2011 Mississippi Football Predictions

Written by Steve Janus

The Mississippi Rebels came into the 2010 season off back-to-back 9-4 finishes, and many thought they would be a factor in the SEC with the addition of former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Things didn’t exactly go to plan. Mississippi finished last in the SEC West at 1-7, and managed to go just 4-9 on the season. Things don’t look to promising for the 2011 season, as they have just 13 starters back from last year. Nine of those starters come on the offensive side of the ball, leaving the defense with just four starters back from a year ago. Houton Nutt’s teams tend to do better when the expectations are low, but it’s hard to see this team being much of a threat in the SEC.

Here is a closer look at what the Rebels will send to the field on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they will finish the year in the SEC West.

Offense:

While the offense brings back nine starters, they will come into the season with a new starting quarterback. Masoli did what he could for the offense, throwing for 2,039 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for 544 yards and six scores. Three transfers will fight for the starting job. Randall Mackey comes in out of junior college and is the leading candidate heading into the fall, but don’t count out former West Virginia quarterback Barry Brunetti and former Louisville quarterback Zack Stoudt.

While their are big concerns at quarterback, the Rebels should feature a strong running game behind senior Brandon Bolden, who rushed for a team-best 976 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. Also look for sophomore Jeff Scott and senior Enrique Davis to get some carries as well.

The Rebels lose their leading receiver from last year in Markeith Summers, but do return two solid players in sophomore Ja-mes Logan and junior Melvin Harris. Added to the mix will be highly touted freshman Nickolas Brassell and former Oklahoma State tight end Jamal Mosely. Bolden is also a solid threat out of the backfield, as he had 32 catches for 344 yards and three touchdowns in 2010.

The strength of the offense comes up front on the offensive line, where the Rebels return all five starters from last year.Senior left tackle Bradley Sowell and junior right tackle Bobby Massie are two of the top tackles in the SEC. If this unit can stay healthy it will not only help the Rebels improve on the ground, but it will also make life a lot easier for whoever takes over at quarterback.

Defense:

A big reason why the Rebels struggled to win games last year was their inability to stop anyone on the defensive side of the ball. After allowing just 19 ppg in 2008 and only 17.7 ppg in 2009, the Rebels defense gave up 35.2 ppg in 2010. With only four starters back for the 2011 season this unit figures to be a major weakness again.

Two of the starters back from last year are senior defensive ends Kentrell Lockett and Wayne Dorsey. Lockett only played in three games before his season was ended with a torn ACL, and Mississippi really missed his ability to get to the quarterback. Redshirt freshmen Bryon Bennett and Carlton Martin are expected to take over the two starting defensive tackle spots, but they also added junior college transfers Gilbert Pena and Uriah Grant.

The Rebels will have three new starters at linebacker this season. Sophomore Mike Marry and junior Joel Kight look like the frontrunners at the two outside spots, while true freshman C.J. Johnson is expected to take over in the middle. Even with little experience it will be hard for this unit to be worse than the group from a year ago.

In the secondary the Rebels bring back senior corner Marcus Temple and senior free safety Damien Jackson. Junior Wesley Pendleton is the likely candidate to take over opposite of Temple, while junior Ivan Nicholas is slated to start opposite of Pendleton at strong safety.

SEC Prediction: 5th SEC West – With Auburn bringing back just six starters from last year, I have the Rebels slated slightly ahead of the Tigers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they finished at the bottom again in 2011. They have to play Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, and Georgia all at home this year, leaving most of their winnable games on the road.

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