Vanderbilt Commodores Offensive Players to Watch vs. Ole Miss in Week 6
The Ole Miss Rebels will play their second game of conference action on Saturday, Oct. 8 when the Vanderbilt Commodores will welcome Lane Kiffin and Co. to Nashville for the 95th all-time meeting between the two programs.
The Commodores were one of the bottom-feeders of Division I last season, let alone in a powerhouse conference like the SEC. Vanderbilt finished with a 2-10 record and went 0-8 in SEC play. The two lone wins came in a two-point victory over 1-11 UConn and a three-point victory over 3-9 Colorado State.
The Commodores were shutout twice and ended the season on a seven-game losing streak. But still, coach Clark Lea's team gave Kiffin and the Rebels a tougher fight than most expected in Oxford. The 31-17 win for Ole Miss was one of the closer losses Vanderbilt had all season.
Despite Vandy's lack of recent success, Ole Miss only leads the all-time series 52-40-2, though more than half of Vanderbilt's wins came before the 1950s. The Rebels have won the last three meetings dating back to 2018.
Vanderbilt was last in the SEC in total offensive yards (3,751) total passing yards (2,272), and points scored (189). The team would have ranked last in total rushing yards if not for the pass-happy offense of Mississippi State having the fewest rushing yards per game in the nation (59.5).
We've already gone over a general preview of the Commodores. Now, let's look some key offensive players that the Rebels defense will need keep tabs on.
QB Mike Wright
Ken Seals might be the current QB1 on the depth chart, but he and Wright split tons of snaps at quarterback last season, especially toward the back-half of the year.
Wright is clearly the bigger dual-threat signal-caller of the two, as he had 91 carries for 373 yards and one touchdown last season as the team's second-leading rusher. He also went 93-175 passing for 1,042 yards, eight touchdowns, and six picks.
In any other slightly productive offense, Wright would've found the end zone with his legs many more times instead of snagging his first rushing score in the final game of the season against the Tennessee Volunteers. But before that, he had some productive games as a runner, including 13 carries for 61 yards against Ole Miss and impressive 14 carries for 152 yards against the Mizzou Tigers, which included a 70-yard run.
Wright had a season-high 44 pass attempts against the Rebels last season, as he got a good feel for what the defense can bring. Ole Miss will certainly be favored in this game, but Wright's versatility could be an underrated spark.
WR Will Sheppard
Vanderbilt had the fewest passing yards in the SEC last season. But despite the Commodores lacking any sort of passing attack, Sheppard was one of the lone bright spots. He had 43 catches for 577 yards and four touchdowns last season. His four scores tied the team lead, as he also led the receiving corps with an average of 13.4 yards per catch.
Sheppard had some sound production at the beginning of the season and early into SEC play. He began the season against Eastern Tennessee State with nine catches for 84 yards before having his best game of the year against UConn a few weeks later when he snagged eight grabs for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
When the Commodores look to pass, they'll likely be looking Sheppard's way.
RB Rocko Griffin
Griffin could end up splitting first-team reps at running back with Re'Mahn Davis, but if last season was any indication, the former is capable of handling lead-back duties.
His 145 carries, 517 rushing yards, and four touchdowns were all team highs. He packs a punch at 5-9, 203, something the Rebels saw firsthand when he totaled 26 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown in Oxford in what was arguably his best game of the year.
Griffin also ended off the 2021 season with a whopping 30 carries for 104 yards and a score against Tennessee. He's shown he can be a workhorse in the backfield and is certainly capable of replicating his season-high rushing total he had against the Rebels last season.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rebels? Click Here.
