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SEC Kickoff: Everything you need to know for Ole Miss vs. Presbyterian
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s marquee matchup between the No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels and the Presbyterian Blue Hose.
When: Saturday, Nov. 8
Where: Oxford, Miss.
Game Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Current Line: N/A
Game Buzz: Ole Miss enters Week 11 fresh off one of the most gut-wrenching defeats any team has suffered this season, but it should have an opportunity to recover with lowly Presbyterian coming to visit. The Rebels are heavily favored in this game, and they should have no trouble earning a bounce-back victory against their only FCS opponent of the season. This game will be more about the team’s attitude following last week’s loss, and how Vince Sanders performs in his new role as the team’s No. 1 wideout.
SATURDAY DOWN SOUTH PREVIEWS
- Banged up Ole Miss welcomes Presbyterian to town
- Laquon Treadwell: Top 5 plays
- Inside the Numbers: Ole Miss gets a break this week vs. Presbyterian
- Matchup breakdown: Ole Miss offense vs. Presbyterian defense
- Ole Miss still has chance at winningest season in program history
- Ole Miss falls out of playoff contention in new CFP poll
- Rebels can stay afloat without Treadwell the remainder of the season
OLE MISS REBELS
Players to watch:
- QB Bo Wallace
- RB Jaylen Walton
- WR Cody Core
- WR Vince Sanders
- DT Robert Nkemdiche
- LB Serderius Bryant
- CB Senquez Golson
- S Cody Prewitt
Keys for Ole Miss:
- Get Vince Sanders involved early and often. Ole Miss doesn’t need to worry about whether it can win Saturday’s game, but it does need to worry about the future of its offense minus wideout Laquon Treadwell. Sanders, a senior, will step in as the No. 1 wideout, and Hugh Freeze needs to give him plenty of opportunities to get comfortable in the offense. Bo Wallace should look his way a great deal, especially in the first half.
- Don’t play frustrated, play disciplined. The Rebels season took a swift turn for the worse in back to back losses to LSU and Auburn, and Saturday does present a great opportunity for the team to get back on track. However, if Ole Miss plays frustrated and makes costly errors, it could make this game more interesting than it needs to be. For the Rebels to record the punishing victory they desire, they must play disciplined and stick to their game plan. They’re clearly the better team, so as long as they take care of themselves they’ll be fine.
Rebels’ glaring weakness to watch: Until proven otherwise, Ole Miss is at a crossroads on offense. The Rebels have one of the least efficient rushing attacks in the SEC, and their passing game just lost its best target in Treadwell. Ole Miss still has plenty of talented pass-catchers, but there’s no longer a definitive go-to guy, which could be troubling to an offense so dependent on the pass.
Most interesting part of this game: As eluded to above, Sanders’ play in Treadwell’s place as the No. 1 wideout is far and away the most interesting wrinkle in this otherwise mismatched showdown. If Sanders puts up huge numbers, even against an overmatched Blue Hose defense, it could go a long way toward boosting his confidence the rest of the year. If he struggles, however, it could leave the offense with more questions than answers entering next week’s bye.
Team buzz: The buzz around this team is that it has had to transition from title contender to spoiler without its best weapon in a matter of two weeks. That is to say, there isn’t much buzz surrounding Ole Miss, which is still ranked No. 11 in the most recent CFP poll. The Rebels will win this game easily, but their season will now be defined by a road test at Arkansas and the ever-important Egg Bowl. Saturday’s game is a mere tune-up, but Ole Miss can still take advantage of that fact.
PRESBYTERIAN BLUE HOSE
Players to watch:
- QB Heys McMath
- RB Demarcus Rouse
- RB Blake Roberts
- WR Tobi Antigha
- DL Ugonna Akoh
- LB Donelle Williams
- DB DeRon Dickey
Keys for Presbyterian
- Get creative in the run game. This is easier said than done against the Landshark defense, but Presbyterian needs to run the ball well to have any chance on offense and creativity is their only option. The Blue Hose has two talented backs in Demarcus Rouse and Blake Roberts, and it’ll need to find ways to get them the ball in space to open up the passing game for a struggling Heys McMath.
- Force turnovers to create a short field for the offense. Bo Wallace is turnover prone and could press the issue in a frustrated performance after back to back losses. If Presbyterian can run up a positive turnover margin of three or better it could have a chance to stick around. The Blue Hose will need to play aggressive on defense and hope for the best.
- Bring every lucky charm to Oxford and perform every ritual you know before taking the field. Presbyterian is a longshot at best to win this game, and it will need something flukey and magical to compete in this game.
Blue Hose’s glaring weakness to watch: McMath has been inconsistent under center this season, and as a result the Blue Hose has run the ball 379 times compared to 216 pass attempts. McMath has competed fewer than 60 percent of his passes for fewer than 1,200 yards in eight games, and he’s thrown six touchdowns to seven interceptions. His task won’t be made any easier by a dynamic Ole Miss secondary, which is why Presbyterian must establish its rushing attack early.
Most interesting part of this game: Presbyterian has played seven games against power five conference opponents since 2010, and it’s lost all seven in embarrassing fashion. There’s a chance the Blue Hose learned and grew from those experiences, but there’s a better chance Ole Miss makes quick work of its opponent at home Saturday.
Team buzz: Presbyterian is 5-4 this season, and although it faces steep odds Saturday it could better itself for the stretch run of the season with a tough test against Ole Miss. This game is less about winning and losing and more about growth for a Blue Hose team already showing improvements from recent years.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.