Sep 3, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA;  Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Chris Marshall (10) in action during the first quarter against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss cuts ties with transfer WR Chris Marshall

Ole Miss dismissed transfer wide receiver Chris Marshall from the team.

“Chris Marshall has been dismissed from the Ole Miss football program for violation of team rules. We wish him good luck in his future plans,” the university said in a brief statement issued Saturday.

The school did not address the specific violation.

Marshall, from Missouri City, Texas, was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2022. The 247Sports composite listed him as the No. 3 wide receiver prospect, and he committed to Texas A&M.

He played the 2022 season with the Aggies and appeared in six games, catching 11 passes for 108 yards.

In the Grove Bowl scrimmage at Ole Miss in April, he caught four passes for 89 yards.

With a need for depth at the wide receiver position, coach Lane Kiffin likely will have to take a second look at the transfer portal.

–Field Level Media

Brett Favre played 20 seasons in the NFL.

Syndication Usa Today

Reports: Brett Favre filings suits, seeking dismissal in welfare case

Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre made further waves in the Mississippi welfare scandal this week, filing paperwork to have the lawsuit filed against him dismissed while also drawing up his own lawsuit against three individuals for defamation, according to multiple reports.

Favre, who played college football at Southern Miss, has been accused of misspending millions of dollars in Mississippi welfare money — including earmarking money for his alma mater to build a volleyball facility — with the state seeking to recoup those funds via legal action.

Favre’s legal team filed the request for dismissal on Friday, per CNN and other reports.

Multiple outlets also reported that Favre has also filed suit against sports commentators Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe as well as Mississippi auditor Shad White, with those defamation suits dropping Thursday.

McAfee commented on the lawsuit publicly on his show Friday, saying in part, “I’m getting sued by Brett Favre … The quotes that were in that lawsuit are certainly accurate. But there’s one word I believe that was said often on this particular program if you watch at all, and that would be ‘allegedly.’”

In October, Favre, 53, denied any wrongdoing, despite multiple released text messages indicating potential knowledge of the situation.

“No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me,” Favre said. “I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university.”

Text messages showed that Favre discussed the potential outcome should funding diverted to his projects become public with Nancy New, the founder of the Mississippi Community Education Center. New has pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts of bribery, fraud and racketeering for her role.

New had been charged with spending millions in federal welfare funds earmarked to help the state.

“If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?” Favre asked New in 2017.

Favre, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, retired from the NFL following the 2010 NFL season.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Tyler Shough (12) falls into the end zone for a touchdown as Mississippi Rebels safety Isheem Young (1) /defends during the first quarter in the 2022 Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Shough, Texas Tech take down Ole Miss in Texas Bowl

Tyler Shough ran for two touchdowns and passed for another as Texas Tech defeated Ole Miss 42-25 in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night in Houston.

Shough completed 24 of 39 passes for 242 yards and rushed 25 times for 111 yards as the Red Raiders (8-5) won their fourth consecutive game.

Jaxson Dart passed for 361 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown to lead the Rebels (8-5), who lost their fourth straight.

The Red Raiders led 26-7 at halftime, but Dart threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Watkins on Ole Miss’ first possession of the third quarter. The score remained 26-13 through the end of the period.

Early in the fourth quarter, Shough threw a 36-yard pass to Jerand Bradley to set up SaRodorick Thompson’s 1-yard touchdown run that increased the lead to 32-13.

Texas Tech’s Trey Wolff kicked his third field goal, a 26-yarder, to increase the lead to 35-13 with 9:36 left.

Dart ran 9 yards for a touchdown and threw a 19-yard scoring pass to Malik Heath, who had eight catches for 137 yards, to trim the deficit to 10 with 3:10 left.

The Rebels tried an onside kick, but the Red Raiders’ Loic Fouonji, who also caught seven passes for 100 yards, returned it 44 yards for a touchdown.

Slough ran 2 yards for a TD that gave Texas Tech an early 7-0 lead.

Zach Evans ran 8 yards for a tying touchdown before Wolff’s 42-yard field goal gave the Red Raiders a 10-7 edge at the end of the first quarter.

Marquis Waters intercepted Dart, setting Texas Tech up at the Ole Miss 9 in the second quarter. On fourth-and-goal at the 2, Slough ran for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead.

