Ole Miss Defensive Line Shines in Blowout Win Over the Paladins

JJ Pegues and Walter Nolen flashed in 76-0 win over the Furman Paladins.

Aug 31, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen JJ Pegues (38) and Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Drew Burnett (23) react after a tackle during the first quarter against the Furman Paladins at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The Ole Miss Rebels came out on Saturday night and dominated the Furman Paladins 76-0, capping off a historic night at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with the most points scored in the Lane Kiffin era. While the offensive explosion was the story of the night, the defensive line had a monster performance as well.

The Rebels defense accumulated 16 tackles for loss on Saturday, and a lot of that production came from the front seven. Linebacker Chris "Pooh" Paul led the way in total tackles, but he was very impressed with what he saw in front of him on the d-line.

"Really proud of those guys, and honestly it's just because of the work they've put in," Paul said postgame. "I've seen those guys grind each and every day, and we've grown together. It was really cool to see those guys showcase what we have been working on this fall for the fans.

This was the first opportunity for fans to see some of the new faces on the line like Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen, and head coach Lane Kiffin also sounded really pleased and even surprised at how his defensive line played.

"It was exciting, a feeling we've never had here," Kiffin said. "I haven't had it as a head coach just where you look at the four guys going out there and three guys who rotate in with them, and it's elite size, length players that present major problems if they do the right thing and playing hard. That's very intimidating to play against.

"You just have a different depth than you've ever had."

Nolen and JJ Pegues had a field day, resetting the line of scrimmage almost every snap. While their stat lines don't say "monster game," the way they disrupted the Paladins' attack on the ground and through the air stood out. Furman's offensive line never seemed to stand a chance, but these two came and did their job all night.

Princely Umanmielen was also a bullet off the edge, collecting two quarterback hurries. he seemed questionable to play as he was in a black non-contact jersey throughout camp, but we finally got a glimpse of his potential from that edge spot, and he delivered.

Jamarious Brown and Akelo Stone also had big nights and played very violently, something essential at defensive tackle. These guys are big-time depth pieces for the Rebels, so getting them some game reps early in the year should benefit this unit.

Suntarine Perkins also had a couple of really big hustle plays and was causing havoc within the backfield, especially on third down pass rush situations, seeming to have a nose for the ball when a play broke down.

Chris Hardie also got in on the sack party late in the game, another big veteran piece on this unit.

At the end of the day, this was Furman, an FCS squad, but it isn't easy to come out and utterly dominate your opponent like the Rebels d-line did on Saturday. Tough competition is on this horizon, but this unit looks the part and seems to have established a culture that plays every game like it's a big game.

It will be interesting to see how this rotation of defensive lineman changes and which players will emerge as the season continues.