Quarterback

You’d be hard pressed to find a quarterback playing better than Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. Dart leads the nation in passing yards and total offense; he has eight passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and one interception. He is the triggerman behind the No. 2 scoring offense in college football. Georgia Southern is no slouch offensively, as the Eagles average just under 36 points per game. Quarterback JC French has six touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Edge: Ole Miss

 

Running back

Henry Parrish Jr. is 11th nationally with 338 rushing yards, and Ole Miss as a whole averages 257.7 yards per game on the ground, good for 12th nationally. Georgia Southern is 109th nationally at 107 rushing yards per game. Jalen White leads the Eagles with 97 rushing yards.

Edge: Ole Miss

 

Wide receiver and tight end

Tre Harris leads the SEC with 403 receiving yards, and Cayden Lee and Antwane Wells Jr. each have more than 200 yards. Jordan Watkins is back and healthy, and Caden Prieskorn is still one of the best tight ends in the country. Georgia Southern has three receivers with at least 100 receiving yards, led by Dalen Cobb’s 175.

Edge: Ole Miss

 

Offensive line

The Rebels lead the nation with 692 total yards per game, though they have allowed six sacks through three games. Ole Miss is still working through injuries on the offensive line, but the group seems to be gelling. Georgia Southern has also given up six sacks this season, but the Eagles struggle to run the ball.

Edge: Ole Miss

 

Defensive line

Ole Miss has one of the best defensive lines in college football; that group is a big reason the Rebels lead the nation in rush defense. Jared Ivey left last weekend’s game with an injury, so his status remains unknown. But Ole Miss has plenty of options at the end spot, including sophomore Suntarine Perkins. The Rebels are tied for 18th nationally with 3.33 sacks per game. Georgia Southern averages just one sack per game and is 131st in rush defense.

Edge: Ole Miss

 

Linebacker

Chris Paul Jr. and TJ Dudley have been a solid one-two punch at linebacker, having made 34 combined tackles. Paul has four tackles for loss, and the Rebels are tied for third nationally with 10 tackles for loss per game. Marques Watson-Trent leads Georgia Southern with 28 tackles.

Edge: Ole Miss

 

Defensive back

The Rebels have had their ups and downs in pass defense but held Wake Forest’s Hank Bachmeier to 239 passing yards. Ole Miss gives up 220.3 yards per game through the air (82nd nationally), and Georgia Southern is 104th nationally with 252.3 yards per game allowed.

Edge: Ole Miss

 

Special teams

Georgia Southern has elite kick and punt return coverage, ranking sixth and tied for seventh nationally, respectively. Ole Miss has not had many opportunities to return kickoffs but averages 14 yards per return. Micah Davis is tied for 31st nationally at 10 yards per punt return.

Edge: Even