Tyler Waldrep, sports editor of The Crimson White, joins The Daily Mississippian’s sports editor Brian Scott Rippee to break down this week’s game.
1. Ole Miss’ passing game is the strength of its offense. How do you see the Alabama secondary matching up with Ole Miss’ receivers?
TW – I think this is probably the best secondary the Crimson Tide has fielded in the last few years, and Ole Miss probably won’t find as much success in the passing game this time around. I expect quarterback Chad Kelly will go after the Alabama secondary’s lone newcomer, cornerback Anthony Averett, but he’s done a good job of holding his own so far this season.
2. Alabama prides itself on running the football, but Jalen Hurts has shown early on that he can beat you down the field with his arm. How has his early success throwing the ball added a different element to the Tide’s offense that Ole Miss may not have seen in the game the last two years?
TW- I honestly haven’t seen enough from Hurts yet to say that he is significantly better equipped to challenge the Rebels than former Alabama quarterbacks Blake Sims and Jake Coker. However, he will certainly be asked to do more if Alabama’s ground game continues to stall.
3. Hugh Freeze thinks the Alabama defense is both better and faster than it has been in the past. Do you agree with this and what have you seen so far from the defense?
TW- I’m not sure if this defense is better or more of the same, but it certainly looks faster. The front seven has spent the last few years working on slimming down and preparing to play fastball with teams like Ole Miss and Auburn and the results are plain to see.
4. What is an area on both offense and defense that you believe Alabama could hurt Ole Miss in?
TW- On defense I think the Ole Miss offensive line will find itself overwhelmed with the likes of Alabama pass rushers Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson and Tim Williams.
5. Score prediction?
TW- Alabama is the better team, but the Rebels’ defense on the road is a tough test for an offense led by a true freshman quarterback in his second career start.
Ole Miss 20, Alabama 13
Ole Miss 20, Alabama 13
The past two seasons it seemed to me like Ole Miss fans had faith their team could beat Alabama, but didn’t necessarily believe that was the likely outcome. Does that seem like a fair assessment and do fans have more confidence the Rebels can win this time around?
BSR- I think that is a very fair assessment, and I actually think it is the same feeling this year, but for different reasons. The last two years Ole Miss sort of used Alabama as a springboard to hurl themselves into the national spotlight. In 2014 it was “can they do it?” In 2015, the feeling was the talent and experience was definitely there across the board, but could they do it on the road?
Ole Miss began the year in the spotlight, and after getting off to the races in the opening half, it was exposed by Florida State in a stinging loss. I think the mood is still the same for this game because of what happened in the second half in Orlando that night.
What do you think the Ole Miss defense needs to do on Saturday to keep Alabama from moving the chains?
BSR- It has to pressure Jalen Hurts. As simple as that sounds, it will be crucial in order to take pressure off of its secondary that boasts two freshmen safeties and is without its most experienced cover corner in Ken Webster. I think the defense will be able to hold its own up front in the running game, but Hurts seems to have given Alabama a different element in the vertical passing game that it didn’t have the last two years. If he’s got time to throw against this young secondary, Alabama’s offense could be off to the races.
Has Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly improved since these two teams last met, and if so, in what areas, and how will that impact the matchups on Saturday?
BSR- Yes, greatly. Kelly came onto the scene in the final six or seven games last year. He’s more confident as a passer and really hurt teams with his feet down the stretch last year. I think his ability to extend plays with his legs will play a big factor on Saturday against a strong and quick Alabama pass rush. The game will look similar to its opener against Florida State in that regard.
What other offensive players (besides tight end Evan Engram) could give the Crimson Tide trouble on Saturday?
BSR- Before last week I would have told you A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf, a pair of true freshmen receiver. Metcalf is now sidelined for the year with a broken foot. Brown is built similar to Laquon Treadwell and Freeze has said he may be further along in his development than Treadwell was at this point in their respective careers. Van Jefferson and Damarkus Lodge are also two receivers that provide match up problems for most teams. The receiving corps is the strength of the Ole Miss offense. The Rebels are deep at this position and also very versatile.
Does the team seem to be treating the Alabama matchup differently this season, either in the way it prepares or the attitude it has?
BSR- I don’t think the team itself treats this game any differently. They’ve already been battle tested and took one on the chin on Labor Day. This team is in a delicate spot right now. It has dealt with injuries as well as hearing how flawed it is after being exposed by Florida State in a lopsided second half. While I don’t think they treat this game any differently, I do get the sense it feels like it has its back up against the wall in the midst of a brutal September stretch. I think this game will be pretty telling in how the rest of the season goes.
Prediction:
BSR- I think Ole Miss will put up a good showing at home– I really do. But its secondary let Deondre Francois throw all over them in the second half in Orlando, and from what Jalen Hurts has shown in the first two weeks, I’m not inclined to think any differently. Bo Scarbrough will eventually wear down the Rebels up front. Saban regains some sanity after losses the last two years and I think the Tide leave Oxford with a 31-27 win.
