By Elijah Klepczyk
Emmerich Newspapers.
Redemption for Ole Miss football, as the Rebels plastered Vanderbilt 52‑17 in Nashville after a much‑needed bye week.
The much maligned Ole Miss defense was the story of this matchup, as the team scored 24 points off of turnovers, and limited the Commodores to just 103 yards rushing – a stark contrast to the 300 yards given up in its previous game against Florida.
“I thought it was good to get back out there,” head coach Pete Golding said about the win, adding that “it wasn’t perfect,” but he thought the effort and intensity level from the team was much better this week.
Golding also mentioned that the bye week helped clean up a lot of issues he had spotted from their previous game against Florida, and that the adjustments the staff made seemed to pay off against Vanderbilt.
Even with the big win, Golding cautioned that “every week is independent,” and that the Rebels will still have to improve on their weaknesses if they want to accomplish their goals this season.
“We have got to keep them focused on getting better,” Golding said, adding that another tough test is coming just around the corner with them hosting Missouri on Saturday.
It may be another emotional game in Oxford, with former Ole Miss quarterback and current Missouri Tiger, Austin Simmons, making his return to the Vaught Hemingway Stadium.
Simmons has had the Tigers rolling, with a 5-1 record with SEC wins over Florida and Texas A&M in the last two weeks.
“He’s got elite arm talent,” Golding said about Simmons, noting that it is “scary,” playing him having first-hand knowledge of what the former five-star can do.
It will be a top-15 showdown in Oxford, with the Tiger reaching number 13 in this week's AP Poll and the Rebels holding steady at nine. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Nashville has seemed to be a good place for the Rebels to play, as they never trailed against Vanderbilt. The weather was no help to either team, and rain poured down for most of the game.
Despite the wet conditions, Heisman hopeful Trinidad Chambliss had an efficient day against the Commodores finishing his day 20-for-30 passing with 213 yards passing and three touchdowns in the air, and one on the ground.
Ole Miss went into halftime up 42‑3, fueled by a 28‑point second quarter sparked by three defensive takeaways.
The half’s biggest moment came when Suntarine Perkins scooped up a fumble and scored from four yards out in the final 30 seconds, and on the ensuing kickoff the Rebels recovered another fumble that Chambliss turned into a four‑yard touchdown to Michael Smith with 23 seconds left.
The second quarter collapse from Vandy effectively ended the game, and the Rebels were able to coast in the second-half to secure their second SEC win of the season.
