Head coach Hugh Freeze said the Vanderbilt game would be a tough matchup all last week. He expected a fight from the Commodores, making the contest difficult from start to finish.
Despite this opinion, most fans and analysts still predicted the game to be a blowout in favor of the Rebels. Those remarks were generally regarded as friendly words from the head coach.
On Saturday, it was apparent just how serious Freeze was about this being a difficult matchup. Ole Miss fought off a valiant effort from the Commodores and scored 14 second half points to outlast Vanderbilt 27-16.