Vanderbilt @ Mississippi preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2011 ) Mississippi 7, Vanderbilt 30

Bowl eligibility is on the line when Vanderbilt travels to Oxford to play Mississippi in a matchup of five-win SEC teams. The Commodores, who played in the Liberty Bowl last season, have never played in a bowl game in back-to-back seasons. The Rebels, who have not reached a bowl game since 2009, are experiencing a turnaround in their first season under head coach Hugh Freeze. The Rebels led 10-0 on the road at No. 6 Georgia for a quarter before getting blown out last week, 37-10. Vanderbilt posted a 40-0 shutout at Kentucky last week, scoring 40 or more points for the second consecutive week. A victory Saturday would give Vanderbilt its first four-game win streak in four years.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU. LINE: Mississippi, -3

ABOUT VANDERBILT (5-4, 3-3 SEC): The Commodores are playing well in all aspects of the game. Vanderbilt has surrendered just 20 points in the past three games to move to 14th in the nation in average points allowed (17.1). Running back Zac Stacy, who already set the school’s career rushing record this season, is tied for the school’s all-time scoring lead. Kicker Carey Spear won conference special teams player of the week last week. The junior is third in the SEC in field-goal percentage (81.3) and sits three field goals away from tying the single-season school record.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (5-4, 2-3 SEC): The Rebels will look to eliminate the big plays that dashed any upset hopes last week. Eight Georgia plays accounted for 278 yards. One more victory will give the Rebels as many as they achieved the past two seasons combined, but the schedule gets tough down the stretch (at LSU, vs. Mississippi State). First-year quarterback Bo Wallace has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 1,836 yards and 11 touchdowns, providing nice balance with running back Jeff Scott (seventh in the SEC with 79.1 yards per game). The Rebels have struggled on defense, allowing 27 or more points six times.

EXTRA POINTS

1. All four Vanderbilt losses have come to teams ranked in the latest BCS poll.

2. A win Saturday would clinch just the sixth bowl appearance in Vanderbilt’s history, and only the third since 1982.

3. Mississippi holds a 47-37-2 series lead. Vanderbilt has won five of the past seven meetings, including a 30-7 victory last season.

PREDICTION: Vanderbilt 24, Mississippi 21