Quick Preview of Game II — SEC Foe Vandy

In the second game of the 2014 season, the Ole Miss Rebels they will open up conference play against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville, Tenn. The game will be played at LP Field the home of the Tennessee Titans.
For Coach Hugh Freeze and the Rebels, the 2013 season delivered a lot of music city magic with a last-minute 39-35 victory over the Commodores to start the season. The Rebels capped off a successful season with a win in the Music city Bowl over Georgia Tech.
When Ole Miss opens SEC play against Vandy, many Rebel fans are expected to make the short trip to Nashville  and support the Red and Blue, just like last year. Since Vanderbilt is Ole Miss’ permanent Eastern Division foe, each team is very familiar with each other.
Every Ole Miss fan remembers or knows what took place back in the 1989 homecoming game between the Commodores and the Rebels when Chucky Mullins delivered a head-first hit on Vandy’s Brad Gaines that would leave him paralyzed.
Lets take a closer preseason look at the Commodores
Vanderbilt ended the 2013 season with a record of 9-4 and 4-4 in the SEC. The Commodores closed out the season by defeating the Houston Cougars 41-24 in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
Vandy recently hired Derek Mason from the Stanford Cardinal as their new coach in the aftermath of highly successful Coach James Franklin taking the head job at Penn State.
Over the past couple of season’s, Vanderbilt football program has exploded on the map with the energy and fierce up-tempo playing style former Coach Franklin instilled in his players.
As we embark on this new season, Coach Mason has been challenged to find replacements for key Commodores offensive players. Star wide receiver Jordan Mathews, who almost singlehandedly stole last year’s game with the Rebels, graduated and moved into the NFL.
This season, Vanderbilt will count on the emergence of junior running back Jerron Seymore who carried the ball 164 times last season for a total of 744 yards. Also playing a prominent role will be senior teammate outside line backer Kyle Woestmann, who accounted for forty tackles last season.
HottyToddy.com recently sat down with Ole Miss’s defense coordinator Dave Wommack and talked about what it means to the team to return to Nashville for this vital early season matchup..
“Our kids are looking forward to this, especially playing in an NFL stadium,” Wommack said.
With a high-powered  offense, the Rebels are also stacked on defense. That squad is anchored by veterans like Deterrian Shackelford, Cj Johnson and sophomore Robert Nkemdiche. Also Denzel Nkemdiche should return to the lineup against the Commodores.
HottyToddy.com predicts that the Rebels will put forward a strong showing on both sides of the ball and Music City will continue to offer sweet music for Ole Miss.
On Thursday, check out our preseason look at UL-Lafayette.
–Adam Brown, HottyToddy.com sports editor adam.brown@hottytoddy.com