Rebels lose QB Patterson to season-ending injury

Published on Sunday, 10/22/17, at 3:40 p.m. Eastern.

Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Shea Patterson has a torn PCL that will sideline him for the rest of the 2017 season. Patterson came back into the game, Saturday’s 40-24 loss to LSU as a seven-point home underdog, wearing a knee brace after suffering the injury in the first half. He kept playing until being removed late in the four quarter.

This is a year that never had a chance for Ole Miss. The Rebels couldn’t go to a bowl game even before Hugh Freeze’s dismissal late in the summer. The presumed hammer from the NCAA boys is looming.

With the exception of games at Alabama and at Auburn, at least Ole Miss fans knew the team could score points every week with Patterson running the show. The former five-star recruit had 346 passing yards or more in five of the Rebels’ first six games. Patterson threw for 697 passing yards and six TDs without an interception in the previous two games going into the showdown with LSU.

This is crushing news, adding to the disappointment for a football program that has been turned upside down in the last 18 months.

Juco transfer Jordan Ta’amu is expected to get the starting nod for this week’s home game vs. Arkansas. Ta’amu completed 7-of-11 passes for 78 yards against the Tigers, who got a 276-yard rushing effort out of Derrius Guice.

For the season, Ta’amu has run for 52 yards on six attempts. He had 20 rushing yards on three carries vs. LSU. Ta’amu had only appeared in one previous game, the 57-35 win over Vandy on Oct. 14, but he didn’t have any passing attempts versus the Commodores.

Patterson played the worst game of his career vs. LSU, throwing for only 116 yards and three interceptions. He connected on just 10-of-23 pass attempts.

For the season, Patterson completed 63.8 percent of his throws for 2,259 yards with a 17/9 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also had one rushing score. The Rebels have a 4-6 record in Patterson’s 10 career starts.