Five Immediate Takeaways From Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt

Ole Miss went to their favorite vacation spot and destroyed Vanderbilt, 52-10.

This was a huge bounce-back win for the Rebels after the Florida Gators beat them by 24 points.

Here are five takeaways from Ole Miss's dominant win.

Airing it out early

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passes the ball during the game between Vanderbilt | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Rebels have started consecutive games with a three-and-out, but the play calling looked very different against Vanderbilt than it did against Florida. John David Baker started the game against the Gators with timid play calling, running three straight plays. Against the Commodores, he clearly trusted Trinidad Chambliss more, airing it out three times, including a missed deep post to Deuce Alexander to start the game.

After a quick defensive stop, the Rebels stormed down the field on their next drive, ending with six points on a 10-yard touchdown run by Chambliss. Baker had Chambliss either pass or run the ball in their first six of eight plays, clearly letting Chambliss command the Ole Miss offense.

The Rebels kept it rolling on the third drive, with Chambliss delivering quick passes and leading the Rebels to the Vanderbilt two-yard line before handing it to Kewan Lacy to punch it in and put Ole Miss up 14-3.

The Rebels offense of old

After a hot start, the Rebels kept on rolling. Chambliss delivered strikes in the pocket, marching Ole Miss downfield.

The offensive play calling didn’t look hesitant, and the Rebels didn’t shy away from big plays. They also thrived on quick passes and put up 42 points in the first half.

Chambliss and company ran this offense much like they did against Georgia in last year's regular season. Ole Miss scored five straight touchdowns on the road against a top-ten opponent.

The Rebels offense finished with 400-plus yards of total offense and 52 points.

This style has worked for Ole Miss, and this Vanderbilt game could preview what's to come for the rest of the season.

Kewans Presence

Mississippi Rebels running back Kewan Lacy celebrates his touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kewan Lacy returned after missing the game against Florida, and it couldn’t have made a bigger impact.

The Rebels' offense was very one-dimensional against the Gators, which kept them from getting anywhere. Facing Vanderbilt made the Ole Miss offense much less predictable, leading to much better success.

The star running back also made his presence known with a two-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.

Lacy finished with just 39 yards, but it still freed the offense to be much more creative.

Heavy Blitz/New defensive identity

Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Jamarious Brown tackles Vanderbilt Commodores running back Makhilyn Young | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rebels' defense used the bye week to flip the script and came out looking like they did against LSU in the first half.

Head coach Pete Golding ran a steady blitz to pressure Vanderbilt's freshman quarterback, Jared Curtis. The linebacker core shot gaps, and the corners stayed close to receivers.

Defensive back Antonio Kite picked off Curtis, setting up the Rebels' fourth first-half touchdown.

The Rebels' takeaways continued in the first half when defensive end Blake Purchase strip-sacked Curtis, and linebacker Suntarine Perkins scooped up the ball and ran it into the end zone to extend Ole Miss’ lead to 32.

The second half was more of the same. The defense recorded another interception and allowed Vanderbilt only two touchdowns.

This defensive squad was a complete 180 from Florida and proved it can make stops and serve as a serviceable defense.

Ole Miss has got a bright future.

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Deuce Alexander celebrates after a touchdown during the game between Vanderbilt and Ole Miss | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This huge victory showed that the last game against Florida will not define their season. They played a complete game on the road against an SEC team.

Ole Miss' schedule won't get any easier, and this game could start a playoff push for the Rebels.

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