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Ole Miss Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Southern Illinois

By Connor Muldowney

HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: D.K. Metcalf #14 of the Mississippi Rebels runs for a 58 yard score after making the catch in the first quarter against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at NRG Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 01: D.K. Metcalf #14 of the Mississippi Rebels runs for a 58 yard score after making the catch in the first quarter against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at NRG Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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Ole Miss football opened the 2018 season with a win, but can the Rebels keep that momentum going against Southern Illinois in Week 2?

Just when you think Ole Miss might become irrelevant in the SEC, especially with no bowl game to aim for in 2018, the Rebels blow the doors off a Big 12 opponent like Texas Tech.

No, Texas Tech isn’t exactly what you’d consider an elite foe, but the Red Raiders do usually boast a top-tier offense and have one of the best defenders in college football: Dakota Allen. Ole Miss had no problem dispatching the Red Raiders, 47-27.

Jordan Ta’amu helped fans forget Shea Patterson, if they haven’t already, passing for 336 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-32 completions. The three-headed monster of DK Metcalf, AJ Brown and DeMarkus Lodge caught 17 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns as the offense rolled. The defensive, however, could use some help, allowing 486 yards to Texas Tech.

Southern Illinois will come to town, looking to carry the momentum over from a 49-10 drubbing of Murray State in Week 1. Can the FCS foe pull off the unthinkable upset.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Ole Miss vs. Southern Illinois game:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 8
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
TV: SEC Network
Live Stream: WatchESPN or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

I would say the key to this one is getting the receivers the ball, but I’m going to assume that’ll happen no matter what. Scottie Phillips will need to have his second big game on the ground, adding to his incredible start to the season as he’s currently averaging over 12 yards per carry. Get the run game going as this will help down the line.

On defense, the Rebels look to have a hard time doing much of anything, but they’ll need to shut down the aerial attack of the Salukis and keep them under 200 yards. The rest should take care of itself.

Defense isn’t Ole Miss’ strong suit, so the Salukis need to do what they did in Week 1 against Murray State as the only way they’re going to have a chance in this one is if they score 50 points. Unfortunately, Ole Miss’ offense can win those shootouts and even if Southern Illinois does reach 50, the Rebels might hit 70.

Betting Odds

Line: N/A
Over/under: N/A

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Prediction

Ole Miss is going to roll here, and it won’t be that surprising to see. The Rebels’ offense, led by Ta’amu, will finish with 350 yards through the air and that three-headed receiving monster will account for 250 of those yards. Phillips will add another 150 yards on the ground and this one will be over by halftime. A 2-0 record to start the year will look awfully good for the Rebels even without bowl eligibility.

Final Score: Southern Illinois 13, Ole Miss 55

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