Ole Miss vs. MTSU PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS | 2024 SEC Football

[Music] the Old Miss Rebels take on Middle Tennessee State knoxford as the non-conference Slate for the rebels continue we're here previewing predicting breaking it all down another Saturday in Oxford Mississippi hello everyone I'm Chris Phillips he's Cole Thompson I appreciate each and every single one of you tuning in make sure you like subscribe turn notifications check us out via podcast wherever you get your podcast you can also find us across all social media platforms as well as our website sec unfiltered.com we're brought to you by our friends over at game time download the game time app use promo code SECU for $20 off your first purchase again guys it's our friends at game time promo code SECU to get $20 off today the Old Miss Rebels welcome the Middle Tennessee State blue Raiders to Oxford Mississippi as the non-conference Slate continues for Lane kin's program and we are here previewing predicting breaking it all down I am Chris Phillips I'm joined my good friend Cole Thompson once again Cole what's going on my man I appreciate you taking the time yeah you know what we're gonna be talking about Dart NATO we're gonna be talking about the Heisman Trophy winner we're gonna be talking about the guy that has now tied Joe burrow for a record set in in a game uh we're going to be talking about an Miss Rebels team that showed dominance we're going to be talking about a team that has absolutely the top player in college football at his position and uh I'm not overreacting at all you know fir is a very solid team just don't miss is going to be a world class ass beater that defines the entire success of the SEC L kein I'm looking at you it's not rap poison it's confidence there's a giant difference young sir do not come at me in the comment section oh miss doing in week one what we expected 76 to nothing against the Ferman paladins and again this early non-conference late Cole we talked about it it's not in his disrespect folks it's just honest Old Miss probably the one of the only teams in college football that you feel like kind of plays a season so for lack of a better way of putting it kind of has a similar feel going into this weekend again kickoff at 4:15 p.m. Eastern the SEC network in Oxford Mississippi at VA Hemingway Stadium oh miss a 40 and a half Point favorite the over under set at 62 and a half uh these teams have met once before Cole Old Miss leads the series 10 the last meeting in 2001 Old Miss won that game 45 to 17 as we talk the blue Raiders Cole there's a familiar face on Middle Tennessee State sideline Derek Mason is in year one as the head coach of course previously the head coach at Vanderbilt he spent some time with SEC network and in true typical football guy fashion just had to get back on the sidelines uh Middle Tennessee State beat Tennessee Tech 32 to 25 in their season open of their quarterback Nicholas veto I may be pronounce mispronouncing that uh he is their qb1 went 20 to 35 one TD one pick in the opener javante Sherman their top weapon at wide receiver Omari Kelly uh the leading wide receiver though in week one very inexperienced on defense Cole just two starters are back this season so as we turn our attention to breaking down this game a lack of a better way of putting it Cole this is this is another tuneup game for Old Miss let's just call it for what it is all due respect to Derrik Mason that a great job on SEC network he did a great job at Vandy love Derek Mason got nothing but love and respect for him uh they are overmatched I they they are outmatch I mean let's just call it for what it is right the 40 and a half my my my my eyes go to the spread coal I don't think that's enough man I don't I don't think that is it 40 and a half in the first half because yeah that's that's kind of how old Miss is operating right now let's just go ahead and also give a little bit of credit to Derrick Mason he's taking over a program that is completely changing the identity of its culture because of what have we known about the blue Raiders they've been ran for decades by Rick stockto so this is a brand new era of middle Tennesseee State football and it's one that's going to come with its trials and tribulations and it's one that's going to have its gripes you want to see a change of direction for this program moving forward because if you were tired of being a middle pack team in your conference so it's G to be a battle it's always going to be a battle I think that we knew this and I will say this from the level of competition that you face off against it will differ from Ferman it will be a little bit more potent it will be a little bit more sturdy it doesn't mean that the results are going to be any different but the game planning you still have to stay ahead of the eightball if you are old miss the last thing that you want to do is feel complacent going into the first half of a game because of yes the talent is there yes we know what the expectations are and yes we know what the expected score should be the problem is Chris is that when you play such a relaxed early schedule when you play these type of performances it's very easy to find yourself falling behind trailing giving your entire best leaving about 80% left on the field instead the whole 100 Trey Harris said after the game against Ferman that we are making sure that we are crossing our te's dotting our eyes we are making sure that we are a team that is going to be prepared we are not being complacent you can't be complacent against any opponent because of when that matchup comes against Kentucky when that match up comes against South Carolina when you're