The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Vanderbilt
Game Primer: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt
11/17/2021 | Football
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#10 OLE MISS (8-2, 4-2) vs. VANDERBILT (2-8, 0-6) Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021 • 6:30 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium  |
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| Ole Miss Game Notes (PDF) • Vanderbilt Game Notes (PDF) • SEC Notes (PDF) | ||||||||
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Saturday will mark the 96th meeting between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt dating back to 1894.
• It is the third-most played series all-time between Ole Miss and its 2021 opponents (Mississippi State, LSU).
• The Rebels lead the series 51-40-2 overall ... The original record vs. the Commodores is 53-40-2, with wins in 2013 and 2014 by Ole Miss vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• Saturday's game will serve as Senior Day and student-athletes will be honored before the game.
• Ole Miss is one of six teams in the nation with two wins vs. the current AP Top 25.
• Ole Miss has forced a turnover in 19 of the 20 games during the Lane Kiffin era.
• The Rebels rank top 15 in the country in six separate categories: scoring offense (36.9), total offense (522.2), rushing offense (239.8), first downs (273), passes had intercepted (2) and turnovers lost (7).
• Lane Kiffin is 13-7 through his first 20 games on the Rebel sidelines ... He's only the seventh coach in program history (39 total coaches) to reach the 13-win plateau within their first 20 games at Ole Miss.
• The Rebels lead FBS in fourth down attempts (38) and are second in conversions (25).
• Matt Corral is one of only two FBS QBs with more than 15 passing touchdowns and at least 10 rushing TDs.
• WR Bralyon Sanders leads the SEC and ranks second nationally in yards per reception (23.8).
• DL Sam Williams has a school record 10.5 sacks on the season ... He's ranked fifth in the FBS in sacks.
• LB Chance Campbell is fifth in the SEC with 8.1 tackles per game.
• K Caden Costa's 13 field goals on the season are the most by a true freshman since 2006 (Joshua Shene, 14).
OLE MISS HEAD COACH LANE KIFFIN
Lane Kiffin (Fresno State, 1998) is in his second season at Ole Miss and helped lead the Rebels to four wins in their final five games in 2020, including a 26-20 victory over No. 7 Indiana in the Outback Bowl. Kiffin quickly turned the Rebels into an offensive machine last season. Ole Miss ranked top-20 in the FBS in nine different offensive categories, including having the No. 3 team in the country in total offense, shattering the school record with 555.5 yards per game. Kiffin is in his 10th year at the NCAA level and has posted an all-time record of 74-41. In December 2016, Kiffin took over an FAU program that had won a total of nine combined games over the previous three seasons. Kiffin proceeded to take the Owls to new heights over the last three years, including two conference titles and two 10-win seasons. In his head coaching stops at USC, Tennessee and FAU, Kiffin has shown a propensity in helping turn programs around. Kiffin graduated from Fresno State in 1998 after playing quarterback for three seasons (1994-96) for the Bulldogs. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Fresno State under Pat Hill in 1997 and 1998. He moved on to Colorado State in 1999 as a graduate assistant.
VANDERBILT HEAD COACH CLARK LEA
The 2021 season is the first for head coach Clark Lea, who became Vanderbilt's 29th head coach in December of 2020. A Vanderbilt alum, Lea returns to Music City, having coached in 10 bowl games, including two College Football Playoff appearances since 2018. Lea arrived in Nashville after serving as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator from 2018-20. While at Notre Dame, Lea molded a defense that led the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the 2020 ACC Championship Game by finishing the regular season 10-0 and with a No. 2 national ranking. Lea was also named one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, presented to the best assistant coach in college football. Prior to taking over as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator, Lea served as one of the nation's top linebackers coach at Notre Dame (2017), Wake Forest (2016), Syracuse (2013-15), Bowling Green (2012) and UCLA (2010-11).
COMMODORES SCOUTING REPORT
Winless in its last 19 SEC contests, Vanderbilt heads to Oxford with a 2-8 record on the season. The Commodore' two victories in 2021 have come over Colorado State and UConn and are coming off a 34-17 loss to Kentucky. This year, Mike White and Ken Seals have both seen action at quarterback. Seals has thrown for 1,173 yards and five touchdowns, while White has accounted 603 yards through the air and 305 on the ground with seven touchdown passes. However, the two signal callers have combined for 12 interceptions. Running backs Patrick Smith and Rocko Griffin have each rushed for nearly 300 yards on the season. Out wide, Chris Pierce and Will Sheppard are the two leading receivers with 496 and 466 yards through 10 games this season. In the red zone, Cam Johnson has also been a top target with four touchdown catches. Vanderbilt's opponents are outgaining the Commodores 4581-2976 and are averaging 20 more points per game. Linebackers Anfernee Orji and Ethan Barr lead the defensive unit with 71 and 69 tackles, respectively. They will be tasked with slowing down the electric Ole Miss offense.
