Ole Miss football overreacts after Week 6 win over South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Ole Miss football responded to adversity in a big way Saturday.

The No. 11 Rebels defeated South Carolina 27-3 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

After a poor performance last week at home against Kentucky marred the Rebels’ impressive start to the season, the comfortable road win at South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) will ease pessimism about the immediate future of Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1 SEC), which began last week.

Time to overreact:

Once again, Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels look like a College Football Playoff team

Ole Miss’ decisive win over a strong South Carolina team shows something important. The Rebels played poorly last week, but they aren’t bad.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart (285 passing yards, no interceptions) played largely error-free football. The defense was tenacious, forcing one fumble, one interception and producing ten tackles for loss. Ole Miss was also flawless on special teams. There was precision in all three phases, which equated to smooth driving in a difficult road environment.

Saturday proved that the version of Ole Miss that outscored its non-conference opponents 220-22 was no fluke and can beat good teams. If Ole Miss continues to play like this, a playoff spot in December can still be at stake.

Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen is a one-man wrecking crew

With injured Rebels edge rusher Princely Umanmielen unable to play, South Carolina’s offensive line could pay more attention to defensive tackle Walter Nolen. It didn’t seem to matter much.

Nolen dominated Saturday with two sacks and three tackles for loss, but the 305-pounder’s most important play was his mobility. With 9:04 left in the first quarter, South Carolina backup quarterback Robby Ashford came on.

Ashford tucked the ball and ran towards the middle where there was a hole, but the ball splattered from his hands onto the turf. Nolen immediately jumped on it and used his size to box Ashford in the dog poop. Ole Miss took possession of the ball at its 45-yard line and scored a touchdown on the resulting possession.

Ole Miss receiver Juice Wells, a transfer from South Carolina, will be losing sleep tonight

Juice Wells had the chance for a highlight that he would certainly enjoy. Instead, it became a rare celebratory moment for the Gamecocks.

Wells, who was accompanied by boos every time he caught a pass or was targeted, finished the game with three catches for 97 yards against the team he transferred from.

Not a bad day, but it could have been a bigger day for the man dubbed “Judas Wells” by South Carolina fans frustrated that he was moving to an SEC rival.

With 8:15 left in the third quarter, Wells found some space after catching a pass on a short breakaway route. He turned on his jets but was pushed out at the 1-yard line. Wells lost possession and fumbled it out of the end zone, resulting in a touchback and South Carolina’s possession.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X @Sam_Hutchens_

Ole Miss football overreacts after Week 6 win over South Carolina

ByJasper

Once again, Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels look like a College Football Playoff team

Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen is a one-man wrecking crew

Ole Miss receiver Juice Wells, a transfer from South Carolina, will be losing sleep tonight

By Jasper

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