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1. What happened?
That's the question I've been asked several times in the aftermath of Ole Miss' 45-20 loss at LSU.
I'm not a football expert, even though I've basically covered the Southeastern Conference for a quarter of a century. I figure I've covered at least 20 games -- and likely more -- at Tiger Stadium, so seeing a road team strut into Baton Rouge only to leave with quite a limp isn't exactly surprising.
It's an intimidating venue, and if the home team gets rolling, things can get out hand. While it would be tempting -- and lazy, frankly -- to just dismiss Saturday's outing to a bad performance made worse by the locale, I decided to dig a little deeper.
I called football people I know -- some you could guess and some you probably couldn't -- to see if I could find a consensus of opinion. For the most part, I did.
So I'll dive into some of the things I was told -- or in some cases, thoughts that I had that I ran by far more football intelligent people -- late Saturday and then again early Sunday during my drive back to Oxford from Baton Rouge.
Before we dig in, however, I do want to emphasize the one overriding point that was made crystal clear by the time the last patron exited Tiger Stadium Saturday night. Excluding the first three seconds of the second quarter, LSU won the final three quarters Saturday, 42-3. The Tigers had 500 yards of offense and 35 first downs while holding Ole Miss to just three points in the final 44:57.
In short, that's an ass-kicking. One can -- and I will -- dissect it, but this wasn't about schemes or whatnot. One team was considerably better than the other and the fourth-quarter performance LSU gave, one in which the Tigers outscored the Rebels, 21-0, was Exhibit A.
2. There's been a lot of criticism of Chris Partridge's defensive scheme Saturday, one in which the Rebels played with a three-man front and a sparsely-populate box.
Specifically, people have wondered why Ole Miss didn't add a man to the front or be more aggressive in its pass-rush schemes.
The consensus opinion I heard Sunday was two-fold: One, it's not as simple as adding a fourth defensive lineman. That changes run fits for linebackers and coverage rules for defenders. A defensive coordinator can throw too much at players, confuse them and have them playing slow. A scheme change might be necessary, but it's not something that is recommended mid-game.
Two, there's an opinion that Partridge might have been trying to protect his defensive backs. LSU was the first team this season to really go after the Rebels' secondary.
Ole Miss worried about LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels all week. It knew the Arizona State transfer was mobile and elusive. Further, it had seen Daniels connect with his talented wide receivers a week earlier at Florida. Sure, get after Daniels, but there's a catch -- If you send pressure and it doesn't get home, you're in trouble.
So, instead, it appeared that Partridge elected to be conservative with his attacks, drop eight into coverage, keep LSU in front of the secondary and force the Tigers to go on long drives. In the first quarter, that worked. LSU was forced to try field goals on its first two drives, making one and missing another. During that time, Ole Miss lost its best defensive back, AJ Finley.
In the second quarter, down 17-3, Daniels led a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive and then a seven-play, 78-yard TD drive to tie the game. Ole Miss led, 20-17, at halftime, but Daniels had shown everyone what was coming. Throw in an injury that ended Troy Brown's day, and the Rebels had no real shot in the second half.
LSU used 35 plays to collect 238 yards on four second-half touchdown drives to end any and all suspense. The Tigers had 252 yards on the ground and 248 through the air. It was a thorough, complete performance. Ole Miss couldn't get to Daniels, and then when it did, the Rebels couldn't bring him down.
3. Offensively, it's a little more complicated.
Ole Miss scored on its first three possessions and seemingly had things rolling. Then LSU got more aggressive, did more stemming up front and attacking more off the edge. Linebacker Harold Perkins, a future All-American, was very impactful.
"They set him up as a spy and a rusher and he made some big plays," Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart said.
LSU hit Dart a lot. In the second half, Ole Miss only had possession for 10:24. Its one scoring threat in the second half ended when Dart was hit as he was throwing into the end zone towards Malik Heath on second-and-goal from the LSU 9. Joe Foucha intercepted the pass. The Rebels never recovered.
