OXFORD, Miss (AP) 鈥� The Mississippi Rebels head into a second successive rematch in the College Football Playoff 鈥� this time facing the only team to beat them this season.
Ole Miss (12-1) Saturday in the opening round, nearly matching in the fourth week of the regular season.
Next up for the sixth-seeded Rebels is a clash with third-seeded Georgia (12-1), the Southeastern Conference champs, in the quarterfinal round at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.
The Bulldogs shootout on Oct. 18, rallying from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to playing them again,鈥� said wide receiver De鈥橺haun Stribling, who had his team-high sixth touchdown catch of the season against Tulane. 鈥淕eorgia is impressive. But there were things in that game that we could have done better.鈥�
Unlike the first meeting, the Rebels have been through extensive changes, topped by Pete Golding replacing Lane Kiffin as coach two days after the final game of the regular season.
Kiffin , opening the door for Golding, who had served three years as the Rebels’ defensive coordinator.
Ole Miss made a seamless transition in Golding鈥檚 head coaching debut in the lopsided home win over Tulane. The Rebels will be hoping for a carryover effect in the Sugar Bowl, a neutral site with historical ties for both programs.
鈥淚 know how much it means to be playing in New Orleans,鈥� said Golding, who grew up not far from the Big Easy in Hammond, Louisiana. 鈥淲e will enjoy this one tonight and tomorrow we start preparing for Georgia.鈥�
While the Bulldogs began the season as a favorite for a CFP berth, Ole Miss’ emergence was less predictable.
Early uncertainty regarding the Rebels’ prospects stemmed from the fact they had to replace 20 starters 鈥� and then move former Division II quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to the starting role after an early season injury to opening week starter Austin Simmons.
鈥淲e never doubted that we were a playoff team when the summer practice started,鈥� Chambliss said. 鈥淭here were doubters that thought we would be a mid-tier SEC team, maybe. We knew we were a playoff team.鈥�
Georgia and Ole Miss now join Alabama and LSU as the only teams to appear in the Sugar Bowl at least 10 times. But this Sugar Bowl will be the first in 60 years featuring two SEC squads.
That 1964 game also featured Ole Miss. Their opponent was Alabama, with a 12-7 win in the old Tulane Stadium during snowy weather 鈥� which doesn’t happen in New Orleans that often.
Postseason history aside, the Ole Miss players and coaches were quick to dismiss words and phrases such as revenge or payback in the postgame news conference. Instead, the theme focused on opportunity and respect.
In the regular season contest, both offenses combined for 10 touchdowns and more than 850 yards of total offense. The Rebels scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions while Georgia never faced a punting situation 鈥� a fact not lost on Ole Miss defenders such as defensive tackle Will Echoles.
鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about that, and we talked about it again tonight after the game. I mean, we鈥檝e got to do everything better,鈥� Echoles said. 鈥淭hat was a bad game for our defense 鈥� a really bad game. Period. We know we will have to play our best game.鈥�
TJ Dottery, the leading tackler for the Rebels, added: 鈥淧hysicality. That鈥檚 what Georgia brings. But that鈥檚 what I look forward to, is the physicality of the game.鈥�
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