Ole Miss take on rivals Vanderbilt in Oxford on Saturday, with most expecting a win for the Rebels. Vegas has them heavily favoured, with a potential victory in the last annual Khaki Bowl taking them to 7-1 on the season. With tougher games ahead, complacency needs to be removed against the Commodores.
Ole Miss dealt with those usual post bye week blues by beating Auburn on the road. A potential banana skin on the schedule, the Rebels defense was excellent, with the offense doing enough in spells to ensure the victory.
The win made it 3 wins in a row, with their chances of an SEC Championship game a possibility if they can win out and Alabama slip up.
This weekend, it’s Vanderbilt at the Vaught-Hemingway stadium, with head coach Lane Kiffin calling on supporters to bring the noise, despite it being classed as a cupcake game.
“We’re going to need a big crowd. Our crowd has been great this year. Great kickoff time and great weather.”
— Brad Logan (@BradLoganCOTE) October 23, 2023
-Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin on the upcoming game against Vanderbilt pic.twitter.com/Cuu9NMizA0
The opposition sit at 2-6 on the season, losing their last six games. They are coming of their first of 2 bye weeks, with Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea needing a shift in performances to save the season.
Ken Seals will start at QB for the Commodores, with AJ Swann having a setback in his recovery from injury. Swann won the starting job for the first game of the season. However, he was struggling before his injury. Seals, a 4th year senior has looked a little more settled in his 3 starts. It was likely he would have started, regardless of the injury status to Swann.
The defense has been the big problem for Vanderbilt, giving up an average of 37.4 points per game. The way it has gone so far, it’s hard to think it will get any better against a Ole Miss offense who can flick the switch when needed.
If the switch is turned on for the full game, then the Rebels could reach the 50 point mark like they did last season. It feels the only thing that can stop them beating Vanderbilt on Saturday is themselves. Lane Kiffin shouldn’t allow that to happen.
Things you need to know for week 9:
Start time and how to watch:
Saturday, Oct. 28
Kickoff time is set for 6:30 p.m. CST/7:30 p.m. EST
TV at SECN
Betting Odds:
The Rebels are currently sitting at -24.5 point favourites
The total is set at 63.5 points