The No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels defeated No. 24 Tulane Green Wave 37-20 on Saturday, Sept. 9. The Rebels performed well on the field, but there are still many issues that need to be resolved to maintain their winning streak.
The offensive line must improve
Seriously, the offensive line could not stop anything. QuarterbackJaxson Dart was fighting for his life all game long. The Tulane defensive line registered four sacks, but the Green Wave front-seven was constantly hitting Dart, forcing a lot of miscues and early-ending drives.
Dart is going to be the most important player on the team this season and allowing him to take the punishment he did in New Orleans threatens what could be a great 2023-24 campaign.
There were too many missed assignments and lost battles to call it a satisfactory performance. Kiffin added more than enough talent from the portal to field a better unit than what was shown on Saturday.
In the run game, Judkins could not find a gap. He was held to just 48 yards on 18 carries for a 2.7 yards per carry average. Judkins was a first-team all-SEC player last year, and he needs to be unleashed this season.
So far, he has just 108 yards against Mercer and Tulane. The group up front has to communicate better and open gaps so Judkins can work his magic.
The Rebel pass rush can be elite
The boys up front wreaked havoc on the Tulane offensive line. Defensive end Isaac Ukwu looked athletic and disruptive, JJ Pegues had a number of “wow” plays and Tulane’s offensive line was generally helpless.
The Rebels defense totaled 10 negative plays against Tulane, but the unit disrupted many more and created consistent chaos in the Green Wave backfield.
Due to scheme and personnel, Ole Miss has struggled to field a dominant defensive line during the Kiffin era. That, however, may have come to a glorious end this season with the emergence of a number of budding contributors on the defensive front.
The Rebels finally seem to have enough talented players to send their rushers in waves, as opposed to just marching out their starters and calling it a day. This more modern approach allows players to remain fresh late in games, and it is a big reason why Georgia has been able to have its recent success. Look for this unit to be the x-factor that decides a number of SEC contests.
Offensive and defensive playmakers shine
Deantre Prince, a senior cornerback from Charleston, Miss., played an excellent game. He had a number of great plays on the ball, and he proved to be a very strong presence on the boundary. Though John Saunders also played well, Prince had a more impactful game. Prince came up with a huge interception that trounced Tulane’s chance of winning.
Dayton Wade, the senior wideout from Atlanta, Ga., showed out and was a big reason Ole Miss was able to come back to win — a great performance from the undersized receiver. Wade had seven catches for 106 yards, including a spectacular downfield catch just when the Rebels needed it. Ole Miss’ passing attack was going to be the deciding factor in this game, and Wade made sure to make his name known.
