No. 8 Ole Miss vs Arkansas highlight SEC's Week 13
Things to watch in Week 13 of the Southeastern Conference season:
GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 8 Mississippi at Arkansas: The Razorbacks finally broke their 17-game SEC losing streak last weekend by beating LSU 17-0. Now their eyeing a second upset in a row when they host the Rebels. Ole Miss will use the nation's best defense - which is giving up just 11.9 points per game - to try and stop Arkansas' productive running duo of Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins. The Rebels need a win to stay in contention for the SEC Western Division title and the College Football Playoff.
MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs vs. Missouri pass rush: Tennessee's offense has looked entirely different since Dobbs took over as the Volunteers' starting quarterback. In two starts, Dobbs has accounted for 1,079 total yards and 11 touchdowns over his last three games. Tennessee has averaged 47.5 points in Dobbs' two starts. But those starts came against South Carolina and Kentucky, two of the SEC's worst defenses. Dobbs could face a much tougher test against No. 19 Missouri, which ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring defense and is tied for 13th among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams with 32 sacks.
NUMBERS GAME: Arkansas is one of only two teams in the nation with two running backs to rush for over 800 yards this season. Williams has 932 yards rushing while Collins has 886. This marks the sixth time the Razorbacks have played a team ranked 20th or higher in the AP poll over its last seven games. If Mississippi State beats Vanderbilt on Saturday, it will be the Bulldogs' first perfect season at home since 1999. The Commodores have lost all six of their SEC games by at least 10 points.
LONG SHOT: Missouri is in the Top 25 and controls its fate in the Eastern Division race. Tennessee has been out of conference title contention for weeks and needed a two-game winning streak just to get back to .500. Yet the Volunteers are favored by 3 1/2 points in Saturday's matchup at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee is at home and arguably has improved as much as any team in the conference over the last few weeks, but Missouri is comfortable playing in hostile environments. Missouri has won nine straight road games over the last two seasons.
IMPACT PERFORMER: Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott had a rough day against Alabama last weekend, throwing three interceptions in a 25-20 loss. It's been part of a troubling trend for the junior. He's now thrown eight interceptions over the past five games and is tied for the SEC lead in picks with 10. His improvement - or lack thereof - during the next few weeks against Vanderbilt and rival Mississippi will be a big factor in the Bulldogs' push for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
-----
AP Sports Writers Steve Megargee in Knoxville, Tennessee, and David Brandt in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed to this story.
