Ole Miss Looks for First SEC Win of the Season Against Georgia

There's no need to relive last week's loss against Vanderbilt. It was one of the worst for the program in the last 50 years.

What's at stake this upcoming week is perhaps Houston Nutt's job. Many rumors have been swirling around Ole Miss message boards the past week. Some perhaps true, but most probably not.

Whatever the state of the program might be, Ole Miss has to find a way to come together. If not, they will be blown out of the game early, again. Georgia sits at 1-2, and is very hungry. Similar to Nutt, Bulldog coach Mark Richt is fighting to keep his job.

Since Richt has taken over at Georgia, the Bulldogs are 4-0 against the Rebels, three of the wins being blowouts. The most recent meeting in 2007 resulted in a 45-17 victory. 

Bottom line, Georgia can flat out score. They average just under 41 points a game, good for third in the conference. Aaron Murray will be a future NFL quarterback one day. Forget about running back Isaiah Crowell being a true freshman, the kid is playing like the five-star recruit he was signed as. Either way, it's not as if Ole Miss is exactly stopping the run. They're allowing just under 200 yards a game, second to last in the conference.

Murray has two capable pass-catchers with tight end Orson Charles and wide out Tavarres King. And while Ole Miss' secondary has been the best unit on the team, they will face their toughest test of the season. Which is why it's crucial for the Rebels to at least contain Georgia's run. If Ole Miss has to throw an extra guy in the box, Murray will have a field day.

The Ole Miss offense has been non-existent the first three games. They have not put together any sort of running game. And no, Southern Illinois does not count as a formidable defense to move the ball against. The offensive line for Ole Miss has been one of the biggest disappointments in the country.

What has to be hard for Ole Miss fans and players alike to swallow is the fact that they've decided to decrease the playbook by 30 percent. This is a disguise for the coaches admitting the lack of talent on offense. Because to be honest, there's high school teams that run more complicated systems than the Rebels.

While I liked the arm of Zack Stoudt, he simply can't be the Rebels quarterback if he's constantly under pressure. His five interceptions last week were due to him being under duress throwing off his back foot.

For Ole Miss to win, they'll have to get some breaks go their way. They simply are not talented enough to beat Georgia straight up. Which obviously means it's imperative they force turnovers, while not turning the ball over. Georgia hasn't exactly been able to protect Aaron Murray giving up eight sacks through three games. If the Rebels can somehow come up with short fields to work with and eliminate the big play on defense, they just might be in this game by the fourth quarter.

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

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