Streaking No. 12 Ole Miss hosts Vanderbilt team seeking first SEC win
Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-4 SEC) at No. 12 Mississippi (6-1, 3-1), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network).
Line: Mississippi by 24 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Mississippi leads 53-40-2.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Mississippi has won three straight and is trying to stay close in case either Alabama or LSU slip up in the SEC Western Division. The Vanderbilt Commodores are tied with Arkansas for the league's longest skid at six straight and are growing more desperate as one of three SEC teams still winless in league play. They also are rested coming off an open date.
KEY MATCHUP
The Ole Miss offense against a Vanderbilt defense that has nine interceptions this season, tied for most in the SEC and 12th in FBS. The Commodores have 12 turnovers, second-most in the league and just one off the 13 posted by Auburn. CJ Taylor has had two of his three career interceptions over Vanderbilt's last two games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Vanderbilt: QB Ken Seals will make his fourth straight start and 20th of his career for the Commodores in place of AJ Swann. He threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns against top-ranked Georgia, his third straight game topping 200 yards passing with two TDs.
Mississippi: QB Jaxson Dart had 463 yards of total offense in last year's meeting with Vandy, the most by a Rebels player in the series. That included 448 passing yards. Dart's average of 312.3 total yards is third-best in the SEC and 10th nationally.
FACTS & FIGURES
This is the 98th game between these teams dating back to 1894. Mississippi has won four straight, and Vanderbilt has not won in Oxford since 2012. ... This is Vanderbilt's third game this season against a ranked opponent. ... Vanderbilt led 20-10 in the second quarter last season in Nashville only to see the Rebels score five TDs in the second half for a 52-28 rout. ... S Jaylen Mahoney had a career-high 16 tackles in Vanderbilt's loss to Georgia. ... Vanderbilt WR Will Sheppard has 141 catches for 1,957 yards and 21 TD receptions in his career. He caught an 85-yard TD pass from Seals against Florida on Oct. 7 to tie the fourth-longest completion in Vanderbilt history. ... Ole MIss has held consecutive SEC opponents below 300 yards offense for the first time since 2009.
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