Ole Miss football vs. Vanderbilt score prediction, scouting report for SEC Week 9 action

OXFORD — Ole Miss football and Vanderbilt are set to meet for the 54th – and final – successive season, with the revamped SEC scheduling format no longer protecting the fixture known to some as the Khaki Bowl beginning in 2024.

Lane Kiffin's Rebels (6-1, 3-1 SEC) have spent the week assuring reporters that they're taking the Commodores (2-6, 0-4) seriously, despite their winless status in conference play.

Ole Miss has won four consecutive games in this series, with each victory coming by at least 14 points. Kiffin has been working to ensure that fact doesn't sow any complacency.

"We showed them some upsets that just happened, especially a really big one over in the ACC," he said Monday, referencing Virginia's victory over unbeaten North Carolina. "These guys were beating us at halftime last year. We've got a lot of work to put in, a lot of work to do, so it's a lot more about us than who we're playing."

Here's what to know before the Rebels and Commodores kick off on Saturday (6:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network).

A Vanderbilt offense for Ole Miss football to be wary

Its distance from South Carolina at the bottom of the SEC's points per game table is only marginal, but Vanderbilt enters Saturday's contest with the No. 10 offense in the SEC.

The Commodores average 27.8 points per game – more than Hugh Freeze's Auburn team, which the Rebels stifled last week. It's not a tremendous number, but it's considerably better than what we're accustomed to seeing from Vanderbilt, which has averaged under 20 points per game in three of the last four seasons.

Ken Seals will start at quarterback, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said this week. The senior has completed 61.9% of his passes for 836 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions in six games this season, helped by some solid talent at the skill positions.

"They have NFL draftable receivers," Rebels corner Zamari Walton said this week.

That unit is led by Will Sheppard, who has spent this season racking up 36 receptions for 574 yards and eight touchdowns.

If Ole Miss wants to continue its streak of solid defensive outcomes, it will have to show up.

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Can Quinshon Judkins and the Ole Miss football running game keep it up?

Quinshon Judkins broke the 100-yard threshold eight times last season on his way to leading the SEC in rushing yards as a true freshman.

Battling injury and ineffectiveness, Judkins had to wait until his fifth game of the 2023 season to meet the 100-yard mark, but he's now done so in two of his last three games.

The Rebels rushed for 223 yards against Auburn last week, with Judkins leading the way. A rushing offense that looked well short of the standard usually set by Kiffin's teams is now carrying the load once again.

One of the keys has been a rejuvenated offensive line, which has relied on a simplified approach, according to left tackle Victor Curne.

"Don't get caught up in 'Should I do this? Should I do that?'" Curne said. "Just see the call, know the call, do your job."

Vanderbilt comes into this contest allowing the most rushing yards per game in the SEC at 174.1, giving the Rebels an opportunity to build more momentum on the ground.

Ole Miss football score prediction vs. Vanderbilt

Ole Miss 48, Vanderbilt 10. Kiffin's Ole Miss teams have reliably produced good performances against teams they're supposed to beat, and Vanderbilt certainly fits that description. The Commodores' bad run defense aligns perfectly with what the Rebels want to do on offense.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss score prediction vs Vanderbilt: College football Week 9