FAYETTEVILLE — Ole Miss is among five FBS teams that have yet to throw an interception this season, along with Auburn, Baylor, Liberty and Western Michigan.
Quarterback Matt Corral hopes to extend the Rebels’ streak of games without an interception, but he’s preparing to face the team that picked him off six times last season.
The No. 13 Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1, 1-1 SEC), who play the No. 17 Rebels (3-1, 0-1) at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., return all four players who had interceptions against Corral last season, including cornerback Hudson Clark, who had three to earn a scholarship.
Safety Jalen Catalon, nickel back Greg Brooks and linebacker Grant Morgan also intercepted Corral. Catalon and Morgan scored touchdowns on their interception returns in the University of Arkansas’ 33-21 victory.
Corral completed 20 of 38 passes for 200 yards and 1 touchdown.
It’s by far the worst game Corral, a junior ranked high on the list of Heisman Trophy candidates, has played at Ole Miss.
In his other 27 games, Corral has completed 419 of 613 passes (68.4%) for 5,948 yards and 46 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
“He’s just a fine, fine player,” Razorbacks Coach Sam Pittman said. “I went back and watched his interview after our game, and I’m sure he’s going to be really excited to play us because in his words, he didn’t play very well.
“So we’re looking for his best effort like he’s been giving each and every game, but he’ll probably have a bit more on this one because of last year.”
Alabama beat Ole Miss 42-21 last week, but Corral played a solid game, completing 21 of 29 passes for 213 yards and 1 touchdown. He also rushed for a touchdown.
The No. 1 Crimson Tide sacked Corral twice and had seven quarterback hurries.
“It’s going to sound strange, but I think Matt played all right,” Rebels Coach Lane Kiffin said. “We didn’t do a whole lot around him, and we didn’t protect him. That’s hard. He didn’t have a long time to throw.
“Actually, he moved around and got out of trouble and made some plays or it would have been worse. I thought Matt still played well.”
Kiffin didn’t bench Corral during or after last year’s Arkansas game and made it clear there would be no change at quarterback.
“I think that game taught him a lot. I think it helped a little bit [at Alabama] when this one wasn’t going really well,” Kiffin said Monday. “It’s obviously a big difference, he threw no interceptions versus six. I think his arm will be tested this week because I wouldn’t think they’d change [defensively].”
Corral hasn’t done interviews this week, but at SEC Media Days in July he talked extensively about the game at Arkansas when he struggled against a scheme that dropped eight men in coverage.
“I learned from watching the film over and over,” Corral said. “You could see the open man. You could see I just didn’t have the right thought process playing against that defense.
“I can promise you one thing. The next time I play that defense, it’s going to be much different.”
Ole Miss offensive tackle Nick Broeker was asked Tuesday how he expects Corral to play in Saturday’s rematch with the Razorbacks.
“I think that’s the one area he’s grown a lot is his maturity, just himself as a leader,” Broeker said. “I expect great things from him this weekend like we do every weekend.
“He’s a phenomenal player, but just the way he’s grown, I think that’s the biggest thing that we’ve seen from him.”
Corral has 885 career rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, including 161 and 6 this season.
“They’re not running as many designed runs for him as what I thought they might,” Pittman said. “I’m sure the reason is the way he throws it. There’s a lot of yards gained.
“He can obviously take off running up the middle on us, as well. We’re going to have to push the pocket and set the edge to where there’s really nowhere to go.
“If we can do that, we’ll have some success. We have to move him. If he stands in the pocket, he’ll pick us apart, and we know that.”
Corral’s average of 302.5 passing yards per game ranks ninth nationally, but the Rebels also have a strong running game.
Alabama held Ole Miss to 78 rushing yards, but the Rebels are averaging 243.5 to rank third in the SEC and 10th nationally.
Sophomore Henry Parrish Jr. leads Ole Miss with 223 rushing yards and junior Jerrion Ealy has 204. Ealy rushed for 113 yards against Arkansas last season.
“They have really good backs,” Pittman said. “They break tackles and they’re fast.”
Ole Miss has good experience on the offensive line, led by senior right guard Ben Brown, who has 38 consecutive starts, and senior transfer center Orlando Umana, who has three starts this season after making 26 starts at Utah.
The Rebels’ top receiver is senior Dontario Drummond, who has 24 catches for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Junior Jonathan Mingo (25 catches for 290 yards and 3 touchdowns) didn’t play last week with a left foot injury.
Kiffin said Monday he didn’t have an update on Mingo, but is hopeful he’ll play against Arkansas.
Two senior transfers — middle Linebacker Chance Campbell and safety Otis Reese — lead Ole Miss in tackles. Campbell, from Maryland, has 29 tackles and Reese, from Georgia, has 27.
“On defense, the portal has been really good to Ole Miss,” Pittman said.
Defensive end Sam Phillips has six sacks and his 1.25 average leads the SEC and ranks third nationally.
Ole Miss’ defense struggled to slow down Alabama, which had 451 yards of total offense and rushed for 210.
“We have to be physical,” Rebels linebacker Lakia Henry said. “We have to trust our coaches, we have to trust our scheme.
“It’s not a magic potion. We just have to trust and play physical.”