PHOENIX, Ariz. (WLOX) – Thursday night, the nation will watch the Ole Miss Rebels battle the Miami Hurricanes in the semifinals of the college football playoffs.
WLOX’s Matt DeGregorio is in Phoenix with with the latest ahead of the Rebels’ big match up in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, which airs at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
A crowd of excited Ole Miss fans cheered on the Rebels as they left Oxford Tuesday for the Fiesta Bowl.
Ole Miss touched down in Phoenix on Tuesday evening. At the Phoenix airport, a sea of red and blue hats at baggage claim signaled that the Rebels are making their presence known in Arizona.
Leading up to takeoff, many Ole Miss star players announced that they’d be returning to Oxford next season, including running back Kewan Lacy and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who said he’d return if he has another year of eligibility.
“Yeah, I just felt like it was important for, you know, my team and for everyone to know that, you know, I’m committed to Ole Miss and that, you know, Ole Miss is truly special and it’s home,” Chambliss said. “I feel like it’s just the right thing to do, and my family felt good about it, and I feel like that’s just the best decision for me.”
“I say we just all have a strong connection,” Lacy said. “You know, we built a bond over this year, you know, throughout all the obstacles and, you know, stuff we’ve been facing. So I feel like we all just got a connection and know that, you know, if we all return, you know, we might can run it back another year.”
When speaking about the team’s success, quarterbacks coach Joe Judge said it’s a reflection of how invested the players are in the university and the team.
“Those two players right there are carrying impact well beyond what you guys see on the field with their teammates because of the kind of people they are, the kind of character they have, the kind of respect they have in the locker room,” Judge said. “There’s a number of things been happening these last… call it, 36 hours… that, you know, haven’t hit public yet that will come on out but, like, there’s a lot of momentum right now in Oxford. A lot of good things going this way.”
Judge said the most important factor is the support the fans and university has given the players.
Tuesday, University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck discussed what it was like playing against Ole Miss when he quarterbacked for Georgia last year. He did not reach the 200-yard mark and threw an interception, with 186 total passing yards, when Georgia lost in Oxford.
Beck said that he’s learned a lot from looking at the tape from the two Georgia games against Ole Miss this season. He even said he’s very comfortable going into this matchup against Ole Miss.
Defensive back Keionte Scott, who played junior college football for Snow College out west in Utah, is now part of that dangerous Miami Hurricanes defense.
Scott said Tuesday that the mission is to slow Ole Miss’ offense down, especially quarterback Chambliss, getting them into third and longs, then bringing the pressure.
Miami touched down in Phoenix Monday night, giving them almost a day longer than Ole Miss to get settled. However, Ole Miss got an extra practice day at their facility in Oxford, which could play to their advantage.
The Fiesta Bowl stadium in Glendale— State Farm Stadium— is indoor, so players will have no special weather elements battling against them.
Wednesday, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding is set to meet with the media, along with Miami head coach Mario Cristobal.
The Fiesta Bowl airs Thursday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. You can also watch on Fubo, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
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