Game Preview: Rebels host Bulldogs in annual Egg Bowl

November 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Egg Bowl is one of the most anticipated games of the year in Mississippi.  The Ole Miss Rebels will host the annual game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.  The Bulldogs (8-3, 4-3 SEC) has already secured a post season bowl game.  While the Rebels need to win this game in order to qualify for a bowl game.  The Rebels (5-6, 2-5 SEC) are coming off of a two win season last year and has been one of the surprises of this season for the SEC.  First year head coach Hugh Freeze has sold a new mind set to the Rebels and they have bought into his philosophy.  The Rebels leads the series 6-42-6 and has an advantage in Egg Bowl games 54-25-5.  The rivalry is tied for the eighth-longest uninterrupted series, as the NCAA considers Saturday’s game the 98th consecutive year that the two schools have faced each other.

Keys to Ole Miss defeating Mississippi State:

Ole Miss and Miss State will battle in the Annual Egg Bow. Photo courtesy of the University of Mississippi

Eliminate mistakes.  The Rebels have lost three games this season Texas A&M, LSU and Vandy that they should have won.  The reason they lost all three of these is simple the turned the football over in critical situations.  Mistakes are not limited to just turnovers, but making sure everyone does their assignment.  Players can’t afford to have unforced penalties or unnecessary personal fouls.

Play hard the entire game.  The Rebels have lost three games in the final minutes of the game.  The Rebels have lost the last two games by a total of 7 points.  Ole Miss has jumped out to big leads and has not been able to hold those leads.   The Rebels will look back onto to this season with should’ve, could’ve and would’ve thoughts.

Have a better balance on offense.  The running game has left the Rebel late in the season.  Jeff Scott has not been as productive in the last few games.  Scott has to run for a hundred yards to give the Rebels a better chance to win.  Bo Wallace threw for 403 yards last week against LSU.  Defensive back Johnathan Banks will be one of the best players that Wallace will face this season and has to be careful when challenging him.  Donte Moncrief will have to play smart against Banks also.

Control the emotions.  Senior and Homecoming games are two of the most emotional games to play for home teams.  Saturday is also senior night for the Rebels, 22 members of the Ole Miss team will play their last home game.  The Rebels have been through an emotional rollercoaster this season and this game could begin to put the program back on the map with a win.

Control the line of scrimmage.  Bulldogs quarterback Tyler Russell has 2, 522 passing yards and Chad Bumphis has 758 receiving yards.  Gabe Jackson is one of the best offensive linemen in the country and he will be protecting Russell.  The Rebels defense will need to continue to bend but don’t break during the game.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Game Preview: Ole Miss pays visit to Death Valley to play LSU

November 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment

After losing 27-26 to the Vanderbilt Commodores last week in the final minutes of the game the Ole Miss Rebels will have to recover to play the LSU Tigers.  The Tigers have won the last two games in the series.  The last time the Rebels were in Baton Rouge in 2010 they only lost by 10 points 46-36.  The Rebels 5-5 are one game away from becoming bowl eligible.  No one is giving the Rebels a chance of upsetting the Tigers in Death Valley, but stranger things have occurs this season.  The Tigers are led by their defense and they may have finally found a quarterback that can give the Tigers a throwing threat in Zach Mettenberger.  The Tigers defeated Mississippi State 37-17 last week.  The Tigers still have a small chance of playing in the SEC championship game or a BCS game if they win out and if they can get some help from other teams.  In order for Ole Miss to win against LSU they have to play a perfect game.

Keys to the game:

Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze looks to make the Rebels bowl eligible. Photo by Justine Ford

Be more diversified offensively.   Bo Wallace threw for 403 yards last week against Vandy, but the team was not able to run the football.  The balance attack that had been the strength for the Rebels has been taken away by the opponents.  Jeff Scott has not rushed for over 100 yards in last few games and he needs to return to his early season form in order for the Rebels to be successful.  Scott has 680 rushing yards this season.

Stop giving up big plays.  The Rebels defense has not been able to get off the field in key situations.  Linebacker Denzel Nkemidiche is tops in the SEC among freshmen and ranks second in the nation with 1.15 tackles for loss per game for freshmen.  The Rebels defense can‘t allow the Tigers to get any confidence and have to prevent the big play game killer and keep the crowd in their seats.

Tempo tempo tempo.  The Rebels thrive when the game is play at their pace.  Ball possession is a major key.  Keeping the ball away from the Tigers will assure the Rebels of having a fighting chance to win the game.  The Rebels love to keep opponents defense on their heels with their no huddle offense.

