In final pre-SEC test, Ole Miss shows need for growth on both sides of ball

Sep. 25—OXFORD — The pop quizzes are over, and eight-straight exams begin next week.

Some Ole Miss fans have had an eye on this week's home game against No. 8 Kentucky.

They can afford to look ahead. Ole Miss players cannot, and it looks like they have in the second half of a 35-27 win over Tulsa at sparsely attended Vaught-Hemingway Stadium Saturday.

The Rebels' defense put up impressive numbers in three non-conference games, most recently a shutout against a Power Five opponent in a 42-0 win at Georgia Tech last week.

Classification aside, Tulsa was a much stronger test of this defense than Georgia Tech, and in this test the Rebels were just OK.

Call it a B-minus.

Tulsa put up 457 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry, but the Rebels got the stops they had to have in the fourth quarter, forcing punts on Tulsa's last three possessions before their three-touchdown lead had been reduced to eight points.

Miss any one of those stops, and it could have been Tulsa's time.

Statistically, the Rebels have been one of the top defenses in the country. Saturday, they weren't the best defense on the field.

Ole Miss went into a shell offensively after halftime, its first five second-half possessions ending in four punts and a fumble.

After that, the Rebels were able to run out the clock.

Tulsa quarterback Davis Brin went out in the middle of the second quarter.

When he was in the game, the Golden Hurricane was efficient. They got those "dirty runs" as Hugh Freeze used to say, not breaking long gains but not losing yardage, and receivers knew just where the sticks were to keep drives moving.

Across the 50, Brin was pin-point accurate when receivers got a step on Ole Miss defensive backs.

Ole Miss forced only one punt with Brin in the game.

Backup Braylon Braxton also moved the chains.

The Rebels were able to bother Braxton with pressure, once forcing an interception snared by safety AJ Finley to set up the fifth touchdown of the first half for Ole Miss.

Tulsa broke off a long run for a short field goal late in the second quarter and continued to run efficiently in the second half.

It was no slack offense that created those big plays against Ole Miss, but there's no slack offense left to face.

The Rebels were good at times, like Otis Reese's pass break-up against Tulsa's top receiver, then blanket coverage in the secondary that forced a throw-away and a punt on a mid-second-quarter drive.

Defense at Ole Miss has come a long way from Kiffin's first season when the Rebels ranked No. 117 in scoring defense and No. 124 in total defense.

Stocking the secondary with talent and depth has been intentional, and the unit grew to be pretty good over the course of last season.

But you don't lose guys like end Sam Williams and linebacker Chance Campbell and not feel it.

Early in 2022, the transfer re-stock plan has been effective. Now these guys will see an SEC schedule each week.

Defensively, the Rebels didn't disrupt Tulsa too much. Tackling was spotty, perhaps due to the absence of two key players. Still, the Golden Hurricane did its thing.

The Rebels, as they did in the opener against Troy, seemed content with half a football game.

That could be a problematic mentality moving ahead.

Ole Miss needs to continue to grow on both sides of the ball. If it happens, this could be a pretty good team, but now that growth has to occur against the SEC.

PARRISH ALFORD is the college sports editor and columnist for the Daily Journal. Contact him at parrish.alford@journalinc.com.