GAMEDAY PREVIEW: Ole Miss vs. Kentucky

Oct. 2, 2010

TV: SEC Network | Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network (Sirius 218, XM 201)

OXFORD, Miss. - Coming off a 55-38 win over Fresno State, the Ole Miss Rebels (2-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) close their three-game home stand with a visit from the Kentucky Wildcats (3-1, 0-1 SEC) today.

All Rebel fans are asked to wear red for the game, which gets underway at 11:21 a.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. It will be televised by the SEC Network and can also be seen on ESPN3.com. Fans can hear the game on the Ole Miss Radio Network, Sirius 218, XM 201 or OleMissSports.com via RebelVision.

The MDOT parking lot on Old Taylor Road opens at 7 a.m. CT today, and the Rebel football team will have their traditional walk through The Grove at 9 a.m.

After dropping their first two home games of the year, the Rebels took care of previously unbeaten Fresno State in convincing fashion and will attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time this year.

"It is always good to come back out on the (practice) field after a win," head coach Houston Nutt said. "It feels good to watch that film, put it to bed, and now we get ready to get back into the SEC against Kentucky."

Led by Brandon Bolden's career-high 228 yards on the ground, Ole Miss piled up 425 total rushing yards against the Bulldogs, the highest total since gaining 433 against Tennessee in 1977. The Rebels racked up 578 total yards of offense in the game.

With his effort, Bolden vaulted into fourth place in the SEC in rushing yards per game (102.5). Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli ranks seventh in the league in passing yards per game (183.2) and pass efficiency (142.2), while he is third in total offense (238 yards per game).

On the defensive side, senior linebacker Jonathan Cornell is tied for the SEC lead in tackles per game (9.8) and ranks second in tackles for loss (2.0 per game) and third in sacks (0.75 per game).

Ole Miss will head into Saturday's game without the services of some injured players, most notably senior defensive end Kentrell Lockett, who suffered an ACL injury against Fresno State and is out the rest of the season.

"That last game we got a few guys hurt," Nutt said. "Kentrell Lockett, first and foremost, is a leader, and I hate it for him and for us. He has been a tremendous leader in the locker room, and has been a true warrior. We hate it for him and we're going to miss him."

Kentucky won its first three games of the year (at Louisville, Western Kentucky, Akron) before losing at No. 9 Florida, 48-14, on Saturday. First-year head coach Joker Phillips has his team producing 36.8 points per contest, good for third place in the SEC and just ahead of Ole Miss' 36.0 points per game.

Wildcat running back Derrick Locke is second among SEC players in rushing (118.8 yards per game) and all-purpose yards (173.2 per game). Do-everything receiver Randall Cobb is fifth in the SEC in all-purpose yards (131.8 per game) with 227 receiving, 111 rushing, 103 kick return and 86 punt return. He is also 3-for-4 passing for 45 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

"Joker Phillips has done a good job with this group," Nutt said. "They play hard and will be a faster group than we witnessed last Saturday. We are jumping back into the SEC. They run to the ball on defense and have been scoring a lot of points. Randall Cobb is a tremendous athlete. They really move him around and try to get him the ball in different ways. He is just a really good football player. We have to know where he is located at all times."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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