Pooh Paul's Focus is on 'Explosive' South Carolina Offense This Week

Ole Miss Rebels linebacker Pooh Paul feels confident this week, but he knows he will have to contain a talented South Carolina offense on Saturday.

Sep 14, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Chris Paul Jr. (11) warms up before a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels are hoping to get back on track this week as they face their first SEC road test of the season against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia.

Ole Miss lost an upset to the Kentucky Wildcats last week in heartbreaking fashion, but in college football, you can't let the previous game affect the week to come. That's the mindset for linebacker Chris "Pooh" Paul and the Rebels as they prepare for the Gamecocks.

Head coach Lane Kiffin said on Monday that he reminded his players that "everything you want to do is still there" in terms of reaching the College Football Playoff, but the Rebels have to take things one week at a time after being humbled against Kentucky.

"[The message was] moving on to the next week and taking it to the chin," Paul said on Tuesday. "It really hurt us deeply with that loss, but the only thing we can do is rebuild and take advantage of our next opportunity which is this week in Columbia, South Carolina."

In postgame media availability on Saturday, quarterback Jaxson Dart said Ole Miss could take this loss one of two ways: it could either fold under the pressure or get up off the mat. Paul believes the team is trending toward the latter response in preparation for Carolina.

"You could tell that those guys were pretty hurt," Paul said. "You could just see it on each face, whether it was coaches or players. You could tell it really hit them deep. As a defense, we came together, and offense as well, and watched the film and had a 'get real' moment with each other. Just sit back and look at the film and things we can correct from Saturday so we won't have that situation again."

Paul previously suited up for the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Southeastern Conference, but he has never played a game in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. While going on the road is tough, the linebacker seems to enjoy the energy that comes from a hostile crowd when he is on defense.

"It's just something about when you have everybody against you in an environment," Paul said. "It just fires you up more, in my opinion, as a defense. I feel like we're going to take that to an advantage. We try to cancel out the noise from the crowd and dial into what we have going on on the field, play-by-play."

The Gamecocks have some talented pieces on offense, including a couple of capable quarterbacks in LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford and a strong rushing attack. These skill players paired with a hostile crowd make for a difficult challenge on Saturday, but Paul believes the Rebels are up for the task.

"As long as we contain those players, we'll do a pretty good job this Saturday," Paul said.

Kickoff this weekend between Ole Miss and South Carolina is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on ESPN.