Ole Miss football set to face Texas Tech in Texas Bowl

David Eckert, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read

OXFORD — After a home stretch full of coaching drama and on-field disappointment, Ole Miss football can now focus on its bowl destination.

The Rebels (8-4) are heading to the Texas Bowl to take on Texas Tech (7-5). Ole Miss is 4-2 all-time against the Red Raiders, most recently beating them in 2018.

The game will take place inside Houston's NRG Stadium on Dec. 28 (8 p.m. CT, ESPN).

The trip will mark the third bowl game in three years for the Rebels and coach Lane Kiffin, who recently signed a new contract after a month of speculation connecting him to the vacancy at Auburn.

Before Kiffin's arrival, Ole Miss went four seasons without playing in a bowl game – the product of a bowl ban and three losing campaigns in four years.

With a 7-0 record entering an Oct. 22 trip to LSU, it looked for much of the season like the Rebels would compete to play in a New Year's Six bowl game, or perhaps even something bigger.

KIFFIN:Why Lane Kiffin will — and won't — remain Ole Miss football coach long term after contract extension

MBB:Ole Miss basketball outmuscled by Memphis, falls in first true road test

PORTAL:Ole Miss football transfer tracker: Follow all of Lane Kiffin's portal activity

But a loss to the Tigers ignited a stretch of four defeats in five games to close out the season. A Nov. 12 loss to Alabama knocked the Rebels out of contention for the SEC West and the College Football Playoff, but a glamorous bowl game was still very much on the table until Ole Miss dropped two winnable games against Arkansas and Mississippi State in the final two weeks of the regular season.

Still, opportunity awaits the Rebels. They can secure back-to-back nine-win seasons for the third time since 2000. They haven't won nine games in three consecutive seasons since John Vaught was at the helm in the early 1960s. With Kiffin back and plenty of talent set to return, Ole Miss would have a good shot at that feat if it can get a bowl win.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football set to face Texas Tech in Texas Bowl