Ole Miss Defense Shows Steady Improvement in Road Win Over Tulane

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin trusted his defense on Saturday and it paid off as the Rebels remain undefeated.

OXFORD, Miss. -- It was not pretty by any means, but the No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels managed to come away with their first ranked victory of the season on Saturday, taking down the No. 24 Tulane Green Wave 37-20 in Yulman Stadium.

The offense took some time to find a groove in Week 2, and there are still plenty of things to work out on that side of the ball, but how about Ole Miss' defense on Saturday?

With five minutes remaining in the second quarter, Ole Miss was down 17-7 but by the time the final whistle blew, the Rebels had only allowed three more points. While there was plenty of bending, the Ole Miss defense did not break after Tulane receiver Jha'Quan Jackson caught a 41-yard touchdown reception before halftime.

The Rebels' secondary played a crucial role in this victory, as three of the top five tacklers on Ole Miss were defensive backs. Cornerback Deantre Prince recorded his first interception of the season and safety Daijahn Anthony nearly came away with his second pick in as many games.

Ole Miss' defensive front stole the show, however, and this unit has the chance to be special this season.

Former transfer Isaac Ukwu registered his first sack of the season and also notched two TFLs. Fan-favorite JJ Pegues also got to the quarterback for the first time in 2023 and recorded a TFL and pass breakup while he was at it. 

It was concerning, however, not seeing freshman linebacker Suntarine Perkins on the field as often as he was in Week 1. Versus Mercer, Perkins led the Rebels in tackles (9) and recorded his first career sack and TFL, but was seen on the sidelines frequently Saturday. 

My only grip with the Ole Miss defense through two games is the usage of defensive lineman Cedric Johnson. Johnson is Ole Miss’ active career leader in sacks (13.5) but has been seen dropping back into coverage a lot in the first two games. It is early and this defense is still ironing out the kinks, but this is puzzling.

Why not let your best pass rusher pin his ears back and get after the quarterback every play?

Regardless, the Rebels remain undefeated entering Week 3 and survived a prototypical college football trap game.

Ole Miss will return home next week to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at 6:30 p.m. CT.