Ole Miss spent the open week getting back to the basics on defense. Vanderbilt is about to find out whether those lessons stuck.
Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz don’t just bring different skill sets. Pete Golding believes Vanderbilt’s offense changes depending on which quarterback is taking the snap.
“It’s two completely different offenses based on the quarterback position,” Golding said.
Curtis has the arm to push the ball downfield, but he can also hurt a defense once the original play breaks down.
“Once he gets those feet moving a little bit, it’s kind of scary as well,” Golding said.
That makes rush-lane discipline just as important as pressure. Ole Miss has to keep Curtis contained and finish when it gets there.
Berlowitz brings a different problem.
With him, Ole Miss expects more quarterback involvement, option concepts and formations designed to create favorable numbers.
“It feels much more option-generated, numbers and grass,” Golding said.
Vanderbilt can dress up its G-lead run with motion, formations and different personnel, but the goal remains the same: create numbers and find leverage.
And Ole Miss has already seen what happens when those fundamentals break down.
Florida ran for 302 yards against the Rebels, exposing problems with tackling, leverage and getting off blocks. Vanderbilt has the kind of run game that can make those problems show up again.
Then there’s another possibility: Curtis and Berlowitz on the field together.
Golding expects Ole Miss could even see both quarterbacks on the field at the same time. That puts even more pressure on the Rebels to communicate, recognize formations and know their responsibilities before the snap.
Curtis didn’t play against Georgia, but Ole Miss isn’t preparing as if he’ll be unavailable.
“We have to work on both of them all week,” Golding said. “I think we’ll see both of them in the game, no doubt.”
That’s really what this matchup comes down to.
Vanderbilt can change quarterbacks. It can change formations. It can change the picture.
Ole Miss can’t let its fundamentals change with it.