preparing to face off against LSU in Death Valley a place where dreams go to die these are the type of games that you need to be prepared for because of you're setting a standard on what to expect in the first quarter against an opponent that actually could give you some fits Cole I'm gonna steal your thunder a little bit when it comes to Dart NATO because I'm gonna talk about Jackson Dart I don't I don't give a damn who the opponent is I think what we saw against Ferman are why so many like yourself like myself as well sprinkled a little jingle on those Jackson Dart Heisman odds because it is an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side and then you've got a guy in Jackson Dart who knows how to utilize it all you know he talked after the game about how comfortable he is in the offense and you know behind that offensive line and with the weapons he has Cole again I don't care who the opponent is 22 of 27 for 418 yards and six total touchdowns at halftime he had that at halftime it was 52 nothing at half half time what you saw on Saturday against Ferman is why people are buying into the whole Jackson Dart for Heisman campaign he's got the weapons around him he's got the skill set now he's building the confidence early on the season again opponent be damned you have that type of performance and you're clicking on all those cylinders and you're getting guys involved and you know you've got your new pieces you're getting involved like juice Wells I believe Cole what we could have seen on Saturday against Ferman was the start of Jackson darts run inevitably to the Heisman Trophy like he's he he's that caliber a guy yes this is overreact to week one yes it was against Ferman but you put together those type of performances he's gonna stack these performances early in the season that dude is g to be riding with so much confidence going into SEC play good luck SEC defense is slowing down this train so Dart NATO as you say Jackson Dart for Heisman let's get the campaign started early because what this dude is doing what he did and what he's going to do I don't see anybody slowing it down the thing you said though the higher the rise the longer the Fall From Grace that confidence level could be at an alltime Peak and then it takes one blundering defensive performance to be a shut out to watch people come back to reality but he ain't coming back to reality Chris I have been high on this kid since last year when he played against a Penn State Defense in the peach bow and said I want to come on back I want to have a last Dan moment I know what this atmosphere is going to be like for me I'm not satisfied with an 11- win season and you want know what the beauty of nil is a moment like this where a program like Old Miss is probably watching a Trey Harris go get drafted they're probably watching a Kaden prior and test his luck at the NFL level they're probably watching a Jackson Dart go from being a guy that's maybe a future day two pick to Flying under the radar but still getting his opportunity to make it at the NFL this is what the beauty of nil is you get to see these programs keep talents that are very hard to come by stick around and I am not gonna say let's get this campaign started Christopher no no sweet Chris I have been campaigning for weeks at this point pay attention to number two down Knox for Mississippi he's got the Weaponry he's got the Arsenal he's got the Playbook he's got the performances I don't care that it's FCS Ferman you start playing at this level people are paying attention first time since 2019 when a whipper snapper by the name of Joe burrow decided to deliver a performance of a lifetime has some quarterback in the SEC thrown for 350 yards and scored five touchdowns in a half and those numbers are going to continue to stockpile to where you look at when he does play in those Big Time games those Prime Time moments if he has numbers that are sufficient enough with the numbers in these other what we would call probably underwhelming games it's enough to sing it to the Big Apple and I'm going to tell you what you build that confidence level up there is nothing to be said I have compared this and I'm sorry that my neoism is kicking in I don't really care it's Jackson Dart this is my guy this is D Nat this is Dart NATO 2.0 we we we are embracing what is the land shark equivalent of a tornado that comes to Oxford Mississippi it feels like at this point Lane kein is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jackson Dart is a Skywalker in Revenge of the SI I have nothing left to teach you he has nothing left to teach number two what number two's got to do is prove why he is the number one passer in the SEC I said at the start of the Season we did our quarterback rankings I don't know who you had at number one I did tiers I said there was one tier Heisman worthy was Jackson Dart so far Cole TOS sit down one and0 in that stance yeah Cole I'm kind of to the point where I don't care if it's an overreaction you mentioned Joe burrow and that 19 LSU team and I'm I'm not going to go as far as to say they are but they have like a very similar they have the makings of a team like that they do really like it's just dude after dude after dude um you know this game against Middle Tennessee State Old Miss is gonna win Cole we know that um I'm I'm excited to see more from ulyses Bentley and Henry Parish the two running backs I mean you know they they gave the rock to so many different guys man they ran for 243 Bentley had six carries for 23 yards Paris Jr eight carries for 40 um you know even Jackson Dart had six for 27 in a touch rush so I mean it's they have so many guys even Rashad Amos got in on the action three carries for 