Critical Matchup for the Ole Miss Rebels as They Travel to Vanderbilt

The last time Ole Miss started 1-0 in SEC play was back in 2003. This may come as a surprise to some people considering the Rebels have two Cotton Bowl wins between that stretch. And when Vanderbilt is often your opening SEC opponent, fans would expect to start conference play 1-0 every year.

This hasn't been the case though as Vandy has knocked off Ole Miss in four of the last six meetings. Even more, since 1999 the Commodores have defeated Ole Miss three times at home. Simply put, there's no excuse for losing to Vanderbilt.

On paper, Ole Miss has more talent and depth than Vanderbilt. Not a surprise to anyone. Vanderbilt has not had any sort of passing attack since the departure of Jay Cutler. For Ole Miss, they are finding it difficult to break in a JUCO quarterback with very young receivers. Oh, and both teams are dead last and second to last in rushing in the SEC.

Sounds like a recipe for a low scoring affair right? Probably so, which is why field position and turnovers will be crucial. Ole Miss has one of the best punters in the nation in Tyler Campbell and the leader in punt return average with Jeff Scott. A big play in either category could end up being huge for the Rebels.

Even though Vanderbilt isn't one of the toughest places to play, Zack Stoudt will be making his first road start in the toughest league in the nation. However, the offense could potentially be bolstered with the return of Brandon Bolden.

Vanderbilt doesn't have the most speed in the SEC on defense, but they've got more than Southern Illinois. Hence, Jeff Scott will not be able to use his pure speed to run around defenders every play. The between the tackles running of Bolden could be crucial if he plays.

The most promising group thus far would have to be the Rebels secondary. That may be an accolade by default, seeing as no other unit has been spectacular. But, it's a huge jump from last year's group.

Vanderbilt hasn't exactly protected the quarterback, giving up eight sacks in the first two games. With that being said, the Rebels haven't exactly been putting pressure on the quarterback. Vandy signal caller Larry Smith is mobile, which is why Ole Miss can't be caught out of position.

Ole Miss could win by two touchdowns if they can run the ball and at least keep Vandy honest with a passing attack. The defense absolutely will have to play better against the run. The Rebels have yet to throw an interception, but will go against the best secondary they have faced all year.

Contrarily, Vandy will want to force turnovers, creating a shorter field. If they can convert on third-down opportunities and control the clock, it spells massive danger for Ole Miss.

As cliche as it sounds, tomorrow's game is one of the biggest for Ole Miss in recent years. A win, and they could potentially be 4-1 when Alabama visits Oxford. But a loss could send the Rebels into a wild tailspin and put Houston Nutt on thin ice.