Ole Miss Rebels' one key advantage was the difference in epic victory over SEC rival Georgia Bulldogs
The Ole Miss offense often gets a lot of credit for being one of the best in the country, racking up explosive plays non-stop. And yes, the offense played a big part in defeating Georgia 28-10 on Saturday. However, it was Ole Miss' ferocious pass rush and their ability to create negative plays that made […]
The Ole Miss offense often gets a lot of credit for being one of the best in the country, racking up explosive plays non-stop. And yes, the offense played a big part in defeating Georgia 28-10 on Saturday. However, it was Ole Miss' ferocious pass rush and their ability to create negative plays that made all the difference.
Ole Miss' unreal defense was already leading the nation in pass rush pressures (with over 200) and sacks (with over 40) coming into Week 11. Thanks to Princely Umanmielen, Jared Ivey, Suntarine Perkins, and a few others Ole Miss extended their ridiculous leads.
And it wasn't just creating sacks and pass rush pressures. Even when Georgia QB Carson Beck managed to get the ball out of his hands it often resulted in a hugely negative play thanks to the swarming defense. Just take this wide receiver screen play in the post below. It never had a chance. The pass rush pressure got there immediately, forcing a quick high throw and the receiver was tackled immediately.
Princely Umanmielen was the true star of the game. He tallied six pass rush pressures and two sacks by himself. Umanmielen also should have had another sack, but it was nullified due to an unfortunate face mask penalty committed by a teammate. This sack in the post below completely demoralized Georgia on a critical third down with Georgia driving down the field late in the first half.
Again, when the defense wasn't wrecking Carson Beck in the backfield, they found ways to create havoc behind the line of scrimmage elsewhere. Zxavian Harris' forced fumble and recovery by Walter Nolen stopped yet another Georgia drive that was likely going to end in points.
Still, Georgia almost climbed back into scoring position late in the game, but again the Rebels pass rush collapsed in on Beck deflecting his pass, setting up an easy interception that virtually sealed the victory for Ole Miss.
The Ole Miss pass rush simply cannot be stopped by anyone they face. They're averaging over 23 pressures and five sacks per game, creating havoc at an unbelievable rate along the defensive front. Six players now have 23 pass rush pressures or more on the season. Seven players have at least three sacks.
The Rebels are now firmly in position to make the College Football Playoff. If the pass rush continues dominating alongside Jaxson Dart and the explosive offense Lane Kiffin might take Ole Miss to a special place they've never been in program history.
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