Defensive pressure.  Mettenberger threw for 272 yards in the Mississippi State win and has been gaining confidence week by week.  The small but quick Rebels’ defense must put constant pressure on Mettenberger and force him into making bad decisions.  The Tigers have had three consecutive games without an offensive turnover.  Freshman Jeremy Hill leads the Tigers in rushing with 477 yards.

Overcoming adversity.  The Rebels will be playing in front of 92,000 rabid fans and will have to jump out to a quick start as they have all season.  However the Rebels have not been able to close out game, because they have not found ways to be consistent for the entire game.  The Rebels need to have a sense of urgency for 4 quarters.

Terry Davis covers the Ole Miss Rebels for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Game Preview: Ole Miss and Vandy will fight to become bowl eligible.

November 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

No one at the start of the season circled this week’s game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Ole Miss Rebels as an important game.  These teams are almost mirror images of on another.  Both teams are 5-4 and one win away from becoming bowl eligible. The Rebels have scored 269 points; Vandy has scored 229. Ole Miss has 3,674 total yards; Vandy has 3,466 total yards. All losses for both teams have been to ranked teams. This may the best opportunity for the Rebels to become bowl eligible, their next two opponents are LSU and Mississippi State to close the season, while Vandy only has Tennessee and Wake Forrest left to play. The Rebels leads the series 47-19-2, but Vandy has won the last two meetings.

(Click here for our weekly rankings of college football teams in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi)

Things to look for in the Ole Miss versus Vandy game:

The Rebels and their fans look to secure a bowl this weekend. Photo by Justine Ford

Take care of the football better.  Ole Miss is the only SEC team without a turnover in the red zone this year and has gone a perfect 17-for-17 in the red zone against league opponents.  However against the Bulldogs last week the Rebels had a golden opportunity to take major control of the game.  The Rebels lost control of the game by fumbling the ball in critical situations.  Last week in the Georgia game both teams combined for 4 turnovers in 60 seconds.

Don’t take the opponent for granted.  Vandy is not a ranked team but they do have some explosive weapons.  Zac Stacy has 752 rushing yards.  Vandy have double trouble with their wide receivers Jordon Matthews (850 yards) and Chris Boyd has (622 yards).   Jordan Rodgers has 1,678 passing yards, 7 touchdown passes, and only 3 interceptions on the year.

Defense has to step up.  The Rebels defense will have to avoid giving up the big plays.  Last week the Bulldogs lived off of the big plays.  Another key is the defense will have to stop the Commodores on third down and give the ball back to their offense.  Vandy has shown when given a chance they will make the best out of every opportunity.

Become more explosive on offense.  Last week the Rebels scored only 10 points their lowest point production of the season.  Junior running back Jeff Scott ranks 7th in the SEC with 79.1 rushing yards per game and has three 100-yard performances.  Sophomore wide receiver Donte Moncrief ranks 10th in the SEC with 60.0 receiving yards per game and is tied for 4th with five TD catches.  Bo Wallace has to do a better job of increasing the point production.  Vandy scored 40 points against Kentucky last week and this game could become a shootout.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Game Preview: Rebels look to get first SEC road win against Razorbacks

October 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Ole Miss Rebels are coming off a bye week on a high after defeating the Auburn Tigers.  The Rebels will face the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas.  The Razorbacks are entering the game with a two game winning streak after losing four games in a row.  The confidence level for the Rebels is still high and they have are aiming for a bowl berth this season as predicted in the preseason.(Click here for five reason why the Rebels will go to a bowl game).   The Razorbacks had expectations of competing for a SEC West Championship this season and will need a lot of help in achieving that goal.  Tyler Wilson has returned to a top level form after recovering from an injury.   Arkansas won the game last year in Oxford 29-24.

Five keys for the Rebels in defeating the Razorbacks:

Gilbert Pena taunts Auburn’s quarterback Clint Moseley. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Control the tempo.  In just seven games, Ole Miss has already surpassed last year’s total number of points, touchdowns and wins. Ole Miss has not lost when it has scored first this year (4-0), but is winless when the opponent scores first (0-3).  The Rebels are ranked 26th nationally in rushing offense with 211.1 yards per game.   The Rebels no huddle offense will look to win the time of possession.  Against Auburn, sophomore QB Bo Wallace became the first player in school history to score a rushing, passing and receiving touchdown in the same game.

