Keep an eye on 29
Ole Miss is going to have its hands full Saturday afternoon defending No. 29 Jarvis Jones, a junior linebacker. Jones, one of the top linebackers in the country, has been wreaking havoc on opposing offenses all season long. The Bulldogs move Jones around quite a bit and have enough playmakers around him to make teams pay for overcompensating against Jones.
With 49 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, nine quarterback hurries and five forced fumbles, the Rebels have to be extra aware of Jones on the field.
Rediscover the running game
The Rebels struggled against Arkansas running the football but had success splitting backs Jeff Scott and Randall Mackey out wide in the slot. Expect the Rebels to do some more of that, but they’ll also have to figure out a way to get the running game back on track.
If the Rebels are unable to run the football, it’ll be a long day for the Ole Miss defense, as it’ll be stuck on the field constantly against Aaron Murray and Georgia’s two really good freshman running backs, Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall.
Georgia ranks 46th in the country in yards per carry allowed at 3.77, so there should be a little room for the Rebels to run.
All hands on deck in the secondary
With no Wesley Pendleton and likely no Senquez Golson, the Rebels will be shorthanded at corner and in the secondary in general. Dehendret Collins has moved to corner from huskie and had a good week of practice there. Cliff Coleman will likely also see his snaps increase.
The Rebels will rely on younger players like Quintavius Burdette, Mike Hilton and Trae Elston to make plays in a shallow secondary. Ole Miss had some success disguising coverages against Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson last week, and the Rebels will have to throw the kitchen sink at the Bulldogs' Murray in order to give its secondary a chance to hang.
Free shot
Ole Miss has nothing to lose here. Much like the Alabama game, a loss won't hurt the Rebels. In this type of game, as a 14-point underdog, the Rebels can just show up, execute the game plan, play hard and see how things end up at the end of 60 minutes.
On national television in the 2:30 p.m. CBS slot, it’s another showcase game for recruits to take a look at the Ole Miss program. Even in a loss, playing well on the road against Georgia could provide a boost to Ole Miss’ recruiting efforts going forward.
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Hipp’s Tips: Georgia
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