Dart got high praise from the people I spoke to late Saturday and then on Sunday. People with high football acumen liked what they saw from the young Ole Miss quarterback. They felt he got away with a throw or two but they gave him high marks for his composure in a hostile environment against an aggressive, physical LSU defense. Heath got high marks as well. Everyone loves Quinshon Judkins. Jonathan Mingo is a known commodity. After that, the reviews were full of criticism.
Zach Evans didn't play, presumably due to a left leg injury. Ulysses Bentley played but only very sparingly, rushing one time for minus-3 yards. Jaylon Robinson didn't play. Dayton Wade was targeted one time but didn't record a yard of offense. Michael Trigg is still out with a collarbone injury.
Ole Miss' redshirt freshman tackles, especially Micah Pettus, really struggled with LSU's pass rush. Pettus' strength is playing bully ball. He's big and strong. However, LSU gave him fits in pass protection. As a whole, Ole Miss' offensive line got beat by LSU's front. Once the Rebels were down two scores and became more predictable, LSU pinned its ears back and got after Dart. Things cascaded from there.
Why can't Ole Miss be more productive in the second half? My contacts weren't really sure, and they seemed reluctant to make any sweeping judgements. All teams make halftime adjustments, but the consensus opinion was LSU got more aggressive and basically just beat Ole Miss in one-on-one matchups.
We'll learn a lot about Ole Miss' offense next week. As bad as Texas A&M's offense has been, the defense has been pretty solid. Former Ole Miss assistant DJ Durkin, now at Texas A&M, knows Kiffin's offense well. He'll have a good plan. And in case he needed it, LSU may have provided a blueprint of sorts.
The chess match will be fascinating.
4. It's fair to ask about talent. Ole Miss doesn't have enough of it, and with key contributors out Saturday, the lack of depth showed.
It's fair to ask about evaluations. One person noted that under Lane Kiffin, the Rebels have failed to sign one high school wide receiver who has contributed in an Ole Miss uniform. As mentioned, the Rebels brought in Robinson expecting him to be very impactful. He hasn't been. There are others.
It's fair to ask about development. Where is Demon Clowney? Tywone Malone? Bralon Brown? One could ask about others and it would be more than fair. Is Pettus playing so much because he's ready or because of the threat of the transfer portal?
Then again, maybe it was just one loss. This team could still win three of its final four games, go 10-2 for the second straight season and look back on Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge and laugh it off, likely while getting ready for a meeting with some Big Ten team in Orlando.
Or the 7-0 start was a product of a soft first-half schedule and the blowout in Baton Rouge was a sign of things to come. If Ole Miss had played LSU's schedule -- or Texas A&M's or Arkansas' -- would they be 7-1 today? We'll never know, but it's more than fair to wonder.
We'll find out over the next five weeks. Those who I polled had different opinions. One thought the Rebels would win three of its next four. Another thought they'd split. Another believed this coming Saturday at Texas A&M was the Rebels' most winnable remaining game and he classified it as a toss-up.
The games aren't played on paper. They're played in real life, and health will matter. Can Trigg get back? How banged up is Evans? What about Finley and Brown?
If you've followed college football this season, you know it's crazy and unpredictable. And often, as I discovered during conversations while driving on Interstates 10, 12 and 55 and Highway 7, it's also sometimes really difficult to thoroughly explain.
5. Up next: Texas A&M.
The Aggies lost at South Carolina Saturday night, 30-24, falling to 1-3 in the SEC. They're an upright away from 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the league. Jimbo Fisher's contract is all that's saving him, and there are widespread industry rumors that Fisher will be forced to hire an offensive coordinator, an entirely new offensive staff, install a new scheme and relinquish play-calling duties after this season.
In case you think I'm being harsh, read this column from AggieYell.com publisher Mark Passwaters following Saturday's loss in Columbia.
The reaction said it all.
With the Aggies trying to pick up a 4th and 2 deep in their own end with a little more than 2 minutes to go, right tackle Reuben Fatheree moved, drawing a false start penalty. He turned to quarterback Conner Weigman and center Matthew Wykoff, gesturing as if to say, “What are you doing?”
What indeed.
That question could be asked of the entire football team, from coach Jimbo Fisher on down. The Aggies lost to a really bad football team Saturday night, and they had better own this one. They blew it. From the top down, they blew it.
