Offense needs to bust out of rut against 'Cats

CLAY CHANDLER
DM Columnist

The best offense in the SEC against one of the worst defenses.

That's basically what Saturday's Ole Miss-Kentucky matchup boils down to.

The 'Cats racks up a smidge over 466 yards per game, tops in the league. The Rebels give up 371 yards per game, tied with--you guessed it-- Kentucky for last in the Conference.

So if you're looking for a complex explanation as to how Ole Miss can win, stop looking.

It's actually pretty easy. Your last name doesn't have to be Corso. You don't even have to be a hardcore fan of college football--or any kind of football for that matter--to know how this one will unfold.

Expect lots of passing and loads of scoring on both sides. If watching defenses pound the hell out of offenses is your gig, you should probably stay in the Grove. Vaught-Hemingway's scoreboard operator will get quite a workout.

Now that I've basically trashed the stoppers on both clubs, here's how somebody will win: Sound special teams and... maybe a just little bit of defense. No, really. Since the offenses figure to cancel each other out, points will have to come by other means. Turnovers and fieldgoals come to mind.

The rhythm of inflated quarterback Jared Lorenzen must be disrupted. If he starts to feel comfortable in the pocket, the short passing game Kentucky employs nearly to perfection--and something Ole Miss hasn't proven it can stop-- will take over.

With all the scoring, each squad will have ample opportunity to return kickoffs. It's unclear still if Deuce's injury will allow him to work his magic on kick returns, or if he'll even play at all. Nonetheless, opportunity abounds for somebody like Robert Williams or Omar Rayford.

Since Tulane, Ole Miss' offense has looked--well, let's be nice--not so good. But think about this: The two teams that followed the Green Wave, Auburn and Vanderbilt, both have several returning starters from defenses that were solid a year ago. The last time the Rebs played a defense as bad as Kentucky's was Tulane's. In that game, Ole Miss went off for over 400 yards and put up 49 points. So the potential is there.

Romaro Miller and the offense badly need a breakout game to get out of the slump that's hung over them the past couple weeks.

The Rebels' offense, according to preseason predictions, was supposed to be one of the most explosive around. Deuce's Heisman Campaign hasn't fallen apart yet, but it's unrealistic to think he can carry the offense by himself the rest of the year. Grant Heard also needs help with the receiving load. Opponents simply don't worry a lot about anybody other than those two right now.

You can bet your last bourbon and Coke that the guys on offense salivate when they watch film of Kentucky's defense. Hal Mumme's boys looked helpless last week in The Swamp against Florida's Fun n' Gun. Ole Miss should be able to score with a balanced, efficient attack, which is David Cutcliffe's specialty.

Kentucky provides the perfect scenario for that to happen.