Kentucky Football Preview: Ole Miss Rebels
By Paul Jordan
GAME 5
10/2/2010 12:20 PM
MISSISSIPPI REBELS (2-2)
VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY STADIUM – Oxford, MS
TV- SEC NETWORK
Series History:
Ole Miss leads 26-13-1
RECENT GAMES:
2006: UK 31 Ole Miss 14
2005: Ole Miss 13 UK 7
Can you smell it? No one will acknowledge it, but there is a smell outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium that is akin to sulfur or rancid meat. No will will admit it, but the Mississippi too-cool-for-a-mascots reek of desperation and it is just week five of the college season. Ole Miss, after giving up 38 points to Fresno State last week need to get their first SEC win of the season. There is no way the fighting Houston Nutt’s can get off to an 0-2 start in the SEC. It’s kind of unfair to place the mantle of desperation on Nutt, who has delivered back to back 9-4 seasons in Oxford, but this season already features losses to Jacksonville State and Vanderbilt. A loss to Kentucky and a 0-2 start in the SEC will get the whatchamacallit fans hollering for some change.
OFFENSE
Is this the game that Jeremiah Masoli finally flashes his former Heisman potential? Could be. Lest we forget, Masoli was a Heisman candidate at Oregon until he was booted for repeated disciplinary reasons, and was able to play at Ole Miss under a NCAA loophole. On the field, the results have been mixed with Massoli passing for 733 yards and tossing 3 INT’s versus 5 INT’s. However, Masoli is a dual threat QB … and I know those three words send shivers through the spine of Steve Brown and UK fans. The last two games, Massoli has been extremely effective as a runner, amassing 163 yards on just 17 carries. I hate to be Mr. Obvious here, but Kentucky has to keep Massoli in the backfield and make him beat them with his arm and not his legs. Sophomore QB Nathan Stanley, ironically, is probably the better passer but he has not really seen any playing time since game one.
Brandon Bolden is a tough and serviceable runner, but in all reality, is a runner UK should be able to bottle up. Bolden has impressive numbers on the year, with 410 yards and 4 TD’s on the season, but in reality, 332 of these yards have been against Jacksonville State and Fresno State. Even on his “bad games” against Tulane and Vanderbilt, he did average 4.6 yards a carry, so while Bolden is capable or moving the pile. Bolden is not featured in the passing game prominently, but he is worth a couple of dumpoffs a game. Enrique Davis was sharing time with Bolden the first two games, but it appears the job is fully Bolden’s with Davis making the occasional cameo. He has had just 10 carries the last two games and averages just 3.5 yards a touch. Based on his 74 yards rushing against Fresno State, we may hear the name Jeff Scott some more. Scott had a nice 55 yard TD run versus the Bulldogs but averaged just 1.9 yards on his other 10 carries. Add in Masoli’s 219 rushing yards here, and you see that Mississippi is a team that is going to grind it out and test UK’s front seven.
Markeith Summers is the Rebel’s big play receiver and has the speed to get past UK’s secondary. He already has a 70 yard TD on the season and is averaging 23.5 yards per reception on 10 receptions this season. That average should scare UK’s secondary, seeing how often receivers have gotten free this season. Summers had no catches against Fresno State, however. Jesse Grandy is the poor man’s version of Randall Cobb for the Rebels as he is prone to rush the ball at least once a game. For the season, he has 9 catches for 133 yards, but also has a punt return for a TD, so he can be elusive. Melvin Harris is a pretty good possession type receiver and is averaging 17 yards a catch this season. Freshman Ja-Mes Logan is another name that can give UK troubles. He hauled in a 51 yard pass last week versus Fresno State. Throw in Brandon Bolden’s 9 catches on the season and you can see that Masoli has a plethora of targets. Don’t expect a lot of TE action though as the Rebel TE’s have just four catches on the year combined
DEFENSE
Traditionally, the Rebel’s defense has been rock solid, but that reputation has been lost this season as this unit gave up 49 points to Jacksonville State and 38 points to Fresno State. Even Vanderbilt’s traditional pop gun approach amassed 28 points. Kentucky has to be licking their lips looking at a defense that gave up 390 yards passing to Fresno State last week and one that is giving up an average of 140 yards on the ground.
The Rebels have to regroup up from after losing senior DE Kentrell Lockett for the season last week. The Rebs still have a pretty impressive defensive front though with Jerrell Powe and Lawon Scott manning the line. LB Jonathan Cornell is always going to find himself around the ball on Saturday. He had 78 tackles last season and already has racked up 39 this year in just four games.
If there is an area where this game can be won or lost, it is in the Rebel’s secondary. The Rebels have a very young corp of DB’s and it appears the Wildcats can catch a huge break with safety Johnny Brown more than likely missing this game with knee bruise. The status of Jeremy McGee (concussion) could leave the Rebels starting four freshman on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
All Jacksonville State jokes aside, this is a dangerous Mississippi team. They can put up points and their offense has plenty of playmakers. Their Achilles heel is their defense, which is on life support due in part to injuries. Kentucky is coming off a week of licking their wounds as well as their weaknesses were exposed and will be tested by the Rebels.
The key is going to be Kentucky containing Masoli and keeping him in the pocket. I would say that 45 yards rushing for Masoli is going to be a pretty good benchmark. If UK can keep him under that mark, they should win. If Masoli gets loose a few times and rips off a couple of long runs, everything could start to fall apart as it did in the third and fourth quarter against Florida.
Kentucky’s offense should be able to score at will. Chris Matthews is a mismatch waiting to happen against a young Rebel secondary and both Cobb and Locke should be able to have their way with the ball. Look for newly elevated second string running back Raym
ond Sanders to do his best Barry Sanders impersonation and rip off a long run or two.
This is a big test for Joker. Can he make his team forget last week’s humiliation against Florida and lead them into a road game at Ole Miss where Kentucky has been just 2-7? Here is saying we get a Florida forgetting performance from the Cats and UK wins 35-28 in a shoot out.
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