Ole Miss vs. SELA football 2019: Preview and predictions

Well, well, well, the Rebels figured things out on the offensive line and Matt Corral had him a helluva SEC debut, defeating the incredibly destitute Arkansas Razorbacks 31-17 at home last Saturday. Now, the Rebels’ attention turn to the 1-0 Southeastern Lions that are invading Oxford, Miss. this weekend.

Last week, the Lions were not able to play due to Hurricane Dorian ruining their home opener against Bethune-Cookman. In week one, they took care of Jacksonville State (who?) to the tune of 35-14 and are now coming to take on our fellow boys after an unscheduled week off.

The Rebel defense is getting closer and closer to earning their Landshark stripes back after holding the Hogs to one offensive touchdown and 2.3 yards per carry last week. Mike MacIntyre’s 3-4 defense has been night and day different from the 2018 version, ranking in the top 10 of Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings.

Offensively, the offensive line graded out much better, per Pro Football Focus. The running lanes were bigger, the pass protection was better, and the offense was as balanced as I’ve seen it in years. Matt Corral was named SEC Freshman of the week after throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns and Scottie Phillips had a career-high in carries (26) on his way to 143 yards and two touchdowns.

This week, Ole Miss will tangle with the FCS Lions and look to add another W to the win column on their way to preparing for Pac-12 opponent Cal next week.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Gray and Christoph carrying the load!

Red Cup Panel Predictions

Bob Lynch — Ole Miss 31, SELA 13

I don’t think SELA’s football team is as good as Ole Miss’, which is why I expect the Rebels to win the contest.

One Man To Beat — Ole Miss 48, SELA 14

The boys are back in town. Ole Miss covers the spread, the run game goes wild, and we get to see some back-up quarterbacks!

whiskeywednesday — Ole Miss 42, SELA 10

SELA finds a way to confuse the offense for a quarter or two, but then we pour on a couple of late ones.

TwoYardsandaCloudofEnricky — Ole Miss 35, SELA 21

Not as close as the score would indicate. We shut them down in the first half, but they score on our second and third-string defense in the second half. Dontario Drummond steps up at wide receiver with 90 yards receiving and a score and Snoop Conner gets the bulk of the carries and ends up with two scores and 180 yards.

Ben Woodhouse — Ole Miss 38, SELA 10

Matt Corral throws for 250 yards and three touchdowns.

Gray Hardison — Ole Miss 32, SELA 12

Because I need to know these things for financial reasons, SELA is ranked 155th in Jeff Sagarin’s ratings, which is just nine spots behind Vanderbilt (!!!). The Lions are not a terrible FCS team, but a team Ole Miss should handle, assuming we are not steamy garbage. Given that everyone is feeling well to quite well about themselves, and Cal, a potential win on the path to Birmingham/Memphis/Shreveport, comes to town next week, I foresee a relatively gross afternoon.

Zach Berry — Ole Miss 48, SELA 13

Get ready to see plenty of John Rhys Plumlee and Grant Tisdale in the second half. The Rebel defense, all things considered, has been pretty damn good the first two weeks and I expect them to turn in another great performance against the Lions.

Juco All-American — Ole Miss 38, SELA 10

Matt Corral hasn’t proven he’s a great quarterback yet, but he sure as hell is a quarterback who can do silly things to SELA.

Michael Borkey — Ole Miss 45, SELA 10

Could be closer because I expect Ole Miss to play a bunch of young guys in this one. Only goal this week is to stay healthy and get ready for a sneaky huge game against Cal next week.

Christoph Ludwig — Ole Miss 45, SELA 21

SELA, coming off a convincing win over FCS No. 6 Jacksonville State, will keep things interesting for a half, but Scottie Phillips and Jerrion Ealy have big second halves to help the Rebels pull away.

Nicholas Carr — Ole Miss 38, SELA 10

Rebs offense is humming and the defense pitches a shutout for three quarters before a late SELA touchdown lets them cover. But, this one is never close.

Grayson Weir — Ole Miss 42, SELA 17

Matt Corral and Scottie Phillips look like Pat White and Steve Slaton, Grant Tisdale scores from 50+, and the defense dominates. The walk-ons allow a touchdown late.

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How to watch:

Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Miss.
When: 3 p.m. CST
TV: SEC Network
Online streaming: WatchESPN