No. 11 Ole Miss hosts Vanderbilt in Homecoming Game: Four Keys to the Game

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss hosts Vanderbilt today in the Rebels’ homecoming game. While No. 11 Ole Miss is a whopping 24.5-point favorite over the Commodores, it is still an SEC matchup and Vandy knows how to play the Rebels tough. So with that said, here are four keys to an Ole Miss win.

Take Advantage of Vanderbilt Miscues

This season Vanderbilt has turned over the ball more than any other team in the SEC. The Commodores’ nine interceptions and five fumbles combine for a league-worst 14 turnovers. Ole Miss needs to take advantage of that today. 

The Rebels have forced 11 turnovers this season, tied for first in the SEC in that category and in turnover margin (6). They are tied for the lead in the SEC with four fumble recoveries. Quarterback AJ Swann, who has thrown seven interceptions, is no longer the starting quarterback for Vandy. Instead, Ole Miss will face senior Ken Seals this week. Part of why Seals is getting his shot is he has reduced turnovers compared to Swann. So getting a turnover early in the game would help the Rebels make a fast start on the Commodores who are coming into Oxford as a 24.5 point underdog.

Oh, and the last time Ole Miss faced Seals at QB? He was a Vandy freshman back in 2020 and in that game, Seals finished a blazing 31-of-40 for 319 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against the Rebels. 

Keep Pounding The Rock

Early on this season, the Ole Miss rushing attack struggled a bit. But the Rebs seem to have ironed out most of the wrinkles and now sit at third in the SEC with 189 yards per game. 

Today, they face a Vanderbilt defense that is giving up an SEC-worst 174 rushing yards per game. Quinshon Judkins has found the endzone on the ground in each of the last three games. In two of those three, he surpassed the 100-yard mark (177 vs. LSU and 124 at Auburn). At basically the halfway mark of his sophomore season, Judkins already ranks ninth in Ole Miss history with 2,134 career rushing yards. Jaxson Dart has also been a threat on the ground. He’s run for a total of 346 yards on 77 attempts, a 4.5 yard-per-carry average. He’s second on the team in rushing behind only Judkins. Dart ran for two scores last week at Auburn and owns the longest run of the season for Ole Miss with a 68-yard run against Georgia Tech. You can’t discuss the Rebels’ ground game without talking about Ulysses Bentley IV. He’s been a spark for Ole Miss and has tallied 327 yards this season on just 54 attempts — a whopping 6.1 yards-per-carry average. 

If Vanderbilt can’t stop the Rebels’ three-headed rushing attack, it could be a long day for Clark Lea’s bunch. 

Account for CJ Taylor and De’Rickey Wright

Vanderbilt has a stellar athlete on defense in CJ Taylor. He plays all over the field, lining up on the edge, in the box, in the slot, at safety and even as a corner at times. He suffered an injury against Georgia and could be questionable for today’s game against the Rebels. However, he has not yet been ruled out.

If he plays, keep an eye out on him. Taylor leads the Commodores in tackles with 52 and tackles for loss with 7.5. He is averaging 6.5 tackles per game. He is tied for a team-most two interceptions, two forced fumbles and is second on the team with three sacks. The Ole Miss offense has to know where Taylor is at all times and get a hat on him, not allowing him to make plays on the ball.

Another player to watch is Commodores’ defensive back De’Rickey Wright. He led the Commodores last season in pass breakups and interceptions. This season, Wright has totaled a pair of picks to match his two forced fumbles. He’s tallied 29 tackles, 18 unassisted.

Take care of business and don’t look ahead

It sounds like a given, but it’s not always easy. Regardless of the opponent, the Rebels need to focus on the task at hand — and that is winning another conference game to remain in the hunt for the SEC West. Last season, Vandy had a lead on Ole Miss at halftime, a fact Lane Kiffin mentioned a couple of times this week. The players who spoke with media this week, to a man, said they are not looking past Vanderbilt and know that the Commodores have some experienced players who can provide challenges.

This week the focus needs to be on going 1-0. It’s homecoming and the Lane Train is rolling….so let’s keep it rolling!!!

Hotty Toddy!