The Rebels face a tough challenge in the form of FSU, but at least they have the more experienced quarterback to guide their offense.
Chad Kelly’s decision to stay for his senior year was a welcome development for the Rebels, who last season finished eighth in the nation in scoring offense with 40.8 points per game. Ole Miss has a reworked offensive line, one that lost Laremy Tunsil and three other pieces in the offseason, which might take time beyond the first week before functioning well. That said, Ole Miss is hoping Kelly’s experience will help compensate for any shortcomings of his protection unit.
Last season, Kelly was 10th in the nation in passing yards per game (310.9) and ninth in passing touchdowns with 31.
With Ole Miss’ offense not looking as solid as it was last season, its defense will have to step up against Florida State. The Seminoles’ offense is scary but they’ll have a new quarterback in freshman Deondre Francois who might cower under pressure, so Ole Miss must be able to capitalize every time Francois commits a mistake.
Ole Miss is 3-0 SU and ATS in its last three games overall.
Jimbo Fisher and the ‘Noles are setting their sights on no less than a College Football Playoff appearance. Their 2016 journey begins on Monday at the Orange Bowl, which is essentially a home game for them. They are 9-1 and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.
There are lots of reasons for the Seminoles to feel confident even against a tricky opponent like Ole Miss. For one, the Seminoles have Dalvin Cook, considered by many as the best running back in the nation. Priced at +1,000 to win the Heisman Trophy, Cook is going to be a headache for the Rebels.
With the likelihood that Francois will have his share of errors in this game, Florida State can always hand the ball to Cook, who averaged 140.9 rushing yards per game with 19 touchdowns last season.
Cook aside, FSU has other players to rely on offense. There’s the wideout duo of Travis Rudolph and Kermit Whitfield. Rudolph led the team last season with 916 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, while Whitfield wasn’t far behind with 798 receiving yards and six scores.
