Ole Miss vs. Georgia: Complete Game Preview

The Georgia Bulldogs best not be caught sleeping when the Ole Miss Rebels visit Athens Saturday.

Defeating Florida in Jacksonville last week, the Dawgs are fresh off the biggest win for the program in several years. Georgia definitely needs to be on letdown alert against a much-improved Ole Miss squad under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze.

Ole Miss is similarly riding a wave of momentum after two straight SEC wins. The Rebels would obviously like nothing more than to come into Athens and shock the Dawgs en route to a third consecutive conference victory.

Game-Day Information

Who: Ole Miss vs. Georgia

Where: Sanford Stadium (92,746), Athens, GA

When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

TV: CBS

Radio: 750 AM WSB-AM, Sirius: 123; XM: 201

Internet: SEC Live on CBSSports.com, GTV on GeorgiaDogs.com

Depth Chart for Georgia

Offense

Quarterback: Aaron Murray, Hutson Mason, Christian LeMay

Running  Back: Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, Ken Malcome

Fullback: Alexander Ogletree, Richard Samuel IV

Wide Receiver (Flanker): Tavarres King, Rantavious Wooten, Chris Conley

Wide Receiver (Split End):  Marlon Brown, Malcolm Mitchell

Tight End: Arthur Lynch, Jay Rome

Left Tackle: Kenarious Gates, Mark Beard

Left Guard: Dallas Lee, Ben Reynolds

Center: David Andrews, Chris Burnette

Right Guard: Chris Burnette, Austin Long

Right Tackle:  John Theus, Watts Danztler

Defense

Defensive End: Garrison Smith, Abry Jones

Nose Tackle: John Jenkins, Kwame Geathers

Defensive End: Cornelius Washington, Ray Drew

Outside Linebacker: Chase Vasser, Jordan Jenkins

Outside Linebacker: Jarvis Jones, Jordan Jenkins

Inside Linebacker:  Amarlo Herrera, Michael Gilliard

Inside Linebacker:  Alec Ogletree, Christian Robinson

Cornerback:  Sanders Commings, Malcolm Mitchell

Cornerback:  Damian Swann, Branden Smith

Strong Safety: Shawn Williams, Corey Moore

Free Safety: Bacarri Rambo, Sanders Commings, Connor Norman

Special Teams

Punter: Colin Barber, Adam Erickson

Place Kicker: Marshall Morgan, Jamie Lindley

Punt Returner: Rhett McGowan, Damian Swann

Kick Returner: Malcolm Mitchell, Todd Gurley

Depth Chart for Ole Miss

Offense

Quarterback: Bo Wallace, Barry Brunetti

Running Back: Randall Mackey, Jeff Scott 

Wide Receiver: Donte Moncrief ,Terrell Grant

Wide Receiver: Vince Sanders, Ja-Mes Logan

Wide Receiver: Ja-Mes Logan, Philander Moore

Left Tackle: Emmanuel McCray, Derrick Wilson

Left Guard: Aaron Morris, Justin Bell

Center: Evan Swindall, Ben Still

Right Guard: A.J. Hawkins, Jared Duke

Right Tackle: Pierce Burton, Patrick Junen

Tight End: Ferbia Allen, Jamal Mosley

Defense

Defensive End: C.J. Johnson, Jason Jones

Defensive Tackle: Bryon Bennett, Carlton Martin

Nose Tackle: Issac Gross, Gilbert Pena

Defensive End: Cameron Whigham, E.J. Epperson

Mike: Mike Marry, Joel Kight

Stinger: Denzel Nkemdiche, Aaron Garbutt

Huskie: Dehendret Collins, Mike Hilton

FCB: Senquez Golson, Anthony Standifer

Rover: Trae Elston, Frank Crawford

Free Safety: Cody Prewitt, Chief Brown

BCB: Charles Sawyer, Wesley Pendleton

Special Teams

Punter: Jim Broadway, Tyler Campbell

Place Kicker: Bryson Rose, Nathan Noble

Punt Returner: Philander Moore, Jeff Scott

Kick Returner: Jaylen Walton/Randall Mackey, Senquez Golson/Jeff Scott

What Happened to the Rebels Last Week

With a last-second field goal to top Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ole Miss won back-to-back conference games for the first time since 2009.

