WATCH: Quincy Adeboyejo narrates Ole Miss hype video for Alabama showdown
All the positive talk, tweets and attention from national media has been labeled “rat poison” by Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, who has used the phrase to poke fun at Nick Saban, his former boss.
But evidently, No. 12 Ole Miss posting a hype video ahead of its showdown on the road against No. 1 Alabama isn’t rat poison.
The Rebels posted a video on Friday narrated by Quincy Adeboyejo, a former Ole Miss wide receiver who caught one of the most improbable touchdowns in recent memory in the 2015 Ole Miss-Alabama showdown. Quarterback Chad Kelly took a bad snap and threw the ball high in the air looking for Laquon Treadwell, and the ball bounced off Treadwell and two Alabama defenders — before falling right into Adeboyejo’s hands. He took it back for a touchdown, and Ole Miss upset Alabama 43-37.
“Look, we respect ‘Bama, but this ain’t about ‘Bama. It’s about us,” Adeboyejo said in the video. “Put your suit on, expect the unexpected and let’s run this thing back.”
Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have the biggest test of the year this coming weekend, with a chance to knock off the No. 1 Crimson Tide. Alabama holds a dominating edge over Ole Miss in the all-time series, and the Rebels have not won since 2015, entering with five-straight losses to Nick Saban. But with a revitalized offense under quarterback Matt Corral, Kiffin thinks the Rebels have as good a chance as ever.
Nearly four weeks into the season, Corral — once far from the conversation — is priced as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, with some oddsmakers listing him as low as +200. Ole Miss is 3-0, and Corral has thrown for 997 yards — holding a completion percentage as high as 68.8 — and has thrown for nine passing touchdowns with no interceptions. Furthermore, Corral has gotten it done on the ground, as he currently ranks as Ole Miss’ third-leading rusher, going for 158 rushing yards on 33 attempts, along with five rushing touchdowns.
Corral and Ole Miss head to Tuscaloosa fresh off a well-deserved bye week after beating Louisville 43-24, Austin Peay 57-14, then Tulane 61-21. The next test should easily be the toughest of the season, as the Rebels travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Saban and the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Should Ole Miss pull off the upset, the Corral-for-Heisman “rat poison,” as Kiffin calls it, will only become more commonplace among national college football reporters.