The Pete Golding era started in Oxford on Saturday afternoon as Ole Miss hosted Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff. And despite all of the recent drama surrounding the program, the Rebels didn’t miss a beat. They broke the playoff record for fastest score, with a touchdown only 59 seconds in, and never looked back. In the end, Ole Miss dominated Tulane with a 41-10 victory.
However, despite the easy win, there’s plenty that needs to improve if they want to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. As for Tulane, their season ends at 11-3, and they now start a new era as well, as John Sumrall leaves to become the head coach at Florida.
So how did this game get out of hand so fast, and what needs to improve moving forward for the Rebels?
A Game That Got Out of Hand in a Hurry
Long Break Doesn’t Affect Rebel Offense
One of the big questions coming into this rematch was how Ole Miss would look without Lane Kiffin at the helm, especially on the offensive end. For Rebel fans, it likely helped that offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr came back to help coach the playoff run. However, any questions that may have been had were answered on the game’s opening drive, as the Rebels scored a touchdown, going 75 yards in just three plays. Kewan Lacy capped off that opening drive with a 20-yard touchdown run.
The Rebels’ second drive featured more of the same, as they drove 60 yards on only four plays. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss ended that drive with a four-yard scramble for a touchdown.
From there, the Rebels hit a bit of a lull, with punts on their next two possessions. Tulane managed to kick a field goal in between Ole Miss punts, making the score 14-3. From that point on, it was all Ole Miss. A field goal made it 17-3 Rebels. The next Ole Miss possession saw a fumble in the red zone, from Austin Simmons (more on that later.)
The second half saw the Rebels further dominate, outscoring the Green Wave 24-7, with the first Ole Miss punt of the half coming on their last full possession of the game.
All in all, Chambliss finished the game with 282 yards passing, completing 23 of his 29 passes. He added 36 more yards on the ground. Simmons also threw for 64 yards, completing four of his five throws. Lacy ran for 82 yards in roughly three quarters of action before leaving with an injured shoulder.
In total, Ole Miss put up 497 yards of offense. This effectively put to rest the idea that the offense would miss a beat with Kiffin gone.
Tulane Mishaps Doom Upset Chances
For the Green Wave, the offense moved the ball well. Jake Retzlaff threw for 306 yards, along with 24 yards rushing. Tulane as a team put together 115 yards on the ground. However, turnovers ruined any chance that had of leaving Oxford with a win. Retzlaff had one interception, and the team lost two fumbles.
Arguably more importantly was the fact that they turned the ball over on downs three separate times, as well. That equates to essentially having six turnovers in the game. When trying to pull of an upset, those are the types of things that can’t happen.
But for a Golding-led defense, it was par for the course. All season long, the Rebels’ defense has been a “bend but don’t break” unit. They may give up yards, but they do a good job of preventing points. In the win over Tulane, the approach was no different.
However, against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, that is going to have to improve if they want to stand a chance. In the first matchup against the Bulldogs this season, the Rebels didn’t force a single stop. If they struggle defensively the way they did in the first round, the rematch may prove to be no different.
Rebel Injuries a Cause for Concern?
One of the biggest takeaways from Saturday’s game has to be the injury concerns the Rebels are now facing. The win saw both Chambliss and Lacy get banged up at different times.
For Chambliss, he left the game briefly with what appeared to be a head injury. However, he did return shortly after. While it looked as if he was being evaluated for a concussion, with his return, it seems as if it wasn’t all that serious. It likely won’t be a problem moving forward, but is a situation to at least monitor.
The Lacy situation is a bit more concerning for Rebel fans. After initially leaving the game due to a clear shoulder injury, he returned not long after. However, he then clearly re-aggravated the injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return. While his demeanor on the field didn’t look like it would be too serious, it is also an injury to monitor, especially with the Georgia rematch approaching in just under two weeks.
While Saturday was a historic day for Ole Miss football, being their first-ever playoff win, it also came with cause for concern moving forward. Over the next week and a half, the focus for the Rebels has to be to improve the defense and make sure their two stars are fully healthy for the Sugar Bowl.
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