The SEC is host to one of the biggest matchups in Week 8. Two of the top teams in college football face off as Ole Miss faces Georgia. Now it is time to make bold predictions about the Rebels as they prepare for battle with the Bulldogs.
Ole Miss has shown to be one of the top teams in the SEC, and sits at 6-0 on the year, while also being 3-0 in conference. The team opened the year with a victory over Georgia State before opening SEC play and getting a win over Kentucky on the road. Since then, they have defeated Arkansas, Tulane, and LSU. Last week, Ole Miss struggled against Washington State. The team was down after the first quarter and would lead by just three going into the halftime break.
The Cougars opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive to take the lead back. Still, an 82-yard drive late in the third quarter would give the Rebels back the lead. They would hold on to win the game 24-21, moving to 6-0 on the year. Ole Miss is 13-33-1 against Georgia all-time, but did win last year at home, defeating third-ranked Georgia 28-10.
Ole Miss starts strong
The Georgia defense has been solid this year. They currently rank 25th in the nation in opponent points per game while also sitting 29th in opponent yards per game. Still, the first half defense has not been as solid. While the Bulldogs give up 19.2 points per game, they give up 12.4 points per game in the first half, 58th in the nation.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss is 12th in the nation in points per game this year. They are scoring 37.8 points per game, with 20.4 of them coming in the first half. That is also good for 12th in the nation. Both Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy have been stronger in the first half of games as well.
This year, Chambliss has completed 57 of 82 first-half passes for 749 yards and three touchdowns. Lacy has been spectacular early on in games. He has run for 300 yards on 68 carries in the first half. While his yards per carry do go up later in the game, his production early on has been amazing. He has six touchdowns in the first half of games this year, including five in the second quarter. Ole Miss is going to get off to a strong start and set the tone for the game.
The defense keeps the Rebels in the game
While the focus for a Lane Kiffin team is typically on the offense, the defense has been great for Ole Miss this year. The Rebels are 24th in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 34th in opponent yards per game. The pass defense has been the best part of the team. Ole Miss is 25th in the nation in opponent passing yards per game while sitting eighth in opponent passing yards per attempt.
Zxavian Harris has been a massive presence for the Rebel defense. The defensive tackle leads the team with five tackles for a loss, while also having two sacks and three quarterback hits. Harris has even intercepted a pass and blocked a kick this year. Meanwhile, Will Echoles has also been a presence in the backfield. He has 4.5 tackles for a loss with three sacks. He has broken up two passes and hit the quarterback three times.
Ole Miss is great at getting pressure on the quarterback, which is going to be an issue for Gunner Stockton. He has been able to avoid sacks well and use his legs to escape, but often has to settle for checkdown passes, which will not work against Ole Miss. If Ole Miss can keep Stockton in the pocket, they will be on track for a great day. It starts with the two tackles in the middle, but defensive end Kam Franklin will also play a major role. He has just 1.5 sacks this year, but leads the team with 12 quarterback hits.
Trinidad Chambliss is the difference
Beating Georgia requires quarterback efficiency. Alabama quarterback Ty Simspson just showed that in the game with Georgia. While Jam Miller was stifled, running for just 46 yards on 16 carries, Simpson led the way. He completed 24 of 38 passes for 276 yards with two touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown on the ground. This gave the quarterback a QBR of 89.6. This led to a 24-21 Alabama victory.
Chambliss has consistently had games with a similar QBR. While he was at just 60.6 last week against Washington State, the team struggled as a whole, and he still went 20 for 29 for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran in a score. In his other three games in which he has seen the majority of the snaps, he has had a QBR of 87.1 or better.
This includes against LSU. While Georgia is 25th in opponent points per game and 71st in opponent passing yards per game, LSU is even better. LSU is fourth in the nation in opponent points per game and 47th against the pass. Moreover, LSU has given up more than ten points in just one game this year. That was against Ole Miss.
In that game, Chambliss went 23 of 39 for 214 yards with a touchdown and an interception. That is his only interception of the year. He also ran for 71 yards in the game. The quarterback was not expected to be the starter this year, but was thrust into the lineup with an injury to Austin Simmons. He has grown in confidence in each game as well. That will show in this one, as he has another major performance.
At the time of writing, the odds according to FanDuel have Georgia as a 7.5-point favorite. Chambliss is not only going to help Ole Miss cover, but also get the upset in this one.
