No. 17 Ole Miss Welcomes in Tulane on Saturday

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

The No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels return to action inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night as they play host to the Tulane Green Wave. The kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN2.

Ole Miss is off to a 2-0 start on the season after a 54-17 last week over Austin Peay. 

The Rebels offense has been tough to stop through the first two games of the season ranking in the top 10 in five separate categories total offense (599.5 ypg), scoring offense (48.5) first downs offense (8), defensive touchdowns (1) and turnovers lost (1).

Junior quarterback Matt Corral has picked up from where he left off in the Outback Bowl in January. Corral has thrown for six touchdowns this season and picked up one with his legs. He has now thrown a touchdown pass in 14 straight games, the third-longest streak in school history … only behind Chad Kelly (22) and Eli Manning (16). Corral leads the SEC and currently ranks No. 4 in the FBS in total offense with 376 yards per game.

Tulane rolls into Oxford with a 1-1 overall record after a close loss to No. 2 Oklahoma in Norman and a 69-20 victory over Morgan State. 

Freshman quarterback Michael Pratt has looked sharp this season, throwing for 420 yards and five touchdowns through his first two games. He spearheads the Tulane offense that ranks fourth in the nation, averaging 52.0 points per game. Under Coach Willie Fritz, the Green Wave have scored over 35 points in 23 games. Tulane is 20-3 in those games. Out wide, Pratt’s favorite targets this season have been Tyrick James and Jaetavia Toles, who have each found the end zone with 142 and 106 yards on the season, respectively.

Tulane’s ground game led the American last year, averaging 217.1 yards per game, and the Green Wave has rushed for over 100 yards or more as a team in 65 of its last 66 games. Iver Celestine and Camero Carroll lead the rushing attack, but Tulane has plenty of depth at the position. 

Sophomore Dorian Williams has stepped up on the defensive side of the ball for the Green Wave. Last season, Williams led the Green Wave with 98 total tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss. He’s made nine total stops this year. Tulane has also picked off four passes this season, ranking fifth nationally.

The Rebels and the Green Wave are no strangers on the gridiron. Saturday will be the 72nd meeting between the two schools. The Rebels lead the series 70-15-2 all-time (after vacated wins) and have won 11 straight meetings on the field dating back to 1989 … Ole Miss is 12-2 against Tulane in games played in Oxford.

Follow @HottyToddySprts for live-in-game updates throughout the game.