Monty Montgomery Brings Confidence Into Rebels’ Matchup With Tulane

The Ole Miss linebacker was made available to the media this week.

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Monty Montgomery was not pleased with his performance in Week 1, but he says he is ready for the challenge this week when his team faces the Tulane Green Wave.

Although No. 20 Ole Miss held the Mercer Bears to just seven points on Saturday, the first play for the Rebels defense resulted in a 75-yard scamper to the house from quarterback Carter Peevy. That paired with a couple of missed opportunities by Montgomery left a sour taste in his mouth, he said this week in media availability.

"I feel like we could have done way better, honestly, as a defense,” Montgomery said. “The first play didn't go as planned. My performance, personally, I didn't like it. I left plays on the table."

Montgomery, like many faces on the Ole Miss defense, arrived on campus via the transfer portal. Although he previously suited up for the Louisville Cardinals, he began his career at Tulane, and he is looking forward to the reunion this weekend.

"It's going to be exciting to watch,” Montgomery said. “I don't like those guys, but I respect them."

One of the biggest challenges for the linebackers and defense as a whole will be containing Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt who threw just one incompletion a week ago in a win over South Alabama.

"He's a great quarterback,” Montgomery said. “That was a great game by him. He's a dual-threat, and we have to contain the passer. I feel like we're going to do a great job this week containing him. A lot of sacks. You should expect that.

"They've got a lot of good receivers and running backs. They've got a solid team. Pratt definitely has weapons, and we're going to stop the explosive plays from happening. We’re going to take over as a defense.”

Ole Miss and Tulane are set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in New Orleans. The game can be seen on ESPN2.