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The University of Mississippi Athletics
GAMEDAY PREVIEW: Ole Miss At Fresno State
10/1/2011 | Football
Oct. 1, 2011
Gameday Central | Scouting Report |
TV: ESPN2| Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network (Sirius 219, XM 200)
OXFORD, Miss. -- Two time zones and 2,000 miles away from home, the Ole Miss Rebels will be strangers in a strange land on Saturday night in California's Central Valley.
But after disappointing losses to Vanderbilt and Georgia, the Rebels (1-3, 0-2 SEC) are in need of momentum with the meat of the SEC schedule looming, and they will have little time to dwell on the unfamiliar setting when they tangle with the Fresno State Bulldogs (2-2, 1-0 WAC) at Jim Sweeney Field.
Kickoff is slated for 8:15 CDT, 6:15 PDT in Fresno Calif. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
The Rebels defeated the Bulldogs in a 55-38 shootout in Oxford last year--the first meeting between the two teams--behind a rushing attack that amassed 425 yards. Running back Brandon Bolden ran for a career-best 228 yards and scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) in the win.
The Ole Miss offense will hope for more success against the Bulldogs from a banged-up backfield that has been limited to a combined 119 rushing yards in its last two games, relying on sophomore Jeff Scott and a less-than-100 percent Bolden.
"We have not adjusted to that yet," said Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt. "That has been something we have relied and depended on. It has been really hard. We have to have a running game. I feel like Enrique [Davis] should be closer to full speed this week. Devin Thomas and Jeff Scott are playing well. Brandon [Bolden] keeps coming along. I hope we can get back to having our running backs in the game."
But the running game has also been bottled up due to an inconsistent passing game. After a solid first two performances, junior Zack Stoudt has struggled in his last two games, completing less than half of his passes and throwing six interceptions. Junior Randall Mackey has also seen playing time in three games, serving as a dual-threat change-of-pace from the pocket-bound Stoudt.
Having already seen a pair of star quarterbacks in BYU's Jake Heaps and Georgia's Aaron Murray, the Rebels will face another up-and-coming sophomore signal-caller. Derek Carr--brother of former Fresno State quarterback and number one draft pick David Carr--has thrown for 1,010 yards and nine touchdowns, while completing 59.4 percent of his passes.
Jalen Saunders is averaging 30.5 yards per-catch and has caught four touchdown passes in as many games. Rashard Evans leads the team in receptions with 21.
The Rebels will counter with a ball-hawking secondary that has tallied seven interceptions this season--already surpassing the total for all of last season. Charles Sawyer recorded his team-leading third pick of the year last week against Georgia.
Hardly a one-dimensional team, the Bulldogs return a speedy veteran running back in Robbie Rouse. The Rebels contained Rouse last year, holding him to just 22 yards; but the junior has posted three 100-yard games this season, including a 169-yard performance at No. 8 Nebraska.
"Derek Carr is an excellent quarterback," said Nutt. "They have good receivers and good tailbacks. You know that they are going to be hard-nosed and run the football. They were very similar last year. They are a wide open team and throw some good balls with precise routes. The timing between Carr and his receivers is very good. They are an outstanding football team. They gave Nebraska all they wanted and are playing with a lot of confidence."
Fresno State is one of two current WAC members that the Rebels have faced--the other being Louisiana Tech. The trip will mark the first game the Rebels have played in the state of California, and the furthest West they have traveled in program history.
"We can't look at the distance," said Nutt. "We are full-steam ahead. We are looking forward to a great trip. We are going to play at a beautiful stadium with brand new turf and it is a beautiful place. There can't be any distractions. We cannot worry about time zones. The bottom line is that kickoff is at 6:15 west coast time and we have to be ready to play."
