No. 7 Ole Miss returned home to Oxford and defeated South Carolina 30-14 on Saturday to improve to 8-1 on the season.
The playcalling was conservative — even predictable
When South Carolina defensive back Jalon Kilgore muffed a punt in the middle of the third quarter, the Ole Miss offense took over at the South Carolina 13-yard line.
Yet the Rebels were forced to settle for a field goal after they gained only three yards in three plays. Running back Kewan Lacy drove up the middle into a pack of defenders on first and second downs, and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was tackled for only a two-yard gain on a designed quarterback run on third down.
The next drive was nearly identical. Lacy ran up the middle twice for minimal gains, and Trinidad Chambliss was brought down short of the marker on third down for a three-and-out.
The first drive of the fourth quarter looked like a break from this pattern; tight end Dae’Quan Wright gained 24 yards on a drag route, and wide receiver Cayden Lee made a catch for a first down on the next play.
After that, though, came the conservative playcalling. Chambliss gained six yards across two more designed runs, and Lacy was tackled for a two-yard loss on third down to set up another field goal.
This commitment to the run game, however, was not entirely fruitless. Lacy tallied 167 rushing yards on the night, including a 54-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to ice the game. Chambliss also added 59 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
Still, this overreliance on halfback dives and quarterback runs stunted the offense’s potential. Drives which could have ended in touchdowns resulted in field goals. Drives which might not have led to points, but at least could have kept the Rebel defense off the field so they could catch their breath and get ready for their next drive, were over in only a few plays.
The defense and special teams units put the offense in winning positions all game. Against better teams, though, the Rebels will need to have bigger plays. Leaning on quarterback draws, read options and run plays up the middle will not be enough.
Chambliss took a step back in the passing game
Perhaps the reason why head coach Lane Kiffin was hesitant to let Chambliss throw was because of the quarterback’s struggles.
Chambliss finished with 12 completions for 159 passing yards and one touchdown, along with an interception which came on an ill-advised throw into double coverage to wide receiver Winston Watkins towards the end of the first half — a far cry from the 400-total-yard performances he recorded in his first three starts.
The Ole Miss quarterback’s issues have plagued the Rebels in the past. Obviously, the loss to Georgia can mostly be pinned on the Rebel defense, but in the fourth quarter of that game, Chambliss completed only one pass on 10 attempts for a single yard.
This may simply be a poor performance. It is unrealistic to expect Chambliss to continue to post the same numbers he did at the beginning of the season, especially now that opposing teams have plenty of film to study.
Still, if Ole Miss hopes to make a playoff run, Chambliss will need to be able to make plays with his arm. He showed glimpses of his normal self — such as his 43-yard pass to wide receiver Deuce Alexander in the second quarter and, a play later, his short touchdown pass to Wright — but he will need to be more consistent in the future.
The defense is capable of dominating
For once, the Rebels owe this win to the defense. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s unit allowed points on every drive of the game two weeks ago against Georgia, and Oklahoma scored 26 last week.
Yet this game was an utter turnaround. The Rebels allowed only 230 total yards and two touchdowns, one of which came on a 47-yard touchdown catch by South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor on an Ole Miss busted coverage, and the other was after a muffed punt deep in Rebel territory.
Entering this last game, the Rebels had 13 sacks all season, but they recorded six in this contest alone. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins had his first individual sack of the season early in the fourth quarter to put the Gamecocks at fourth-and-21. Later in the quarter, defensive tackle Da’Shawn Womack hauled down LaNorris Sellers six yards behind the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-17 to force a turnover on downs.
The Rebels also added two interceptions; Perkins made an acrobatic catch on a deep ball with a few minutes left, and safety Wydett Williams Jr. closed out the game with an interception in the closing minute.
This effort does not necessarily mean that the defense has worked out all its flaws. Only two games after holding LSU to 19 points earlier this season, the defense allowed 41 points against Georgia, so this fix might not be permanent. However, this game served as evidence of the championship-level capabilities that this defense has.
