Ian Sparks
Since Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s arrival in Oxford, his goals and professional mindset have been adopted by his staff and his players. In years prior, Ole Miss Football would have been happy to play a top school like Alabama “close,” but would not expect to win. That ideology has drastically changed.
Following the defeat to the Crimson Tide at home last season, it was evident the players and Kiffin himself were demoralized, as it was a game they felt they should have won. From there, the season fell into a downward spiral. This season, after losing to the Tide on the road, the Rebels have shown resilience in their two wins against LSU and Arkansas.
The first three games of the season against Mercer, Tulane and Georgia Tech provided a much-needed tuneup. After putting up 73 points in Week 1, the matchup against a hungry Tulane gave the Rebels an early test, which showed that they can respond to adversity.
Ole Miss easily handled Georgia Tech in its last game before SEC play started, and all eyes were on the Week 4 matchup with Alabama. A very good first half defensively and a Jaxson Dart touchdown gave Ole Miss a 7-6 advantage over the Tide at halftime. However, the Tide seemed inevitable as they outscored Ole Miss 18-3 in the second half and won 24-10.
As it was evident the year before, it is easy to shut down after losing a game of this importance. However, that is not what Ole Miss has shown since their recent loss to Alabama.
The win over LSU at home was the most important win the program has had arguably since their win at Alabama in 2015. A shootout between two high-level offenses, each equipped with very good quarterbacks, gave the country a reminder of just how explosive a Kiffin-coached offense can be. Plus, to win that game the way Ole Miss won it, after being down two scores midway through the fourth quarter, can do wonders for momentum and team morale.
After LSU, Ole Miss took on the Razorbacks. Any win against Arkansas is an important one from Ole Miss’ point of view, especially considering the tumultuous history between the two teams.
This game was the antithesis to the win over LSU. The Rebels, funnily enough, won the game on the defensive end.
Kiffin said, “It’s good to have games where the defense wins it and games where the offense wins you the game… that way there is a balance.”
A tough schedule lies ahead of the Rebels. They travel to Auburn after the bye, then host Vanderbilt and Texas A&M before their toughest game of the season at No. 1 Georgia.
Following the Georgia game, Ole Miss hosts University of Louisiana Monroe the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Then, the Rebels wrap up their season with the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving Day versus Mississippi State in Starkville.
No one knows how the second half of the season will play out. There are predictions, and they could be spot on, but anything can happen in college football.
With that in mind, the Rebels have a good chance at a 10-win season. The only game in which they will not be favored or rated a toss-up is at Georgia, which is the same story for 99% of teams in the country playing the Bulldogs. With Kiffin at the helm, the Rebels’ feet are planted on the ground and moving one week at a time.
