Ole Miss Rebels vs. Tulane Green Wave: Keys to the Game

What do the Ole Miss Rebels have to do to come away with a victory in Week 2 taking on the Tulane Green Wave on their home turf?

OXFORD, Miss. -- After dismantling the Mercer Bears 73-7 in Week 1, the No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels are set to hit the road in Week 2 to take on the No. 24 Tulane Green Wave.

Tulane is Ole Miss' first test of the season, as the Green Wave finished their 2022 campaign as one of the best Group of Five schools in the country with an overall record of 12-2. In Week 1, Tulane took down the South Alabama Jaguars 37-17.

After defeating the USC Trojans 46-45 in the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic to cap off their historic 2022-23 campaign, the Green Wave will not be a team to be taken lightly this fall. Tulane is led by junior quarterback Michael Pratt, who recorded 3,009 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions last season.

The Green Wave did, however, lose star running back Tyjae Spears and a handful of veteran defenders to the 2023 NFL Draft. Spear was the No. 1 option in Tulane's rushing attack last fall and led the team with 1,581 rushing yards. Running backs Makhi Hughes and Shedro Louis led Tulane's backfield in Week 1.

The last time these two programs met in 2021, Ole Miss won by a decisive score of 61-21 in front of a home crowd. The 67th meeting between these two programs is not shaping up to be a blowout.

Ole Miss and Tulane will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in Yulman Stadium. 

You can find out how to watch the Rebels' Week 2 versus Tulane here, and the keys to the game can be found below. 

Tulane receiver Jha'Quan Jackson

Tulane Green Wave

1. Let Michael Pratt Cook

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt had a career year in 2022 under coach Willi Fritz, throwing for a career-high in passing yards (3,010), passing touchdowns (27), and completion percentage (63.6). Pratt threw a career-low five interceptions. The Boca Raton, Fla., native also finished No. 2 on the team in rushing yards (478) and touchdowns (10), proving to be more than capable of handling himself outside of the pocket. 

In Week 1, Pratt was nearly perfect, completing 14-of-15 passes for 294 yards and four touchdowns. His only incompletion was a drop from senior wideout Jha'Quan Jackson and after that mishap, Jackson went on to catch three receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Pratt also finished second on the team in rushing with 39 yards on 11 carries.

2. Be Ready For Ole Miss' Rushing Attack

Ole Miss registered a whopping 667 yards of total offense in Week 1, and the majority of that was accumulated through the air as the Rebels recorded 524 passing yards versus Mercer. While quarterback Jaxson Dart will certainly be a factor, Tulane should not lose sight of the fact that Ole Miss has had the No. 1 rushing offense in the SEC since Lane Kiffin took over. The Rebels also have a deep rotation of offensive linemen to help keep players fresh, which could present a challenge for Tulane's defensive front.

Ole Miss Rebels

1. Feed Judkins

Tulane's leading tackler from Week 1, Corey Platt Jr., is set to miss Week 2 due to injury and Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins only rushed the ball 13 times for 60 yards in Week 1. While he did find the endzone twice versus Mercer, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Year is ready to get fed. Now that Ole Miss is taking on a ranked opponent, I expect Lane Kiffin's rushing attack to be much more prevalent in Week 2. Quarterback Jaxson Dart will need to have another quality start as well.

2. Stop Pratt

Tulane Quarterback Michael Pratt is the cog that will keep the Tulane offense moving in 2023, if he falters, the rest of the unit should follow suit. As mentioned above, Pratt was virtually perfect in Week 1 and will provide the Ole Miss defense its first challenge since Pete Golding took over as defensive coordinator this offseason. Stifling the connection between Pratt and receiver Jha'Quan Jackson should be priority No. 1 for Ole Miss.