Overcoming adversity.  The Rebels have not won a road SEC game since defeating Vanderbilt in Nashville on October 2, 2009.  The crowd will be major factor the Razorbacks and the Rebels need to take them out of the game early and destroy the confidence of the Razorbacks.  Turnovers will be a major key for the Rebels, both forcing some and not committing any.

Control the line of scrimmage.  The undersized Rebels will face yet another team where they will be out weighted, but that has not been a big factor for the Rebels this season.  They used various schemes and their team speed to counter their lack of size.  Ole Miss is ranked fourth among SEC teams and eighth in the NCAA in tackles for loss (7.9/game).

Limit the opportunity of the Razorbacks’ offense.  Arkansas has 3 receivers with over 200 receiving yards this season, Cobi Hamilton 754 yards ,Chris Gragg 234 yards, and Brandon Mitchell 257.  Tyler Wilson has 1,957 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.  The Rebels defense needs to disrupt the Razorbacks’ offense and stop them on third downs.

Continue the offensive diversity.  Donte Moncrief is the only Rebel with more than 200 receiving yards this season with 480 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Bo Wallace has 1,371 passing yards with 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.    Jeff Scott leads the Rebels rushing attack with 562 yards and has 5 rushing touchdowns.  Wallace has been able to spread the pass receptions among many receivers this season.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Game Preview: Rebels look to keep bowl hopes alive against Auburn

October 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Ole Miss looks to keep bowl dream alive. Photo by Justin Ford

The Ole Miss Rebels have to get over their last game against the Texas A&M Aggies and focus on the Auburn Tigers.  The Rebels enter Saturday’s homecoming game in Oxford with a 3-3 record (0-3 in the SEC) and are still in a position to get to the six wins necessary to receive one of the bowl bids that the SEC has this season.  Unlike last season, the Rebels expect to win every game this year.  The Auburn Tigers enter the game 1-4 (0-3 in the SEC) and are reeling after an embarrassing 24-7 loss last week to the Arkansas Razorbacks.  Looking to end a 16-game SEC losing streak, the Rebels have to take better care of the football and contain the War Eagles running attack.  This is the 37th meeting between the schools Auburn has a 27-9 advantage and has won the last three meetings.

Here are some keys to an Ole Miss victory on Saturday vs. Auburn:

Better ball management. The Rebels like run an up tempo pace in games to defenses off balance.  Bo Wallace has done a great job of mixing the passing and running game up this season.  Donte Moncrief needs to be targeted a bigger part of the Rebels offense.  Moncrief is 5th in receiving in the SEC with 75.5 receiving yards a game and is 2nd in touchdowns with 5 this season.

Continue to dominate the running game.  Jeff Scott has been the workhorse in the running game.  Scott is averaging 85.0 yards a game and ranks seventh in rushing yards a game in the SEC.  The running attack of the Rebels ranks 25th in the nation with 213 yards per game.  Scott has 425 total rushing yards on the season and is on pace to rush for 1,000 yards.

Handle success better. The young Rebels have to learn how to handle success better.  They have to put away teams early and not let them hang around like they did against the Aggies and UTEP.  The homecoming crowd of the Rebels will give the team energy and the team needs to feed off that energy more.

Good quarterback play.  The Rebels have used three quarterbacks in every game this season.  Barry Brunetti and Randall Mackey have played and are used at different times of the game to give the team a new look.   Bo Wallace threw for 309 yards against the Aggies last week and need to continue to make good decisions.

Control the line of scrimmage.  The major key to the game for the Rebels will be controlling line of scrimmage for the offense and the defense.  The Rebels were unsuccessful in stopping the Aggies running attack.  The Aggies ran for 352 yards last week and the defense was not able to get the Aggies off the field in key situations.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Game Preview: Keys to Ole Miss vs. Alabama

September 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It is not every week you get a chance to play the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, when given that chance you must play a perfect game.  The Ole Miss Rebels travel to Alabama to play the Crimson Tide.  No one outside of Oxford is giving the Rebels a chance of winning this game.  However, the Rebels believe that they can compete with any team in the country.  This attitude comes from the teachings of the coaching staff.  Ole Miss is 0-8 against the No. 1 ranked teams in their history.  The Tide enters the game as the clear favorite to be playing in the National Championship game in January. Alabama is led by TJ Yeldon and TJ Lacy on the ground and A J McCarron is the quarterback.  The Tide has a balanced running and passing attack.  The reigning National champs are averaging 204 yards on the ground and 221 passing yards per game.  The Tide has only allowed 249 total rushing yards this season.  The Rebels lead the SEC in rushing yards per game with 259 yards.

