306 and 18:38 — The Two Numbers That Decide Ole Miss's Season

Forget the rankings. Two numbers tell you whether Ole Miss plays in January, and the program is currently telling you it has handled both of them. I don't believe either one until October. 306 is what Kewan Lacy carried it last season. Led the nation. And a shoulder that needed surgery when it was over. John David Baker says he does not want that again — same touches, different ways. Lacy says it will be different from last year. I believe they mean it. In August. Then it is third and two in Austin in the fourth quarter and I want somebody to tell me who takes Kewan Lacy off that field. 18:38 is how long Ole Miss had the football in the Fiesta Bowl against Miami. Out of sixty minutes. Which put the defense out there for more than forty-one. Tempo has a bill, and the defense pays it — but this is the first year Ole Miss actually spent on that side of the ball instead of buying an eighth wide receiver.