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Ole Miss finally got the four quarters it was looking for and destroyed Georgia 45-14 on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Say what you will about Georgia’s No. 12 ranking, No. 23 Ole Miss stomped the gas and never let off it.
5 TAKEAWAYS
Ole Miss right back in it: The Rebels played like they had something to prove and proved it. They had 510 yards of offense and played a complete game, allowing no window for a Georgia comeback. The Rebels will be a huge favorite on Saturday at home against Memphis. Back-to-back games at Arkansas and LSU and a Nov. 12 game at Texas A&M will tell a huge tale.
No letting off the gas: The Twitter jokes were endless when Ole Miss took a 24-0 lead. Commentators even remarked on how Ole Miss had let Florida State and Alabama back in games. But unlike those losses, the Rebels didn’t allow Georgia to score before the half, instead adding touchdowns of their own near the end of the first half and beginning of the second half, the first time they received a kickoff after halftime.
Defense disruptive early: On Jacob Eason’s pick-six to Derrick Jones in the first quarter, Eason was drilled as he threw the ball by Ole Miss LB DeMarquis Gates. The Rebels had five tackles for loss, three of them from freshmen Deontay Anderson, Austrian Robinson (fumble recovery/sack) and Willie Hibbler. Sophomore DE Garrald McDowell had a sack and a forced fumble. Senior D.J. Jones had his first sack of the season. Sophomore DT Breeland Speaks had three quarterback hurries. Overall, Eason was 1-for-10 against the Ole Miss blitz.
Hold it a little longer: Ole Miss entered the game third from the bottom of the NCAA in time of possession. Saturday, the Rebels had the ball more than three more minutes than its 20:59 average. That makes a difference in the time the defense gets to rest on the sideline. Every play counts. The Rebels came into the game last in the SEC in turnover margin (-5). Georgia was first (+3), but the Bulldogs had two turnovers to Ole Miss’ one.
When Swag leaves the pocket: When Chad Kelly gets out of the pocket, he is a running threat. More so he is a threat to throw a deep jump ball to any of his 6-foot-2 receivers. The Rebels are first in the SEC in plays of 25 yards or more with 17 and second in plays of 15 or more with 34.
REPORT CARD
Offense: A – Even with some flaws (2-for-9 on third down), how is that not an A? The Rebels had 510 yards of total offense – 330 passing and 180 rushing. The packages for backup quarterback Jason Pellerin were effective, and the receivers made one-on-one catch after one-on-one catch.
Defense: A – Georgia was scoreless in the first half, and the Landsharks didn’t allow a touchdown until the bench began to clear. They held Nick Chubb to 57 yards on 12 carries before Chubb left the game with an ankle injury in the first half. Jones’ pick-six started the rout.
Special teams: A – Will Gleeson had three punts, all inside the 20. Gary Wunderlich’s lone punt also landed inside the 20.
Coaching: A – The decision to put WR/DB Jones in at DB was a good one once he got the pick-six. Ole Miss didn’t go conservative with a big lead. That has bitten the Rebels in the butt in the two early losses.
Overall: A – It was a rout offensively, and the defense was swarming. It was the complete game against a good team the Rebels had been lacking. Keeping that pace is key.
GAME PLAN
As it has been all season, attack early and aggressively. Unlike losses to Florida State and Alabama, the offense stayed aggressive. When Chubb left the game, it left Ole Miss’ defense without a premier back to chase, but even with him in, the Rebels scored too often for a run team to keep up.
GAME BALLS
QB Chad Kelly: Kelly was 18-of-24 with 282 yards and 2 TDs. The big number was zero, as in zero picks.
TE Evan Engram: The senior finished with 6 catches, 95 yards and a TD. He was five yards away from his third 100-yard game. Coming back for his senior year has been everything he wanted it to be.
LB Detric Bing-Dukes: His first start resulted in seven tackles. The Rebels could use that production from the linebackers, joining the destructive force Gates is.
