The Rebels fell to Kentucky in their first SEC conference game, suffering their first loss of the season.
Defense faces a strong SEC offense
The Rebels went into this game wanting to minimize the amount of points given up. While the Ole Miss defense held Kentucky to 20 points, it came at a price.
What hurt the Rebels was their defense tallying eight penalties for 53 yards in the first half. This comes just two weeks after the Rebels defense recorded 11 penalties for 114 yards against Wake Forest.
Ole Miss allowed wide receiver Barion Brown to get away with a little over two minutes left in the game, resulting in a 63-yard pass that would lead to a touchdown just a couple of plays later.
The defense managed to have multiple sacks as they took down quarterback Brock Vandagriff four times throughout the game. The Rebels also had a turnover after a fumble.
The offense has seen better days
The offensive performance from the Rebels was unimpressive after four weeks of outstanding wins at home and on the road. Playmaking decisions when the Rebels had possession took a toll on the scoreboard.
While Ole Miss had more passing, receiving and rushing yards than the Wildcats, they were able to score only 17 points — the lowest score for the Rebels thus far this season.
Running back Henry Parrish Jr. rushed for 62 yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Jaxson Dart had 261 passing yards and a pass completion rate of 66.67% during the game — his worst completion rate this season.
Despite Dart’s 42-yard fourth-down conversion pass to tight end Caden Prieskorn, it was not enough to secure the game. A few plays after, Dart was sacked on third down, forcing the Rebels to go for a game-tying field goal that was kicked far wide.
The Rebels’ first conference game and loss
Ole Miss’ loss has left the Rebels with a scarring 0-1 record.
This also marks the first loss at home since Mississippi State beat the Rebels 24-22 in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 24, 2022.
What’s next?
The Rebels will travel to Columbia, S.C., to play the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, Oct. 5. Kickoff will be at 3:30 EDT/2:30 CDT p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN.
