Cameron Larkin
The Ole Miss Rebels (5-0, 1-0 SEC) will walk into Nashville with the utmost confidence after defeating then-No. 7 Kentucky (4-1, 1-1 SEC) at home. Despite their huge win, the Rebel players shared the mindset that their focus had already shifted to Vanderbilt.
Obviously, head coach Lane Kiffin was excited about defeating the Wildcats. However, he admitted that his team still has a lot to work on, so it will be interesting to see his coaching staff’s adjustments for Ole Miss’ first road SEC game of the season.
Although Vandy has been down for what seems like forever, Kiffin knows that there are no easy wins and no guarantees when facing an SEC opponent. However, the Commodores did not put up much of a fight against the two ranked teams they faced this season: No. 15 Wake Forest and No. 1 Alabama.
Now that quarterback Jaxson Dart has his first SEC game under his belt, his nerves going into his first SEC road game will be lessened. Dart had a phenomenal game against Kentucky, although the box score might not reflect it.
Dart finished 15/29 with 213 yards and one interception, but those who watched the game saw a completely different quarterback than the one who played the first few weeks of the season. Dart looked poised and decisive. He had complete control over the offense. Dart put together an efficient two-minute drill right before halftime. However, he ended it with an interception. In spite of this, fans saw flashes of the player Dart was projected to be.
Ole Miss has stars at nearly every skill position, and they can use Week 6 against Vanderbilt to continue building chemistry with their quarterback.
Quinshon Judkins and Malik Heath had 100-yard games against Kentucky, and they will look to build on this momentum on Saturday. Judkins continues to propel himself into the top running back conversations, and Heath is earning much-deserved recognition.
This week against Vandy, the Landshark defense can gain confidence against a struggling offense. It will be interesting to see how Ole Miss’ defense follows up its massive showing against Kentucky, but one thing is for sure: The Rebel defense is here to stay.
Jared Ivey caused this year’s most clutch turnover when he knocked the ball out of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis’ hand near the end of the fourth quarter, and the excitement from that play will have this defense itching to make as many plays as possible against Vanderbilt.
Ole Miss will take on the Commodores Saturday at 3 p.m. CDT on SEC Network, and the players would love to see as many Rebel fans at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville as possible.
