Ole Miss and Its Tremendous Offense Hosts Middle Tennessee

The No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels (1-0) will host the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (1-0) on Sept. 7 at 4:15 p.m. EST at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. Head coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels look to build on an electric offensive performance from a week ago. The Rebels scored 76 points and accumulated 772 total yards of offense against FCS opponent Furman.

MTSU also started the season against an FCS opponent but experienced a much closer game than the Rebels. First-year head coach Derek Mason and the Blue Raiders secured the win in a close game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles by a score of 32-25.

What's at Stake?

Ole Miss needs to continue to play top-notch football even against inferior opponents to avoid the embarrassment a loss to a team like MTSU would bring. The Rebels must avoid complacency and continue improving their craft on both sides of the ball. Ideally, Ole Miss will finish this game without significant injuries, allowing players from the second and third teams to gain valuable experience.

For the MTSU Blue Raiders, this game is more about developing under the new coaching staff than coming away with a win. Mason can use this game as a master class in adversity and learn how his players handle it.

Key Players: Ole Miss

Jaxson Dart, Quarterback

Last week, quarterback Jaxson Dart completed 81% of his passes for 418 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he only played the first half. Expect Dart to play more than a half of football against MTSU while still having a phenomenal game.

Kam Franklin, Defensive End

Defensive end Kam Franklin had 5 tackles and 1.5 sacks a week ago against Furman. Franklin had a strong performance as a true freshman and may be able to work his way further up the depth chart with another solid showing.

Key Players: MTSU

Nicholas Vattiato, Quarterback

Junior quarterback Nicholas Vattiato completed 57% of his passes for 210 yards and 1 touchdown against Tennessee Tech in his season opener. Vattiato will need to improve his accuracy if the Blue Raiders are to keep this game competitive.

John Howse IV, Safety

Safety John Howse IV had the only interception against Tennessee Tech. The junior also had 5 tackles in the game. Howse IV could play a big role in slowing down the Rebels' high-powered passing game.

Trends to Watch

Ole Miss Running Game

Lane Kiffin has hinted there will be more focus on the running game against MTSU. The Rebels had little trouble running the ball against Furman but focused primarily on the passing attack. Establishing a strong running game before the start of conference play is key to long-term success.

Derek Mason: A Familiar Foe

Current MTSU coach Derek Mason coached in the SEC from 2014 to 2021 as the head coach of Vanderbilt and the defensive coordinator for Auburn. Mason coached against Kiffin at both Vanderbilt and Auburn, making them familiar with how each other operates. These insights could add some interesting wrinkles to this game.