BYU 42, Ole Miss 20
Passing
Heaps: 24-34, 318 yards, 3 TDs
Rushing
Quezada: 18 carries, 109 yards, 1 TD
Di Luigi: 11 carries, 58 yards
Kariya: 8 carries, 30 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving
Apo: 6 catches, 125 yards, 1 TD
Jacobson: 6 catches, 53 yards
Hoffman: 5 catches , 82 yards, 1 TD
Mahina: 2 catches, 19 yards
Di Luigi: 2 catches, 18 yards
Kariya: 2 catches, 8 yards, 1 TD
Quezada 1 catch, 13 yards
Defense
Rushing yards allowed: 103 yards
Passing yards allowed: 181 yards
INTs: 1
Fumbles Forced/Recovered: 3/2
I think this game would definitely be different if it was played three or four weeks later, but for now, Ole Miss has a heck of a lot more unanswered questions than BYU. For example, the Rebels still haven't selected a starting QB yet, and it's between three possible QBs. With a new offensive coordinator, the last thing Ole Miss needs is a guy under center that didn't have the majority of the reps in fall camp. But that's what they are going to get unless they pick a started EARLY in fall camp. They'll have to rely on RBs, and BYU's rushing defense is one thing I am not worried about.
Also, Ole Miss' defense is what caused its 4-8 2010 record, and it only returns 4 starters. Two starters are lost from the secondary, and it was bad last year. This is why I had so much optimism in putting together BYU's offensive predictions. This seems like a pretty good opportunity for BYU to showcase its new offense.
BYU and Ole Miss both had bad 2010 seasons, but BYU finished 2010 playing its best football. That can't be said about Ole Miss, and I have serious doubts about Ole Miss' ability to make vast improvements by Week One.
Feel free to leave a comment with your own prediction(s).
