Despite their 8-1 record, the season has largely been a roller coaster ride for the Ole Miss Rebels. There have been games where they’ve put together full team efforts in wins. There have been a few games where the offense has had to bail the defense out. And there have been a few where the Ole Miss defense has ultimately had to bail the offense out. However, to be fair, that last part has been pretty rare. Until recently.
Over the past two weeks, the Rebel defense has certainly improved. And in a lot of ways, they’ve helped out an offense that has looked unusually sluggish at times. So it’s time to ask the question. Is the Ole Miss defense finally coming alive at the right time, or have the past two weeks been an anomaly?
The Roller Coaster Ole Miss Defense
The Good
There’s been plenty of good from the Rebel defense this season. In the season opener against Georgia State, they gave up too many yards on the ground, but they held the Panthers to seven points. The following week, despite giving up 23 to Kentucky, they played reasonably well. With two early Austin Simmons interceptions, the defense kept them in the game long enough for the offense to find a rhythm and eventually get the win.
Through the middle two games of the season, they were also pretty solid. Against LSU and Washington State, the defense largely saved the day. Especially against the Cougars. The Rebel offense looked abysmal for much of that contest, but the defense kept them in it and ultimately led them to the win.
And now, the past two weeks, the defense has seemingly found some of its rhythm once again. Against Oklahoma, the defense played well. It wasn’t a spectacular showing, but it was good enough to win. In that one, the biggest problem was three blown coverages. This weekend against South Carolina, they gave up 13 points. But seven of those came on a short field following a muffed punt. Apart from that, the Gamecocks’ only points came on a 47-yard touchdown pass on another blown coverage. More importantly, Kam Franklin, Zxavian Harris, and the rest of the defensive line are starting to show flashes of what we’ve expected for much of the season.
In other words, lately, if Ole Miss can avoid one or two huge mistakes throughout the game on the defensive side, they’ve played extremely well.
The Bad
While there’s been plenty of good for the Rebel defense, there’s also been a ton of bad. In an early-season matchup against Arkansas, they gave up 35 points. Against a team that is 2-7, including last in the SEC, that’s a bad look. Luckily for Ole Miss fans, the offense carried the team to a win in that one.
Another awful performance was the effort they put on display against Georgia in Athens. Sure, the Bulldogs are the best team they’ve played so far this season. But in that one, the Rebel defense couldn’t manage a single stop. That’s a horrible look. And despite that, the team was still in the game and had a nine-point lead late. One singular stop, and Ole Miss likely wins that game. Instead, it’s still the one blemish on their otherwise good resume.
Against good teams, especially against teams that they could see in the College Football Playoff, if they get that far, that can’t happen. You can’t take possessions off, and you certainly can’t take full games off.
Has the Ole Miss Defense Found Its Rhythm?
While there’s been a full roller coaster ride from the defense so far this season, there’s reason for optimism. Over the past two weeks, they’ve looked a lot better. If they can avoid the blown coverages in the secondary, they’ve been really good.
So the question for the Ole Miss defense is simply whether the past two weeks have been them finding themselves, or whether it’s another segment of the roller coaster that has been the defense this season. If it’s a turning point, the Rebels could be a legitimate national contender, since we can assume the offense is going to be productive against just about anyone. However, if they revert back to the performance they showed against Georgia, it’s simply a matter of time before they find themselves in trouble again.
As we get down to the last few weeks of the season, it’s up to the Ole Miss defense who they want to be. Do they clamp down the way they’ve shown they can? Or do they prove to be what they showed against Georgia, which is a defense that has a ton of issues that end up being problematic?
Main Image: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
