Here are five takeaways from Ole Miss’ Week 3 win over UL Lafayette:

  • Ole Miss is a top-tier team in the SEC: The Rebels were one of five SEC West teams ranked in the top 10 in this week’s Associated Press Poll, and they have as good a shot to win the West as any other team in the division. More than half the SEC is ranked in this week’s polls, but Ole Miss is a cut above a lot of those teams. Ole Miss is 3-0 and has won those three games by an average of more than 33 points per game. The Rebels boast a veteran quarterback, a deep stable of playmakers at the skill positions and a nasty defense, making them one of the most well-rounded teams in the conference. Ole Miss’ toughest tests are yet to come, and it remains to be seen how the Rebels will perform in games against the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M. But it is safe to say Ole Miss is capable of playing with any of those teams, proving it is truly a top-tier team in the nation’s best conference.
  • Bo Wallace might not be so bad: Wallace completed more than 80 percent of his passes against ULL for 316 yards and four touchdowns, showing greater command of the Ole Miss offense each and every week. Ever since his nightmarish first half against Boise State, Wallace has thrown for eight touchdowns and just one interception, posting three straight 300-yard performances to begin his senior season. Wallace has a ton of talent surrounding him in the Rebels offense, and he hasn’t hesitated to spread the ball around to stars like Laquon Treadwell, Evan Engram, Vince Sanders, Cody Core and others. The sharper Wallace looks, the tougher it will be for opposing defenses to gameplan for the Rebels the rest of the season.
  • Don’t forget Vince Sanders: Sanders had been a forgotten man among a deep group of Ole Miss wideouts, but the senior had a breakout performance against the Ragin’ Cajuns to prove he is a capable playmaker as well. He caught eight passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns in Ole Miss’ blowout win, asserting himself early in the game to help the Rebels grab a lead they’d never relinquish. Core had been the guy to step up as defenses focused on Treadwell (Ole Miss’ No. 1 receiver) in Weeks 1 and 2, but Sanders was the man to burn ULL in Week 3. Ole Miss’ depth at the receiver position not only makes the offense dangerous in obvious passing situations, but it will keep all of Wallace’s targets fresh late in the season in critical SEC showdowns, which should be a huge advantage for the Rebels’ offense.
  • Senquez Golson is a star: Most Ole Miss fans already knew Golson was the team’s top cornerback in 2014, but Saturday’s game was proof that he’s among the top corners in the entire SEC. Golson pulled in two interceptions, returning the second one 59 yards for a touchdown, to help limit ULL to just 129 yards through the air for the game. The Ragin’ Cajuns either avoided his side of the field or paid the price for testing him, and that kind of impact proves Golson is a transcendent talent in the secondary. When Ole Miss faces receivers like Texas A&M’s Ricky Seals-Jones or Alabama’s Amari Coooper, Golson will be the man the Rebels call upon to slow them down. If he can win those battles, Ole Miss will have a great chance to win those matchups, and through three weeks Golson appears to be up for the challenge.
  • The offensive line is improving: Ole Miss’ offensive line had struggled through two weeks, but it played better in the win over ULL on Saturday. The Rebels allowed just one sack and just three tackles for loss against the Ragin’ Cajuns, and some of those came late in the second half when the Rebels were playing primarily reserves. Furthermore, the Ole Miss offensive line did not commit a single false start against ULL, a welcomed change from the seven false starts it committed against Boise State two weeks ago. The Rebels’ line is trending up, and it’ll need to continue that trend in SEC play if Ole Miss hopes to content for an SEC West crown.