This was a great win for head coach Hugh Freeze, who appears to have the Rebels headed in the right direction in his first season in Oxford.

Quarterback Bo Wallace had a very efficient day passing, completing 29-of-37 attempts for 278 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Wallace also had 11 rushes for 38 yards.

Although Arkansas put up better numbers on the stat sheet, the opportunistic Rebels found a way to win on the road, which is never an easy task in the SEC.

What Happened to the Bulldogs Last Week

Georgia also had a notable back-to-back performance last week as it beat arch rival Florida for the second year in a row for the first time since 1988-1989.

The landmark win put Georgia in control of its own destiny for a return trip to Atlanta to compete in the SEC Championship Game for the second year in a row.

Aaron Murray’s struggles against elite defenses continued; however, as he threw three first-half interceptions against the Gators. Still, Murray composed himself in the second half and had a very strong fourth quarter, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell.

On defense, a healthy Jarvis Jones continued his domination, racking up 13 total tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

What It Means for Both Teams

For Ole Miss, this would be a huge upset on the road and really show the Rebel fanbase that Freeze is the right man for the job and the program is becoming relevant again.

A victory would also make the Rebels bowl-eligible for the first time since 2009. While Ole Miss only needs one more W to go bowling, it’s hardly a given that the Rebels will get it. While they could get that win in Athens, certainly their best chance will be next week when the Rebels play host to the Vanderbilt Commodores.

For Georgia, from here on out every game is the most important game of the season to keep BCS National Championship hopes alive. A loss to the Rebels on Saturday would almost certainly eliminate any chances of an SEC Championship Game berth. This is a must-win for the Dawgs.

Key Player for Ole Miss: Bo Wallace

Bo Wallace has proven himself to be a solid quarterback this season who can make plays with his arm or his legs. Wallace is the Rebel’s second leading rusher and has five touchdowns on the ground so far this season.

At times this season, the Georgia defense has had trouble defending quarterbacks who can buy time and scramble when plays break down.

Wallace will need to be efficient through the air and on the ground to keep the Rebels in this game.

Key Player for Georgia: Todd Gurley

True freshman running back Todd Gurley had another 100-yard rushing game against Florida last week, his fifth of the season.

Look for Gurley to have another big day against an Ole Miss team that has struggled to defend the run so far this season.

If Gurley can get it going on the ground, it will set up the play-action pass for Aaron Murray and the Bulldogs should get back to their 40-points-per-game form from earlier in the season.

Ole Miss Will Win If…

The Rebels will pull off the upset if they continue to play opportunistic football and win the turnover battle against the Bulldogs.

The Georgia offensive line is a little banged up so Ole Miss will need to get pressure on Murray and force some bad throws. The Bulldog defense is coming off a huge game, so expect the Rebels to need some short fields to put points on the board.

Ole Miss will also need to have excellent play from their special teams to win. Georgia has shown lapses on kick coverage so a big punt or kickoff return could be the spark the Rebels need to come out on top.

Georgia Will Win If…

If the Bulldogs come out with even close to the intensity they had last week against Florida, Ole Miss should be out of this game early.

But, the question remains, can the Bulldogs maintain that ferocious style of play against teams not called the Gators? This game should be a very good indicator if the Florida game was a rivalry aberration or if Georgia has truly turned a corner.

Honestly, even if the Bulldogs come out a little flat, their talent should carry them to a victory in this game. But if they come out a lot flat, like they did against Kentucky, the Dawgs could be staring at a crushing upset.

But, again, if Georgia comes out fired up and ready to go, there’s not going to be much Ole Miss will be able to do to slow it down.

Prediction

Georgia is going to build off its big win against Florida and be ready to go against Ole Miss in Athens.

Gurley and Keith Marshall will both have a big game rushing. Murray will work off that success and have a big day passing to Tavarres King, Marlon Brown and Malcolm Mitchell.

The Dawgs defense, led by Jarvis Jones, will contain Bo Wallace and the Rebels’ offense. Georgia will get consistent pressure on Wallace and force at least two turnovers on the day.

This is going to be a lopsided victory with Georgia winning 42-10.