Watkins: ‘More mature’ Ole Miss football Rebels won’t have another November spiral
Ole Miss spiraled after its late-season loss to Alabama a year ago.
The Tide wrecked the Rebels’ long-shot playoff hopes, while the final humiliation was a Texas Tech beatdown of the Rebels in the Houston Bowl. Ole Miss lost four of its last five.
Georgia handled those duties this time around. The Rebels (8-2, 5-2 SEC) were blown out, 52-17, in Athens. They next host ULM before closing out the regular season against in-state rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving night.
Veteran Ole Miss wide receiver and team leader Jordan Watkins believes these Rebels, however, are better equipped to handle disappointment. They’ve still got plenty in front of them, including a postseason currently projected to be spent bowling in Florida.
“This is a much, much more mature team,” Watkins said. “Looking back from last year, I really don’t like to compare, but we are a way more mature team, and I think we’ll be able to handle it pretty well.”
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Ole Miss got off to a hot offensive start against Georgia.
The defense, however, never showed much ability to stop the Bulldogs, and the Rebels trailed 28-14 at halftime.
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First-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s group stiffened up to open the third, holding Georgia to a three-and-out. A high-powered Ole Miss offense all season had the ball with a chance to go make it a one-score game.
Watkins and Co. responded with a three-and-out. Ultimately, Georgia got back on track offensively, while the Rebels laid down in what turned into a laugher.
But Watkins said they’re not hanging their heads.
“There was a lot left out there,” Watkins said. “You look at the score, and going back and watching the game, that game could have been much, much closer if we would have just executed better and focused in on the small details. That’s what they do really good, and I think that’s what got us beat.”
Watkins, linebacker Ashanti Cistrunk and fourth-year head coach Lane Kiffin all met the media Monday to usher in ULM week. Here’s everything they had to say.
