No. 9 Ole Miss will take on Vanderbilt in Nashville on Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. The Rebels are hoping to get back on track against the Commodores following a major defeat in The Swamp against Florida two weeks ago.
It will be interesting to see how Ole Miss’ run defense stacks up against the Vanderbilt running game. Both units rank as some of the worst in the SEC, following the Rebel defense giving up 500 total yards to the Gators, including 300 on the ground.
However, the Rebels’ Week 4 defeat came from a run game that Ole Miss could not establish consistently. Superstar running back Kewan Lacy was out with an injury but will be back for the Vanderbilt game.
In his weekly press conference, Golding explained that even though Lacy is coming back, the Rebels will still try to use multiple running backs to prevent future injuries.
“That’s going to be a constant rotation based on how (Lacy) is and how healthy he is,” Golding said. “Even coming back, he’s not going to take the toll of 40 or 50 snaps.”
Lacy’s return will be good news for Ole Miss following its putrid rushing display against Florida. It should also help open up more passing lanes for quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the receiving corps.
On the Commodore offense, the team has struggled with consistency at the quarterback position. Freshman five-star recruit Jared Curtis has dealt with injuries, and senior Blaze Berlowitz started in Vanderbilt’s Week 5 contest. He threw for almost 200 yards, a touchdown and interception on the road against No. 2 Georgia. The Commodores lost that game, 38-14.
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea discussed Curtis’ injury concerns going into the matchup against the Rebels. He does not foresee a lot of issues with the young phenom.
“(Curtis) was able to practice today and, from my vantage point, was able to do that without much limitation,” Lea said in a press conference earlier this week. “He’ll still be a part of our injury report as we move through the week, but I’m encouraged by his progress.”
Golding and the Rebels are preparing to see both quarterbacks in the game.
“(We) have to work on both of them all week,” Golding said. “I think we’ll see both of them in the game, no doubt. (We will) probably see them both in the game at the same time, too.”
Regardless of whether Curtis or Berlowitz starts, running backs Sedrick Alexander and Makhilyn Young will be key players to watch. Neither Alexander or Young are particularly flashy stars like Florida’s Jadan Baugh or Louisville’s Isaac Brown; however, they could explode against the Rebels’ front seven.
Tackling has been an issue for Ole Miss, but the defense has lacked explosiveness. Outside of the LSU game, the Rebels have struggled to generate tackles for loss, sacks and other meaningful statistics.
Golding said he liked the way the team worked in practice after the Florida loss. The Rebels did a lot of reflection over the bye week. Hopefully, the team can be more efficient and do a better job of controlling the game.
“(The Ole Miss players) came back and responded the right way. Accountability and ownership come from everyone right?” Golding said. “Started with me first, but you can’t watch the tape and be able to see certain things and be OK with it.”
The front seven has been inadequate at stopping any opponent besides Charlotte, despite bringing in many highly valued transfers and returning high-level starters.
Vanderbilt has also been more productive on defense, totaling 14 sacks to Ole Miss’ six. Ole Miss has had 10 pass breakups compared to Vanderbilt’s 18. Overall, the defense needs to step up this game. The Ole Miss offense will always be able to score points, but if the defense gives up 30 or more points, it is going to be hard for this team to win.
Wilson Engeriser is a junior public policy leadership and rhetoric double major on the pre-law track from Fairhope, Ala. He is a Sports Staff Writer for The Daily Mississippian. He is involved around campus and in his free time he enjoys hiking, traveling and playing pickleball. He is also a huge Eagles and Bears fan.
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