Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator, whoever it ends up being, will have a lot of issues to fix on that side of the ball.
The Rebels were specifically awful against the run, finishing the regular season 120th out of 128 FBS teams in rushing defense. But if that poor ranking isn’t bad enough, here’s another stat that really sums up just how porous Ole Miss was on the ground:
Ole Miss allowed 1,948 rushing yards BEFORE contact this season. Last year with an extra game, Ole Miss allowed 1,652 rushing yards TOTAL.
— Dylan Edwards (@DylanEdwards77) November 28, 2016
As a result, the Rebels’ quick-strike offense left their defense on the field for large stretches of time. That contributed to Ole Miss giving up 34 points per game — 100th most in the country — and finishing last in the SEC West with a disappointing 5-7 record.
The Rebels’ defensive coordinator search is already underway, and the winner of that job has a clear starting point for rebuilding the defense.
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
