In week two of SEC play, the Rebels found success on the road, defeating South Carolina 27-3 and bouncing back from their week one loss to Kentucky.
Our best offensive weapon is … J.J. Pegues?
The Rebels’ offense has taken a major step back in the past two weeks after starting the season with an average of 55 points per game against non-conference teams. After starting SEC play, that number dropped to 23.5 ppg in the last two games.
The passing offense was average for Ole Miss, as quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for almost 300 yards with no touchdowns. Henry Parrish Jr. rushed for one, but the star of the offense was actually defensive tackle J.J. Pegues — who ran for two touchdowns and led the team in scoring.
One of the major worries with the offense is a lack of an explosive ground game. Ole Miss was outgained in rushing yards, and the Rebels’ running backs only averaged about three yards per carry — Parrish’s longest rush was only 19 yards.
While some opportunities to score may have been missed, the team may not have needed them against South Carolina. When facing a stronger SEC team like Georgia or LSU, overthrows and a lack of capitalization can be the difference between a win and a loss.
The defense is dominating
The Rebels defense has been improving each week. Ole Miss held the Gamecocks to 162 passing yards the whole game and shut down starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Only averaging five yards per pass, the defense forced a South Carolina turnover and caught an interception from Sellers.
Even without star EDGE Princely Umanmielen, the Rebels’ pass rush was lethal, earning six sacks and 10 tackles for loss on the day. Through six weeks of college football, Ole Miss leads the nation in total sacks — with 24 in total.
The rush defense looked strong, holding South Carolina’s rushing offense to an average of 3.5 yards per carry. This is unusual for the Gamecocks, considering starting running back Raheim Sanders has averaged about five yards per carry this season.
Despite a disappointing loss to Kentucky the week prior, the defense anchored the backfield, leaving South Carolina to just one field goal and no touchdowns.
The schedule only gets tougher from here
After a strong win against a mediocre South Carolina team, the Rebels slate of games only gets more challenging. Ole Miss has yet to face powerhouses like LSU, Georgia and Oklahoma. On top of the difficult games remaining, all three remain a one-loss team heading into week seven. After playing two mid-tier SEC teams, the Rebels have come across as average so far.
There is also cause for concern as injuries to key players have been piling up throughout the season, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. Last week, Pegues and Parrish were marked as game time decisions, and Umanmielen was ruled out following an injury from the Kentucky game.
What’s next?
The Rebels will travel to Death Valley to take on LSU at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ABC.
