Oxford, MS – This is the second installment of Position Grades with Shayne Pickering and myself. It's a tough one this week for two reasons: Ole Miss bludgeoned the Blue Raiders 52-3, and it’s the Ole Miss Rebels; the talent gap is night and day.
However, there were some positives from the week two showdown. Holden Willis and Nick Vattiato found the chemistry everyone expected in the Tennessee Tech game, a true freshman had tremendous success and more.
Quarterback
Conner
For the second week in a row, Vattiato showed flashes of being a good quarterback but also made mistakes. The fourth-year man went 21-for-33 with 209 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. He had moments like the final drive of the first half, where he threw for 66 yards and got MTSU in the Rebel red zone, but also times where he stalled. I had mixed feelings for Vattiato two weeks ago, but he can change that narrative this week.
Grade: C+
Shayne
It will always be tough to judge a mid-major quarterback against a top-five team in the nation, but once veteran guard Ethan Ellis made his first appearance of the season in the second quarter, Nick Vattiato was able to conduct an offense that consistently moved into Ole Miss territory. He made some impressive throws and was robbed of even more passing yards by some major drops. He did have some flaws in the game, however, with an interception thrown and coughing the ball up in a strip sack. He looked more confident as the game progressed and if he can carry that over to conference play, the offense could finally get fans excited.
Grade: B
Running Back
Conner
The Middle Tennessee offensive line was never able to get a good push against the physical defensive front of Ole Miss, which plays into the grades for the RBs. As a unit, they only averaged 1.1 yards per carry on 25 carries and didn’t impact the passing game; Frank Peasant also went down with an injury in the ballgame.
Grade: D+
Shayne
Yikes. That's all that needs to be said about the group's performance. A lot of it had to do with Ole Miss dominating the trenches but the run game was a complete non factor. Frank Peasant going down with injury makes the mood here even more sour.
Grade: D
Wide Receiver
Conner
The wideout room was by committee as Vattiato and Roman Gagliano connected with 13 receivers. They were led by transfer Myles Butler and true freshman Cam’ron Lacy, who combined for seven catches and 99 yards. Against talented corners, the receivers showed promise and had the Rebel secondary on their heels at points of the ballgame.
Grade: B
Shayne
The receivers had some impressive moments, showing flashes of what this unit could be. The biggest highlight of the game was a 66-yard touchdown by Omari Kelly that was called back due to a blatantly bad holding call. Myles Butler continues to impress on third downs and the slot position did a lot of good things. One negative takeaway is that Kelly absolutely has to clean up the drops and hold on to the ball through contact.
Grade: C+
Tight End
Conner
Holden Willis was brilliant on Saturday, hauling in six passes for 93 yards, and was the go-to target for Vattiato all day. He also contributed to the run game with key blocks that opened MT's few big runs. He was easily the game MVP for the Blue Raiders.
Grade: A
Shayne
With a Senior Bowl scout in attendance, Holden Willis showed why he is such a weapon as a flex tight end. The staff realized how much of a weapon he could be in space off of motions against an aggressive defense, and it paid dividends to the tune of nearly a hundred yards on the day. As he played the majority of the game, that meant he had to show that he could block, and he showed some good things as a perimeter blocker in space.
Grade: A
Offensive Line
Conner
The offensive line was down two starters, but it did get Ethan Ellis back. However, it didn’t help much as Ole Miss was too big and physical. They made the MTSU running backs helpless and pressured Vattiato for most of the game.
Grade: D
Shayne
'Yikes' applies here too. One main reason the run game was so bad was because the unit up front could not create a single running lane all game. On the bright side, they did give Vattiato enough time to make some plays in the passing game. That holding call that took away a touchdown was huge, but after a rewatch, that call was just so obviously bad that it's hard to hold that against the unit.
Grade: D+
Defensive Line
Conner
The Middle defense was gashed by the run game all day, but they were able to create some negative plays, starting with the D-line. MTSU racked up six TFLs and three sacks, which is enough production to get a higher grade than what would’ve been low.
Grade: C-
Shayne
The lack of size outside of nose tackle was really highlighted in this game as Ole Miss ran the ball at will. However, when it came to the passing game, this unit actually continued to do a lot of positive things. James Gillespie and Shakai Woods has proven to be a formidable duo at the nose, which should open up more opportunities for the athletic ends to make plays on the edge. This unit continues to create pressure up the middle and make plays in the backfield.
Grade: B-
Linebacker
Conner
Much like the defensive line, they were dominated by the Rebel offense, and that’s not supposed to be a shot at the Blue Raider defense. They fought hard, but Ole Miss was just too talented up front. However, Jordan Thompson recorded a sack, and true freshman Amarrien Bailey racked up seven total tackles and showed how good he could be.
Grade: C+
Shayne
The lack of size with Drew Francis and Parker Hughes out really showed up in this game as Ole Miss pushed their run game to the second level at will. Getting them back will be very important. One thing that I took away was how impressive true freshman Amarrien Bailey looked in his return to his home state. As he played the majority of the second half, he grew more comfortable and finished with seven tackles, which was second on the team.
Grade: C-
Cornerback
Conner
The corners had their work cut out on Saturday when they had to cover Tre Harris and Juice Wells. The dynamic duo had their way, bringing in 15 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown; there's not much more to say about that; maybe the MTSU corners will bounce back in week three.
Grade: D
Shayne
The unit will have to tackle in space better in conference play if it wants to get off the field on third downs. Ole Miss has one of the best receiving cores in the entire nation but a lot of their attack, where quarterback Jaxson Dart broke a school record for most consecutive completions, was dink and dunk passes that turned into bigger plays. Marvae Myers started to get run at cornerback and showed some positive flashes. He offers arguably a greater combination of physicality and speed than anyone else at the group so that could be something to watch going forward. Finding potentially another starter opposite Tyrell Raby is the only reason the unit does not get a D grade from me.
Grade: C-
Safety
Conner
The corners had a tough time on Saturday, but that was the opposite for Brendon Harris and John Howse IV. Harris led the team in tackles with 12, while Howse had a strip sack, and the two combined for three TFLs.
Grade: B+
Shayne
The safety position continues to be a strength for this team. Brendon Harris struggled a bit to start but then started making plays on the ball, including one ultra-impressive tackle for loss. John Howse IV showed out for a second straight game, making plays all over the field, including a strip sack of Dart. If he continues down the path he has begun, he has a legitimate shot at becoming an all-conference safety. This should be a position group to get excited about with conference play beginning soon.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
Conner
Much like last week, the specialists didn’t stand out but did their job. Ole Miss returned just a single punt and kick for a combined 18 yards. Zeke Rankin made his only field goal attempt, and the Blue Raiders found some success on kickoff returns.
Grade: A
Shayne
First takeaway is that true freshman punter Grant Chadwick has finally arrived. He did have one poor punt on the day for 25 yards but even that was downed inside the Rebels 25. Arguably the biggest play of the day was a 49 yard punt that pinned Ole Miss as the half yard line to start their drive. He averaged 45 yards per punt if you take out the one awkward punt. Kicker Zeke Rankin made his lone field goal.
Grade: A-
