Tennessee-Martin @ Ole Miss preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2015 ) Tennessee-Martin 3, Mississippi 76

Ole Miss put forth a pretty good show in its first game under interim head coach Matt Luke, but it must avoid looking too far ahead. The Rebels look to improve to 2-0 before a gauntlet of challenging games when they host FCS squad Tennessee-Martin on Saturday.

Ole Miss clobbered the Skyhawks 76-3 in its 2015 opener and hopes to cruise through this one before three straight road games against California, No. 1 Alabama and No. 13 Auburn, but Luke knows that the only opponent that matters right now is the next one on the schedule. "They're a very good defensive football team," Luke told reporters of the Skyhawks. "Offensively, they get the ball out quickly and they don't take a whole bunch of sacks. ... This week is about us trying to create a standard of how we want to prepare and how we want to practice, and we're looking forward to the challenge." Rebels quarterback Shea Patterson (429 passing yards, four touchdowns in last week's 47-27 win over South Alabama) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (school-record 233 receiving yards, two TDs) will give Tennessee-Martin plenty to prepare for. The Skyhawks posted a 36-0 win over Clarion - a Division II squad - in their opener and enter with a 1-23 mark against FBS teams.

TV: Noon ET, SEC Network. LINE: None

ABOUT TENNESSEE-MARTIN (1-0): Junior running back Ladarius Galloway led the way offensively for the Skyhawks in the opener, finishing with 157 yards and a TD on 17 carries. The defense forced three turnovers and stopped all 13 of Clarion's third-down conversion attempts in its first shutout since 2011. Senior quarterback Troy Cook completed 13-of-28 passes for 192 yards and two TDs with one interception.

ABOUT OLE MISS (1-0): Patterson, a sophomore, has thrown for 10 scores while averaging 327.3 yards and completing 59.9 percent of his passes in four career games. Luke indicated his desire for more balance in the attack after the team averaged 3.5 yards and was outgained 170-102 on the ground last week, with D'Vaughn Pennamon the leading rusher with just 34 yards. "The whole key for us is being efficient in the run game," Luke said in his weekly press conference. "... When people play to defend our receivers, we have to be able to make our run game a weapon. So when people do try to cover us, we can really hurt them in the run game. That'll be the goal moving forward."

EXTRA POINTS

1. After Saturday, Ole Miss will not play a home game until Vanderbilt visits Oct. 14.

2. Redshirt freshman D.K. Metcalf matched Brown with eight receptions and finished with 84 yards against South Alabama.

3. The Rebels outgained the Skyhawks 662-290 in the 2015 meeting.

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 45, Tennessee-Martin 14