In preparation for Thursday’s game, Grayson Weir, sports editor at the Daily Misissippian, the student newspaper at Ole Miss, answered some questions about the Rebels going into the game.

With the injuries to starting quarterback Shea Patterson, how has backup quarterback Jordan Ta’amu played as his replacement?

Ta’amu has been nothing short of excellent. In his time at the helm, he has shown poise and maturity beyond what could have been expected of him. Couple this with his athleticism, and Ta’amu is undeniably a force to be reckoned with. While completing 69 percent of his passes for just under 1,500 yards, he has added 173 on the ground and accounted for 16 touchdowns in only four games. The Hawaiian-phenom has certainly made the most of his shot and, arguably, has run the offense better than Patterson.

What are the major strengths and weakness of Ole Miss’ offense and how will they look to take advantage of MSU’s defense?

The majority of Ole Miss’ offense comes through the passing game. The Nasty Wideouts are deep, versatile and physical playmakers who will certainly pose a challenge for the Bulldog cornerbacks. There will certainly be an emphasis on exposing the secondary. With this being said, running back Jordan Wilkins has been extremely efficient all year, and will continue to be someone who offensive coordinator Phil Longo attempts to establish early on. If he can force the Mississippi State defense to load the box, to any extent, the matchups on the outside will play even further in favor of the receiving core, and the Ole Miss offense should be as explosive as we have seen.

What will you expect Ole Miss to do to stop MSU’s run-pass-option offense centered around quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and MSU’s stable of running backs?

If the game is to get ugly, this is where it would lie. We’ve seen Ole Miss’ defense struggles against the run, against the option and against dual-threat quarterbacks. In an effort to stop Fitzgerald’s offense, defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff will presumably throw everything and the kitchen sink in the Bulldogs’ direction. However, it comes down to the big men in the trenches needing to create havoc and disallow the offense time to develop.

The guys in the locker room love playing for coach Luke, and have rallied behind him all year. It is no secret there was a significant toll taken on this group of guys, but at this point in the season, it is all about playing football and making this as special of a year as it can be. Knocking off a top-25 in-state rival program would certainly do just this.

What is your score prediction and how do you expect the game to play out? 

Any time you put these two teams on the same field, it is going to be tenacious, and Saturday is certainly going to be another dogfight. Ole Miss will head into Starkville with a bowl game mentality, score on a big play early, keep the slight advantage rolling through a gritty game and leave Starkville with a three-point victory, giving Matt Luke’s name even more prominence as the coaching search continues.