Ole Miss (1-1) at Kentucky (1-1) 6 pm EST Saturday, September 16th
Why to watch: With the meat of the SEC season ahead for both teams, barring an unexpected turn of events, this is probably a must-win for any and all hopes of a bowl bid for both teams. Ole Miss saw its promising start come to a crashing thud with a 34-7 loss at Missouri that showed just how far the program needs to go before it can contend for anything big. Kentucky got up off the mat after the 59-28 embarrassment at Louisville to thump poor Texas State 41-7. With a trip to Florida next week, the Wildcats can't afford to give away a winnable home game. Ole Miss gets a three-game homestand after this and would love to get back to Oxford on a high note.
Why Ole Miss might win: Kentucky's still a bit of an unknown even after two games. The defense has to prove it can stop a decent running game, which it wasn't close to doing against Louisville, and Ole Miss will try to run, run, and run some more with RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and QB Brent Schaeffer. Can UK handle Schaeffer's mobility? Probably not. UK's strength is getting into the backfield, but that's negated by Schaeffer.
Why Kentucky might win: The Ole Miss pass defense has been non-existent. It's not like Memphis and Missouri are Texas Tech and Hawaii, but they were able to throw at will on the porous Rebel secondary combining for 478 yards and four touchdowns. Kentucky might have major issues on both sides of the ball, but it can throw the long ball. QB Andre Woodson should have a field day.
Who to watch: In a game as even as this should be, field position will mean everything. Each team has a good punt returner who'll have to be gameplanned for. Ole Miss freshman WR Marshay Green has only returned two punts, but he has been effective taking one 37 yards and against Memphis and 11 yards against Missouri. He's also starting to grow into a decent receiver catching four balls for 49 yards and a score last week. UK's Rafael Little is one of the SEC's best all-around players, and he has picked up where he left off last year on returns averaging 24.6 yards per try last week. He hasn't been used enough on offense, but that will quickly change.
What will happen: The flash of the Kentucky passing game will turn out to be too much for the plodding Ole Miss offense to overcome. If the Rebels find any semblance of a passing game, they'll win. They won't.
CFN Prediction: Kentucky 27 ... Ole Miss 23 ... Line: Kentucky -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 skip the birth of your first born - 1 Dancing with the Stars) ... 2
While I do not think it will be that close, I do agree with the outcome. They give Andre props as the difference maker in this game. I would agree with that. Memphis and Mizzou do not have QB's as good as Woodson and don't field receivers as good as UK's. It will be a long night for the Ole Miss secondary. UK has to stop Green-Ellis and Schaeffer at the point of attack and hold the Rebel offense under 200 yards rushing.
Post #100.
Why to watch: With the meat of the SEC season ahead for both teams, barring an unexpected turn of events, this is probably a must-win for any and all hopes of a bowl bid for both teams. Ole Miss saw its promising start come to a crashing thud with a 34-7 loss at Missouri that showed just how far the program needs to go before it can contend for anything big. Kentucky got up off the mat after the 59-28 embarrassment at Louisville to thump poor Texas State 41-7. With a trip to Florida next week, the Wildcats can't afford to give away a winnable home game. Ole Miss gets a three-game homestand after this and would love to get back to Oxford on a high note.
Why Ole Miss might win: Kentucky's still a bit of an unknown even after two games. The defense has to prove it can stop a decent running game, which it wasn't close to doing against Louisville, and Ole Miss will try to run, run, and run some more with RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis and QB Brent Schaeffer. Can UK handle Schaeffer's mobility? Probably not. UK's strength is getting into the backfield, but that's negated by Schaeffer.
Why Kentucky might win: The Ole Miss pass defense has been non-existent. It's not like Memphis and Missouri are Texas Tech and Hawaii, but they were able to throw at will on the porous Rebel secondary combining for 478 yards and four touchdowns. Kentucky might have major issues on both sides of the ball, but it can throw the long ball. QB Andre Woodson should have a field day.
Who to watch: In a game as even as this should be, field position will mean everything. Each team has a good punt returner who'll have to be gameplanned for. Ole Miss freshman WR Marshay Green has only returned two punts, but he has been effective taking one 37 yards and against Memphis and 11 yards against Missouri. He's also starting to grow into a decent receiver catching four balls for 49 yards and a score last week. UK's Rafael Little is one of the SEC's best all-around players, and he has picked up where he left off last year on returns averaging 24.6 yards per try last week. He hasn't been used enough on offense, but that will quickly change.
What will happen: The flash of the Kentucky passing game will turn out to be too much for the plodding Ole Miss offense to overcome. If the Rebels find any semblance of a passing game, they'll win. They won't.
CFN Prediction: Kentucky 27 ... Ole Miss 23 ... Line: Kentucky -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 skip the birth of your first born - 1 Dancing with the Stars) ... 2
While I do not think it will be that close, I do agree with the outcome. They give Andre props as the difference maker in this game. I would agree with that. Memphis and Mizzou do not have QB's as good as Woodson and don't field receivers as good as UK's. It will be a long night for the Ole Miss secondary. UK has to stop Green-Ellis and Schaeffer at the point of attack and hold the Rebel offense under 200 yards rushing.
Post #100.
