Arkansas @ Ole Miss preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 15, 2016 ) Mississippi 30, Arkansas 34

Two SEC teams enduring disastrous seasons will look for some semblance of positivity Saturday afternoon as Arkansas visits Ole Miss. The Razorbacks have been pummelled in conference play, while the Rebels begin life without star quarterback Shea Patterson.

Arkansas continues to look for answers on defense after surrendering a whopping 191 points in SEC losses to Texas A&M, South Carolina, Alabama and Auburn; the Tigers were the most recent team to feast on the Razorbacks, racking up 629 yards of total offense in a 52-20 evisceration. And if that weren't enough, Arkansas learned this week that standout center Frank Ragnow will miss the rest of the season with a high-ankle sprain. Ole Miss can feel the Razorbacks' pain - literally - after losing Patterson to a torn posterior cruciate ligament in last weekend's 40-24 loss to LSU. Patterson was enjoying a terrific season under center, throwing for nearly 2,300 yards with 17 touchdowns.

TV: Noon ET, SEC Network. LINE: Ole Miss -3.5

ABOUT ARKANSAS (2-5, 0-4 SEC): The loss of Ragnow is a significant one for an Arkansas offensive line that doesn't boast much top-level talent, having surrendered an average of 3.43 sacks through seven games - the sixth-highest rate in Division I. Junior Jake Rogers will take over as the starter, while senior Jake Raulerson will also be called upon to help replace Ragnow. Quarterback Austin Allen wasn't featured on the Razorbacks' depth chart release, suggesting he'll miss a third consecutive game with a shoulder injury; Cole Kelley is tabbed to get the start after going 15-for-26 for 163 yards against the Tigers last week.

ABOUT OLE MISS (3-4, 1-3): The Rebels offense now belongs to junior quarterback Jordan Ta'amu; the Hawaii native went 7-for-11 for 78 yards while adding three rushes for 20 yards in relief of Patterson last week. Look for Ole Miss to lean more heavily on bellcow running back Jordan Wilkins, who has racked up 365 yards and three touchdowns on the ground over his last four games despite not getting more than 18 carries in any of them. That said, Ole Miss throws the ball on 57.3 percent of its offensive plays against FBS foes - the ninth-highest rate nationally - so Ta'amu should see plenty of work under center.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Ole Miss has scored points on 92.3 percent of its red-zone trips, the 15th-best success rate in the country.

2. Arkansas has allowed foes to convert 45.2 percent of their third-down opportunities, good for 110th in the nation.

3. Wilkins ran for 101 yards against Alabama on Sept. 30, making him the first player to reach triple digits against the Crimson Tide since Georgia's Nick Chubb in 2015.

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 34, Arkansas 31