Ole Miss vs. Southern Illinois: Thoughts and Analysis

If BYU left fans uncertain of what type of team Ole Miss has this year, then Southern Illinois left them even more puzzled.

A week after the Rebel offense was kept out of the end zone, they managed to score five touchdowns. Another was added by a Jeff Scott punt return in the 42-24 win. After a solid turnout against a good BYU offense, the defense was shredded for over 400 yards against the Salukis.

While the coaching staff is still pondering which quarterback gives Ole Miss the best chance to win, Zack Stoudt has shown the most promise. He was an efficient 11 of 18 for 118 yards. Stoudt completed his first touchdown as a Rebel, but averaged just 6.6 yards an attempt. However, when he went downfield with the ball he showed the accuracy needed to at least compete with SEC defenses. A feat which is crucial because his receivers are not going to be wide open against SEC secondaries.

Randall Mackey played sparingly and showed signs of why he was probably set to be the starting quarterback had he not been arrested for disorderly conduct. He completed his only pass attempt for 18 yards, but did not look comfortable in the pocket. He was able show off his ability to move by rushing for a long of 25 yards.

Sophomore running back Jeff Scott played the best game of his young career scoring four touchdowns. The rebel ground attack, however, is still not as potent as they were potentially thought to be. They averaged a pedestrian 4.5 yards a carry. But even that doesn't tell the whole story. Countless times the offensive line was bailed out by either Scott's shiftiness or just his flat out speed. Bottom line is the blocking was very poor considering the opposition.

The young receivers will continue to get better. But they will face much stiffer competition in the weeks to come. Donte Moncrief is still very raw, but his athletic ability is becoming more and more apparent. The one thing Nick Brassell has is speed, which is obvious and as cliche as it sounds, he's unteachable. It's clear Ja-Mes Logan is the number one receiver on this team, but the offense needs another guy to step up and carry more of the load as well. If teams don't respect Ole Miss' passing game they will load up on the run.

Outside of four interceptions, Ole Miss' defense was simply poor. It's not a good sign to ever give up more than 200 yards of rushing, but allowing Southern Illinois to run for 223 yards is flat out bad. That means that their offensive line out-played our front seven. The 74-yard scamper Southern Illinois back Steve Strother had was inexcusable. The fact he went untouched up the middle is a scary thought and also a sign of bad coaching when you are exposed like that.  Here's a fact: The SEC is the most talented and has the most depth at running back in the nation.

On a positive note, Wayne Dorsey showed why he was a 4-star recruit intercepting a pass and recording the Rebels' only sack. Mike Marry led the team in tackles for the second week in a row with eight. He has played surprisingly well in the early part of the season. It's appearing as though his play is keeping stud recruit C.J. Johnson on the sideline.

The bright spot on the defense was the secondary, which is a very good sign. They were responsible for three of the interceptions the defense snagged. They also held Salukis quarterback Paul McIntosh to less than 50 percent completion. Charles Sawyer continued the good start to his season by recording his second pick of the year. Senquez Golson played, but showed his youth as he was beaten a few times.

Everyone knows Ole Miss has to play better. To expect them to blow people out of the water is not realistic. They play an opponent in Vanderbilt this weekend who is not a good team, but that doesn't mean the Rebels can walk all over them. They showed they have what it takes to beat a good team. After all, they were a couple plays away from knocking off BYU who probably should have won at Texas.

One certainty is that Ole Miss needs Brandon Bolden back. His physical running style will be essential when Ole Miss has to go through the grind of the SEC. Until then, the Rebels will continue to look for playmakers on offense. The defense needs to start playing as a unit. With no absolute studs, they have to be technically sound and can't afford to have mental lapses.

Saturday's game at Vanderbilt is big. Ole Miss has not started 1-0 in the SEC since 2004. That's a bad stat considering they typically start out SEC play with Vandy—a team who has won four of the last six against the Rebs.

I am a 2010 graduate of Ole Miss. Member of the football team (2006-07). Originally from Houston, TX.

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