Notes and Observations From Ole Miss Football's 27-3 Win Over South Carolina

The Ole Miss Rebels put up a dominating performance in Columbia on Saturday.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) passes against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels dominated the South Carolina Gamecocks from start-to-finish on Saturday afternoon, gaining a 27-3 win at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

This wasn't a perfect performance for Ole Miss, but it did accomplish its job of responding with a win following last week's upset loss to Kentucky. Here are some key notes and observations from the Rebels' win over the Gamecocks.

1. The offense wasn't elite, but it got the job done.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart missed on multiple deep shots on Saturday, and the offense as a whole looked a bit sluggish at times. Wide receiver Tre Harris was banged up in the first half of the game, and running backs Henry Parrish Jr. and Matt Jones departed the contest on Ole Miss' final drive with apparent injuries.

Still, the Rebels were able to get points when it mattered and capitalize on some key turnovers forced by the defense. This is back-to-back weeks where the offense hasn't appeared to be firing on all cylinders, but claiming a win on the road in the SEC is never easy, and Ole Miss was able to do that on Saturday.

2. The Ole Miss defense feasted all afternoon.

Six sacks and 10 tackles for loss will play at any level, and those are the numbers that the Rebels put up against Carolina. Walter Nolen had a big day with five tackles (three TFLs) and two sacks, and TJ Dottery led the team in total tackles with 13.

In all, four Rebels got in on the sack party, featuring Suntarine Perkins, Jared Ivey and TJ Dottery alongside Nolen. Defensive penalties also were not nearly as big an issue this week for Ole Miss, so perhaps defensive coordinator Pete Golding's unit is growing in that regard.

3. This week's mission was accomplished, but next week is also big.

Ole Miss "got off the mat" with its win on Saturday, but going into Death Valley to face LSU next week will be a stiff test. Win that one, and suddenly the loss to Kentucky doesn't seem so big.

It's obvious that the Rebels took last week's loss seriously, and while there are still areas in need of improvement, picking up a road win over a talented SEC team is a result you'll take on any day of the week.