Ole Miss Football: 3 takeaways from close loss vs. Memphis in Week 1

In what many thought would be a shootout, Memphis edged out Ole Miss football thanks to timely plays. What did we learn about these teams?

I personally expected this to be a high-scoring game, but it wasn’t. It turned into a defensive shootout and a battle of timely plays.

In the end, it was Memphis that came out on top due to a safety in the fourth quarter that really put this one on ice, though they were already up due to two touchdowns in the first half. Ole Miss was able to put together a touchdown and a field goal in what was, all-in-all, a pitiful performance by this new offensive scheme run by Rich Rodriguez.

What did we learn from this one?

3. Maybe Rich Rodriguez wasn’t the right hire for Ole Miss

Every Ole Miss fan I know was extremely excited about this hire, thinking that with new quarterback Matt Corral and a new offensive coordinator everything would be great for the Rebels in 2019. So far, though, that hasn’t been the case.

Against a Memphis team that many believe they should have beaten, they only managed one touchdown and a field goal. The Memphis defense took care of business and was able to keep Corral off balance and unable to connect with who he wanted at all.

I know it’s a little early to judge Rodriguez or Corral, but as of right now, this offense is going to have some issues competing in the SEC West this year, knowing what is ahead for this team. They open with Arkansas next week, so they are going to have to figure some stuff out if they want a winning record in conference.