The opening play of the game was a kickoff returned for a touchdown, with multiple missed tackles due to lack of effort. South Carolina’s second score came after an interception on a pass out in the far flat that took too long to develop and was obvious to the South Carolina defense, who had seen it on tape oh-so-many times.
Then their third score came after one of the most inept plays of all time, when Matthew Wykoff snapped the ball and hit Haynes King and bounced forward for another turnover. And, with that, A&M was down 17-0 with in a little more than 5 minutes.
It’s a disgrace. A&M should have blown the doors off this team, and yet they go home having lost three in a row. All things considered, they’ve got a couple wins left in them, but they’re looking at a very Texas-esque 5-7 if they don’t get their crap together.
The offense showed a little more creativity tonight, using some plays we haven’t seen before. But the bigger problems were the baffling play calls. The Aggies came out against a bad rush defense (one they exploited later) and threw the first plays. After getting back into the game late in the first half and with Devon Achane already having 75 yards, they threw the first six plays of the second half. Momentum gone. Punt.
Jimbo Fisher has a very bad habit of getting enamored with the pass and going away from the run, even when it’s working. He did it tonight and, outside of the absolute garbage first five minutes, may have cost A&M the game.
Haynes King gutted it out tonight, but it’s clear he’s not healthy and he’s not getting it done. You’re going to take some lumps with Conner Weigman, but you’re already getting pounded. See what you’ve got. He was thrown into a terrible position tonight and looked like he struggled at times, but he was 8-15 for 91 yards and threw the ball with a lot more zip than King or Max Johnson. Kind of wonder why didn’t see that arm strength in practices. But that’s besides the point.
Achane had 75 yards at the half in 11 carries. He ended up with 99 on 20. That’s just not good enough. He needed to see the ball a whole lot more, especially with a quarterback seeing his first action. Jimbo said that South Carolina stacked the line in the second half to force the pass, but if you’re a good offense, you can still force the issue on a bad line.
But this isn’t a good offense and this is not a good offense line. The offensive line didn’t give up any sacks tonight, but they did enough to make a mess of things. They couldn’t block a bad blitzing defense and had 8 false starts. In spite of being a bad offense, A&M had 398 yards of total offense and held onto the ball for more than 6 minutes more than South Carolina did. This was a complete and utter self-destruction.
Lost in the mess was another good game from Evan Stewart. He had 6 catches for 87 yards and could have had more. Donovan Green had a nice catch on a pass from Weigman and continues to mature. But Moose Muhammad and Chris Marshall were almost completely MIA. Moose had a couple of catches late, but was a non-factor for much of game.
There were a lot of other things that won’t show up in the box score that were problems. Missed blocks, wrong routes run in key situations and just general confusion. That’s the sign of an undisciplined team. You want to say they’re young? Fine. They are young. But they’re also undisciplined.
After the game, South Carolina's players talked about how A&M was tipping their plays with the stances of offensive linemen and they knew what pass King was going to throw on the interception. That should be enough for changes to be made to the offense. I'm extremely confident that changes are coming for 2023 to the offensive scheme, and they can't come soon enough.
Defense
The lack of disciplined carried over the defense, and it was costly. Marshawn Lloyd had 8 yards rushing at halftime and South Carolina had 15 total. He ended up with 91 and the Gamecocks had 118 yards total. Basically, they did what A&M didn’t do, and that’s take control of the game up front. Lloyd made several big runs, which the Aggies had a lot to do with because they weren’t tackling. They failed to wrap up and blew their run fits, something they didn’t do in the first half. Once again, they were undisciplined.
Andre White had a solid game coming back, but Edgerrin Cooper was definitely missed. Bryce Anderson had a good game, with a forced fumble and two tackles for loss, but he also got sucked in on a couple of big plays for South Carolina.
A&M used a very big front early on with Shemar Turner at defensive end. It worked. But, inexplicably, the Aggies went away from it for large parts of the second half and USC targeted the freshmen defensive ends. It’s frustrating as can be, because McKinnley Jackson and Walter Nolen, again, both had good games.
