Ole Miss football vs. ULM score prediction, scouting report for college football Week 12

OXFORD — With the College Football Playoff now out of reach, Ole Miss football is looking toward other landmarks as it hopes to close out the season strong.

One Lane Kiffin pointed toward this week is the opportunity to finish unbeaten at home. Heading into a clash with Louisiana-Monroe (2-8) on Saturday (11 a.m., SEC Network), the Rebels (8-2) will be out to run the table at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for the second time under Kiffin.

Here's what to watch for and our score prediction for the game.

Sizing up the quarterback position for Ole Miss football, ULM

Three players have completed a pass for the Warhawks this season, with veteran Jiya Wright and true freshman Blake Murphy taking most of the snaps.

Wright has completed 94 of his 175 attempts for 1,124 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. Murphy is 50-for-94 for 701 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, ULM coach Terry Bowden indicated the Warhawks could be without Murphy, who can play in one more game without burning his redshirt. ULM has a rivalry matchup with Louisiana looming to close the season.

"We thought we would keep him until the final (game) where we can use both quarterbacks and not use him this week either," Bowden said.

As for Ole Miss, the Rebels expect starter Jaxson Dart to be back after he left their loss to Georgia last week with an injury.

Rebels say they're motivated against overmatched Warhawks

ULM comes into Saturday's contest with the worst offense in the Sun Belt, averaging 18.4 points per game.

The Warhawks haven't been much better on defense, where they give up 33.2 points per contest to rank 13th in the Sun Belt.

The Rebels know that getting the desired outcome starts with them and their ability to focus after their College Football Playoff dreams died last week.

Ole Miss safety Daijahn Anthony said he'd like to beat the Warhawks 99-0.

"That's the only thing I'm thinking about," he said. "99-0. I don't want them to score a touchdown Saturday, so I've been watching film harder than I ever watched. Even though it's a lesser opponent, it's still a big game for us."

The Rebels have a short turnaround with the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State looming on Thursday. With that in mind, there will certainly be some motivation on their part to put the contest out of reach quickly and get their starters out of the game.

"It’s always good for your players to have a lower play count," Kiffin said. "If you look at our play count a year ago in that Arkansas game, how high that was offensively, compared to what Mississippi State did in their 11 a.m. game. It would be ideal to have lower snap counts, and it’s always good to get more guys experience.”

KIFFIN AND BOWDEN: How football fathers set Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, ULM's Terry Bowden on their coaching path

Lane Kiffin thrives against the Group of Five

Dating back to his start as a college head coach in 2009, Lane Kiffin has never lost to a Group of Five team as the head coach of a Power Five program.

His Ole Miss teams have been largely excellent as favorites, too, posting a 26-5 record when the bookies give the Rebels the edge.

As of Thursday morning, the Rebels were favored by as many as 37.5 points by some sportsbooks.

Ole Miss score prediction vs. ULM

Ole Miss 55, ULM 7. The Rebels might not get to the 99-point mark like Anthony wants, but this should be a relatively straightforward afternoon that enables them to move on to their Egg Bowl prep quickly.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss football vs. ULM score prediction, scouting report