Sophmore signal caller SEC player of the week

 

Shea Patterson is going to obliterate Ole Miss passing records this year. He has the tools and the weapons to do so. After an ugly start to their game Saturday, Shea and his receivers picked up the pace to the tune of an Ole Miss record 489 passing yards and 5 scores.

Patterson, who leads the nation in passing yards per game, hooked up with AJ Brown for 156 yards. He found talented targets Demarkus Lodge and DK Metcalf for scores as well. All told, nine Rebels caught passes on the day during the Rebels 45-23 victory.

Run game needs work

The Rebels have averaged a paultry 3.3 yards per rush over their first two weeks. Contrast this to their averaging over 12 yards per pass and its easy to see why many are calling for more attempts from Patterson. The jury is still out on whether this can lead to success in SEC play, as no team in league history has ever been this one sided. Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo and Head Coach Matt Luke both have stressed working on finding more balance this week. The game against Cal should tell if the rushing attack can have any success.

 

Final thoughts

Shea leads the country in passing. AJ leads in receving. Ole Miss is among the nations leaders in explosive plays and yard differential, two of the top keys to victory in football today. The defense has struggled at times, but Ole Miss has held their first two opponents to 6-23 conversions on third down. Their are bright spots even among the darkness of the COI hearing which concluded yesterday. All the players on the field can do is play their game and they have a chance to do so this Saturday in their first real test of the season against Cal.