VANDERBILT SERIES HISTORY
• This is the 96th meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.
• It is the third-most played series of all-time between Ole Miss and its 2021 opponents (Mississippi State, LSU).
• The Rebels lead the series 51-40-2 overall.
• The original record vs. the Commodores is 53-40-2, with wins in 2013 and 2014 by Ole Miss vacated due to NCAA ruling.
• Ole Miss is 25-6 in games played in Oxford.
• The Rebels have won three straight games in Oxford.
• Ole Miss has won six of the last eight contests on the field vs. Vanderbilt.
TENNESSEE REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features 14 players who hail from Tennessee: WR Kyndrich Breedlove (Nashville), DB Jalen Denton (Memphis), TE Jack Greer (Germantown), TE Luke Knox (Brentwood), DL Clayton Ladd (Brentwood), LS Jared Lawrence (Lebanon), TE Sam Murphey (Paris), P Charlie Nichols (Memphis), OL Joshua Pfeifer (Nashville), OL Luke Shouse (Nolensville), WR Sellers Shy (Memphis), DL Tariqious Tisdale (Lexington), WR Calvin Wilson (Thompson's Station) and TE Hudson Wolfe (Savannah).
SENIOR SALUTE
Saturday's game will serve as Senior Day and student-athletes will be honored before the final home game of the 2021 season. Some players that plan to be recognized before the game include: OL Ben Brown, P Mac Brown, OL Peyton Cox, WR Dontario Drummond, LB Lakia Henry, DB Jaylon Jones, DB Deane Leonard, DL Hal Northern, WR Jahcour Pearson, QB Tyrell Pigrome, LB Mark Robinson, WR Braylon Sanders, LB MoMo Sanogo, DB Keidron Smith, DB Jake Springer, DB CJ Terrell, DL Tariqious Tisdale, OL Orlando Umana and DL Sam Williams.
HOME SWEET HOME
Ole Miss heads into the home finale vs. Vanderbilt with a perfect 6-0 home record this season. A win over the Commodores would give the Rebels their first undefeated season at home (on the field) since 1992 when they finished 6-0 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss has never won seven on-campus games within the same season. Records show Ole Miss as 5-0 at home in 1993, but the Alabama victory was by way of forfeit due to NCAA rules violation by the Crimson Tide. Alabama defeated the Rebels 19-14 on Oct. 22 of that year.
SHOUTOUT TO SHUTOUTS
The Ole Miss defense has tallied four shutout halves this year (Louisville [first half], Tulane [second half], Liberty [first half] and Texas A&M [first half]). Prior to this season, Ole Miss had only played three shutout halves in the previous five seasons, spanning 58 games. The four shutouts are the most in a single season since the Rebels tallied five such occurrences in 2014.
NO HUDDLE, NO PROBLEM
The Ole Miss offense has been moving the ball up and down the field at an unbelievably fast pace under head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. The Rebels rank fourth in the FBS in number of plays per game (78.6), averaging a play every 20.8 seconds. Ole Miss ran a school record 101 plays on offense in their win at Tennessee. The previous mark was 100 plays in 2004 against Wyoming. The 101 plays run were tied for the ninth-most in SEC history and are the most since 2018 when Texas A&M ran 107 in a seven overtime loss to LSU.
SACK YOU VERY MUCH
While the Rebel offense gets much of the praise from week-to-week, the Ole Miss defense has proven very capable of gaining some attention of their own. Ole Miss ranks fifth in the FBS with 34 team sacks. With two regular season contests and a bowl game left to go, the 34 sacks are already the fifth-most in program history.
NEXT MAN UP
Injuries to some of its top receivers have forced Ole Miss to call on a bevy of different names and the wide receiving corps depth has shown through. The Rebels are the only team in the country with six different players who have registered at least one 100-yard receiving game this season: Dontario Drummond (177 vs. Louisville, 107 vs. Austin Peay), Jonathan Mingo (136 vs. Tulane), Bralyon Sanders (127 vs. Arkansas), Jahcour Pearson (135 at Auburn), Dannis Jackson (126 vs. Liberty) and John Rhys Plumlee (110 vs. Liberty).
BALANCED RUSHING ATTACK
Ole Miss is the only team in the nation with four players with 500 or more rushing yards this season (Jerrion Ealy [588yds], Henry Parrish Jr. [529yds], Matt Corral [523yds] and Snoop Conner [509yds]). No other team has more than two players over the 500-yard mark.