10 yards right um know then you look at the wide receivers you know what juice Wells was a guy coming from South Carolina that Gamecock folks made the jokes about him like not being healthy and not playing two catches for 70 yards and a touchdown he looked pretty damn good to me so if juice Wells Cole like we knew juice Wells was out of this Old Miss team but but if juice Wells is at the level he was in 2022 he was regarded as the best receiver in the conference coming into last year and you add him to the the weapons you already have and Trey Harris I mean went off eight for 179 two touchdowns buddy good luck I I mean good luck I mean I pick your poison pick your poison so you know continuing to establish create explosives with a guy like juice Wells getting him involved you know it should be another offensive showcase here Cole and uh you know I I think getting juice Wells involved is a really really good sign for the offense you want know what also is pretty amazing you didn't have Jordan Watkins out there so he had not been playing because of he was dealing with the lower body injury he had been missing some time in practice this up this past month and he has really been Limited in Fall camp but if he plays is that score worse I mean are we talking about a beat down of a lifetime to where the Arkansas Pine Bluff Arkansas game is just kind of a blip on the radar oh yeah cool look at what ton green did no look at what's going on in Ox from Mississippi what I really appreciate about this game and I'm gonna be I'm gonna be that I'm I'm gonna be that dude and I'm okay with this and this is where the old Miss fans are G to come follow me in battle we're gonna go be tied Kumbaya together there's a lot of speculation after what we saw down in Gainesville Florida that that Billy Napier is not be around much longer and that probably Scott Strickland is pretty close to being out the door and there's a coach by the name of Lane ridiculous kein that that that loves the State of Florida Sunshine State just had to go ahead and say his fond farewells to his father Monty that's now departed out in Tampa they're putting the two together what do you have in this young core behind guys like Trey Harris behind guys like Jordan Watkins behind guys like k in PRI corn that you feel are good enough to keep you in Oxford and I personally think so many people are just pegging Lane to want to leave well you do realize that his son is moving to Oxford next year his daughter is in Capa Capa Gama and is a proud sorority member and student at the University of Mississippi there is reasons for him to say I've established a home not not not a job but a home in Oxford this Fe feels like my place and I'll tell you what you start winning out Mississippi you start winning out at that program I know what the contract says I know what the rules and the state regulations come to when it comes to actual State officials being paid in certain deals they'll make it worth your while Keith Carter has made it clear they have some money and they have some resources that are they're willing to put their money where their mouth is too and much like you're seeing right now up in Knoxville where they are building facility ities and athletic complexes and also game day atmospheres that turns the corner of volunteer football don't be surprised if you start seeing it down in bot Hemingway don't be surprised if you start seeing it down at the Grove this is where in a game like this you want to see your young players take that next step forward because Lane kein is going to be a sought after name this off season and much like it was when Auburn it didn't feel like the right fit if you feel like that past this year the last fance does not apply to you it applies to the guys who are going off to their final next step in the NFL or whatever their future endeavors hold but for you it's just another chapter in The Great stage of Rebel football this is where you do it you do it in these type of games to make sure that players who have committed to Old Miss football and Lane kein are speaking the same language moving into 2025 and to your point Cole I will refrain from any of the lane kein leaving Oxford talk until that becomes a I I don't think it's really fair honestly to to the Old Miss folks that are just that are going to be enjoying how great of a team they have this year we're not going to be the entity that's bringing that up on a weekly basis if it happens it happens but you know the speculation at some point becomes a bit old there will be a time and place to talk about that but that that's not going to be something we are pushing or you know because I to your point it does seem like Lane has made Oxford a home and right now like why would you leave you know like there's no reason he's built something really special there um you know coold defensively I just kind of marked down here you know I want to see p Paul Jr again was really fun to see him flying around eight tackles two and a half tackles for loss half a sack in the game there's so many obviously defensive stars but I I think he's a guy that you could look at as the leader of the defense Cole I'll ask you before we get into our predictions it's an empty the bench game for the rebels is there anything specific you want to see outside of Old Miss just Flex their muscles in this one uh I want to see Yan banks have a good game possible you know I I think that's a player that if you get him moving around you feel pretty confident in his Direction um you know he had I think one tackle in this game that that's somebody that I do believe can be a Difference Maker on the back end and again you feel like that with Miss so much that was