Ole Miss Rebels Have One Huge Weapon
By Tim Letcher
@TimLetcher
Spruce Derden, USA TODAY SPORTS
The Ole Miss Rebels have a weapon that is as good on the road as it is at home. And that can be a powerful asset in a team’s arsenal.
The weapon in question is the Ole Miss defense, which had another stellar outing in Saturday’s 34-3 win over the Tennessee Volunteers in Oxford. Ole Miss held the Vols to just 191 yards of total offense, including zero yards rushing.
Ole Miss entered Saturday’s contest ranked second in the country in scoring defense, giving up just 11.8 points per game. That number will obviously go down, and the Rebels could be first in the country after Saturday’s play, depending on how the Stanford Cardinal fare later in the evening.
Saturday was the third time that the Rebels held the opposition without a touchdown, and it also marked the sixth time in seven games that the Rebels’ opponent has failed to score 20 points.
The great thing about the defense is that, as the old saying goes, teams can take a defense on the road with them. Offenses may change, depending on whether a team is home or away, but defenses tend to stay the same whether they are home or away.
Robert Nkemdiche anchors the tough defensive line, disrupting plays up front and pressuring the quarterback. Cody Prewitt is a hawk in the defensive backfield, as is Senquez Gibson, who had two interceptions against Tennessee to raise his season total to seven.
The defense will certainly be tested the next two weeks. Ole Miss hits the road to face the LSU Tigers next Saturday, followed by a home game against the Auburn Tigers the following week. If the defense can continue to play as well as they have so far this season, Ole Miss will continue to be in the race for the SEC title and a bid in the College Football Playoff.
Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com and a member of the Football Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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