The Preview: Ole Miss Football vs. Kentucky Wildcats in Week 2 SEC Showdown

No Fly Zone
Don't expect to see too much action through the air when Kentucky has the football.

Quarterback Zach Calzada finished 10-for-23 for just 85 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in the season-opener against Toledo, good for No. 131 out of 136 nationally in passing offense after one week.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss held Georgia State to just 69 yards passing in Week 1, slotting the Rebels at No. 8 nationally in pass defense.

Simmons' First SEC Start
Meanwhile, while Ole Miss has the ball, it could be a busy day for quarterback Austin Simmons in his first SEC start.

Kentucky allowed 270 yards passing against the Rockets in the opener, making the Wildcats 114th nationally and 14th in the SEC in pass defense after one game.

Conversely, Kentucky allowed just 59 yards rushing last week.

After throwing for 400 yards in Week 1, look for Ole Miss to get its pass game going again, but the Rebels will have to be wary of a Kentucky pass rush that generated three sacks against Toledo.

Close Contests
Ole Miss and Kentucky have put together quite the run of competitive football.

Starting in 2017, when DK Metcalf pulled down a jump ball in the end zone in the final seconds of a 37-34 win in Lexington, four straight meetings have been decided by three points or less, all coming down the final seconds. Are we in store for another nail-biter with the Cats?

Spreading it Out
Kentucky allowed receptions to 10 different Toledo receivers last week, including an 11-catch, 88-yard day by Junior Vandeross III.

Ole Miss had eight players catch a pass last week, including six who made their first catches as Rebels and four different players with a receiving touchdown. Look for Ole Miss to spread it around in Lexington.