Wolff added a 32-yard field goal before Dadrion Taylor-Demerson recovered Dart’s fumble at the Ole Miss 37.

Five plays later, Slough threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bradley to increase the lead to 19 points heading to halftime.

–Field Level Media

Sep 3, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA;  Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Chris Marshall (10) in action during the first quarter against the Sam Houston State Bearkats at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Texas A&M WR Chris Marshall transfers to Ole Miss

Chris Marshall, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2022, announced Sunday he’s transferring to Ole Miss after one season at Texas A&M.

Marshall, from Missouri City, Texas, was the No. 3 overall wide receiver in the 2022 class, per the 247Sports composite. He was one of eight five-star prospects to sign with the Aggies before the 2022 season, giving Texas A&M the No. 1-ranked signing class.

Cornerback Denver Harris, a fellow 2022 five-star signee, transferred to LSU.

The disappointing Aggies finished 5-7 on the season.

The 6-foot-3 Marshall played in six games in 2022. He caught 11 passes for 108 yards.

–Field Level Media

Oct 8, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins (4) celebrates with quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) after scoring against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Bowl features full-strength Ole Miss, Texas Tech

Neither Ole Miss nor Texas Tech was included in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

But their meeting in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night in Houston could still stand out.

“This should be a really competitive game,” Texas Tech first-year coach Joey McGuire said.

That’s because neither his Red Raiders (7-5) nor Lane Kiffin’s Rebels (8-4) were hit by draft-related departures.

“We may have had one or two conversations but no one is (opting out), which is awesome,” said Kiffin, whose 2021 team also played in the Sugar Bowl without any NFL opt-outs. “They’re committed to their team, to playing.”

Kiffin added that “you don’t have as many opt-out discussions” when your team doesn’t have “a lot of guys that are looking at going in the first round.”

“That would be a good problem to have, though,” Kiffin said, “but we don’t have as many maybe as some other places.”

Neither does Texas Tech.

“The good thing is we’re playing a really good football team,” McGuire said. “These guys that have aspirations to play on Sunday, they’re playing some really good football players that are going to be able to play on Sunday.

“So it just gives them another opportunity to put good stuff on tape for the scouts to watch.”

McGuire cited two Rebels who have put a lot of good stuff on tape this season — running backs Quinshon Judkins, a true freshman who has rushed for 1,476 yards and 16 touchdowns, as well as TCU transfer Zach Evans (899 yards, eight TDs).

“They’ve got two dynamic running backs,” McGuire said. “We’re lucky that we play in the Big 12. We’ve played (Bijan) Robinson at Texas and Deuce (Vaughn) at Kansas State. We’ve faced some really good running backs.”

Robinson rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns and Vaughn ran for 170 yards against the Red Raiders, who are allowing 166.4 rushing yards per game.

“We’ve got to start out stopping the run,” McGuire said. “The thing is their quarterback (Jaxson Dart) is a dual threat that can run.”

Dart, a transfer from Southern California, beat out veteran Luke Altmyer, who is among more than a dozen Rebels who have entered the transfer portal.

The Red Raiders not only have avoided opt-outs, but they’re up to 12 seniors — seven starters and five backups who play regularly — who have decided to come back and take advantage of an extra season in 2023 granted because of COVID-19.

Tech won its last three games of the regular season when quarterback Tyler Shough returned to the starting lineup after suffering a collarbone injury in the season opener. The Rebels have lost their past three games.

This the fourth time Ole Miss and Texas Tech have met in a bowl game, the most recent coming in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, 2009. The Rebels have won the previous three postseason meetings and lead the overall series 4-2.

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2022; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin walks off the field during a timeout during the first quarter of the game against the Auburn Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Fast Lane? Kiffin drama spices up Egg Bowl

Ole Miss and Mississippi State are not where they wanted to be on Thanksgiving weekend, and it remains to be seen whether Lane Kiffin is coming to the party known in Mississippi as the Egg Bowl.

The Rebels (8-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) were ranked in the AP Top 10 after winning their first seven games, but they’ve lost three of their past four, and the defeats have come by an average of two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs (7-4, 3-4) were ranked No. 16 after starting the season 5-1, but they have lost three of their past five overall and three of their past four SEC games.

