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Ole Miss Rebels

Report Card: Ole Miss comes up short of A performance, still manages to beat Bama

Ethan Levine

By Ethan Levine

Published:

OFFENSE: B

The Ole Miss offense really put forth a C-caliber performance for most of Saturday’s thrilling 23-17 win over Alabama. However, the Rebels scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives when they needed points the most, overcoming a late 17-10 deficit to win by six. The offense barely managed 300 total yards for the game, and the run game struggled once again in amassing just 72 yards on the ground. Still, quarterback Bo Wallace threw for three touchdowns and zero interceptions, a huge improvement from his previous two starts against the Tide. Wallace was clutch, and the playmakers around him made big plays in big moments to secure a big win. It wasn’t always pretty on offense, but the Rebels did what they had to do in scoring 23 points to earn a huge victory in the SEC West.

DEFENSE: A

The Ole Miss defense was spectacular once again, limiting Alabama to just 17 points after the Tide dropped 42 on a pretty good Florida defense its last time out. The Rebels held ‘Bama to fewer than 400 yards of total offense, and tailback Derrick Henry managed just 37 yards on 17 carries for the game. Although fellow tailback T.J. Yeldon rushed for 123 yards on the day, he was shut out of the end zone, failing to earn critical yards where they mattered most. Blake Sims was good through the air but not great, throwing for half as many yards as he did against UF, including zero touchdowns and one interception to seal the Ole Miss victory. The Rebels made a huge stand at the end of the game, culminating with Senquez Golson’s game-winning pick, but it was their consistently fast and physical play for 60 minutes that earned the unit a resounding A following Saturday’s victory.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C

Ole Miss left too many points on the board in the kicking game, including one very vital point late in the game that could have cost the Rebels dearly. Head coach Hugh Freeze used both his kickers (Andrew Fletcher and Gary Wunderlich) at different times on Saturday, and neither appeared completely comfortable when it was his turn to take the field. The two combined to make just 1 of 2 field goals, and they each missed an extra point late in the game to fail in extending a six-point lead to an even seven with time running low. Ole Miss drilled the first PAT off the upright, then after getting another chance following a roughing the kicker penalty the Rebels had a PAT blocked, keeping the lead at six. Will Gleeson was strong in the punting game, as usual, and tailbacks Mark Dodson and Jaylen Walton posted two 40-yard kickoff returns in what turned out to be a field position battle for much of the game. Gleeson and those two returns are all that are keeping the special teams’ showing from earning a D or an F, but Freeze must figure out his kicking game before those misses truly come back to haunt Ole Miss.

Ethan Levine

A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.

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