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The Ole Miss Rebels were idle this week as they watched the rest of the SEC this weekend. The Rebels look to bounce back after a tough loss to the Florida Gators.
Next week, Ole Miss will play its second consecutive road game. They'll make their second road trip to Tennessee this year to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Vanderbilt (3-2) is coming off a 38-14 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs. Kirby Smart's team may have left a blueprint for the Rebels to follow.
The Commodores kept the game close in the first half. They trailed by seven points, and the offense was rolling. They outgained the Bulldogs 234-215 and ran the ball 18 times.
However, Georgia pulled away in the second half. The key? Getting off the field on third down. Vanderbilt's offense was 5-for-9 on third down in the first half, but they didn't convert a third down in the second half.
The Commodores ran 16 total plays, while Georgia ran 37 plays and held the ball for 20 minutes. That's how Ole Miss can defeat Vanderbilt.
On their first second-half possession, the Bulldogs drove 75 yards on 11 plays and took 6:39 off the clock. The Commodores responded with a seven-minute drive, but it stalled. Vanderbilt had two drives the entire second half.
Georgia's ability to control time of possession in the second half played a pivotal role in the victory. In three of the four games, the Rebels haven't won the time-of-possession battle. If Kewan Lacy returns, that can put Ole Miss' offense in a better spot to control the game's tempo.
The Rebels became a pass-heavy attack several times this year. That shouldn't be Ole Miss' identity. They should take a page out of Georgia's book by converting on third down and methodically moving the ball downfield.
Vanderbilt played without starting quarterback Jared Curtis, so that could be an interesting situation to monitor. Regardless, the Rebels' defense will try to improve after the bye week. Florida's running backs gassed Ole Miss, and Pete Golding's defense had another poor showing.
The Commodores are vulnerable. The Rebels should be hungry after a tough loss. With eight conference games remaining, there isn't much room for error. Ole Miss can likely afford one more loss before their College Football Playoff hopes are in jeopardy.
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Zion Trammell graduated from TCU with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He joined SI in 2022. In addition to writing for Ole Miss on SI, he is a play-by-play announcer and writes for MLB on SI.
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