To add a dash of drama, reports Kiffin was on the verge of bowing out of his job at Ole Miss to accept an offer at Auburn surfaced Monday night. Kiffin himself replied to the report with a matter of fact “news to me,” to lead off a string of social media posts denying he’d be anywhere except the annual Battle for the Golden Egg on Thursday night in Oxford, Miss.

The winner’s season will look a whole lot better before the teams head off to their respective bowl games.

“It seems like there’s not a lot of love in the relationship, I guess is the positive, nice way of putting it,” Kiffin said of the rivalry. “It means a lot to a lot of people. We’ve been fortunate to turn it back our direction the last couple of years and trying to keep it that way.”

Kiffin and Mississippi State coach Mike Leach are both in their third seasons. The Rebels won 31-24 two years ago and 31-21 last season.

“I think we’ve come a long ways with the program,” Kiffin said. “I think we’ve turned over the roster, improved the roster. Obviously improved on-field production and made the program a lot more visible nationally to recruit to than where it was when we got here.”

Ole Miss took a 42-27 loss at Arkansas last Saturday.

Many of the Bulldogs, including record-setting junior quarterback Will Rogers, have yet to experience a victory in the rivalry game.

“It would mean everything,” Rogers said of winning Thursday. “That’s all I’m really worried about right now. Coach Kiffin has done a great job of getting their guys ready to play and getting them excited, so I know they will be ready to play.

“We have to answer the call and we have to be ready to go Thursday night.”

Leach has emphasized to his players the importance of avoiding getting caught up in the rivalry.

“The biggest thing is focusing on doing the best you can and being the best team that you can be and leave it at that,” Leach said. “Otherwise, if you distract yourself with a bunch of other stuff, you’re not going to help your approach or help what you’re trying to do.

“You just go out there, lock in, try to improve and try to get better this week to be the best team that you can be.”

But the players from Mississippi on both teams understand the importance of the game.

“This is the game that everybody thinks about every year,” said Rogers, who is from Brandon, Miss. “It doesn’t matter where we play it or who is ranked higher or what the records are. It’s the biggest game of the year, every year.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 8, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins (4) celebrates with quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) after scoring against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

No. 14 Ole Miss turns attention to struggling Arkansas

No. 14 Ole Miss looks to put a special season back on track Saturday night against a struggling Arkansas squad in Fayetteville, Ark.

The Rebels (8-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) stumbled at home against Alabama last Saturday, their second loss in three games, but still have the chance to reach double-digit wins.

The Razorbacks (5-5, 2-4) play their final home game of a roller-coaster campaign. Arkansas has lost two in a row and five of their last seven.

Last Saturday, Ole Miss failed to convert a fourth-down pass which could have kept their SEC West division title hopes alive with a win. Instead, Crimson Tide star safety Brian Branch reached out and knocked down Jaxson Dart’s pass intended for Jonathan Mingo over the middle.

That play — plus Georgia’s 45-19 domination of Mississippi State later that night — locked in the participants for the SEC title game in Atlanta on Dec. 3. It will be the top-ranked Bulldogs and the No. 6 LSU Tigers.

So what does it take to get over the hump and get to Atlanta?

“Make one more play,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said. “There’s not some magic formula of we got to go change all those things or do all these things different. Games come down to one possession, one-play games like that, one side makes the plays and finds a way to win. (Alabama has) been in a number of them this year.”

In order to duplicate last season’s 10-win regular season in 2021, the Rebels must win at Arkansas and return home to beat Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. A third straight victory over its rival in that series would give them 10 and likely an appearance in a major bowl game.

Freshman Quinshon Judkins is ninth in rushing yards (1,171) and fifth in rushing TDs (15) in FBS play. The latter number set a school record for a single season, eclipsing the 14 of Brandon Bolden (2010), Deuce McAllister (2000), Archie Manning (1969) and Kayo Dottley (1949).

The Razorbacks aren’t looking for any magic at his point — one more win over their final two games (Ole Miss, at Missouri) to become bowl eligible would do just fine.

Coach Sam Pittman’s effort to beat the Rebels will likely depend on better quarterback play from regular starter KJ Jefferson or either Malik Hornsby or Cade Fortin.

Jefferson, a dynamic dual-threat signal caller, is a native of Sardis, Miss.

