The 2-4-7 Preview | No. 6 Ole Miss hosts MTSU for another likely blowout (2024)

1. Run game

Ole Miss was just about perfect last week in their 76-0 win over Furman. But if we were to offer the opposite of 'rat poison', it would be that you'd like to have seen a little more from the ground. The Rebels did rush for 243 yards on 37 total carries (6.6 YPC), but more explosive outings from Ulysses Bentley IV and Henry Parrish Jr. wouldn't have made this as much of a topic as it has been this week. That being said, we believe those two will receive plenty of opportunities to put those early questions to rest in Week 2. I didn't buy Ole Miss selling the run game all last week leading up to the game, but against Middle Tennessee, I am.

2. Defense

Pete Golding's second-year defense in Oxford couldn't have asked for a better start. How is the Landshark defense going to follow up a Week 1 shutout? Well, it'll be something to pay attention to. Though their opponents aren't what they'll see in a few weeks here, the Rebels have been playing laser-focused. Defenders were flying all over the field last week to get to the ball, they wanted it badly last week and that was just the start. Back-to-back shutouts would be ideal, but I have this defense not allowing a touchdown again in Week 2.

1. Continued defensive domination

Picking up where we left off, Ole Miss' defense is bigger, stronger and just flat out more talented than Middle Tennessee's offense. If the Rebels are to comfortably pull this game out on Saturday, the Blue Raiders offensive line is going to look like Furman's, overmatched. Once the defensive line gets involved, it's only going to set up the rest of Ole Miss' defense for success, giving Middle Tennessee insurmountable fits on offense.

2. Let Dart dissect

Last week Dart had a first half takeover that propelled him to be a Heisman Trophy favorite on most sportsbooks. Very ideal and comfortable for the entire program when the face of the team only has to play a half of football, while playing fantastic in the process. It's the ultimate win-win. This week, the goal should remain the same: Rack up the yardage, touchdowns and watch the rest of the game from the sidelines.

3. Young core keeps foot on the gas

Once Dart and the rest of the starting core come out of the game — when they feel they've got in their necessary work — the young guys have to keep their foot on the gas. Nothing says a comfortable win like boosting confidence of the entire team and giving fans another look at the future. Austin Simmons led a couple of scoring drives, including a 35-yard touchdown pass on his first attempt, leaving fans optimistic about the future of the program once Dart is done. The reserves did it last week, why not again this week?

4. Pound the rock

As previously alluded to, if anything caught fans' eyes for areas of improvement, it was on the ground. The Rebels will likely share the rock again within the backfield, but stronger performances from the top dogs of Kevin Smith's unit would be settling in another win.

1. Ole Miss wins by at least 60 points

2. TJ Dottery records an interception

3. Three first quarter touchdown passes for Jaxson Dart

4. Rebels rush for at least 300 yards

5. Ole Miss defense goes second straight week without surrendering a touchdown

6. Juice Wells scores two touchdowns

7. Isaiah Hamilton takes an interception the other way for six.