Ole Miss WR Juice Wells Pinpoints Reason For Rebels' Recent Success

Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Juice Wells knows what has helped his team turn the tide in their 2024 season in recent weeks.

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. (3) catches the ball for a touchdown over Georgia Bulldogs defensive back KJ Bolden (4) during the second half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Antwane "Juice" Wells had a massive touchdown reception in Saturday's win over the Georgia Bulldogs, but on Monday, he had some profound moments during a media availability session.

Wells is a new addition to this Ole Miss roster in 2024, and he like so many other transfers came to Oxford for one reason: to reach the College Football Playoff and compete for a championship. Saturday's win over Georgia helped the Rebels improve their chances of reaching the CFP, but it was just a continuation of a change that seemed to happen two weeks ago when Ole Miss played a strong second half against Oklahoma.

When the Rebels lost to LSU in Baton Rouge last month, quarterback Jaxson Dart said it best: "We have to win out." So far, Ole Miss has accomplished that goal, but with two regular season games remaining, there is still work to do.

What does Wells attribute the recent success to? Simple: strong practices.

"We knew there was still something left on the table, and we know we all came here for a reason," Wells said. "Going into this week, it didn't feel like anybody was pressured to do anything or anybody was antsy about anything.

"We felt like we had great weeks of preparation after those losses. We were just going to do what we do, play our ball. We don't care what logo we're playing. I feel like it just falls back on our preparation."

Ole Miss entered halftime of its game against Oklahoma on Oct. 26 much like it had in some games prior: sloppy. The Rebels trailed the Sooners 14-10 at the intermission on that Saturday, but they outscored the opposition 16-0 in the final two quarters to secure the win.

What changed?

"We knew what type of team we are," Wells said. "We weren't playing to our standard at all, and we understood that. ... I keep on saying it, but we just fall back on our preparation. We practice very well. It's football, and things might not go your way, but if you fall back on your training, I feel like it'll definitely help you overcome that bump."

Georgia appeared to be the biggest hurdle left for the Rebels on paper in the regular season, and they passed that test with flying colors on Saturday. But if they overlook the final two games on their schedule, they can get beat and find themselves outside of the playoff field at year's end.

First comes Florida on Nov. 23, and a road game in The Swamp is always a formidable challenge. Then Ole Miss welcomes Mississippi State to Oxford on Black Friday, and seemingly anything can happen in the Egg Bowl.

"We know what the end goal is, but we've got to win next week," Wells said. "We won this game, but now, it's onto Florida. We can't really focus on Georgia anymore or look too far ahead. You'll forget about these tricky last two games coming up."

This week is about rest and regrouping for the Rebels after their emotional win, but it's also about what Wells views as so important to the team's success: preparation. It appears he's ready to get a head start on scouting the Gators.