Featuring Dylan Rubino (@drubino11), Cody Thomason (@thecodythomason), and Maggie Mitchell (@MagSwag12)
Ole Miss and Vanderbilt have had polar opposite starts to the season so far. With Vanderbilt coming off a devastating loss to Temple to start their season, how motivated will the commodores be for this SEC matchup?
Dylan – History tells us Vanderbilt will give the Rebels a tight contest. With Vanderbilt coming off a loss to a team they were expected to beat, it may be hard to bounce back and knock off a top 15 team, especially in the Southeastern Conference. First year head coach Derek Mason will have his team fired up and ready to go for this one, but it all depends on the mentality of his players.
Cody – Vanderbilt has a history of playing Ole Miss well, but I could see it being difficult for the Commodores to bounce back so quickly after being shocked by Temple last week. I think Vanderbilt will still be motivated for Saturday’s game, but suffering such a big upset loss last week will definitely take some of the wind out of their sails.
Maggie – Well I thought Vanderbilt’s defense looked pretty good, the offense just made a lot of minor mistakes during their past game, a lot of turnovers, and those things are fixable so I expect they are very excited to have a chance to redeem themselves this weekend. They always seem to give us quite a bit of trouble every year there is no question about that, so I defiantly would never count them out.
What matchup are you most looking forward to seeing Saturday?
Dylan – I’m interested in seeing how the Ole Miss running game will fare against the Vanderbilt defensive line. Freeze came out and said one of Vanderbilt’s biggest strengths is the defensive line. The work-in-progress offensive line will have to step up big time to open up holes in the running game. Who gets the majority of the carries in the Rebel backfield remains to be seen. The front-runners are still Jaylen Walton and I’tavius Mathers, but Jordan Wilkins and Mark Dodson could see more carries this game.
Cody – I look forward to seeing how Bo Wallace fares against the Commodores defense. Wallace struggled against Boise State early, throwing three interceptions, but later bounced back and ended the game positively with four passing touchdowns. If Bo can cut down on his early mistakes and not try to force his passes, he could have a very productive game.
Maggie – As far as Vanderbilt is concerned I am pretty sure their freshman tailback Ralph Webb caught everyone’s eye last game and I am hoping to see our defense really answer to that and shut him out quick this weekend. Isaac Gross being back on defense is also of course very exciting so just seeing him hopefully get some good reps out there will be nice.
With linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche returning to the defense this week, what type of impact do you think he’ll have on the game and for the Rebels?
Dylan – I’m excited to see how the defense will play with junior linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche returning to the lineup. As one of the leaders on the loaded Rebel defense, Nkemdiche brings a leadership attitude and mentality that the linebacker core has been missing. Nkemdiche seemed to be bothered by his knee injury last season and wasn’t as affective. Nkemdiche return adds depth to the linebacker core and him returning healthy should make a big impact on the defense.
Cody – Denzel Nkemdiche returning makes the Rebels even deeper at linebacker than they were before. Last week backups Keith Lewis and Taylor Polk both played very well in the absence of Nkemdiche and last year’s leading tackler Serdarius Bryant. Nkemdiche and Bryant being back gives the Rebels outstanding depth at the outside linebacker spot. Nkemdiche looks to be fully healthy this year, and should add speed and hitting to the defense immediately.
Maggie – I am very happy to see Denzel back out there; the team just isn’t to their full potential with out those key players on the field. He is a very experienced and knowledgeable player and we need those players back in the mix to lead the younger guys and turn up the intensity levels.
What kind of impact does playing in two NFL stadiums to open up the season have for Ole Miss?
Dylan – Playing in two NFL stadiums to open up the season is a great way to expose the players to an NFL and big game environment. It also helps with recruiting and the exposure of the Rebel brand to possible recruits coming in the future. Rebel nation will travel well once again to Nashville and make things fair when it comes to the crowd being a factor.
Cody – Playing in big atmosphere games is certainly a great way to prepare the younger players on the team for big games down the road. Playing in the spotlight of an NFL stadium two weeks in a row should make the Rebels more comfortable in some of the more hostile away games this season such as playing LSU in Death Valley or battling Texas A&M in front of the famed “12th Man” crowd.
Maggie – I think it definitely gets the players more excited when playing in a professional stadium. It gives them a glimpse of the next level; it makes them realize they have to give 100 percent in order to stand out and to make an impact as a player.
