1. With Florida’s inexperienced offensive line, how much success do you see the Ole Miss defensive line having Saturday?
Dylan- Experience is something heavily valued at a position like the offensive line. Since young players make up the Gators’ offensive line, the Ole Miss defensive line could take control of the game from the very first snap. The d-line has prospered even with the injury to Issac Gross and the depth at the position has shown ever since. The d-line for the Rebels includes a perfect mixture of power and speed and could show out early in the game. A freshman quarterback for Florida also helps the Rebels.
Cody- This could be the best game for the Ole Miss defensive line so far this season. The Gators have a young offensive line that should struggle with the speed and power of the Rebels’ defensive line. The Gators also have two quarterbacks who like to scramble, which could lead to some big plays but also some sacks when the ball should’ve been thrown away.
Browning- I see the Ole Miss defensive line having a field day on Saturday. The Rebels received a wake up call from Vanderbilt, as the Commodores were able to drive the ball on multiple occasions. Expect Robert Nkemdiche on the national spotlight to come up big for the Rebels.
2. What kind of game do you see Chad Kelly having against the vaunted Florida secondary? Especially against cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III?
Dylan- Chad Kelly made some bad reads against Vanderbilt. Those reads and throws can’t happen against an opportunistic defense like Florida imposes. The Gator defense has shown sparks as one of the best in the conference and is headlined by top cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III. Hargreaves is undersized at 5 feet 11 inches, but he has amazing speed, hands, athleticism and coverage techniques that make him the top corner in the nation. Look for the offense to attack Hargreaves with Laquon Treadwell, who has almost four inches on Hargreaves.
Cody- I expect another tough game for Chad Kelly. Vanderbilt did a great job against him, and while I think he will have adequately prepared for the looks he will see against the Gators’ defense, the sheer talent of the secondary should cause some problems for him. Vernon Hargreaves III is especially difficult to go against as he will be locked in against Kelly’s top receiver Laquon Treadwell and will do his best take away the Rebels’ best offensive weapon.
Browning- Chad Kelly certainly forced the ball a ton against Vanderbilt. That isn’t going to work against any other SEC team. Kelly was fortunate Ole Miss wasn’t playing another SEC team that weekend, or the Rebels may have taken the loss. Chad Kelly is going to have to be patient against this Florida secondary as we all know the Rebels have multiple weapons on this offense.
3. Will the close call against Vanderbilt serve as a wake up call heading into the Florida matchup?
Dylan- The Rebels seemed to not play up to their competition last Saturday against Vanderbilt. A performance like that cannot happen if they plan on leaving the Swamp with a victory. The Vanderbilt game was the wake up call that Ole Miss needed to power through the rest of the season. The team seemed to still be riding high from the Alabama victory, and it took away the focus from the Vanderbilt game. Every game needs to be prepared the same way in the SEC, and the Rebels found that out quickly. They’ll be prepared for the trip to Gainesville.
Cody- It should be back to business as usual after the upset scare that Vanderbilt gave Ole Miss last week. The team should be more focused against any team after their performance last week, especially against a 4-0 team in the top 25 like Florida. There’s no reason that the Rebels shouldn’t be very prepared for Florida and shouldn’t hold back at all on either side of the ball.
Browning- I believe that every team suffers a wake up call at some point in the season. Earlier this year, we saw Ohio State beat a Northern Illinois team by just one touchdown. I think most experts still believe the Buckeyes will still make the College Football Playoff. The narrow win over Vanderbilt was a lesson for Ole Miss. They can’t take anyone lightly. Expect Ole Miss to come out hungry early in Gainesville.
4. Ole Miss has played in front of a hostile environment at Alabama. Will there be any troubles Saturday night at the Swamp?
Dylan- There are a select few stadiums that provide a significant home-field advantage for their schools. One of those schools is Alabama. Another one of those home-field advantages is Florida. The Swamp is a historic place where the fan base is just as passionate as anyone else in the country. With the experience of the Alabama game under their belts, going into Ben Hill-Griffin Stadium should be no different. The noise and atmosphere may cause some difficulties for the offense early in the game, but that rust will kick off as the game progresses.
Cody- The Swamp seems to have a sizable impact on any away team that plays there. The good news for the Rebels is they performed excellently in Bryant-Denny Stadium against Alabama, so they should be comfortable playing in a tough away environment in a big game. The noise in the Swamp could definitely cause some troubles for the offense, but the team showed great poise against Alabama and should be able to replicate that on Saturday.
Browning- Any stadium in the SEC can be intimidating. The Rebels haven’t traveled to the swamp since 2008, but that shouldn’t matter too much. Ole Miss should look back on the LSU game last year to avoid any fear against Florida. The LSU crowd took Ole Miss out of the game, and Ole Miss will need to keep their foot on the gas pedal if they don’t want the same to happen against Florida.
