OXFORD, Miss. -- Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze has been paying attention to Memphis' hot start.
The Tigers might have a new coach and new quarterback this season, but Freeze says the 16th-ranked Rebels (2-2) will be tested when Memphis (3-0) comes to town on Saturday night.
"They put up some crazy numbers offensively and defensively and they are playing very, very good football," Freeze said.
Memphis beat Ole Miss last season 37-24 in Memphis, but that was with former coach Justin Fuente, who is now at Virginia Tech, and former quarterback Paxton Lynch, who is now in the NFL.
The new-look Memphis program appears just as dangerous.
While Ole Miss has had some ups and downs in September, the Tigers haven't even been tested. Memphis has won its three games by an average of more than 40 points, including a 77-3 victory over Bowling Green last weekend.
That's made Memphis a tough team to study.
"I am not sure we have a good sample size, because their games haven't been close and they really don't have to show a whole lot," Freeze said. "So there are probably some things that we are not seeing."
What's certain is Memphis has the ability to score touchdowns in a hurry under first-year coach Mike Norvell, who was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State before joining the Tigers. Junior quarterback Riley Ferguson has completed 67 percent of his passes for 843 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions this season.
"I really like this team," Norvell said. "I like their attitude, their physicality."
Ole Miss will counter with an offense that's averaging 40 points per game. The Rebels built a 45-0 lead last week over then-No. 12 Georgia before settling for the 45-14 victory.
Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly said the Memphis defense will provide a challenge.
Sports on 09/30/2016