Three things to watch for when Ole Miss plays Tulane

Ole Miss will host Tulane for the second time this season when these two teams take the field Saturday at Vaught Hemingway Stadium.

The Rebels dismantling of the Green Wave in September seems like a lifetime ago, but the players on both sidelines will absolutely remember the 45-10 outcome. There’s no doubt some motivation there for Tulane to prove it is better than that game though the Cup has boiled this game down to three things to watch for when Ole Miss plays Tulane on Saturday.

• Number One: This is two coaching staffs going in very different directions right now. Jon Sumrall is leaving his team to go to Florida next season, and you cannot tell me he is not mentally checking out day in and day out to Gainesville and his new program. It would be inconceivable to think his staff hasn’t begun looking for its next location as well whether it be UF or elsewhere. The players have to feel it in the preparation, but how much will it affect Tulane? On the same flip of the coin, new head coach Pete Golding seems to be doing all he can to keep things as similar as possible right now to the Lane Kiffin experience at least in practice and definitely not on Twitter or in hot yoga studios with college co-eds. Golding said he has allowed players more freedom with cleat color choices and maybe things are slightly looser to where players are feeling this is a new day and will play with reckless abandon for its new leader. How will Ole Miss’ players focus in during the biggest game in program history with a new coach and taped together staff? Both teams have plenty of noise to distract them, and the ones that handle it best could be given a little more of a competitive edge.
• Number Two: Tulane’s rushing offense vs. Ole Miss’ rushing defense. The Green Wave rushed for 179 yards on 39 carries in round one of this game for a 4.6 yards per carry average, which is right in line with its season average of 170 yards per game and 4.6 ypc. Its run game is what powers its ability to stay in games and win games with an average time of possession at nearly 31 minutes. Tulane wants a slower tempo to limit possessions in this game while the Rebels want them off the field as quickly as possible. Can the Green Wave find creative ways to run the ball and extend drives or will the Rebels control the line of scrimmage and pressure Tulane’s quarterbacks to use its less than fantastic pass game to move the ball?
• Number Three: There’s two names that pop up when you mention Ole Miss this season that define its success – Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy. Whether its fair or not, this dynamic duo in the Rebels backfield control a lot of attention from the media and opposing defenses. Chambliss has to replicate what he did on September 20 against the Green Wave (17/27 passing, 307 yards, 2 TD, 112 yards rushing), and Lacy has to be the go-to back that commands all the eyes of Tulane’s defense. Chambliss completed passes to seven different Rebels receivers in that game, and if Ole Miss can spread the Green Wave out, it should be another long day for Sumrall’s defense.