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No. 15 Ole Miss favored big at Vandy Saturday
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Published: 9/6/2014  at  1:16:00 AM
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OLE MISS REBELS (1-0)
at VANDERBILT COMMODORES (0-1)

Kickoff: Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET
Line: Ole Miss -20, Total: 50.5

The No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels start the SEC regular season on Saturday night as they travel to Tennessee to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores.

These two teams met last season, with the Rebels coming from behind late in the game to get the 39-35 victory. However, Ole Miss has struggled in this series, as the Rebels have lost five of the last seven games in this matchup. The Rebels struggled early on offense against Boise State, as they held only a 7-6 lead entering the fourth quarter before erupting for 28 points. In the game last season, quarterback Bo Wallace (387 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions) had a solid game, throwing for 283 yards, but limited the turnovers. The Rebels have had their problems on the road, going 2-6 in the last two seasons. Ole Miss is the more talented team in this game, but Wallace must limit the turnovers against a Vanderbilt team that is coming off a bad loss to Temple. The Commodores fell to Temple 37-7 in Week 1, and really struggled to do anything offensively. Vanderbilt’s lone touchdown was off a fumble recovery. The Commodores have won nine games in each of the past two seasons, something that the school had never done before. If the Commodores are going to continue to dominate this series, the offense must play a lot better.

In the season opener against Boise State, Bo Wallace showed both the guy that Rebels fans love, and the guy that has them losing their mind. He is currently the most experienced starting quarterback in the SEC, but he still has a tendency to make mistakes you would expect out of a young quarterback. However, in the fourth quarter, Wallace got things rolling as he threw touchdown passes of 14, 31 and 76-yards. If Wallace can limit the mistakes, he has the ability to lead the Rebels to a big year. Wallace does have the benefit of having one of the best wide receivers in the country in sophomore Laquon Treadwell (seven catches, 105 yards and one touchdown). At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, the sophomore can be nearly impossible to guard one-on-one, but he also has the speed to blow by his corners. What separates him from the rest of the receivers in the country is his ability to go over the middle. However, he is not the only receiver on the team that has big-play ability. Wide receiver Cody Core (four catches, 110 yards and two touchdowns) provides the Rebels with another big time playmaker. The rushing game was non-existent for the Rebels, as the team carried the ball 34 times for only 71 yards. The passing game is one of the best in the country, but will have to get more out of the rushing game. Mark Dodson (four carries, 27 yards and one touchdown) showed some potential in limited carries, but the Rebels are going to run the ball by committee early in the season. The defense of the Rebels has playmakers at every level. The secondary at four interceptions last week, and much of that is because of the defensive line’s ability to apply pressure on the quarterback. Sophomore Robert Nkemdiche is as talented of defensive lineman as there is in the country. He is incredibly fast for his size, and has the versatility to play all over the field. His brother Denzel (117 tackles) did not play last week due to suspension, but he is back and the inspirational leader of the defense.

While coach James Franklin left to become the head coach at Penn State, there was optimism that the Commodores would be able to continue to play solid football under coach Derrick Mason. The offense struggled mightily in Week 1, as it enters the game ranked 113th in rushing (54 yards) and 115th in scoring (seven points) The biggest problem for Vanderbilt started at the quarterback position, as the quarterbacks completed only 16-of-34 passes, while also throwing three interceptions. Things weren’t much better in the rushing game, as the team rushed for only 54 yards on 29 carries (1.9 YPC). Running back Ralph Webb (14 carries for 70 yards) had a solid game, but the rest of the team really struggled (15 carries for -16 yards). Freshman wide receiver C.J. Duncan (two catches for 58 yards) showed some potential to be a talented player in the future, but as a freshman, will struggle to separate from bigger corners with his 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame. On defense, Avery Ellis (two tackles and two sacks) showed some promise, but like the offense, the unit really struggled. The Commodores had four sacks, but that is against a team that is not on the same level as the Rebels. Vanderbilt must be able to develop the run game early, and keep themselves in the game entering the second half.


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