The Grove Report

Ole Miss Rebels Week 4 Notebook: Observations From Road Loss vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

The No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels did not play their best football on Saturday versus the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Ben King

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The No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels entered Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday afternoon with the mindset of handing the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide their first consecutive home loss since 2007; but Nick Saban has once again beaten his former assistant, Lane Kiffin.

You have to play perfect football if you want to get the best of Alabama on its home turf, and Ole Miss was everything but flawless in Week 4.

The Rebels have to go back to the drawing board, as they are set to host the No. 12 LSU Tigers in Week 5, and a second-straight SEC loss is not how you want to start conference play. 

Below are my notes and observations from Ole Miss' Week 4 loss to Alabama on the road.

The Ole Miss Rushing Attack is Non-Existent

The run game has been a staple of the Ole Miss offense ever since Kiffin was hired ahead of the 2020 season and the Rebels have rarely struggled to get yards on the ground... until now.

Ole Miss WR Dayton Wade vs. Alabama 

Versus Alabama, the Rebels rushed for an abysmal 56 total yards on 29 attempts and averaged 1.9 yards per carry. Ole Miss' offensive line has struggled to create holes for a banged-up Quinshon Judkins early this season, and it is only going to become a bigger problem down the line. Judkins' finished Week 4 with 56 rushing yards on 13 carries. 

Ole Miss' offense as a whole struggled versus Alabama, but it starts with the run game.

Ole Miss' Defense Came to Play

While the offense was having an identity crisis, Ole Miss' defense managed to hold its own in enemy territory. The final score would say otherwise, but the defense played its tail off in an effort to keep Ole Miss in the game. The defensive front was all over quarterback Jalen Milroe in the first half, creating errant throws, and making plays in the Alabama backfield. 

Ole Miss cornerback Zamari Walton made the play of the first half when he picked off Milroe in the red zone, but unfortunately, the offense did not respond.

Dayton Wade Leads Ole Miss Receivers For Second Time This Season

The Ole Miss offense was lackluster on Saturday, to say the least, but receiver Dayton Wade continues to make big-time plays. The former walk-on led all Rebel receivers in Week 4 with 88 yards on five catches, and In Week 2 versus Tulane, led the team with 106 yards on five receptions. 

Wade's jump in production could not have come at a better time, as former transfer receivers Tre Harris and Zakhari Franklin have struggled to stay on the field early in the season due to injuries. Franklin, however, did see his first action in an Ole Miss uniform on Saturday and caught one pass for 16 yards.

Wade is currently second on the team in receiving through four games with 16 catches for 303 yards.

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Ben King
BEN KING

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