Mississippi Scoreboard is going to highlight a Mississippian who plays football at Ole Miss, another at Mississippi State and another who is playing at an out-of-state SEC school each week.
By Robert Wilson
BRANDON HIGH ALUMNUS JONATHAN MINGO HAS CAREER RECEIVING DAY FOR OLE MISS AGAINST TULANE
Brandon High alumnus and Ole Miss junior wide receiver Jonathan Mingo said he wanted to play with more confidence and be faster this season.
Tulane found out Saturday Mingo is accomplishing his goals.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Mingo had a career-high 136 yards and one touchdown on six receptions to help Ole Miss to a 61-21 victory over Tulane Saturday in Oxford.
Ole Miss scored those 61 points in the first two and half quarters. The Rebels tied an SEC record with 41 first downs and had 707 total yards, fourth most in school history. Ole Miss leads the nation with 635 yards per game and is tied for first with Boise State with 52.7 points per game.
After Tulane scored to cut the lead to 26-14 with 7 minutes, 12 seconds to play before halftime and unsuccessfully tried an onside kick, Mingo caught a 50-yard TD pass from Matt Corral on the next play to regain the momentum.
“We are trying to get better every week and keep clicking,” Mingo said. “I’m not surprised about how well our offense is playing. I know what we are capable of. Matt and I have been working on the deep ball and it’s good that we finally got one.”
Mingo ranks third in the SEC with 290 yards behind teammate Dontario Drummond (339) and Kentucky’s Wan’Dale Robinson (337). Mingo ranks 16th in the nation with 96.7 yards per game. He has caught 15 passes for a team-high 19.3 yards per catch.
Mingo started eight games and played in all 10 and caught 27 passes for 379 yards and three TDs last year as a sophomore. He had season highs with eight catches for 128 yards against Kentucky. Mingo started all 12 games as a true freshman and caught 12 passes for 172 yards and one TD.
Mingo was an Under Armour All-American at Brandon High and was rated as the No. 6 player and No. 2 wide receiver in Mississippi by 247 Sports. He caught 77 passes for 1,451 yards and 14 TDs and led Brandon to a 13-2 record and the Class 6A semifinals as a senior.
No. 13 Ole Miss has a bye week before playing at No. 1 Alabama on Oct. 2 in Tuscaloosa.
CALLAWAY HIGH ALUMNUS MALIK HEATH HAS BIG DAY FOR MISSISSIPPI STATE AT MEMPHIS
Callaway High alumnus and Mississippi State senior wide receiver Malik Heath tied a career high with nine catches for a career-high 88 yards in Saturday’s 31-29 loss at Memphis.
The 6-3, 220-pound Heath has caught 11 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns, tied for second best of the team, this season.
Heath started six games and played in 10 and caught 37 passes for 307 yards and three TDs last season, his first at MSU. He caught two TD passes against Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.
Heath caught 61 passes for 835 yards and seven TDs in 17 games in two seasons at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He was rated the No. 2 wide receiver in the country as a sophomore by ESPN and 247 Sports.
An Under Armour All-American, Heath was rated the No. 1 player in Mississippi and No. 156 in the country by ESPN as a senior at Callaway. He had 78 catches for 1,837 yards and 13 TDs in his career.
MSU plays host to LSU Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN in Starkville.
PROVINE AND JACKSON ACADEMY ALUMNUS DEION SMITH SHINES FOR LSU
Provine and Jackson Academy alumnus Deion Smith made his first collegiate start for LSU and caught five passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, both in the first quarter, in a 49-21 victory over Central Michigan Saturday at LSU.
Smith caught TD passes for 28 and 40 yards from Max Johnson, the second one gave LSU a 21-0 lead late in the first quarter.
The 6-3, 198-pound Smith did not play in the season opener against UCLA but made his collegiate debut and caught two passes for 13 yards against McNeese State.
An Under Armour All-American, Smith was the No. 1 player in Mississippi and the No. 7 wide receiver in the nation by 247 Sports as a senior at Jackson Academy. He caught 36 passes for 640 yards and seven TDs, ran for 189 yards and two TDs and had 159 kickoff return yards in eight games before injuring his foot and having surgery last season. He helped JA to a 10-4 record and the MAIS Class 6A state championship game. He caught 43 passes for 1,509 yards and 19 TDs and averaged 31.2 yards on punt returns and 37.9 yards on kickoff returns as a junior at Provine. He transferred to JA as a senior because Jackson Public Schools did not play fall sports due to covid.
LSU plays at Mississippi State Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN in Starkville.
