Ole Miss is 3-1 (1-1 SEC) after its opening four games. In three of their four contests, the Rebels have played top-25 opponents, but there are reasons for both concern and optimism moving forward.
Now, the ninth-ranked Rebels have the weekend off before hitting the road to Nashville for a Week 6 matchup against Vanderbilt.
Ole Miss On SI’s Tyler Komis and host Bailey Flanders check in for the 100th episode of The Rebel Rundown to examine Ole Miss’ season up to this point. The two also look ahead at what the rest of the season could look like for the Rebels and dissect what areas need to improve.
“Right now it’s kind of like a self-reflect week,” standout defensive tackle Will Echoles said this week. “Right now we’re just focused on us. PG made it very simple in the meetings. It’s about striking blocks, getting off blocks (and) making plays. I feel like sometimes as a defense we try to play too perfect. Trying to do all the right things right, instead of being instinctual. Today PG, it was all about just keys and reads, attacking blocks, coming off the ball — just finding the ball and being relentless in our pursuit to the ball. Just getting back to the old days like we were in peewee, you’re just out there playing. Playing fast, fearless and physical. We’re just trying to get back to that standard.”
The Rebels are ready to reset, and with a new edge, but not without feeling their humbling loss from last weekend in Gainesville.
“It stings more, but Coach Golding — he’s putting in our head ‘don’t forget that feeling’. Obviously that doesn’t define us, one loss early in the season. Coming off a loss into a bye week is a challenge, but nothing that we’re not ready for,” senior right guard Patrik Kutas explained Tuesday. “Difficult, but necessary. It sucks, but again, you can’t forget that feeling. You can’t just wash it off. It’s going to sit with you until you play the next game just inevitably.”
“I think we’re just more pissed off that we lost. Nobody likes that feeling, but emotionally we’re fine. It’s not like it’s something where the locker room is torn apart. If anything, it’s even lighting a fire under us. We’re totally fine.”
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