With a nailbiter first half, Ole Miss and Oklahoma faced off in what was the Rebels’ second conference win of the season. After trailing by four at halftime, both sides of the ball regrouped to pull off a two-score victory. Here are some of the key takeaways from the matchup.
There is still a lack of a rushing attack
Ole Miss averaged under three yards per carry — one of their worst marks on the year. There was a complete lack of explosiveness, as our longest rush of the day was only nine yards.
The offense transitioned to a more pass heavy attack opposed to a run heavy strategy. Rebel running backs only received 20 carries combined the whole game. Instead of trying to incorporate the rushing attack, it seems Ole Miss had to rely completely on quarterback Jaxson Dart and the passing game.
No Tre Harris, no problem
Tight end Caden Prieskorn finally saw some receiving action. His lack of usage behind all four of our top receivers has been a point of concern this year among many fans, especially considering he was the hero of the Peach Bowl, with 10 catches for over 130 yards and two touchdowns.
Dart has looked lost many times this season whenever his top receivers miss games. However, he was able to take advantage of the Oklahoma defense, which ranks as one of the worst in the SEC, averaging 226 passing yards per game.
The defense can still carry
The Rebel defense came to play against Oklahoma, notching 10 sacks against Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins had four sacks alone, while JJ Pegues and Princely Umanmielen had two sacks each. Jared Ivey and Akelo Stone both recorded one sack.
On top of the second-half achievements from the Rebels’ defense, Ole Miss held the Sooners to scoreless third and fourth quarters. They were able to limit Jackson Arnold to under 200 yards passing, with only a 49.7 QBR.
Although the Rebels were able to get the passing attack to a minimum, the Oklahoma rushing attack was still solid, reaching almost 150 yards on the ground. Despite all the sacks, Jackson Arnold still managed to gain 39 rushing yards.
What’s Next?
Ole Miss will be back on the road this week, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark. to face Arkansas on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 11 a.m.