Bo Wallace will lead Ole Miss against No. 1 Ranked Alabama. Photo by Justin Ford

1) Stay mistake free.  The Rebels one again faces a team that they don’t match the depth and size with in Alabama.  To counter this disadvantage, Ole Miss must play mistake free football.  The Rebels must avoid turnover and execute each play the way they were taught or this game can get out of hand quickly.

2) Disguise defensive coverage.  The Rebels do not have depth or size on defense and will have to keep the Tide off balance by trying to confuse them keep plays in front of them.  They can’t allow the Tide receivers to get behind them or allow runners to get into the open field because of their speed.

3) The best defense is offense.  The Rebels will have to control the ball and keep their defense off of the field.  Bo Wallace will have to make good decisions on when to throw and when to run.  Jeff Scott has been playing well this season and needs to have his best game.

4) Size does matter.  The Rebels will be outsized on the offensive and defensive lines, and will have to use their quickness to contend with the Tide.  Donte Moncrief will have to have another great game and catch all balls that are targeted for him.

5) Keeping a cool head.  In only their 2nd road game of the season, this will be the most hostile crowd that the Rebels have faced this year.  The first road game was at Tulane, but the Rebel fans outnumber the Green Wave fans.  Alabama fans will be loud and will make it hard for the Rebels to operate on offense.  If the Rebs do get behind early they must maintain their composer and not panic.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Texas speed and size was too much for Ole Miss

September 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

The Ole Miss Rebels were soundly defeated by the Texas Longhorns 66-31 last week.  The Rebels can’t let Texas beat them twice by this the Rebels has the put the Texas loss behind them and focus on their next opponent.  The Rebels will travel this week to New Orleans to face the Tulane Green Wave.  The Green Wave is winless on the season 0-3.  The Rebels were not ready for the speed, depth and size of the Longhorns.  The Rebels were able to gain some building blocks from the Texas game.  One positive from the game for the Rebel was they were able to score 31 points against a top 25 ranked team.  Another positive for the Rebels was they found out they were able to move the ball and are a better team than they were last year.  Win or lose the Rebels fans know how to party and the game attracted 61,797 fans the fourth largest crowd in Vaught Hemmingway history and the largest non-conference game ever.

Ole Miss’ Donte Moncrief goes up over Quandre Diggs of Texas. Photo by Justin Ford.

1) Not ready for prime time. The Rebels do not have the depth and size of the top tier teams in the country and they have very little room for errors.  The Rebels also were not able to get the Longhorns off of the field in key situations.

2) Offense can score against a top quality defense.  The Rebels did score 31 points against a top 20 team.  Jeff Scott finished the game with 95 rushing yards.  Bo Wallace had 178 passing yards.  Wallace threw a pick six on the first offensive series to Texas to put the Rebels in a come from behind situation.

3) Size does matter.  The size and strength of the offensive and defensive line for the Longhorns were able to control both sides of the ball.  The Rebels were not able to give Bo Wallace enough time to find his open receivers.  The Longhorns offensive line gave Longhorns quarterback David Ash more than enough time for his receivers to break free from Rebel defenders.

4) Rebels are not too far off.  The Rebels knew coming into the season they were inexperienced in the defensive back field and gave up too many big plays.  The Rebels do not have the depth to compete with the big boys and truly missed suspended defensive back Trae Elston.  Donte Moncrief did have 144 receiving yards against a very good Texas defensive secondary.

5) Speed Kills.  The Longhorns have more than one wide receiver with world class speed and they were able to get behind the Rebel defenders on a regular basis.  The Longhorns had two receivers to have over 100 receiving yards in the game Mike Davis 124 yards and Marquise Goodwin 102 yards.  Goodwin also had an 80 rushing yards all on an end around that Ole Miss was not able to catch after he broke free from the line of scrimmage.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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Game Preview: Ole Miss vs. Texas

September 14, 2012 by 1 Comment

What a difference a year makes.  Last season the Longhorns were struggling to score points there was a weekly debate on who the quarterback is going to be and other questions were surrounding the team.  Now after two convincing wins the team is still being asked questions, but more on the side of how good can is this team and how far can this team go?

