Ole Miss Offensive Line Not Up to the Challenge in Loss to Kentucky

The Ole Miss Rebels' offensive line struggled at times on Saturday against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (left) and Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops (right) shake hands after the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats played the same game they did against Georgia and found a way to win on the road in Oxford, handing the Ole Miss Rebels their first loss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium since 2022.

The Rebels' offensive line seemed out of sync from the jump after starting left tackle Jayden Williams was scratched from the lineup due to injury, and it showed. Ole Miss gave up five sacks on the day, but that truly doesn't tell the whole story. They didn't look ready to play, something that leaves a lot of Rebel fans scratching their head after the team added lots of proven talent to compete for spots on the offensive line.

Kentucky's defensive line was a unit that people talked about all week as the key to a Wildcat victory in Oxford, and they did what they had to do to shut the Rebels' high-octane offense down.

The Wildcats had seven TFLs and a couple of QB hurries, making Jaxson Dart look quite pedestrian after he started the season on fire.

This was an embarrassing loss, but now you have to get into the film room, dissect it, and move on to South Carolina, a team with another top-tier pass rush.

If the Rebels can't find their footing next week in a hostile environment, Ole Miss' "Last Dance" season could be over before it starts.