5 Things You Need to Know About the Ole Miss Rebels

Close does not cut it in college football. This isn’t horseshoes or hand grenades after all. Two weeks ago, Kentucky almost pulled off a season-changing upset against #1 Georgia before falling 13-12 at Kroger Field. Two years ago, the Wildcats went down to Oxford and were one penalty call away from defeating the Ole Miss Rebels.

Trailing 22-19, Will Levis led a quick 69-yard drive setting up 1st and Goal at the Rebels’ seven yard line. After hurrying to the line, Dane Key won a jump ball in the end zone with 58 seconds remaining to seemingly win the game for Kentucky who was ranked #7 in the country with a perfect 4-0 record. However, the ball was snapped before Barion Brown was set nullifying the play and moving the ‘Cats back five yards. Levis was strip sacked on the ensuing play as Ole Miss escaped with the 22-19 win.

Needless to say, it shouldn’t be hard for Coach Mark Stoops to motivate his team on Saturday. They got absolutely embarrassed at home in week two by South Carolina. In week three they bounced back and proved they could play with anyone, but ultimately came up short. Then, you have the bad taste remaining in the Wildcats’ mouths from their last trip to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. You also get to take your shot at an undefeated team ranked #6 in the AP Poll. This Kentucky team “needs” to pull an upset in order to reverse the disappointment of the South Carolina debacle. They will get a big chance at redemption at 11:00 a.m. local time on Saturday at Ole Miss.

As always, we have all of your pregame needs right here on Kentucky Sports Radio dot com for the 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) kickoff on ABC between the Kentucky Wildcats (2-2, 0-2) and the #6 Ole Miss Rebels (4-0, 0-0). If you haven’t already, you have to dive into Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report. That is your in-depth, football-nerd preview. For those in search of a more surface level look at what to expect on Saturday afternoon , you are in the right place. Let’s dive on in to five things you need to know about the Ole Miss Rebels.

Does Ole Miss Have the Best Offense in the Country?

Any discussion regarding the best offense in college football through four weeks of the season would include the Ole Miss Rebels. Their numbers at this point are truly staggering. They rank first nationally in yards per play at nearly 8.9. When they drop back to pass they are gaining just over 11 yards per play which is second best in the country. Even the running game comes it at 14th averaging 6.79 yards per rush. All of that success has led to the Rebels putting up an average of 55 points per game on their way to a 4-0 record. However, the competition hasn’t exactly tested them. Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest, and Georgia Southern are far from Southeastern Conference football programs.

There is no denying the explosiveness of Ole Miss. They are going to play with pace and sling the ball around the field. Through four games, they have ran 303 plays per scrimmage compared to Kentucky’s 245 to give some context to their speed. The Rebels are gaining 422.8 yards per game through the air and 248 yards per game on the ground. Kentucky’s defense certainly has flexed their muscles early on this season, but they will face a whole different test on Saturday afternoon in Oxford.

Jaxson Dart Posting Video Game Numbers

Jaxson Dart posting insane numbers isn’t exactly a new phenomenon for fans of the Ole Miss Rebels. After throwing for 1,353 yards in six games as a freshman at USC, Dart transferred to Oxford. He immediately took over the reigns posting 2,974 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore. Then, as a junior, he improved to 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns to 11 wins and a Top 10 AP Poll finish. Now in year three at Ole Miss, Dart has himself squarely in the Heisman Trophy race.

Dart leads the NCAA in several passing categories including both yards and completion percentage. He is completing just a tick under 80% of his passes while throwing for 1,554 yards and 12 touchdowns in just four games. He has also ran for three more scores. That level of efficiency and success has led the Rebels to arguably the most dynamic offense in college football. It will take a Herculean effort from the Wildcats’ secondary to keep Dart and the Rebels at bay in this matchup.

Clear Top Target, Several Talented Options at Wide Receiver

Tre Harris was a key target for the Ole Miss Rebels last season catching 54 passes for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. It was a smooth transition to the SEC after culminating a successful three year career at Louisiana Tech with a 65-catch, 935-yard, 10-touchdown All-CUSA season. However, the 6’3″ 210 pound super senior has taken things to a new level this year. Harris is now the clear top option for Jaxson Dart out wide. He has already reeled in 38 receptions on 45 targets for 628 yards and four scores. His explosiveness has stood out as well as he leads college football with six receptions of 30 or more yards. Containing him will be priority number one for Kentucky’s secondary.

Antwane Wells Jr. and Cayden Lee are the next two wide receivers to keep an eye on for the Rebels. Wells Jr. has found the end zone four times and is averaging nearly 20 yards per reception. Meanwhile, Lee has posted 14 catches for 256 yards and one touchdown. He found pay dirt twice last season as a true freshman. Tight ends Caden Prieksorn and Jordan Watkins will factor into the passing game as well.

Vastly Improved Rebels Defense

Everyone knows that Coach Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels will routinely post one of the best offenses in college football. That is no secret. However, the steady progression on the defensive end of the ball has allowed the Rebels to become a legitimate national title contender. In Coach Kiffin’s first three seasons the defense held the team back as a whole. That has not been the case since hiring former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

Coach Golding immediately established Ole Miss as a Top 25 defense in 2023 and is tracking towards doing even better in year two. Their stats are inflated currently due to playing such a bad non-conference schedule, but some of what they do will certainly translate to the SEC.

So far, the Rebels are allowing just 3.5 yards per play (4th best in the country), post a havoc rate of 19.2% (2nd best in the country), and are the nation’s best against the run allowing two yards per carry. That run defense will be put to the test against Kentucky who was able to gain 215 non-sack rushing yards against Georgia and is averaging 165.8 rushing yards per game.

Potentially Dominant Defensive Front

The Big Blue Wall will be put to the test on Saturday afternoon. Running the football hasn’t been a problem, but to keep up with the Ole Miss Rebels the ‘Cats are going to need to be able to pass the ball as well. Against lesser competition, Ole Miss has gotten into the backfield on nearly 20% of opponent snaps. That cannot be the case for Kentucky. Giving Brock Vandagriff some time to operate will be of vital importance.

JJ Pegues is the star of the show up front. After two seasons at Auburn, the 6’2″ 325 pound super senior has become a star at Ole Miss. Already this season he has five tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Similar to Deone Walker though, his impact goes well beyond the stat sheet. Next to Pegues up front is another monster in Walter Nolen. The 6’3″ 305 pound junior was the top prospect in the Class of 2022 and has been an impact guy since arriving in Oxford. He and Pegues give the Rebels possible the nation’s best defensive tackle combo.

At defensive end, Princely Umanmielen is a super senior who has logged a lot of havoc stats. In four seasons at Florida, Umanmielen collected 15 sacks and 26 tackles for loss. This season at Ole Miss he has two sacks and three tackles for loss. Jared Ivey is another name to know up front and yet another massive presence. At 6’6″ 285 pounds, Ivey has a pair of sacks but missed last week’s game due to injury. The four names listed here are all capable of making it a long day for the ‘Cats offensive line.