For the first time in program history, the Ole Miss Rebels are entering the College Football Playoff. The Rebels finished the regular season 11-1 and secured the No. 6 seed, earning the chance to host a playoff game.
Tulane is a familiar enemy for the Rebels. In September, the Green Wave came to Oxford for its week four matchup. The Rebels defeated them 45-10 in quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ second start.
In that game, Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff completed just 5 of 17 passes for 56 yards. Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan was 5-of-12 for 48 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Running back Arnold Barnes had 11 carries for 47 yards. The top Tulane receiver was Shazz Preston, with only 35 yards on three catches.
The Rebels greatly outpaced the Green Wave in yards, 548 to 282. Wide receiver Deuce Alexander had four receptions for 94 yards, and running back Kewan Lacy scored two touchdowns. Chambliss stunned fans with 17-of-27 for 307 yards, two touchdowns and added 112 yards on the ground.
However, that blowout win means little to the Rebels now. Tulane has come a long way since then.
“First thing you have to get past is the misconception that this is the same team we played in week four,” Ole Miss assistant coach Joe Judge said in a press conference on Tuesday. “They are a much improved team. They’re a very good team. They’re very well-coached. These guys play very fundamentally sound and are very disciplined.”
The Green Wave offense is averaging 29.1 points and 410.7 yards per game, while its defense has 15 interceptions and 34 sacks on the season.
Outside of the Ole Miss game, Retzlaff has been great for Tulane this season. He has a 139.5 rating, 2,862 yards and 14 passing touchdowns with only six turnovers. On the ground, he has run for 610 yards and 16 touchdowns on 118 carries.
The Ole Miss defense has struggled to contain dual threat quarterbacks this season. In their 41-35 win over Arkansas in September, Razorback quarterback Taylen Green passed for 305 yards and ran for 115 yards. The Rebels will have to ensure Tulane’s Retzlaff cannot escape the pocket.
Another key will be keeping the Green Wave receivers in check. Four Tulane receivers are over 400 hundred yards this season.
“Jake (Retzlaff) has done a great job of distributing the ball to multiple receivers,” co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Bryan Brown said in a press conference on Tuesday. “It’s not just one (receiver). You look at the yardage of those guys, a lot of them are so similar with 400, 500 yards, 300 yards.”
Ole Miss’ recent coaching carousel has sparked speculation on how staff turnover might affect the team’s performance. Yet several players commented that they have not felt much of a difference.
“I feel like it’s not a dramatic change from what we’ve been doing to what we’re doing now — same mindset,” defensive lineman Kam Franklin said in Tuesday’s press conference.
Wide receiver Harrison Wallace III agreed.
“I’m just doing the same things I’ve done all season — watching film, game catches and making corrections. So really, it’s the same process I’ve been following all year,” Wallace said.
Brown, too, confirmed that Golding has not changed the practice routine.
“We’ve kept practice mostly the same, maybe added one or two more walkthroughs than we’ve had in the past,” Brown said. “But if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. I think Pete (Golding)’s done a great job implementing the way he wants to run the program while also keeping the majority of things the same, because it’s been working.”
Though Golding has spent every game this season in the press box as defensive coordinator, he will now be with the team on the sideline as the head coach. The Ole Miss offense appears to be set up well, averaging 498.1 yards per game, 6.7 yards per play and 78.2 plays per game.
Both schools are playing their first College Football Playoff game in history. Ole Miss won handily last time they played Tulane, but that was three months ago.
For the Green Wave, this is a chance to prove that they belong in the playoffs, despite only qualifying because they were a conference champion. For Ole Miss, this game is an opportunity to show that former head coach Lane Kiffin’s departure is not a crippling blow to the program.
Coverage of Ole Miss’ first-round playoff game will begin on Dec. 20 at 2:30 CST on TNT.
