Troy at Ole Miss 9/3/22 - College Football Picks & Predictions

The Troy Trojans visit Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday September 3 to play the Ole Miss Rebels in the opening game of the 2022 college football regular season for both teams. Troy finished last season 5-7 overall and 3-5 in Sun Belt Conference action. Joe Sumrall is beginning his first season as the head coach for Troy. Sumrall was a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Kentucky, before taking the reins at Troy.

Troy's offense will have 10 starters back from last season and one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt. Troy is known for its excellent pass rush which should only get better under Sumrall. Gunnar Watson is Troy's starting quarterback and leading receiver Tez Johnson returns. Kimani Vidal is the leading rusher returning from last season and the offensive line must improve its run blocking.

Ole Miss finished last season 10-3 overall and 6-2 in SEC play. The Rebels are expected to be very strong under head coach Lane Kiffin, who begins his third season at the helm. Ole Miss has a potent offense under Kiffin, which led the SEC in total offense last season and scored an average of 34 points per game. Jaxson Dart, who transferred from USC, will be the starting quarterback but will have Luke Altmyer ready to step in if he falters. 

The Ole Miss running attack will be led by Zach Evans, a transfer from TCU and Ulysses Bentley, a transfer from SMU. Last season the two combined to rush for more than 3,000 yards and scored 27 touchdowns. The OleMiss receivers will be led by Jonathan Mingo who caught 22 passes last season before being injured. Incoming receivers via the transfer portal include Jordan Watkins, Malik Heath and Jaylon Robinson, who can stretch the field with his speed.