Game Preview: Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Florida

OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss Rebels return to Oxford this weekend to host the No. 3 Florida Gators. Kickoff for the game is at 11:30 a.m. CST with the game being broadcast regionally by Lincoln Financial Sports.

“Looking at Florida, obviously they are a great football team,” said Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron. “I know it’s going to be a tremendous atmosphere. I know our guys are going to be up to play a great game against Florida.”

For the Rebels (1-2, 0-1 SEC), senior quarterback Seth Adams started all three of the Rebels’ games this season but was banged up in the fourth quarter of the Vanderbilt game and did not return. Adams has been impressive so far this season, completing 59.1 percent of his passes for 660 yards and five touchdowns.

If Adams is unable to play, senior Brent Schaeffer could get the starting nod. The senior from Deerfield Beach, Fla., made his impact felt immediately against the Commodores, with his first play resulting in a 54-yard touchdown pass.

One area of strength for the Rebels is in the running attack. Senior BenJarvus Green-Ellis enters Saturday’s game with 371 yards rushing through the season’s first three games. The New Orleans, La., native currently ranks fourth in the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards per game with an average of 123.7 yards per game.

Junior receiver Mike Wallace leads the Rebels in all receiving categories. He has 15 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns this season. All-purpose player Greg Hardy has seen some action on offense for Ole Miss and boasts two catches with both going for TDs.

Defensively, the Rebels enter the game with two of the SEC’s top tacklers. Junior Jamarca Sanford is the league leader with 33 total tackles, including 23 solo stops. Junior linebacker Ashlee Palmer ranks third in the conference with 32 tackles, including 19 solo stops. Hardy, normally a starting defensive end, leads the league in tackles for loss with six.

Florida (3-0, 1-0) is both the defending SEC and National Champions. The Gators are coached by third year head coach Urban Meyer, who is 24-4 at Florida.

Offensively, the Gators are led by sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow. He has completed 45-of-61 passes for 835 yards and eight touchdowns. He has also rushed for five touchdowns and 192 yards on 43 carries. His favorite targets have been receiver Cornelius Ingram, Louis Murphy, and Percy Harvin. Harvin leads all of Florida’s receivers in yards with 215 and two touchdowns.

Defensively, linebacker Brandon Spikes tops the Gators with 29 total tackles, 17 solo. Dustin Doe is second on the team with 22 tackles. Kicker Joey Ijjas has not missed this season, connecting for two field goals and 23 PAT’s.

This will be the 22ndmeeting between the two teams. Ole Miss holds an 11-9-1 advantage over the Gators, however Florida leads the series in games played in Oxford by a margin of 4-2.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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