After a rather disappointing 4-8 season the Rebels road to recovery clearly won't be an easy one. This might be considered the momentum matchup game. One team riding the wave up while the other one taking the elevator down. The cougs wrapped up its 2010 season winning 6 out of its last 8 games. On the other hand the Rebels lost 6 of its last 7 games.
Calling the shots will be new offensive coordinator David Lee. Those plays will be sure to often include getting the pigskin in the hands of Brandon Bolden. Last season the senior from Baton Rouge amassed a nice resume including 17 TDs with 1320 yards of offense. Ole Miss has an experienced offensive line is which allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC last season anchored by fifth year senior Bradley Sowell and Bobby Massie. They will be sure to help take the pressure off some JC transfers Randall Mackey, Barry Brunetti, and Zack Stoudt who will all be vying for the starting QB position. Mackey seems to be one of the more dynamic athletes on the team. Brunetti is transfer from WV who is clearly a run pass threat. The rebels could also look to Stoudt who is a pure pocket passer. Ole Miss certainly has some options in the stable at quarterback.
Are the rebels ready to show defensive improvement? Last season Ole Miss gave up over 35 points on the scoreboard and nearly 400 yards of offense per contest. Unfortunately, that won't win many games. New secondary coach Keith Burns was brought to help stop the bleeding and the rebels will also be relying on a pair of JUCO transfers to answer the call immediately. Heaps and his band of brothers will likely be chomping at the bit looking to test Ole Miss and often.
Ole Miss junior Tyler Campbell last season led the nation in punting with a 46.4 average and might be called upon often. The rebels added explosive Philander Moore from Blinn College who scored six TDs on kick or punt returns. Fans might recall the junior pyschology major had earlier went from a commitment with team north but had a change of heart to an Ole Miss signee after visiting the rebel campus.
Keys to the game? Stop the rhythm against whoever get's the start behind center for the rebels. Provide pressure on the rebel quarterback from the start and keep them out of sync. Don't let Bolden get into a groove. Ole Miss has a solid experienced OL but the cougs must find a way to keep the momentum in their favor. The jerseys in blue must also find a way to play keep away. Yes. That means winning the turnover battle. Last season Ole Miss was ranked 88 in the TO margin. If you don't have the pigskin you can't score. It's simple as that. Open the flood gates. Give some time to Heaps and trust him. Test the rebel secondary with frequent doses of the cougs receiving corps (yes that does include the tight ends which seemed to be almost nonexistent last year) while mixing in some shots of the cougs three horseman (Kariya, Di Luigi and the juice Quezada) to keep the rebels guessing. Last season Ole Miss ranked dead last in the SEC in pass efficiency defense giving up nearly 250 yards per game (246.3).
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