Game Preview: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels hit the road this weekend as they open the Southeastern Conference season at Vanderbilt. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT with the game being televised on pay-per-view.

Ole Miss will look to rebound from a home loss against Missouri that showed some promise in the second half. Quarterback Seth Adams completed 23-of-43 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns in the last outing. The senior has completed 59 percent of his passes this season for 506 yards and four touchdowns.

The Rebels also enter SEC season hoping to continue the success they have found in the run game. Senior tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis is coming off a career outing in which he ran of 226 yards on 33 carries and a touchdown. It marked the first time that the New Orleans, La., native has rushed for more than 200 yards in a single game.

With Adams starting to find his stride in the starting role, the young corps at wide receiver has continued to show flashes of improvement. Junior Mike Wallace continues to lead the Rebels with 11 catches for 184 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Marshay Green is second on the team with 10 catches for 116 yards. All-purpose player Greg Hardy, who is dual-threat on both the defense as a starting defensive end and as a red-zone offensive threat at tight end, leads the Ole Miss receivers with in touchdowns with two.

“After looking at the film, obviously we are really impressed with the play of BenJarvus Green-Ellis,” said Rebel head coach Ed Orgeron. “The blocking of the offensive line is much improved over the first week.  The passing of Seth Adams really impressed with the way he handled the ball game, especially during the second half, and with the catching of our receivers, I thought they played one of their best games.”

Defensively, the Rebels enter the game with one of the SEC’s leading tacklers in Ashlee Palmer. The junior linebacker enters the game tied for the lead in the SEC with 24 total tackles, including 13 solo, 3.5 for loss, and an interception. Hardy and junior safety Jamarca Sanford are tied for third in league with 20 tackles each. Hardy is also tied for the lead in the SEC in quarterback sacks with two.

Vanderbilt is coached by sixth-year head coach Bobby Johnson. He has an overall record of 76-80, including a 16-44 stint with the Commodores.

Offensively, the Commodores are led by quarterback Chris Nickson. The junior has completed 24-of-44 pass attempts for 351 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. His favorite target has been wide receiver Earl Bennett. The two-time All-SEC receiver has 17 catches for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Jeff Jennings leads the Vanderbilt rushing attack with 20 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Vanderbilt has one of the SEC’s leading tacklers in defensive back D.J. Moore. Moore is tied for the league lead in total tackles with 24.

Saturday’s game will mark the 82ndmeeting between the two schools. Ole Miss leads the series 46-33-2. However, Vanderbilt holds a 25-20-2 mark in games played in Nashville, including a 31-23 victory for the Commodores in 2005.

The game will be televised in a pay-per-view package through TeleSouth Communications. Fans wishing to purchase the telecast need to contact their local cable and satellite providers for availability.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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