In last year’s game back in his home state in Oxford, he passed for 326 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 85 yards and three scores, but his two-point throw for the win fell incomplete, giving Ole Miss a 52-51 win in the wild affair.

“We anticipate him practicing and anticipate him playing on Saturday,” Pittman said Monday. “Those things certainly change, and they have over the last two weeks, but I know he feels better than he has since the Auburn game. … I know he feels better than he has the last two weeks.”

Hampered by injuries and missing two of the squad’s 10 games, Jefferson has thrown for 1,981 yards and 17 TDs with just three interceptions. He’s added 425 rushing yards and six scores.

–Field Level Media

Nov 12, 2022; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes the ball during warm up prior to the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama survives Ole Miss to return to win column

Will Reichard kicked two of his three field goals in the fourth quarter, Alabama’s defense stopped Ole Miss in the red zone late, and the No. 9 Crimson Tide held on for a 30-24 victory over the No. 11 Rebels in Oxford, Mississippi, on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide (8-2, 5-2 SEC) trailed 10-0 but fought back behind Bryce Young’s touchdowns to Cameron Latu, Jermaine Burton and Ja’Corey Brooks.

Ole Miss drove to the Alabama 14-yard-line, but on 4th-and-16 from the 20, defensive back Brian Branch broke up a pass in the end zone intended for Jonathan Mingo to seal the win with 46 seconds left.

The victory delivered the SEC West crown to LSU, which defeated Alabama and Ole Miss to earn a trip to Atlanta for the conference championship game.

Young was 21 of 33 for 209 yards and crafted his first 3-TD game since Sept. 24 against Vanderbilt when he tossed four. Jase McClellan rushed for 84 yards on 19 carries.

Jaxson Dart was 18 of 31 for 212 yards with a TD to Mingo. Malik Heath caught six passes for 123 yards, while Quinshon Judkins ran for 135 yards on 25 carries and tallied twice, giving him a school-record 15 rushing TDs in a season.

After Judkins shoved his way in for a score in the first quarter, the Rebels’ offense moved 32 yards to set up Jonathan Cruz’s 22-yard field goal and a 10-0 lead.

Young put the Crimson Tide on the board at 8:55 by firing a 19-yard strike to Burton. But Otis Reese’s fumble recovery at midfield led to another Ole Miss score, as Judkins — from the wildcat formation — punched it in from a yard out for a 17-7 lead.

Alabama’s Terrion Arnold recovered a fumble at the Rebels 23, and Young found Latu for an 8-yard score with eight seconds left for a 17-14 Ole Miss halftime lead.

After Reichard tied it with a 39-yard field goal, Dart zipped a 3-yard ball to Mingo for a 24-17 advantage at 7:28. Young rolled out and tossed a 5-yarder to Brooks to knot the contest at 24 after three quarters.

Reichard connected again, from 23 yards, the visitors’ first lead with 11:19 left and added another from 49.

–Field Level Media

LSU Tigers running back Josh Williams (27) throws a stiff arm to Florida Gators cornerback Jaydon Hill (23) in the second half at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, October 15, 2022. LSU defeated the Gators 45-35. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]

Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Lsu Tigers

LSU looks to hand No. 7 Ole Miss first loss

It was just two weeks ago that LSU hosted a top-10 team in a Southeastern Conference game.

Things didn’t go well for the Tigers, as then-No. 8 Tennessee rolled to a 40-13 victory.

But LSU (5-2, 3-1 SEC) has a chance to redeem itself on Saturday when No. 7 Ole Miss (7-0, 3-0) makes the trip to Baton Rouge, La.

“Nobody really wants to be learning lessons after a loss,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “But they learned a lot about intentionality and purpose in terms of their preparation.

“I think two weeks later, it’s — I don’t want to say a different team, but it’s a team that has confidence. It’s a team that knows that if they don’t play clean, if they don’t have an attention to detail, they’ll have similar results that they did against Tennessee.”

The Tigers bounced back from the loss to the Volunteers to win on the road against Florida last week, 45-35, in what Kelly called the team’s “best performance offensively.”

Jayden Daniels threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more.

“Now we got to be consistent,” Kelly said. “Can’t do it one week and then turn it off the next week and expect to win.”

The Tigers had a 528-395 advantage in yards but allowed enough explosive plays to keep the Gators in the game.

