Postgame Points: Ole Miss 73, Fresno State 21

Point No.1: Winning Big

Akeem Judd rushes for yards against Fresno State. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland, The Rebel Walk)

The first postgame point this week is that Ole Miss picked up where it left off against UT-Martin and continued to light up the scoreboard against Fresno State. Winning big for the second week in a row, the Rebels routed the Bulldogs 73-21 to move to 2-0 on the season.

While the Rebels were heavy favorites to win the first two contests, not even the most optimistic fan could have envisioned Ole Miss putting up 149 points in that span. It marks the most points in any two-game stretch in school history and is the first time the Rebels have scored 70 or more points in consecutive games.

The Rebels hope the hot start will pay dividends this weekend at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Ole Miss, #11 this week in the Coaches Top 25 Poll, heads to Tuscaloosa to do battle with #2 Alabama in the SEC opener for both teams. The winner of this showdown will get an early edge in the ultra-competitive SEC West race. With ESPN sending the College Gameday crew to Tuscaloosa, it seems much of the nation will have its eyes on the Rebels and Crimson Tide on Saturday night. Among the 4 games matching a pair of ranked teams this Saturday, Ole Miss and Alabama figures to be the premier contest.

Point No.2: Potent Offense

DT Robert Nkemdiche (5) scored an offensive TD in his second straight game. (Bentley Breland, The Rebel Walk)

The potent Ole Miss offense continued to fire on all cylinders against Fresno State:

• The Rebels scored more points (73) than they ran plays (72) for the second consecutive week.
• Ole Miss compiled 607 yards of offense, with 392 yards coming through the air and 215 yards courtesy of the rushing attack.
• The Rebels averaged more than 8 yards per play and an astonishing 15 yards per passing play.
• Ole Miss converted 9 of 14 third-down opportunities against the Bulldogs.
• The Rebels went 6 of 6 in red-zone conversions, scoring 5 touchdowns and 1 field goal. With an offense that efficient, it is no wonder that Ole Miss only punted once in the game.

After 2 games, the Rebels are averaging 74.5 points and 634.5 yards per game. Regardless of the opponents, those numbers tell fans that the Ole Miss offense is off to a blistering pace to the 2015 season.

Breland Speaks led the Rebels with 9 tackles against Fresno St. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland, The Rebel Walk)

Point No.3: Opportunistic Defense

As good as Ole Miss has been on offense, the defense has been equally as impressive through 2 games.

• The Rebels held Fresno State to 316 yards on Saturday. The Bulldogs were able to generate a mere 163 rushing yards and 153 passing yards against the stout Rebel defense.
• Ole Miss stopped Fresno State 3 times on fourth-down conversion attempts.
• As well, the Rebels surrendered only 2 of 4 red-zone scoring chances to the Bulldogs. The defense showed it can make big plays in key situations.

Further, the opportunistic defense created 4 turnovers in the Fresno State game that led to 28 Rebel points. In fact, the Landshark defense scored as many points (14) as it allowed the Bulldogs offense (14) on the afternoon. Ole Miss recovered a fumble and picked off 3 Fresno State passes, 2 of which were returned for touchdowns. If the defense can continue to stymie opponents, the Rebels will stand a good chance of winning every Saturday.

Cody Core and Justin Bell celebrate Core’s TD against Fresno State. (Photo credit: Bentley Breland, The Rebel Walk)

Point No.4: Offensive Weapons

Chad Kelly had a standout performance against Fresno State. The Rebel quarterback picked apart the Bulldogs secondary, completing 20 of 25 passes for 346 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kelly added 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground, as well.

Kelly had a number of offensive weapons at his disposal on Saturday:

• Quincy Adeboyejo grabbed 5 passes on the day, good for 120 yards and 3 touchdowns.
• Cody Core snagged 6 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.
• Laquon Treadwell continued his comeback from last season’s injury by hauling in 5 receptions for 73 yards.

Point No.5: Defensive Stars

Trae Elston was one of a number of Ole Miss defensive stars against Fresno State. For the second consecutive week, Elston returned an interception for a touchdown. He contributed 3 tackles and 1 pass break-up, also.

Breeland Speaks led the Landsharks with 9 tackles against the Bulldogs, while C. J. Johnson added 2 tackles and a 70-yard interception return. Finally, Chief Brown recorded 5 tackles and took his interception to the house for a 22-yard touchdown late in the game.

(Feature image credit: Bentley Breland, The Rebel Walk)