Middle Tennessee Gears Up for Ole Miss Challenge

The No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels are set to host the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday. After coming out with wins in week 1, both teams are looking to add another victory to their collection.

Winning Weekend

Ole Miss blew out Furman last weekend 76-0. It was not a similar tale for Middle Tennessee. Instead, it was a back-and-forth battle in their game against Tennessee Tech. The Blue Raiders had a hot start, scoring on the first drive of the game, with a 3-yard run from running back Frank Peasant. Though the momentum didn’t last, with the first quarter ending at 7-0. As the first half continued, it was only Tennessee Tech’s struggling offense that allowed Middle Tennessee to go into halftime up 21-5. The third quarter struggles for Middle Tennessee let the Golden take the lead 25-24. With only 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter, it took a 33-yard touchdown drive from Peasant to secure Middle Tennessee’s win over their longtime rival.

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Firepower Offense

The rebels No.6 ranking is largely due to a lethal combination of senior quarterback Jaxon Dart and offensively creative head coach Lane Kiffin. In the game against Furman, Dart became the first SEC QB since Joe Burrow with more than 350 passing yards in a half, racking up 418 on the day. He also set a program record for most passing yards in a single game.

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The only thing that might hold the Rebels back is their young offensive line; 26 Rebels made their Ole Miss debut in the Furman game. Despite the dominant win, even Kiffin expressed concern over offensive consistency going into the rest of the season and more challenging teams.

On the Lookout

Middle Tennessee Head Coach Derek Mason will rely heavily on his senior quarterback Nicholas Vattiato to keep his win streak in his first season coaching for the Blue Raiders. In the face of the Rebels strong and experienced defensive line, the main challenge for Middle Tennesse will be using their new, but promising, wide receiver Omari Kelly to break through. Kelly scored his first touchdown with Middle Tennesse and tallied a team-high 47 yards on four catches against Tennessee Tech.

The Ole Miss Rebels and Middle Tennessee will play in Oxford at 3:15 on Saturday.