Spencer Rattler is not a good quarterback. His stats bear that out: 12-25, 168 yards and a fumble. But he converted 8 out of 16 third downs, compared to A&M converting just 5 out of 14. Repeatedly, they targeted Deuce Harmon and it worked. But it wasn’t just on Harmon; players got free when Rattler scrambled or blew coverage assignments. Again, undisciplined.
When you force two turnovers that become 10 points, hold an opponent to 3.4 yards a rush and 286 total yards, you should win a football game. Not these guys. Not tonight.
Special Teams
Special teams were also a complete disaster. In spite of all the things that went wrong in the other parts of the game, this may be where the game was lost. Not only did A&M give up the touchdown on the opening kickoff, Nik Constantinou shanked a punt that gave South Carolina a short field in the second half that led to another touchdown. Moose Muhammad fielded two punts inside the five that he shouldn’t have. Kick return defense was terrible and nearly got Achane beheaded.
Final thoughts
This is a young team. It’s a banged up team. But it’s also not a very good team. It has talent that is not being utilized. Their lack of discipline continues to kill them, and it definitely did today. When you outgain opponents by more than 100 yards, you should win. When you hold an opponent’s quarterback to a completion percentage that’s less than half, you should win.
They didn’t, and all the blame is on them. Top down.
6. It's time for my weekly ranking of the SEC.
1. Georgia -- The Bulldogs got a week of rest before the annual cocktail party (or whatever we're calling it now) in Jacksonville. I've been. That place is crazy.
2. Tennessee -- The Vols did what great teams do -- crush an inferior opponent early and get the backups some reps.
3. Alabama -- The Tide got back on track by once again slamming the door on a Mike Leach-coached offense.
4. LSU -- In consecutive weeks, the Tigers have looked strong. Now they get two weeks to prep for a home date with 'Bama.
5. Ole Miss -- The Rebels still control their own destiny, but they simply have to fix things that are on film now.
6. Kentucky -- The Wildcats get a shot at Tennessee Saturday.
7. South Carolina -- The Gamecocks are now 5-2 with Missouri coming to town. Shane Beamer is proving to be a program-builder.
8. Mississippi State -- The Bulldogs get a week off before playing host to Auburn. Georgia looms, however.
9. Arkansas -- If the Hogs are going to salvage something from this season and maybe build some November momentum, they must win at Auburn Saturday morning.
10. Florida -- Billy Napier gets his first taste of Georgia-Florida on Saturday. He's recruiting well, but he likely won't enjoy Jacksonville this time around.
11. Auburn -- It will be interesting to see how the Tigers respond from a weekend off before playing host to Arkansas.
12. Texas A&M -- The Aggies' season is a disaster, so it'll be interesting to see how dialed-in they are for Ole Miss.
13. Missouri -- Those forced to cover Saturday's win over Vanderbilt should receive hazard pay.
14. Vanderbilt -- They tried hard.
7. I don't want an Associated Press Top 25 ballot, but if I were forced to cast one, mine would look like this today:
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Tennessee
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. Alabama
7. TCU
8. Oregon
9. Oklahoma State
10. USC
11. UCLA
12. Penn State
13. LSU
14. Ole Miss
15. Wake Forest
16. Syracuse
17. Illinois
18. Utah
19. Kentucky
20. Cincinnati
21. North Carolina
22. Tulane
23. South Carolina
24. North Carolina State
25. Kansas State
8. (Courtesy Ole Miss media relations) Ole Miss men’s basketball head coach Kermit Davis, junior Matthew Murrell and sophomore Daeshun Ruffin represented the Rebels at the first in-person conference media day since 2019 at the 2023 SEC Tipoff at the Grand Bohemian Hotel on Wednesday.
The trio discussed the upcoming 2022-23 season with the national media and television networks alike, partaking in several photo and video stations, as well as a live segment on SEC Network this afternoon. Catch Coach Davis’ press conference HERE, the SEC Now segment HERE, and a full Twitter recap of the day HERE.
