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No. 3 Alabama visits No. 11 Ole Miss Saturday
By: Freddy Wander - StatFox
Published: 10/4/2014  at  5:33:00 AM
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ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (4-0)
at OLE MISS REBELS (4-0)

Kickoff: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: Alabama -6, Total: 53

No. 3 Alabama hits the road on Saturday as it takes on No. 11 Ole Miss in a tough SEC battle.

Here is the BetDSI Sportsbook betting preview for this matchup:

The Crimson Tide have run the table through their first four contests while outscoring their opponents by an average of 28 points, but going a mere 1-2-1 ATS. Their offense has been impressive, averaging 587 yards per game and in their toughest matchup to date last week against Florida, piled up 645 yards (449 passing) while winning 42-21 as 14-point favorites. The teams combined for seven turnovers, as the Crimson Tide held the Gators to a woeful 200 yards of offense and dominated the time of possession by keeping the ball for 39:16. Ole Miss has been great in the early going and is also a perfect 4-0 SU while also covering in all four of its contests. The Rebels have blown out their opponents by an average of 30.5 PPG while twice coughing the ball up three or more times. In their most recent game, they were 20.5-point favorites at home against Memphis and put forth a tremendous defensive effort, coming away with a 24-3 victory as they held the Tigers to 104 yards of offense, including just 23 rushing yards on 31 attempts (0.7 YPC). The Rebels have not had an SU victory in this matchup since 2003, while Alabama has held its opponent to an average of 188 total yards and 7.0 PPG over the past three meetings. Ole Miss failed to record a point in last year’s game, losing 25-0 as 14-point underdogs while the Crimson Tide ran for 254 yards and recorded 21 first downs. Bettors should be aware that Alabama has gone 26-12 ATS (68%) when coming off two consecutive home wins since 1992 while the Rebels are an impressive 18-5 ATS (78%) in games played on turf since the beginning of the 2012 campaign. The injury report has HB Tyren Jones (undisclosed) as questionable for the Crimson Tide while Mississippi has no significant injuries to report.

Which SEC team will remain unbeaten on Saturday? For the answer, connect to College Football Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the 2014 regular season and bowl season. The experts went a combined 19-17 ATS (53%) in the past two weeks, highlighted by StatFox Scott's 5-2 ATS mark and StatFox Gary's 4-3 ATS record.

Alabama’s dominance has come from its ability to attack teams from all different sources, ranking in the top-20 in passing (335.8 YPG) and rushing (258.5 YPG) while scoring 42.0 PPG (16th in FBS). QB Blake Sims (1,091 pass yards, 8 TD, 2 INT) had his best performance of the young season last week against Florida, going 23-for-33 (70%) for 445 yards (13.5 YPA) and 4 TD (1 INT). He has also done a solid job with his legs, rushing for 141 yards (6.4 YPC) and two touchdowns. The backfield is led by the tandem of HBs Derrick Henry (320 rush yards, 2 TD) and T.J. Yeldon (284 rush yards, 2 TD) while HB Kenyan Drake has provided a spark when needed with 112 yards on the ground (5.1 YPC) and a team-best four rushing touchdowns. WR Amari Cooper has caught 43-of-92 (47%) of the team’s passes for 655 yards (15.2 avg) while pulling in five touchdown catches. HB Kenyan Drake has been explosive out of the backfield as well with 149 yards on just four receptions (37.3 avg) with two scores. As usual, the defense has put up some gaudy numbers, allowing a mere 14.0 PPG (9th in FBS) while giving up only 62 YPG on the ground (3rd in nation). DB Landon Collins (29 tackles, 1 INT) is an All-American candidate and is the leader of the stout defensive unit.

Ole Miss has done a majority of its work through the air, averaging 335.5 YPG (13th in nation) from the passing game while scoring 39.0 PPG. QB Bo Wallace (1,271 pass yards, 11 TD, 6 INT) has struggled with turnovers, but has thrown for more than 300 yards in three of the four contests this season. He has connected on an impressive 71% of his passes while getting 9.7 YPA and had two touchdowns and two interceptions in last week’s victory over Memphis. The carries for the team have been split between HBs Jaylen Walton (199 rush yards, 3 TD) and I’Tavious Mathers (151 rush yards, 2 TD) who have combined to average a solid 5.8 YPC. Five different receivers have tallied double-digit receptions thus far with WR Laquon Treadwell (307 rec. yards, 3 TD) leading the team in yards and receptions (20) while WR Cody Core (277 rec. yards) has a team-high four touchdown grabs. The Rebels defense has been one of the best in the nation, allowing 8.5 PPG (3rd in FBS) and has given up the fourth-fewest yards in FBS (248 YPG). The defense is full of big-time playmakers, while DB Cody Prewitt is looking to provide a senior presence being a former All-American.


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