talked about was their ability to build within the trenches like everyone has brought up prin and manle Ellen coming on over and Walter Nolan coming on over and the names that were added in on the offensive line and the depth of this squad but as good as a pass rush as you could have you still have to be able to blank it wide receivers and we've seen over the last few days several sec standouts in conference play to where you cannot be complacent and I think that having a guy like Yan Banks having a guy like Keith Lawrence having an Isaiah Hamilton those type of players really Step Up Trey aamos comes on in that's a sign in the right direction I feel like that during these first several games these matchups of the beginning of a start this is where we're going to have I think the exposition to find Out Who Your dudes are I know what a dude I'm getting in Trey Amos after FCS Ferman I want to see a guy like Ian Banks be that dude for almost in 2024 especially in a game against Mid Tennessee So Co that being said let's move in our predictions for this one I'll let you start how do you see this one playing out uh Dart NATO is a god Dart NATO uh breaks every single record that has ever existed in college football um he ends up throwing for 75 touchdowns in one half I mean that's just now um it's going to be a solid game I think you're going to see a very similar approach to where they make the explosive plays Come Out Swinging they establish a good identity on offense they consistently are pushing forward when it comes to the drives they're not finding themselves being complacent I think Lane kein has made it very clear to this team that the rat poison is alive and it doesn't come in playing against opponents where you're compared to an Alabama or Georgia or an LSU or a team that can go deep in the playoffs I think what he's made clear is that we know how good we are internally to play against those teams but we got to show it against the Lesser tier opponents that way everyone else knows when you face off against us we are not being complacent so I think that he has this team very well prepared I think that this is a very solid week of practice for them they're going to end up winning I'll be a little bit nicer I think that you will allow a late touchdown Derrik Mason and the blue Raiders do put on points for the first time this year at bot Hemingway But ultimately I think that we're talking about a 3 to7 Victory Cole I agree with you again I think it's an empty the bench game I think we're going to see more of Austin Simmons at the quarterback spot maybe some Walker Howard because to your point Jackson Dart I think a company whatever the first half line is Hammer Old Miss I mean like I mentioned the spread in this game is 40 and a half I mean I don't feel like enough to me I with the way this offense works and I know you're kind of banking on what are the backups going to do but this Old Miss team is deep I think they're going to flex that yet again I think you're going to see plenty of explosives in the passing game you know Old Miss back on the ground yet again which is a very underrated part of their offense I think they're going to run it will Derek Mason got a lot of respect for him he's probably gonna do a great job at Middle Tennessee State but this is a total mismatch to your point I'm gonna go Old Miss 63 Middle Tennessee State seven I wrote down 10 but I don't think they get the double digits I just don't so I'm gonna go 63 to7 you went what again 50 53 to7 so you got more point yeah we're we're right there I mean I could see this again it was 52 to nothing at halftime against Ferman Cole I could see this being 42 to nothing I I I could see this yet again being that type of game I think Old Miss is just going to continue to flex their muscles continue to win in big ways and build confidence and that's what you should be using games like this four let's just call it for what it is so gun to your head right now three touchdowns and 300 yards for Jackson art in the first half uh I'll go over why would I doubt why would I doubt him mean and I don't I don't I mean I just don't see Lane kein being a guy who's going to let off the gas pedal in the slightest I mean I think they're going to continue to operate this thing at an notable level and take shots and I mean dude it's gonna be hard for SEC defenses to stop this team sorry but Middle Tennessee state's defense has no chance they don't my big thing is that I've had to learn very quickly that when you doubt somebody give you a reason not to I I I I've said for multiple times Give Me A Reason Not out USC's defense they shut me up give me a reason to shut up about Jackson Dart until that happens I'm sorry I'm hammering 303 tutes every single half against all these lesser tier opponents because I think that you really are talking about this is this is not being a hyperbole this is straight up B God's Hest it's the beauty about SEC unfiltered we're out of the box but we also are true to our word I am true to my word when I say Dart n to the Big Apple that's not something that I'm predicting that is something I am certain is going to happen so Cole Thompson I and I have locked in our predictions Old Miss Middle Tennessee State how do you see it playing out at Vault Hemingway Stadium this Saturday night guys appreciate each and every single one of you tuning in make sure you like subscribe turn notifications check us out via podcast wherever you get your podcast you can also find us across all social media platforms as well as our website SEC unfiltered.com for Cole Thompson I'm Chris Phillips appreciate each and every single one of you tuning in and we will catch you on the other side [Music]