Vanderbilt Football Three Keys: Ole Miss

Vanderbilt faces Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford. Here are your three keys to a Vanderbilt win over Ole Miss.

By Steve Wright

The Commodores are on the road this week as they face a winnable SEC game in Oxford against Ole Miss. Vandy got back to winning ways against Northern Illinois last time out, a needed win after playing the likes of Georgia and LSU previously, while Ole Miss is coming off of a bye after losing 59-31 to Alabama.

Key 1 – Be prepared for either QB

Ole Miss starter Matt Corral didn’t play against Alabama due to bruised ribs suffered against Cal. In his stead, the Rebels started John Rhys Plumlee, a true freshman who rushed for 109 yards against the vaunted Crimson Tide defense.

In all the Rebels rushed for 279 yards against Alabama – the most by any team against the Crimson Tide in eight years – so it is easy to see why Plumlee might retain his position in the lineup. Either way, Vandy needs to be ready for a quarterback who can run as Plumlee will surely see the field at some point.

Key 2 – Shut down Elijah Moore

Even with that rushing onslaught against Alabama, it is an Ole Miss WR that is the show stealer for the Rebels on offense. Elijah Moore leads the SEC in catches with 32 after reeling in three more against Alabama, and he has done that without a single dropped pass on his resume this season. The Vandy defensive backs will have to know where Moore is as he is always going to be the primary target in this offense.

Key 3 – Keep making things tick for Riley Neal

Neal had his best game in a Commodores uniform in the win against Northern Illinois in Nashville on Saturday. The numbers weren’t gaudy, especially by modern college football standards, but Neal was an efficient 21-of-28 for 189 yards and a touchdown. The completion percentage is the key here. If Neal completes that number of passes this weekend – and one or two of those completions break for big gains – then the ‘Dores will be in a great position to win the game.

Saturday‘s game kicks off at 6:30 PM CT (7:30 PM ET). Watch on the SEC Network.

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