Ole Miss Rebels Week 2 Notebook: Observations From Road Victory Over Tulane Green Wave
OXFORD, Miss. -- The No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels were able to overcome their first half woes on Saturday to beat the No. 24 Tulane Green Wave 37-20 in Yulman Stadium thanks to an encouraging performance by Pete Golding's defense.
The Rebels improve to 2-0 after securing their first road win of the season and have now beaten the Green Wave in 13 straight games.
It was not nearly as pretty as Ole Miss' Week 1 victory over Mercer, but a win is still a win, and the Rebels were able to test their mettle against a ranked opponent on the road. Ole Miss was down 17-7 in the second quarter but only allowed three points the remainder of the game.
In Week 3, the Rebels will return home to welcome the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and that game will start at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
Below are my notes and observations from Ole Miss' Week 2 road win over Tulane.
Ole Miss' Offensive Line Got Manhandled
There is no other way to say it, Ole Miss' offensive line got absolutely dominated by Tulane's defensive front on Saturday. Jaxson Dart was running for his life the majority of the game, and by the time halftime rolled around, the Rebels had only mustered 30 rushing yards. Quinshon Judkins struggled to find space in between the tackles, and this was certainly a wake-up call for an offensive line group that has been experimenting with guys in different spots. Things could get ugly for the Rebels up front come conference play.
Tre Harris Stays Hot, Forced to Leave Early
Tre Harris continued his Week 1 hot streak by scoring the first touchdown of the game on the third play of Ole Miss' Week 2 contest but was sidelined with an injury early in the game. Unfortunately, Harris reportedly did not return to the bench after halftime. The depth of the Ole Miss receiving corps is being tested early into the 2023 season. Harris' day ended with two receptions, 55 yards, and one touchdown.
Dart Comes Up Clutch
Lane Kiffin put the game in the hands of his quarterback on fourth down with a three-point lead in Tulane territory, and Dart answered the call. Dart faced immediate pressure and was forced to leave the pocket early, but kept his eyes downfield and was able to conduct his tight end/close friend Michael Trigg towards the end zone for a connection on a 21-yard touchdown pass. Dart finished his day with 267 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception against a tough Tulane defense.
Deantre Prince Snags 1st Interception of 2023
The Rebels have now snagged two interceptions in 2023. With the game deadlocked at 17 a piece towards the end of the third quarter, cornerback Deantre Prince took advantage of a miscommunication between Tulane's quarterback and receiver and returned his first interception of 2023 44 yards down the sideline. Prince's interception led to an Ole Miss field goal which put the Rebels on top.
Ole Miss Rushing Attack Has Another Slow Day
This is the second straight game where Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins has failed to eclipse 100 rushing yards. Judkins found pay dirt on Saturday, but only churned out 48 yards on 18 carries versus Tulane. As mentioned above, Ole Miss' offensive line had its hands full on Saturday and struggled to command the trenches, especially in the run game. Ole Miss ended the game with 89 total rushing yards on 35 attempts.
Caden Davis Solidifies Role as Starting Kicker
Ole Miss held a kickers duel versus Mercer, alternating between Caden Costa and Caden Davis, but in Week 2 it was all Davis. The former Texas A&M Aggies nailed all three of his field goals on Saturday, including a 56-yard attempt that put the game out of reach for Tulane.
Jared Ivey Seals the Deal
Tulane was making one last push for points in the final two minutes of play, but Ole Miss linebacker Khari Coleman and defensive lineman Jared Ivey had other plans. Coleman forced the ball loose while taking down Tulane quarterback Kai Horton and Ivey proceeded to pick up the rock and rumble 26 yards into the endzone to ice the game for the Rebels. Coleman finished the game with seven tackles, one sack, one TFL, and one forced fumble. Ivey also recorded one sack and one TFL versus Tulane.
