Minkah Fitzpatrick on Ole Miss: “It’s About Earning Our Respect Back”

For two straight seasons, the Alabama football team has found a way to survive an early-season loss to Ole Miss and still earn a bid in the College Football Playoff, but those games still weigh on the players preparing for another meeting with the Rebels on Saturday.

Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick laid out what's at stake in his mind for the Crimson Tide this weekend.

"It's about earning our respect back from this team," Fitzpatrick said. "Everybody else around the country respects us as a team. And this team, they're the only team that beat us two years in a row I think since Coach Saban has been here."

To put an end to the streak, the Alabama defense will have to slow down one of the conference's top quarterbacks in Chad Kelly. In last year's 43-37 win in Tuscaloosa, Kelly threw for 341 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

"He's a good quarterback. He can make plays with his feet. He has a real strong arm and gets the ball down the field and has good receivers outside that can go down the field and get the ball for him. Like I said, he knows how to make plays."

Alabama ranks sixth in total defense through two games by allowing just over 216 total yards per game while the Ole Miss offense is 76th nationally at 398 yards per game.