Tulane (1-1) at No. 17 Mississippi (2-0), Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT (ESPN2).
Line: Ole Miss by 14 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Ole Miss leads 70-15-2 after vacated wins.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The Rebels are trying to continue their impressive start in coach Lane Kiffin’s second season, having easily beaten Louisville and Austin Peay. Tulane couldn’t quite complete an upset of then-No. 2 Oklahoma but certainly flirted with one and controlled the second half, 21-3. The Green Wave are seeking their first road win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 19 Vanderbilt 27-23 on Oct. 6, 1984.
KEY MATCHUP
No disrespect to the defenses, but this could be a high-scoring game with two of the nation’s Top 10 scoring offenses. Led by QB Michael Pratt, Tulane ranks fourth in the FBS averaging 52 points per game. Matt Corral and the Rebels are only three spots behind and scoring at a 48.5-point clip. Pratt has thrown for at least one touchdown in each of his 12 career games, while Corral is nursing a 14-game streak with a TD pass and leads the Southeastern Conference in total offense.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tulane: Pratt has passed for 420 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for two more scores. He’ll give the Rebels defense a chance to give further evidence that they’ve made significant improvement since last season.
Mississippi: The runners. There’s much more to this Rebels offense than the potent passing game. RBs Henry Parrish, Jerrion Ealy, Snoop Conner and Corral are all averaging 40-plus rushing yards per game. Only two other FCS teams have four players managing that.
FACTS & FIGURES
Tulane played Morgan State in Birmingham, Alabama, because of Hurricane Ida. … The Green Wave haven’t visited Ole Miss since a 39-0 loss in 2012. But the two teams met with regularity when Tulane was in the Southeastern Conference. … Ole Miss has converted seven fourth downs, most nationally. No other SEC team has more than three fourth-down conversions. … Rebels receiver Dontario Drummond has a touchdown catch in seven straight games and his 142 receiving yards a game is tops in the FBS. … Tulane leads the nation in net punting and punt return defense. … Tulane pinned a Tweet with a helmet marking their SEC championship teams from 1934, 1939 and 1949.
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