It’s still far from perfect, but the Ole Miss defense has noticeably improved from where it’s been in years past. From a statistics standpoint, it may not be all that apparent. But if you’re a believer in the eye test, it’s obvious.
For nearly the past decade, it’s been all but a given that the defense was going to be awful. Through the first half of this season, there’s been legitimate optimism surrounding that side of the ball among the fanbase. And it’s responded by playing reasonably well. Needless to say, it’s a new feeling for Ole Miss fans.
So what’s changed? What happened that created a monumental shift on that side of the ball?
The Ole Miss Defense Makes a Coordinator Switch
The obvious answer as to the cause for the improvement would be new Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding. After spending four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban, Golding decided to come back to his home state of Mississippi and fill the same role for Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss. This move came with a lot of expectations, and so far, he’s (for the most part) met those.
After being at a powerhouse like Alabama, it was simply generally expected that he would be able to flip the Rebel defense around and make them a legitimate contender. After all, if he was able to keep the job at Alabama with those expectations, then surely he could have enough success at Ole Miss to keep people happy.
But things are never quite that simple, and the numbers bore that out. While with the Crimson Tide, his defenses were rarely considered truly elite. They typically found themselves somewhere in the bottom half of the top 20. That’s certainly not bad, but at Alabama, with a team full of five-star talent, more is expected.
That’s exactly why there were plenty of Alabama fans who were excited to see him leave. The good news, however, is that Ole Miss doesn’t have quite those same expectations. Through six games, there’s obvious improvement that is needed, but the overall product is solid enough for most Rebel fans.
Quite Simply, There’s More Talent On That Side of the Ball
One obvious reason for the improvement is the fact that there’s simply more talent on the defensive side of the ball this year in Oxford than we’ve seen in years past. This could be due to multiple factors. Maybe it’s the Golding effect. Or maybe it’s the Kiffin effect, despite him being more of an offensive mind.
Playing defense on a team that everyone knows has a high-powered offense has to make the defender’s jobs easier. It eases some of the pressure. Especially knowing that you don’t necessarily need a stop on every possession, even though that’s the clear goal. This could be the reason.
Whatever the case, there’s no denying this defense has real talent. Through the transfer portal, Ole Miss managed to land guys like Khari Coleman, Monty Montgomery, Isaac Ukwu, and Jared Ivey. For Ivey and Coleman, this is their second year in Oxford. For Montgomery and Ukwu, it’s year one in a new landscape.
But it hasn’t just been done through the portal. Kiffin and the Rebels managed to land Suntarine Perkins this offseason, as well. Perkins was the top-ranked player in the state of Mississippi from the 2023 high school recruiting class. And while it’s oftentimes rare to see a true freshman make an immediate impact, there’s no denying that Perkins has already made his mark on this defense.
In any sport, talent can oftentimes be the determining factor. This is one of the first times in recent memory that we’ve truly seen the Rebels put an emphasis on defense. While offense garners most of the attention, the idea of the Rebels having some semblance of a defense is a refreshing sight.
The Ole Miss Defense Can Stop the Run?!
This may be the most surprising aspect of the season so far for Rebel fans. Anyone who is used to watching Ole Miss football is used to seeing the defense be overpowered at the line of scrimmage. This has led to the expectation that the Rebels can’t hang with the more physical teams in the SEC, especially in the running game.
That may have changed this season. Through six games, including three conference games, the Rebels are giving up just over three yards per rush. That’s a full yard less than what they averaged last year. They’re also giving up 41 yards less per game on the ground this season. While it may not sound like much, that’s an astounding improvement for an Ole Miss defense that has been abysmal at stopping the run in recent years.
On top of that, in last week’s win over Arkansas, Ole Miss gave up 36 yards rushing. That was its fewest as a team since a 2014 matchup against Tennessee. In Week 3, the defense gave up 192 yards on the ground. However, the unit held the Tide to just under three yards per carry. Against the Crimson Tide, any Ole Miss fan will take that number.
The number jumped up to six yards per carry against LSU. But, apart from a 55-yard scramble from Jayden Daniels, that number would’ve been just north of four-and-a-half. Not great, but it’s still lightyears better than what it’s been in recent years.
Arguably more important than the numbers themselves may be the fact that the Rebels aren’t getting shoved around anymore. They actually look like they belong on the same field as the teams they’re playing. That’s something that hasn’t been able to be said all that often lately in regard to the Ole Miss defense.
Pass Coverage is a Concern
If there was one concern with the Rebel defense, it’s the pass coverage. They’ve still been better than many expected, but the coverage has been soft. The size in the secondary is there, but it doesn’t seem like the coverage skills are.
For instance, Ole Miss giving up 42 yards more per game through the air this year than it did last season (262 vs 219.9.) While not a wildly high number in today’s football, it’s a rough look when you view the comparison between seasons. The good news is that the improvement in terms of the rush defense has offset some of the struggles of the secondary.
However, if there were a bright spot with the Rebels secondary, it’s the fact that they have real size and they hit hard. Watching these guys hit opponents is reminiscent of watching the Cody Prewitt/Senquez Golson days at Ole Miss.
Ole Miss defense coming ready to play against LSU, popping Jayden Daniels!
pic.twitter.com/AzVtXwYwIq— Scott Theisen (@stheisenespn) September 30, 2023
The coverage needs work, but if this Rebel secondary can improve in coverage, they too will have shown signs of improvement.
The Rebel Defense is Improved, Not Perfect
All in all, the Ole Miss defense has improved greatly. There’s still work to be done, and it’s still early, but based on what we’ve seen through six games, Golding has the defense trending in the right direction. This is a major development for the Ole Miss football program.
With an offense that is expected to lead the way and score in bunches, all Ole Miss fans expect on the defensive side of the ball is to have a unit that can get a few stops a game. It really doesn’t go much deeper than that. It won’t always be pretty, and it may sometimes lead to high-scoring stress-inducing shootouts, but expectations aren’t all that high for defense in Oxford.
So far, Golding has met those expectations, and honestly done a bit more than expected with the Ole Miss defense. Ask just about any Rebel fan out there, that’s already a win in their book.
