Previews and Predictions: No. 5 Ole Miss travels to take on Wake Forest in Rebels' First Road Game of Season

The No. 5 Ole Miss Rebels are on the road to play their first Power Four game of the season, coming against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem NC. It’s the third-ever meeting between the two programs and the first since the 2008 season.

Last week, Ole Miss defeated Middle Tennessee State, 52-3, in Oxford to improve to 2-0 on the season. The Rebel offense added another layer to it with an added emphasis on the run game that produced six rushing touchdowns and a 6.1 yards-per-carry average.

Conversely, the defense found a groove in stuffing the run, giving up only 28 rushing yards. Wake Forest enters the contest 1-1 after dropping its first ACC game of the season to Virginia in a heartbreaker last weekend. The Cavaliers took their first lead with 2:07 left in the contest and would hold on to win.

The Rebel Walk has put together a group of panelists who will weekly share their predictions for the upcoming game. Our panel brings a variety of backgrounds and perspectives that showcase many different point of views.

Game Details

- Kickoff: Saturday, Sep. 14th at 5:30 PM CT
- TV: The CW Network
- Radio:
  - OleMissSports.com
  - Memphis: WHBQ-AM 560
  - Oxford: WOXF-FM 105.1
  - Jackson: WFMN-FM 97.3
Betting Lines (as of Saturday morning)
- Ole Miss: -21
- O/U: 64.5

Our Leaderboard

Grayson Weir (BroBible): 5 Points (+1)

Tyler Komis (247 Sports): 5 Points (+1)

Adam Brown (The Rebel Walk): 5 Points (+1)

Kam Wicker (The Rebel Walk): 5 Points (+4)

TJ Oxley (The Rebel Walk): 5 Points (+4)

Zach Moreth (The Rebel Walk): 2 Points (+1)

Caleb Salers (Supertalk Mississippi): 2 Points (+1)

If you would like to read back and see what all each panel predicted ahead of last week’s 52-3 win over Middle Tennessee State, check it out HERE.

Panel Predictions

Scoring: Each panel member can earn a total of six points per week.

One point will be awarded for correctly picking the winning team outright.
Two points will be awarded if the predicted score is within 7.5 points total. There is a caveat to this. For example, if a panel member says that a team wins the game 21-0 and that team loses 0-21, the total score is technically within 7.5 points. However, points will only be awarded if the score is close to the prediction (i.e. – a score of 24-3 has a total of 27 and is within 7.5 points of 21).
Lastly, a panel member will be awarded three points if his prediction is correct.

With that being said let’s get to the predictions for Ole Miss’ first road game of the season against Wake Forest.

Grayson Weir – BroBible

Score: Ole Miss 45 — Wake Forest 13

Prediction: Ole Miss defensive front records 4.0 sacks or more

The Demon Deacons have one of the most explosive passing offenses in the country, but Hank Bachmeier is going to struggle as the Rebels’ defensive front is going to record no less than four sacks, including Walter Nolen’s first of the year. Wake Forest is going to move the ball late in the second half to make the score look slightly more respectable than it is after Jaxson Dart exploits a bottom-third secondary for four touchdowns. I expect Ulysses Bentley to be heavily involved in the passing game, especially on third down. Henry Parrish is going to average 4+ yards per carry when the defense sells out to try and stop the aerial attack.

Tyler Komis – Inside the Rebels

Score: Ole Miss 59 — Wake Forest 9

Prediction: Jaxson Dart throws for at least 375 yards

Another week, another big win. That’s what I’m predicting for this focused and intense Ole Miss group on their first game of the road. I think the secondary will be the group to watch against what’s been a successful passing Wake Forest team up to this point. The running back rotation is also something worth monitoring. It’s the Rebels’ first power four test for the year and I have them acing it… again.

Kam Wicker – The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 51 — Wake Forest 17

Prediction: Juice Wells records 100+ yards receiving and 2 TDs

The Ole Miss defense finally gives up a touchdown, but the Ole Miss offense is just too much to handle. A big day from Jaxson Dart puts more ammo in his Heisman Campaign and Juice Wells shows out in his return to the Carolinas.

Zach Moreth – The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 49 – Wake Forest 10

Prediction: Ole Miss defense holds Wake Forest to fewer than 110 rushing yards

Ole Miss will take down Wake Forest 49-10 in their first road contest of the year. You can expect another dominant performance from the Rebel offense including a huge game from quarterback Jaxson Dart. Defensively, Wake Forest will have to throw the ball and I predict they will rush for under 110 yards combined as a team.

Adam Brown – The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 56 – Wake Forest 14

Prediction: Henry Parrish has another great game running the ball for 125 yards.

Ole Miss will have another dominant performance on the ground on Saturday against Wake Forest. Jaxson Dart will also throw for three touchdowns and run for one. The Rebels defensive front will hold Wake Forest running game to less than a hundred yards.

TJ Oxley – The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 48 — Wake Forest 23

Prediction: The Ole Miss defense doesn’t allow a TD in the second half.

In a game where two high-powered passing attacks compete against each other, I’m taking the Rebels to come out victorious. The Demon Deacons have had a resurgence in the aerial attack with the addition of Louisiana Tech transfer QB Hank Bachmeier. It’s certainly an area to watch in this game and one in which I believe both teams will have some success. If you’re looking for something else to monitor, watch how well Ole Miss does in the pass rush. Virginia sacked Bachmeier six times last week and Ole Miss has six total sacks on the season. Because of this, I expect Ole Miss to really dial up the pressure and force the ball out of Bachmeier’s hand quickly, and in the second half the defense finds its stride, not giving up a trip to the endzone.

Caleb Salers – Supertalk Mississippi

Score: Ole Miss 42 – Wake Forest 13

Prediction: Tre Harris has 120+ receiving yards and 2+ TDs

The Rebels’ first road test will ultimately prove fruitful after the offense, led by veteran wide receiver Tre Harris, continues to click on all cylinders. Harris will continue his campaign as one of the top wideouts in the conference by hauling in around 10 catches for more than 120 yards and two touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, be on the look out for Ole Miss’ secondary to prove a point after bending a bit last weekend. Trey Amos and John Saunders will be disruptive and prevent Hank Bachmeier from airing it out consistently in the matchup.

TJ Oxley

TJ Oxley is the Vice President of Operations and the Director of Community Relations for The Rebel Walk. He is also the Director of Basketball Content and Senior Basketball Writer. He has over five years of experience providing in-depth analysis of college basketball through multiple platforms. A former MBA graduate of Ole Miss, TJ started with The Rebel Walk in 2019.