Rebels Take On FCS Mercer Program in 2023 Season Opener
With Huge Influx of Transfers, Plenty of Questions Surround 2023 Ole Miss Rebels
After Impressive Start in 2022, Ole Miss Looks to Hit Ground Running
Ole Miss faces a ranked team at the Football Championship Subdivision level as the Rebels kick off the 2023 season. With Ole Miss facing a non-FBS program, there is no betting line. However, the Mercer vs Mississippi odds will end up favoring the host Rebels.
Ole Miss has won its last 11 meetings against FCS competition since a 49-48 loss to Jacksonville State in the 2010 season opener. The average margin of victory has been 33.2 points in those wins.
The last time Ole Miss and Mercer met was in 1911.
Mercer opened the season with a 17-7 win over North Alabama, allowing just 248 yards.
Ole Miss (+4500) is sixth in the odds to win the SEC title and comes in at +1000 in the odds to win the national title. Ole Miss was picked to finish fourth in the SEC West in the preseason poll.
When it comes to the NCAA football championship chances, Ole Miss is ranked 22nd in both the Associated Press and coaches’ polls.
Mercer is ranked 22nd in the FCS coaches poll.
🏈 Mercer vs Ole Miss 🏈
Day/Time: Saturday, Sept. 2, 2 p.m. ET
Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford,
MS Streaming: ESPN+
Line: N/A
Total: N/A
Bears Look to Run Wild
Mercer ran the ball on 53 of 70 plays in the season opener with Micah Bell leading the way with 73 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Carter Peevy threw for 115 yards and ran for 31 more. Keep that in mind when looking at the Mercer vs Mississippi odds.
The bigger story came on defense with Isaac Dowling leading the way with 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Mercer finished with nine tackles for loss and two sacks and held North Alabama scoreless for the final three quarters.
Mercer has 12 players on the roster who began their collegiate careers at FBS programs. The last time Mercer faced a team from the SEC, the Bears lost to Auburn 42-16 but did cover as the 30-point underdog.
Ole Miss Flying Under Radar
Despite the return of quarterback Jaxson Dart and star running back Quinshon Judkins, there hasn’t been much chatter about Ole Miss in the preseason.
Judkins is listed on every preseason All-American team after rushing for 1565 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman. He was held under 100 yards in each of the last two games as the Rebels lost their last four games in 2022.
Judkins is priced at -115 to go over 1275.5 yards. He is priced at +5000 in the Heisman Trophy odds.
Ole Miss has finished first or second in the SEC in rushing offense in each of the last four seasons so expect more of the same as the 2023 season gets underway.
Pete Golding was brought in from Alabama to run the defense in 2023. There’s plenty of experience up front with Louisville transfer Monty Montgomery adding a playmaker at linebacker. That could come into play in the Mercer vs Mississippi odds. Montgomery was second on the 2022 Louisville team with 70 tackles. He also had 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and two interceptions.
Last Meeting
Don’t expect much in the way of scouting intel to come out of the previous meeting since it took place in 1911.
Ole Miss did win the game 34-0.
What to Expect
College Football Betting Odds: Ole Miss is 14-5 at home since the start of the 2020 season and 292-115-8 all-time at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels have covered in just two of the last 10 games at home.
Ole Miss brought in 31 transfers as nearly half the roster is new so it is hard to know what will transpire in the season opener as Ole Miss is hoping to defy the odds by making a run at the NCAAF playoffs.
The Rebels’ class of incoming transfers is ranked third nationally. Fourteen of the transfers came from Power-five conferences. Ole Miss lost more than 30 outgoing transfers.
Mercer has covered in just two of its last six games against FBS teams while Ole Miss is 1-5-1 against the spread over its last seven games.
The Rebels have covered in nine of their 13 games played in Week 1 of the college football season and are 14-2 in the last 16 games at home.
After meeting Mercer, Ole Miss will travel to face a Tulane team coming off a 12-win season.
For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
