Despite Wins Early-On, the Ole Miss Defense Needs to Become More Efficient
The saying “defense wins championships” is an old football adage from famous college coach Bear Bryant. On Saturday, the Ole Miss Rebels defense showed concerns with lack of efficiency on the line and in the back end despite taking down the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
In the first half, the Ole Miss defensive line gave Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King and his running back too much space, causing Georgia Tech to control possession. Leading into the two-minute mark, Ole Miss only had three possessions, part of which came thanks to a slower-paced offense on the visitors' side.
Haynes King and his offense controlled the pace early on, nearly doubling Ole Miss’ time of possession at half. This raised serious concerns, as the Rebels are an offensively-driven team and have been since Lane Kiffin stepped foot in Oxford. Pete Golding's unit also struggled to get off the field on third down, allowing Georgia Tech to go 11-for-20 in that department on Saturday.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart was stellar, but with the lack of efficiency on the defensive side of the ball, his time with the ball was shortened. This caused the offense to slow down from the explosive pace they normally run.
Yes, the defense showed signs of life towards the end of play, but with the Ole Miss schedule becoming extremely strenuous, relying on second half acclimations will not get the job done against teams like Alabama, LSU and Georgia.
Moving forward, serious adjustments need to be made, or the Rebels will find themselves scrambling through the brunt of their schedule. Even so, it's easier to make these adjustments when you're 3-0, and that's where Ole Miss finds itself after Saturday.
