Game Predictions: Ole Miss Football vs. Middle Tennessee

The Ole Miss Rebels look to start the year 2-0 with a win on Saturday afternoon.

Oct 28, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels are flying high after a 76-0 demolition of the FCS Furman Paladins last week, and they will look to carry that momentum into their Saturday matchup with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.

Middle Tennessee is also coming off a Week 1 win over an FCS team, albeit a less-decisive one. MTSU captured a 32-25 win over in-state foe Tennessee Tech last Saturday, and it now faces the challenge of going into a hostile SEC environment against one of the top 10 teams in the country.

Ole Miss had a stellar offensive showing last week, led by two quarters of play from quarterback Jaxson Dart who threw for over 400 yards and five scores while also rushing for a touchdown. That performance pushed Dart into a tie for the best betting odds for the Heisman Trophy this season as we enter Week 2.

Can Ole Miss keep its momentum going against its first FBS opponent of the year? Here are the staff predictions from Ole Miss On SI.

Jackson Harris -- Staff Writer

The Rebels could've taken their foot off the gas last Saturday, but they didn't. This team made a statement.

While the win over FCS Furman won't be the highlight of the year, it will be the building block for what could be one of the best seasons in school history. This week, Ole Miss has a chance to make another statement.

MTSU should be a better test, but this Rebel defense led by Walter Nolen and JJ Pegues looks like a different breed. Like the defense, I expect the offense to keep humming as well. The line is -41.5, and this Rebels team is good enough to where you could lay the points.

Expect MTSU head coach Derek Mason to have some tricks up his sleeve, but the Rebels will still dominate the lines of scrimmage.

Score prediction: Ole Miss 62, MTSU 7

Billy Kuhl -- Staff Writer

Ole Miss will be facing its first FBS opponent of the season, but it should handle them pretty easily.

Score prediction: Ole Miss 58, MTSU 6

Henry Stuart -- Staff Writer

Ole Miss wins. Look for another big day from Jaxson Dart and the offense. Also keep an eye on the running game this week as Lane Kiffin has placed heavy emphasis on the ground attack in media interviews leading up to the game.

Score prediction: Ole Miss 55, MTSU 3

Cole Thompson -- Staff Writer

Will Middle Tennessee be better than Furman? Without question. Are the results changing? Not chance. Rebels win by four-plus scores.

Score prediction: Ole Miss 54, MTSU 10

John Macon Gillespie -- Publisher

The line for this game is rather large, but if I were betting on it, I'd be tempted to lay the points. I do expect Middle Tennessee to be more of a challenge than Furman was last week, but not by much. The Blue Raiders have some playmakers (like Nicholas Vattiato at quarterback), but this isn't an SEC-level team.

I'm not sure Ole Miss eclipses 60 points again this week because I think things will be slowed down a bit with an emphasis on the running game, but I think the Rebels get really close to that mark. The Blue Raiders add a late touchdown when the game has been long decided.

Score prediction: Ole Miss 56, MTSU 7