Ole Miss’ Jeff Scott looks to run though the Texas Longhorns’ defense. (Photo by Chris Evans)

Texas is coming off a rout of New Mexico 45-0.  Despite the shutout there are concerns on the defensive side.  The Longhorns allowed 246 rushing yards and were not able to get the Lobos off of the field in third down situations.

The Rebels come into this game matching their total wins from last season of 2 with a 2-0 record.  This will be the best opponent that the Rebels have faced this year and the same will be true also  for the Longhorns.  The Rebels enter the game averaging over 500 total yards per game.

The Rebels are led by dual threat at quarterback Bo Wallace.  Wallace leads the team in passing and rushing.  Wallace has deceptive speed and has surprised opponents with his willingness to dip a shoulder into their chest.

The No. 12 ranked Longhorns has more to prove in this game.  However Ole Miss has more to gain from this game. If the Longhorns win they can boast about defeating someone from a BCS conference and claim they deserve more recognition on the season.  A Rebel win and they can go from receiving votes in the polls to being ranked for the first time in years.

This game will come down to two key factors.  One who can control the line of scrimmage and two who will make the fewest mistakes?  The team that controls the line of scrimmage will be able to dictate the tempo of the game.  The Rebels would like to control the ball with their no huddle offense to keep the Longhorns’ defense off balance.  Also the Rebels will want to run the ball to keep you honest for the passing plays.

The Longhorns also want to control the line of scrimmage to block for Ash so he can exploit the Rebels’ secondary, which is very young and inexperienced.  The major key to the game is who makes the fewest mistakes not only in the turnover department, but also in in proper execution of offensive and defensive schemes.

The Longhorns have very fast wide receivers that able to get behind defenders especially Olympian Marquise Goodwin.   The Rebels will be short one defensive back Trae Elston.  Elston was suspended by the SEC for an illegal hit against a defensive receiver in the UTEP game.

This game can be seen on ESPN at 8:15 CT.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

 

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What we learned from Ole Miss vs. UTEP

September 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Ole Miss Rebels are a team that is evolving.  They are improving on team weaknesses from week to week.  More players are playing bigger roles in the total team development.  Other players are covering up certain weak areas of the team by their strong play.  In college football confidence is a very good asset to have.  The Rebels are slowing developing a nice swagger that comes not only with winning games, but winning games convincingly.  The Rebels have matched their total wins from last season in the first two games of the season. Head coach Hugh Freeze has brought a winning attitude to Oxford and it is rubbing off on his players.  The Rebels defeated the UTEP Mines 28-10 last week.

1) Quarterback play.   The quarterback play of the Rebels continues to be strength of the team.  Bo Wallace looked very comfortable operating from the pocket.  Bo Wallace continues to impress as the starting quarterback for the Rebels.  Wallace selected when it was best for him to run or pass  against the Miners.  Wallace was 15-22 for 174 yard and two passing touchdowns.  Wallace also had a running touchdown on the night.  Wallace did not take as many big hits, because he did not run out of the pocket often and throw the ball away when receivers were not open.

2) Stopping UTEP passing.  The Miners had had 48 passing yards last week against Oklahoma.  This week the Miners had 274 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception.  The Miners were force to pass more than they wanted to because the Rebels contained the running game.  The bend but did not break against the Miners passing attack.


3) Control the line of scrimmage.  The Rebels did a great job of controlling the offensive and defensive lines of scrimmage.  The offense generated over 500 total yards for the second consecutive week.  The Rebels had 206 rushing yards against the Miners.  The defensive for the Rebels kept Miners in check for most of the game by forcing them to go to the passing game because they could not generate a running game.

4) Diversifying the offense.   The Rebels used both conventional and non-conventional plays against the Miners.  The Rebels played three different players at the quarterback position.  Randall Mackey and Barry Brunetti took snaps from the quarterback position.  Mackey went 1-1 for 32 yards.  Mackey play quarterback last season.  Jeff Scott played for the first time this season after sitting out the season opener.  Scott had to serve a one game suspension for violating a team rule.  Scott finished the game with a team high 113 yards rushing.

5) Facing adversity.  The Rebels turnovers could have easily changed the course of the game.  The defense of the Rebels made up for the lost fumbles.  The Rebels defense also stopped the Miners on a fourth and goal to start the second quarter to prevent the Miners from tying the game at seven.  The Rebels defense came up big throughout the game to keep the Rebels perfect on the season.

Terry Davis covers Ole Miss football for MemphiSport. Follow him @Terryd515.

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