It’s not often that you look at a non-conference matchup in Week 2 as a must-win game. But for Ole Miss vs Tulane this weekend, that’s exactly what it is for the Rebels. Not only is it a chance to pick up a Top-25 road win early (yes, Tulane is actually ranked), but it’s also an opportunity to announce themselves as contenders.
And it’s a chance to get the horrors from the end of last season out of their minds. Those horrors were a 1-5 finish following a 7-0 start. Sure, they played Mercer last weekend and caged the Bears, 73-7, but that was reasonably expected. This weekend’s trip to New Orleans is where the new gauntlet begins for the Rebels. A win against the Green Wave, and confidence begins to soar. A loss on Saturday, and you begin to look back at how last season ended.
Oh, and it’s an underrated rivalry for Tulane and Ole Miss fans alike. Albeit one that the Rebels have dominated over the past 35 years. Ole Miss has won the last 12 head-to-head meetings, dating back to 1989. The last win for the Green Wave came in a 31-24 victory in 1987.
However, the all-time series sits at 39-27 in favor of the Rebels. That’s reasonably close for a series that’s been played 66 times.
So does Ole Miss keep the winning streak alive on Saturday? Or can Tulane break the 36-year drought.
What To Expect
For many, when you hear Tulane, it is an afterthought. But don’t get it confused. What Green Wave head coach Willie Fritz since his arrival in New Orleans in 2016 is nothing short of remarkable. In the decade prior to Fritz’s arrival, Tulane had managed only one season of four or more wins. Six years later, the Green Wave went 12-2, won the American Athletic Conference, and knocked off USC in the Cotton Bowl.
Then, in last week’s opener, they beat South Alabama by 20. That’s a South Alabama team, mind you, that won 10 games last season. We’re talking about a Green Wave team that is riding high, on a five-game winning streak dating back to last season. And this matchup against Ole Miss is their biggest game of the year, excluding a potential New Year’s Six bowl, depending on how the season plays out.
The high-powered Tulane offense, led by veteran quarterback Michael Pratt, is sure to be ready, and could potentially be the determining factor in this ballgame. While it’s safe to assume the Ole Miss offense, led by Jaxson Dart and Quinshon Judkins, is going to put up points, the question is whether the Green Wave can do the same.
The Rebels are only one game into the Pete Golding era as the team’s defensive coordinator, so there’s certain to still be some kinks to work out. For instance, despite the huge win for Ole Miss last weekend, the defense gave up a 75-yard touchdown run on the first defensive play from scrimmage. That’s evidence of the growing pains.
If Tulane can take advantage of those, we could be in for a tremendous, high-scoring game.
Players To Watch
Tulane
For the Green Wave, everything begins and ends with Pratt. He’s a three-year starter whose numbers have improved every year in the offense. Last season, he threw for a touch over 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. And he did all of that while only throwing five interceptions. If that wasn’t enough for you, he can also get out of the pocket and run if he needs to. Last season, he added 478 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Sticking on the offensive side of the ball, keep an eye out for Jha’Quan Jackson. The senior wideout isn’t going to blow you away with his number of receptions, but he’s explosive when he does get the ball in his hands. He’s averaged 17.3 and 16.8 yards per reception over the last two seasons. And in the season opener against South Alabama last weekend, despite only catching three passes, he went for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, look out for linebacker Tyler Grubbs. The 6-2, 230-pounder transferred into Tulane from Louisiana Tech this offseason, and while he may be considered a bit undersized, that hasn’t affected his toughness. In two and a half seasons with the Bulldogs, he recorded 241 total tackles to go along with four sacks. With fellow linebacker Corey Platt Jr. likely out, expect Grubbs to handle even more responsibility, giving him the chance for a big day.
Ole Miss
For the Rebels, we’ve already mentioned the two leaders of the offense in quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Quinshon Judkins. But it doesn’t stop there for this loaded Ole Miss offense.
One other name to keep an eye on is Tre Harris. The senior wide receiver is in his first season in Oxford after transferring from LA Tech. In roughly two and a half seasons with the Bulldogs, Harris caught 106 passes for 1,527 yards. He also hauled in 14 touchdowns as a Bulldog.
It also may be worth noting that in his debut with Ole Miss on Saturday, Harris had six receptions for 133 yards and four touchdowns. The four-touchdown performance was good enough to set a single-game record by a Rebel receiver.
On the other side of the field, keep an eye out for another Ole Miss receiver. Senior Jordan Watkins is in his second year in Oxford after transferring from Louisville. In his first season as a Rebel, Watkins put up decent, but not great numbers. And then, in the opener against Mercer, he caught six passes for 111 yards. If he can keep that momentum going, expect him to be a common target for Dart.
And with Zakhari Franklin likely still out due to a knee injury, both Harris and Watkins should continue to see the majority of targets.
On the defensive side of the ball, we’ve previously covered the impact the defensive line is likely to have for the Rebels this season. But one other guy to look out for is linebacker Suntarine Perkins. As one of the key pickups in last year’s recruiting class for Ole Miss, expectations surrounding Perkins have been through the roof. In his freshman debut against Mercer, he delivered, recording nine tackles and a sack against the Bears. As he continues to grow and develop in the Golding system, he’s likely to become a real difference-maker.
The Bottom Line
In the days of the Arena Football League, one old adage that was often heard was “The first team to get two stops wins the game.” We could be in for something similar on Saturday afternoon at Yulman Stadium. With two electric offenses and two still-developing defenses, there’s a good chance points won’t be hard to find in this one.
But in the end, Ole Miss has more talent and better athletes, especially on the defensive side of the ball. While they’re still developing in a new system, the talent certainly appears to be there. And with an aggressive defensive coordinator in Golding, expect that defense to try to force Pratt out of the pocket and make him have to make plays with his feet. While he certainly can, expect one or two turnovers while trying to do too much to be the difference in this one.
Ole Miss uses big plays on the offensive side and manages just enough defense to get past the Green Wave.
Ole Miss 52, Tulane 34
Photo courtesy: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
