff on the next play and plunged forward over defenders. He landed in the end zone for a touchdown.
There were 67,505 fans reported to be attendance at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. It was an Ole Miss record, besting the tally of 66,703 set against LSU last year. Sure, the Rebels are unbeaten and appear to be one of the best teams in the country, but Kiffin says there’s more to setting attendance record that merely trotting out a winning team. There’s something to be said for the way Ole Miss has won.
Sure, touchdowns from Parrish get cheered. But it’s the touchdowns from Pegues, all 325 pounds of him, that get people coming back.
“I think it’s when, first off, you have really good fans that show up,” Kiffin said. “But you have an exciting style of play. Especially in a nonconference game, there’s a bunch of ways to win. If you’re one of the slower offenses, the games aren’t quite as exciting. I think that we are exciting to watch…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ole-miss-footballs-style-jj-055726845.html
Author : The Clarion Ledger
Publish date : 2024-09-22 05:57:26
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