Ole Miss has been dominant but also quite sloppy. The Rebels are working on it.
No. 6 Ole Miss couldn’t have been more dominant in sweeping its four non-conference games to open the 2024-25 season.
However, the Rebels certainly could have played cleaner.
They entered Saturday’s matchup with Georgia Southern No. 14 in the SEC in penalties. They continued to rack up the flags — and north of 100 yards of penalty yardage — in the 52-13 win.
Ole Miss opens SEC play against Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC) Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ABC.
“I feel like the whole (defensive backs) group just wants to play aggressive,” Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos said. “Just playing fast, and sometimes you’re going to get caught. But you want to make plays and be in the right spot.
“I feel we can lay low with the penalties and stuff like that. But that starts in practice, so we’re going to most definitely practice that — holding and stuff like that.”
Ole Miss currently boasts the nation’s top-ranked scoring offense AND scoring defense. The Rebels are third in tackles for loss.
Amos is an off-season transfer addition from Alabama.
He’s started every game at boundary corner for the Rebels. His overall coverage grade (68.3) is sixth on the team and third of all Ole Miss defensive backs, according to Pro Football Focus.
“A lot of impact, starting with the defensive line,” Amos said of what he’s seen from the Rebel defense so far. Ole Miss has given up just one touchdown all season. “They’re always eating.
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“DBs, I feel like we can go a long way. We’re still not finished, and there’s always room for improvement. It’s been going good.”
Ole Miss is 30-14-1 against Kentucky in a series dating back to 1944. The Rebels opened as 20-point favorites. They’ve won three straight over the Wildcats, as well as six in a row at home, where they’re 9-2 all-time.
The teams have played twice since Lane Kiffin took over as Ole Miss head coach in 2020. The Rebels won both games.
“Pretty good wide receiver room,” Amos said. “Real speed and fine techniques. Gotta get them off their routes and mess up the timing. D-line’s going to eat, so best of both worlds.”
Amos has 16 total tackles on the season, all solos.
“It showed a lot of our character, but there’s still work to do,” Amos said of the Rebels’ hot start. “We’re going to improve as the season goes on. Just having that mindset every week and continue that.”
