Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said during Wednesday’s teleconference that one goal of the bye week was to improve on fundamentals.

One fundamental thing the No. 14 Rebels (3-2) have improved on already is winning the turnover battle.

In a 5-point lost to Alabama, Ole Miss blew a three-touchdown lead and helped that happen by committing two very costly turnovers. One was a fumble returned three yards to the end zone and a second was returned 75 yards for a score.

“It’s a huge, huge momentum shift,” Freeze said. “When you’re playing teams of that caliber, it’s very difficult to give them immediate scores off of turnovers and expect to win. That’s just demoralizing when those things happen.”

The Rebels’ four turnovers against the Seminoles in Week 1 also cost the team a big lead against an elite team. After an early Chad Kelly interception proved inconsequential, the quarterback turned the ball over on each of the team’s first two possessions of the second half.

Kelly’s interception and fumble both led to touchdowns on Florida State’s ensuing drives, the second score putting the Seminoles on top 29-28 to complete a comeback from a 28-6 deficit.

Nonetheless, Ole Miss has only given it away a total of two times in its last two games to post its first winning streak of the season. That has come against a pair teams who were undefeated before the Rebels handed them losses — Georgia and Memphis.

After arguably the toughest September in the country and a stiff non-conference opponent to begin October, Freeze is glad his team can take a breather in Week 6.

“We’re fairly confident, but we still have so much to improve on, and this week came at a good time,” Freeze said.

Something that took some time was forcing an interception. Entering Week 4, Ole Miss was the only SEC team that had yet to record an interception, but that only lasted eight minutes into their matchup that week against Georgia.

That’s when Derrick Jones took a Jacob Eason pass 52 yards the other way for a score. In fact, Ole Miss has had a pick-six in each of its last two games and has forced a combined total of six turnovers – two fumble recoveries and four interceptions.

Last Saturday, Ole Miss picked off Memphis QB Riley Ferguson three times after he entered the game with two all season.

As a result, the Rebels have elevated from the bottom of the SEC in turnover margin, once at minus-5, now a much more attractive minus-1. They are still one of only three teams in the negative in turnover margin, along with Auburn (-2) and Kentucky (-7).

After the much-needed bye week, the Rebels go to Arkansas. The Razorbacks have beaten Ole Miss each of the last two seasons to deny them a realistic shot in the SEC Championship Game.

After that, they will go to LSU and host Auburn, then get Georgia Southern before what could be a game with a ton of meaning at Texas A&M.

Florida is tops in the SEC at plus-5 in turnover margin. No. 16 Arkansas is one of four teams at plus-3.

“Our ball security was poor (against Alabama), but they created pressure that caused you to get uncomfortable,” Freeze said. “It’s definitely a combination of (opportunity and good fortune). Sometimes it may be one or the other, but ours I thought were a combination of them creating pressure with their schemes and players, and us not taking care of the ball properly.”