‘We shouldn’t underestimate any opponent’: Vanderbilt was a lesson learned for Deantre Prince and the Ole Miss defense
The Ole Miss defense went into Vanderbilt allowing the seventh-fewest points (11.8) in the FBS.
The Rebels were also No. 11 in sacks and No. 15 in tackles for loss.
So, naturally, the Commodores went on to score points on all four of their first-half drives, and Ole Miss trailed at halftime for first time all season.
To their credit, the Rebels did bounce back. The offense scored 35 unanswered points in what was ultimately a 52-28 win, with the defense holding Vanderbilt to eight combined points (scored in garbage time) in the final two quarters.
They pitched a shutout in the third.
“We just had a slow start in the first half,” veteran cornerback Deantre Prince, an NIL partner of the Ole Miss Spirit, said. “Coming into a lesser opponent, we just felt like we had it in the bag already and didn’t have to work for it.
“I feel like we came together coming out of halftime and we put on a show we know we’re supposed to put on.”
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Prince and his defensive running mates have been toeing the line between good and great all season.
Admittedly, the first half was a step back, and missed tackles were an issue all afternoon. Ole Miss didn’t record a sack, and the Rebels allowed Vanderbilt true freshman quarterback AJ Swann to complete over 70 percent (27 of 38) of his pass attempts.
Swann finished with 281 yards and two turnover-less touchdowns.
But there were positives, too. AJ Finley had a career-high 13 tackles. Cedric Johnson tied his career-high with six tackles of his own. Ladarius Tennison’s third-quarter fumble recovery led to one of two Quinshon Judkins rushing touchdowns and a two-score lead Vanderbilt could never really dip into.
“We want to start out every game fast and end the same way (and) shouldn’t underestimate any opponent,” Prince said. “We should always make sure we play every opponent the same way.
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“Came out (at halftime) and were just like, ‘We can’t let them score again.’ That was the mentality. That’s our standard. We just did it.”
Prince had six tackles and four pass break-ups.
Ole Miss had eight total PBUs, and Prince totaled the most since Keidron Smith’s four against South Carolina in 2020.
But he wasn’t in a forgiving mood following a win that sent Ole Miss to 6-0 (2-0 SEC) for the first time since the 60s. He kept coming back to the missed tackles and the Rebels needing to get right in a hurry for the remaining six-game SEC gauntlet.
Up next is Auburn Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.
“I don’t feel like it was anything different, ‘cause I feel like if I say it is something different it’ll be an excuse,” Prince said. “We just missed tackles (and) did bad things. We just can’t put that on tape.
“The defense, we’re getting to where we want to be. We’re getting to great. I feel like we’re in between good and great. Today’s performance, I feel like we leaned back a little bit more, took a couple of steps back. We’re going to come out this week (and) prepare great and beat our next opponent.”
