Now the starting quarterback for No. 13 Missouri, Austin Simmons returns to Oxford, Miss., on Saturday afternoon to face his old school for the first time.
No. 9 Ole Miss reached the College Football Playoff semifinals a season ago with Trinidad Chambliss at quarterback after Simmons went down early with an injury and lost his starting job.
Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz acknowledged that the game will be a big deal for Simmons, along with two other Mizzou players imported from Ole Miss. Drinkwitz just wants them to keep perspective, considering about 20% of FBS players are transfers.
“The biggest thing is to not make it bigger than it is,” Drinkwitz told reporters Tuesday. “There are great memories from there. I think everybody left there in a positive light on both sides.”
Simmons, top receiver Cayden Lee and cornerback Chris Graves Jr. weren’t made available to speak Tuesday about transferring from Ole Miss, but it’s worth noting that Simmons’ Instagram account still has a number of posts from his years in Oxford.
“We talk about the joy of the journey,” Drinkwitz said. “That was a part of their journey that made them who they are right now. I don’t think there has to be a whole lot more to it than that.”
Mizzou (5-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) comes in having won two straight home games against SEC foes, most recently 27-6 over Texas A&M on Saturday. The Tigers’ biggest win so far came against Florida, 45-17 on Oct. 3.
Simmons has been terrific for the Tigers, ranking 11th in FBS in passing efficiency rating. He’s completing 65% of his passes, with 14 touchdowns and one interception in 165 attempts.
“He’s playing as an experienced quarterback in a really good system,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said.
Lee has scored five touchdowns while leading the Tigers with 42 receptions and 616 yards. He and Simmons may be transfers, but they’re already leaders at Mizzou, other players say.
“I feel like those guys are definitely going to come out and play with a chip on their shoulder,” tailback Jamal Roberts said. “We definitely can let them guys handle that.”
Roberts will be another focal point for Ole Miss. After putting together two straight games of 200-plus yards, he ranks first in the SEC and second nationally with 828 rushing yards. Mizzou’s top back a season ago, Ahmad Hardy, is recovering from an offseason gunshot wound.
Golding said that Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1 SEC) will have its hands full trying to tackle Roberts.
“He has the most yards after contact right now, which is something that has been an issue for us on tape,” Golding said.
With Chambliss continuing to rank as a Heisman Trophy contender and NFL prospect, Ole Miss routed Vanderbilt 52-17 on Saturday. The Rebels also have wins against ranked opponents LSU and Louisville.
“They’re a total team,” Drinkwitz said. “We need to play our best, most complete game to even be in the game.”
In Mizzou’s most recent road game, the Tigers blew a fourth-quarter lead and lost at Mississippi State. Drinkwitz said they had better learn from the experience.
“One hundred percent, there’s a lot of things from that game that we can’t do,” Drinkwitz said.