si
The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels are in the midst of their sole bye week of the regular season, a timely pause following a 52-28 defeat at the hands of No. 8 Florida in The Swamp last week. This break offers the Rebels a much-needed chance to regroup and implement significant changes before a grueling stretch of eight straight games, seven of which come against SEC opponents.
Head coach Pete Golding has hinted at potential personnel adjustments in the wake of the lopsided loss, and now is the ideal moment to act, as it marks the final opportunity until November that the team won't be game-planning for an opponent. The most pressing concerns lie on defense, particularly within the linebacking and secondary units.
Linebackers Keaton Thomas, who wears the green dot and recently shouldered blame for the defensive woes against Florida, and Luke Ferrelli have displayed promise at times, such as in the LSU game, but have also missed tackles against the Gators' running backs. In the defensive backfield, Golding has stuck with a rotation of five players to keep them fresh, yet this approach has only hindered the Rebels from establishing a reliable, high-performing group.
Key Analysis
Players who might seize larger roles include linebacker Tah'j Butler, who has impressed in limited snaps, safety Ladarian Clardy, who saw late action last season but has been less visible this year, and several freshmen like linebackers Ant Davis Jr., JaMichael Garrett, and cornerback Dorian Barney. Any decisions Golding makes must yield immediate results if Ole Miss hopes to return to the College Football Playoff, as the team can likely afford only one more loss given its daunting schedule.
The Rebels will return to action on Oct. 10 against Vanderbilt in Nashville, followed by games every weekend. They close out the season with a challenging slate featuring No. 25 Missouri, No. 1 Texas, Auburn, No. 2 Georgia, Oklahoma, Wofford, and Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.