By Billy Watkins
Media and fans have dissected Ole Miss’ 20-17 loss to Kentucky last Saturday in Oxford every way possible. They’ve blamed everybody and everything from Lane Kiffin to the 11 a.m. kickoff time.
I think it’s pretty simple why the Rebels lost: They got outplayed.
You ask: How could that happen?
I turned to a friend of mine inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the third quarter and said, “Kentucky is SEC tested. You can see it. Ole Miss is not.”
Two Saturdays earlier, the Wildcats lost to powerhouse Georgia 13-12. They matched the Bulldogs blow for blow for four quarters. I recorded that game and watched it twice. Kentucky was just as physical, tackled just as well, was just as gritty.
Those in Las Vegas who made Ole Miss more than a two-touchdown favorite over the Cats obviously did not watch that game and how they stood up to one of the biggest bullies on the college football playground.
So when looking at the loss, let’s give Kentucky its due. It didn’t take long for the Wildcats to make a statement — they gave Ole Miss return specialist Micah Davis a concussion on the opening kickoff.
They harassed quarterback Jaxson Dart all day, except for the opening drive when Ole Miss easily went down the field to grab a 7-0 lead. They stuffed the inside running game for the most part, and if you’ve watched a Kiffin offense for any amount of time, running the football is imperative. It sets up all the fireworks.
They dominated Ole Miss on third down (1 out of 10) and limited Kiffin to 56 chances to call a play.
Their cornerbacks did a splendid job of tackling when Ole Miss went to the quick throws outside.
But the real difference makers were Kentucky’s two inside defensive linemen: Deone Walker, the 6-6, 345-pound Detroit native who turned down Michigan to play in the SEC, and Keeshawn Silver, a 6-4, 336 pounder, who was rated the 8th-best overall player in the nation out of high school.
Yes, the Rebels’ offensive line was missing the injured Jayden Williams, Caleb Warren and Jeremy James — stalwarts on last year’s 11-win team. But Kiffin and staff put an emphasis on building depth across the offensive line through the transfer portal. It’s early in the season, but last Saturday they could not consistently handle what Kentucky threw at them up front.
**********
I said this before the season: It seemed Ole Miss got every break in 2023, when it lost just two games. Zxavian Harris blocked a game-tying field goal at the end of the game vs. Texas A&M. The Rebels’ Caden Davis missed a game-tying field goal at the end against Kentucky.
Last season, the Rebels managed to knock away a pass on the game’s final play vs. LSU in the end zone, thrown by Jayden Daniels, who is quickly becoming one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. Yes, the Rebels defended it well but you still have to count it as good fortune. Anything can happen on those types of plays.
And here is a stat that few consider: Ole Miss lost one fumble the entire 2023 season, and that occurred in the season-opener against Mercer. That is an astounding achievement.
On a drive to take the lead with four minutes left in the third quarter, the Rebels lost their second fumble of 2024. The sure-handed Tre Harris was knocked loose of the ball at the Kentucky 19-yard line.
Still, Ole Miss managed to eventually take the lead — and seemingly control of the game — with Kentucky facing a fourth-and-seven at its 19-yard line with 4:04 left in the game.
Ole Miss pressed the wideouts and brought six rushers. Kentucky QB Brock Vandagriff, who spent three seasons at Georgia, lofted a perfect pass to wideout Barion Brown, who raced to the Rebels’ 18.
Remember, we’re talking about breaks.
Two plays after the bomb, Kentucky went to a wildcat formation with backup QB Gavin Wimsatt taking the snap from the 4-yard line. He ran left, turned up and was belted at the 2 by safety Trey Washington, one of Ole Miss’ most underrated performers. The ball went up in the air — and right into the hands of tight end Josh Kattus, who has had his problems holding on to passes this season. Touchdown, Kentucky.
After briefly celebrating, Kattus looked at the ABC TV camera and said, “I don’t know what the hell that was.”
It was a giant break and the deciding touchdown in the Rebels’ first SEC game of the year.
************
Next up: 3-1 South Carolina in Columbia. I’ve covered several games there. It is not an easy place to play. The school has a passionate fan base and some really good edge pass rushers.
The Gamecocks’ only loss was at home by three points to LSU.
I’m not surprised Ole Miss (ranked 12th in the AP poll and 11th in the coaches’ poll) is a 9-point favorite on the road. The Rebels’ defensive front and linebackers are playing lights out, and that’s good enough to keep you in most every game.
The secondary is talented but has been haunted by holding and pass interference penalties. Some of those calls were questionable, but many were blatant. At his Monday press conference, Kiffin said that issue is receiving prime attention this week in practice.
But what about the offense? One game doesn’t change the fact that Lane Kiffin is one of the brightest offensive coaches in America.
You will be hard pressed to find a writer who has been more complimentary of quarterback Jaxson Dart than me. But he was not himself Saturday. Certainly, Kentucky had something to do with that. But something seemed “off” with him. I still think he’s a special player and leader. I fully expect him to bounce back.
The running game, which produced just 92 yards against Kentucky, has to get going. The line must gel quickly. And as good as running backs Henry Parrish and former Jackson Prep star Matt Jones have been at times, there has to be more of a threat there.
Ulysses Bentley IV, a preseason third-team All-SEC running back, has barely played — even in mop-up duty during the four wins against sub-par talent. Kiffin repeatedly says it has nothing to do with anything Bentley did wrong. He says the other two backs have outperformed him at practice.
Yes, the coaches see these guys every day, so who am I to question their decision at running back? I’m someone who has seen Bentley make huge plays against SEC competition. He averaged 5.7 yards on 95 carries a year ago. And I’ll say it again, the foundation of Kiffin’s offense is the running game.
I firmly believe that if Ole Miss is going to have another top-notch season, Bentley will play a big part in it. He can change a game in a heartbeat.
We’ll see if he gets his chance against South Carolina.
#############