Ole Miss enters year five under Davis, and will feature two of the most exciting guards in the SEC in Murrell and Ruffin. This summer, the Rebels shined in Nassau as part of its foreign trip, where Ole Miss went 3-0 thanks to the superb play of sophomore guard James White, who averaged 23.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and shot 64 percent overall while in The Bahamas.
Ole Miss will also sport eight brand new additions for the 2022-23 campaign. The Rebels added ESPN’s 12th-ranked high school signing class for 2022-23 with top-100 signees No. 81 Malique Ewin (Forward, 6-10, 220, Lawrenceville, Georgia/Berkmar HS), No. 97 TJ Caldwell (Guard, 6-4, 190, Dallas, Texas/Faith Family Academy (Oak Cliff)), No. 98 Amaree Abram (Guard, 6-4, 190, Port Arthur, Texas/Southern California Academy) and fellow four-star high school signee Robert Cowherd (Guard, 6-5, 195, Grayson, Georgia/Southern California Academy).
Additionally, Ole Miss has added four transfers for the 2022-23 season: Jackson State graduate transfer Jayveous McKinnis(Forward, 6-7, 225, Brandon, Mississippi); Loyola New Orleans transfer Myles Burns (Forward, 6-6, 210, Houston, Texas); Louisiana transfer Theo Akwuba (Forward, 6-11, 225, Montgomery, Alabama); and Buffalo transfer Josh Mballa (Forward, 6-7, 220, Bordeaux, France).
The Rebels host West Georgia for an exhibition on Nov. 1 before opening the 2022-23 regular season at home against Alcorn State on Nov. 7.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 158 — Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse.
Alcohol adds a great flavor profile to a lot of dishes and doesn’t miss on this dessert. Give this dessert a try and you will repeat it over and over again.
Tidbit #1: This recipe doesn’t feature gelatin in it so, you need to eat these within 2 days of making them. Not because anything has been wrong with them for 3 days. It is just the texture gets thicker after the second day. Again, always make the dessert a day ahead and you will never be in a rush for the meal.
Tidbit #2: Whenever you pour your melted chocolate into your egg mixture, it will get thick. Don’t freak out, this is part of the process. When you add the whipped egg whites, you will need to add in 3 equal parts folding each almost in completely before adding the next.
Tidbit #3: You can substitute another alcohol for the orange liquor if you would like. Just do it in equal parts.
Things you will need:
6 people
Preparation time - 14 minutes
Resting time - 4 hours (minimum)
Coffee
Utensils needed:
Chef’s knife and Worksurface
Digital Scale
Microwave
Microwave safe mixing bowls x2
Electric Mixer
Whisk
Rubber Spatula
Ramekins (6)
Fridge
Ingredients needed:
200 Grams of dark chocolate
4 Tbsp Grand Marnier
6 Whole Eggs
4 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (scrapped)
Pinch of salt
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Separate the egg whites into the mixing stand and the egg yolks into one of the mixing bowls. Set aside.
Step 1.2: Crumble the dark chocolate into the 2nd mixing bowl and place it in the microwave. Microwave at 30-second intervals until completely melted while stirring after each interval.
Step 2: Begin to whisk the egg whites on medium speed. After the foam has appeared, add in the sugar. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks.
Step 2.1: Add the scrapped vanilla bean to the egg yolks along with the alcohol. Whisk until all is combined and then pour in the chocolate while whisking.
Final
Step 3: Use the spatula to then fold in the egg whites in equal parts and after, place equal portions into your ramekins. Set it in the fridge for the time limit and then you are good to go. Top with some shaved candy bars on top with whipped cream and the dessert portion of the meal will be out of this world.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss football, football recruiting and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
How did things go wrong for Matt Rhule with the Panthers? Start with the QB
Rudy Gobert says Victor Wembanyama is unlike anything before
Cavaliers season opens with Donovan Mitchell being called on to lead
Has Denver Found the Right Balance to Make a Finals Run?
3 Biggest Questions for the Golden State Warriors in the 2022-23 season
Inside the successes, missteps and failures of Biden’s early presidency - The Washington Post
‘Majorities of Blacks and Hispanics Oppose Racial Preferences in College Admissions’