COSTA-MATIC
Kicker Caden Costa, a true freshman from Mandeville, Louisiana, is 13-for-16 on field goal attempts, including a 50-yarder vs. Arkansas. Costa is a perfect 8-for-8 on field goals less than 40 yards. His 13 field goals on the season are the most by a true freshman since 2006, when Joshua Shene connected on 14 successful attempts. He's the first Rebel to connect on a 50-yard field goal since Andrew Ritter made a 50-yarder against Idaho in 2013.
LEAVING HIS MARK
Mark Robinson transferred to Ole Miss as a walk-on running back from Southeast Missouri, but the Leesburg, Georgia, native made the switch to the defensive side of the ball at the end of fall camp last season. Robinson, who sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules, ranks second on the team and No. 12 in the SEC with 7.4 tackles per game. Robinson has tallied at least seven total tackles in five of the last six games. He set career highs in total tackles (14), solo stops (12), tackles for loss (5) and sacks (2) in Ole Miss' win at Tennessee. Robinson's 5.0 tackles for loss against the Vols were the most by a Rebel since Kendrick Clancy had 6.0 against Auburn in 1999.
TWO-HEADED MONSTERS
RB Snoop Conner ranks third in the SEC with 11 rushing touchdowns, while QB Matt Corral is fourth at 10 TDs. They are the first Rebel teammates ever to tally 10 or more rushing touchdowns in the same season. The 10 rushing TDs are the third-most ever by a Rebel quarterback in a single season. Conner currently ranks fourth on Ole Miss' career charts with 24 career rushing touchdowns.
REBS IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss ranks No. 10 in both the the Associated Press Poll and the Coaches Poll after their win over No. 11 Texas A&M.
• Ole Miss has been ranked in the top 25 all 12 weeks this season, which is its longest streak since being ranked for the entirety of the 2015 season.
• The SEC boasts five teams in the top 25, including top-ranked Georgia.
• The Rebels' were ranked to start the season (No. 25) for the first time since 2016 when Ole Miss started ranked No. 11.
FOURTH AND GOING FOR IT
Ole Miss leads the country in fourth down attempts (38) and rank second in conversions (25). The Rebels are converting fourth downs at a 65.8 percent clip. Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have gone for it on fourth down at least three times in nine of Ole Miss' 10 games this season. The Rebels have been perfect on fourth down attempts against Louisville (3-for-3), Tulane (5-for-5) and LSU (3-for-3).
RUNNIN' WILD
Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks No. 3 in FBS with 239.8 rushing yards per game. Lane Kiffin's offense has tallied 250 or more yards on the ground in four out of the last six contests. Matt Corral, who came into the season with seven career TD runs over the course of 24 games, is fourth amongst FBS quarterbacks with 10 rushing touchdowns. Snoop Conner ranks third in the SEC in rushing TDs with 11, Corral is fourth at 10 rushing TDs.
MAC BROWN RAISES OVER 145K FOR ALS RESEARCH
When he was in seventh grade, Ole Miss punter Mac Brown had a modest goal of raising $500 for a childhood friend's dad who had been diagnosed with ALS. Along with a group of neighborhood friends, Brown started a lemonade stand, Awesome Lemonade Stand, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, to help his friend's family. Ten years later, that $500 goal has ballooned to over $145,000 raised by Brown and his friends for ALS research. The Awesome Lemonade Stand is held on a late day in June, and this year's fundraiser raised nearly $45,000 alone. Brown was recently one of 22 collegiate football players named to the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
FEED SNOOP
When the Rebels are nearing the goal line trying to find the end zone, chances are very good that Ole Miss will look Snoop Conner's way. Seventeen of Conner's 24 career rushing touchdowns have been from five yards or less, including 12 1-yard TD runs. Conner currently ranks third in the SEC with 11 rushing TDs on the season.
GET YOU A QUARTERBACK THAT CAN DO BOTH
Quarterback Matt Corral is not only a threat to burn you with his arm, but as teams are quickly finding out, the junior signal-caller can also beat you with his feet. Corral has thrown for 2,774 and 17 touchdowns, while running for 52.3 yards per game and 10 rushing TDs. He's one of just two FBS quarterbacks with at least 15 passing TDs and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Prior to this season, Corral had just seven career rushing TDs in three seasons for the Rebels. Against Tennessee, Corral became the first Rebel to run 30 times in a game since 2007 when BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran 33 times vs. Missouri. Corral finished with a career high in both rushing yards (195) and attempts (30) vs. the Vols.