LSU gave up a 51-yard touchdown pass on the second play of the contest and a 39-yard touchdown run later in the first quarter. An 81-yard TD scramble by Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson on the first play of the fourth quarter helped cut a 42-21 deficit to 14 points, and the Gators brought it to within seven before the Tigers kicked a late field goal.

“We just have to be better at tackling,” Kelly said.

If LSU doesn’t tackle better, it’s going to have a difficult time slowing down Ole Miss’ high-powered offense. The Rebels lead the SEC in rushing offense (271.4 yards per game) and are fourth in total offense (502.9).

Ole Miss had 448 rushing yards and three scores on the ground in a 48-34 victory against visiting Auburn last Saturday.

“Obviously, you’ve got to be realistic at any level, but especially the SEC,” Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said. “That’s not going to happen (every week).

“We’ve got to be consistent and run the ball really well. The numbers aren’t going to be like that every week. People coach. They gear up to stop certain plays once you run them. It’s not like we were just running normal inside zone and making all those yards.”

Ole Miss, like LSU, allowed a series of big plays that kept its opponent in the game. The Rebels saw a 21-0 lead shrink to four points before they regained control.

Auburn’s Tank Bigsby ran 50 yards for a touchdown and had another 50-yard run that led to a field goal.

Additionally, Auburn had pass completions of 32, 46 and 28 yards that led to touchdowns.

“We jumped out of some gaps and missed some tackles,” Kiffin said. “That’s usually what goes on in the run game for explosive runs.”

The Rebels are the only team in the SEC West that hasn’t lost a conference game, but LSU (tied with Alabama at 3-1) can match their record with a victory Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2022; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) is tackled by Auburn Tigers safety Donovan Kaufman (1) during the first quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

No. 9 Ole Miss runs past Auburn 48-34

Quinshon Judkins, Zach Evans and Jaxson Dart each rushed for over 100 yards as No. 9 Ole Miss beat Auburn 48-34 on Saturday in Southeastern Conference play at Oxford, Miss.

In defeating Auburn at home for the first time since 2012, with one victory later vacated, the Rebels led 21-0 but saw the Tigers make it a one-score game three times in the second half.

Judkins ran for 139 yards on 25 carries with two TDs on the ground and one receiving for Ole Miss (7-0, 3-0 SEC), while Evans notched 136 yards on 21 attempts with a rushing and receiving score.

Dart went 9 of 19 for 130 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while also rushing for 115 yards on 14 carries. Dayton Wade caught a TD pass for the Rebels.

Ole Miss rushed for 448 yards on 69 carries and totaled 578 yards of offense.

Tank Bigsby carried 20 times for 179 yards and two scores for Auburn (3-4, 1-3), while quarterback Robby Ashford was 8 of 17 for 140 yards and two interceptions. He rushed for 35 yards and two TDs.

On its third series, Ole Miss was set up when safety A.J. Finley made a diving interception of Ashford. Dart then found Wade from 35 yards out for a TD and a 7-0 lead with 6:42 remaining in the opening quarter. Dart pushed it to 14-0 when he hit Evans for 23 yards with 2:43 remaining in the first quarter.

Following three ineffective series, Auburn replaced Ashford with T.J. Finley, who hadn’t played since Sept. 17 with a shoulder sprain. Early in the second quarter, a fumble recovery by defensive end Jared Ivey on a sack of Finley, in the quarterback’s only series, led to Evans’ 3-yard run and a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Auburn answered with a pair of 2-yard scoring runs from Ashford and Bigsby to trim the deficit to 21-14 in the second quarter. Judkins’ 7-yard catch for Ole Miss and Anders Carlson’s 42-yard field goal for Auburn had the Rebels up 28-17 at halftime.

After Bigsby’s 50-yard TD run early in the second half got Auburn to within 28-24, Jonathan Cruz booted a 23-yard field goal for a 31-24 edge. Following a successful onside kick, the Rebels cashed in on the extra possession with Judkins’ 5-yard run for a 38-24 lead.

Ashford’s second TD cut it to 38-31, but Cruz (42 yards) and Carlson (28) traded field goals as Ole Miss led 41-34.

Judkins’ 41-yard burst with 6:26 remaining provided the final margin, but Ole Miss had to wait out a nearly hour-long weather delay to snap its six-game losing streak in the series.

–Field Level Media