Ole Miss’ 2015 NCAA campaign is off to a rousing start after it destroyed Tennessee-Martin by 73 points in its opening game on Sunday. The Rebels will look to build on that huge victory when they take on the Fresno State Bulldogs in an intriguing clash this coming Saturday.
Who will emerge victorious in this NCAA showdown? Read on below for a preview of this college football matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Notre Dame vs. Virginia and Hawaii vs. Ohio State.
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Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss Rebels Preview
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field, Oxford, Mississippi
The Fresno State Bulldogs made sure there won’t be a repeat of their horrible start last season as they cruised to a 34-13 victory over Abilene Christian in their opening game on Thursday. That was a much better result for head coach Tim DeRuyter, who saw his team stumble to three humiliating defeats to USC (52-13), Utah (59-27) and Nebraska (55-19) at the start of last season.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]The Bulldogs will have their work cut out for them, however, in their next game when they lock horns with the mighty Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels were simply unstoppable in their season-opening victory over Tennessee-Martin. To make matters worse for the Bulldogs, they have not fared well in recent meetings against ranked teams or Power Five Conference opponents. Fresno State has not beaten a ranked team since taking out No. 18 Virginia in the MPC Computers Bowl back in 2004.
For the Bulldogs to have a chance this coming Saturday, they need to improve on their passing offense. Fresno State’s passing game was inconsistent against Abilene Christian, with quarterbacks Zack Greenlee and Chason Virgil completing just 22 of 45 passes for 217 yards. That translated into a measly average of 4.8 yards per attempt.
The Bulldogs are 3-1 ATS in their last four road games.
How about that for a start? Ole Miss’ season took off like a super-rocket after the Rebels trounced the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks, 76-3, in their opening assignment on Saturday. That’s the most points in a game for the Rebels’ program since 1935. The Rebels’ 73-point win was their largest margin of victory as well in the last 80 years.
Chad Kelly repaid the Rebels’ faith in him as he looked comfortable and efficient in his first start. The Ole Miss quarterback completed 9-of-15 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns while also running for another score. It has been quite a journey for Kelly, who started his career at Clemson before transferring to East Mississippi Community College and eventually landing in Oxford.
Kelly was delighted with the team’s performance after the game saying, “It was a great day for the offense overall.” The Rebels – ranked No. 17 in the opening Associated Press national poll – rolled up 662 yards of total offense and recorded a whopping 10 touchdowns against the Skyhawks. Ole Miss had four players average more than 10 yards per rush, led by Jaylen Walton, who carried only three times but gained 65 yards and scored two touchdowns. The Rebels also had five players catch a touchdown pass, the longest a 57-yard bullet to Cody Core.
The Rebels are 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 home games.
