2022 at a Glance: Ole Miss heads to Nashville to play Vanderbilt for first SEC road game
NOTE: This series is giving an overview of Ole Miss football’s 2022 opponents. Next up is a quick glance at Vanderbilt who the Rebels play in Nashville for their first road trip in conference play.
The front half of Ole Miss football’s schedule this season is one that could be viewed as very easy to navigate through and a path to 6-0 and bowl eligible by mid-October is very doable.
In order for Ole Miss to secure its third straight bowl berth they will have to take on Vanderbilt in the Rebels first SEC road trip in 2022.
Since 2019 the series between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt has been very one-sided. When the Rebels travels to Nashville on Oct. 8 they will be trying to win their fourth straight against the Commodores. Ole Miss has not lost to their permanent SEC East rival since an overtime loss in 2018 (AJ Brown made that catch, by the way).
In the 80 games played between the two program, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are deadlocked at 39-39 with two ties tossed in.
ESPN’s FPI has Ole Miss with nearly a 90 percent chance to knock off the Commodores a fourth straight time but it may be closer to 95-100.
After four weeks of non-conference opponents and Kentucky at home the previous week, Ole Miss might be in a groove that is tough to slow down — until it hits the second half of its schedule.
Vanderbilt is led by second-year head coach Clark Lea who has been tasked with trying to restore some consistency to a program that has struggled to find any since the departure of James Franklin.
In Clark’s first season at the helm of the Commodores, the team went 2-10 overall and 0-8 in SEC play. The prospects of a bounce-back season do not seem to be in cards for Vanderbilt in 2022 after the media predicted them to finish last in the Eastern Division.
Vanderbilt’s offense will be lead by junior quarterback Mike Wright though there could be a quarterback controversy brewing.
Junior Ken Seals threw for team-leading 1,181 yards to go with five touchdowns in eight games played as a backup to Wright last season. Wright played in 10 games and during the Media Days earlier this month Lea announced it would be Wright who is Commodores starter on Sept. 3.
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What happens between then and a month later when Ole Miss rolls into town is anyone’s guess but the odds are high it will be either Wright or Seals — or a combination of both — under center.
Junior Will Sheppard enters this season as the Commodores leading returning receiver. Sheppard finished with 41 catches for 560 yards and four touchdowns. He was second to Chris Peirce last season who graduated.
The Commodores run game will once again be spearheaded by junior Rocko Griffin. Griffin led Vanderbilt in 2021 with 140 carries for 511 yards and four touchdowns.
When it comes to Vanderbilt’s defense it could be another easy day on Broadway for Ole Miss.
The Commodore defense gave up 36.3 points per game and opponents scored 72 points off turnovers last season.
Opposing offenses managed 29 passing touchdowns and 22 rushing touchdowns against Vanderbilt in 2021.
A television designation and kickoff time for Ole Miss at Vanderbilt will be announced at a later date.
Related: Lane Kiffin sees Ole Miss’ additions on offense as the ‘poster child of the transfer portal’
