Series History: Ole Miss Rebels vs. Georgia Southern Eagles

Georgia Southern comes to Oxford this Saturday, so let's examine the history between the Rebels and the Eagles.

Nov 5, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jason Pellerin (7) hands the ball off to Mississippi Rebels running back Akeem Judd (21) during the second half against Georgia Southern Eagles at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mississippi Rebels defeated Georgia Southern Eagles 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-Imagn Images / Justin Ford-Imagn Images

The Georgia Southern Eagles come to Oxford this Saturday for a little Sun Belt vs. SEC match-up as they take on the Ole Miss Rebels.

Georgia Southern has been a popular out-of-conference matchup for SEC teams, but the Rebels and the Eagles have only met once in the ultra-weird 2016 season.

Ole Miss vs. Georgia Southern -- Nov. 6, 2016

The 2016 season is one that most Rebel fans would like to forget. The season started with Ole Miss inside the top 15, but after the Rebels blew a lead to Dalvin Cook and the Florida State Seminoles in Orlando during the season opener, the campaign quickly unraveled.

Heading into the game against the Eagles, the Rebels were looking for answers after three straight losses to Arkansas, LSU and Auburn. Chad Kelly led the way for the Rebels in the 37-27 win over Georgia Southern with 226 yards passing and one touchdown pass to Rebels tight end Evan Engram. Akeem Judd led the Rebels' rushing attack with 139 yards on 26 carries and one score.

This game also marked the end of Chad Kelly's college career as he left the game early with a knee injury, and the next day, it was confirmed that he had torn his ACL.

The rest of 2016 was more of the same, but Shea Patterson did have his breakout moment in an Ole Miss uniform when the Rebels stunned Texas A&M and walked out of College Station with a win the following week.

It's crazy to look back at 2016 and compare it to where the Rebels are now, from the beginning of the NCAA sanctions to being an SEC and national championship contender.

The Rebels and the Eagles will kick off at 6:45 p.m. CT on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.