Ole Miss played like the team most thought it would be on Saturday in easily overwhelming South Carolina, 27-3, on the road. It was 14-0 in the first quarter, and it was over.
The No. 9 Rebels (5-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) controlled the game throughout, which was the opposite of the previous week when Kentucky manhandled them, and Ole Miss fell, 20-17, in Oxford. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s offense mustered only 14 first downs and 92 yards rushing in that one.
So, the Rebels are back and primed for their key SEC duel with No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-0 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC in Tiger Stadium, where Ole Miss has lost seven straight. LSU is an early 2.5-point favorite.
The Rebels’ last win at LSU was 31-13 in 2008. Kiffin is 0-2 in Baton Rouge as Ole Miss’ head coach with a 53-48 loss in 2020 and 45-20 in 2022. He beat LSU in Oxford in 2021, 31-17, and last year, 55-49.
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“I thought that this was a really hard week after that loss,” Kiffin said after the win over South Carolina as he is still struggling with the loss to Kentucky. “I thought we got probably the worst feeling after a loss. We just handed that thing away in so many ways. It was so not what we thought they were going to play like. We battled through that, so it didn’t let it affect a second game. I’m really pleased with our players that they came back.”
In praising South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC), Kiffin took a shot at his next opponent. And it was not a reach.
“That was on the road in a really hard place against a team that really was going to go up two scores and be undefeated,” Kiffin said. “But gets a fluke penalty against LSU. That’s probably the 10th-ranked team in the country and undefeated that we just played (without that call). So, I’m really proud of our coaches, players, and how they showed up today.”
South Carolina would have been 4-0 and 2-0 in the SEC entering the Ole Miss game had Nick Emmanwori’s 100-yard interception return for a TD and 39-29 lead late in the LSU game on Sept. 14 not been called back. The pick six was erased because of a controversial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against defensive end Kyle Kennard, who blocked LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier after the interception. LSU won 36-33.
Ole Miss’ defense dominated South Carolina Saturday with 10 tackles for loss and six sacks. Junior defensive tackle Walter Nolen, one of several prized Ole Miss newcomers via the NCAA Transfer Portal, had two of the sacks and third stop for loss. He came to the Rebels from Texas A&M and has 2.5 sacks on the season with two quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery and six tackles for loss.
The Portal King, Kiffin also got junior linebacker Chris Paul Jr. from Arkansas after last season. Paul leads the team with 41 tackles and seven for -28 yards in losses with 2.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries. There is also senior cornerback Trey Amos via Alabama who has a team-high 25 solo tackles and two interceptions.
And senior defensive end Princely Umanmielen from Florida has 3.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries with six tackles behind the line. He missed the South Carolina game with an injury, though.
Ole Miss also got via the portal LSU running back Logan Diggs, who led the Tigers running backs in rushing last season with 653 yards. But has has not played this season because of an injury that also held him out of spring.
The Rebels were also without starting junior left tackle Jayden Williams on Saturday because of an injury. He also missed the Kentucky game.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart will come to Baton Rouge as the No. 3 quarterback in the nation in efficiency at 193.0 on 127-of-173 passing for 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns against two interceptions. He 14 of 27 for 285 yards on Saturday. LSU is No. 93 nationally against the pass with 236.4 yards allowed a game.
Ole Miss is No. 2 in the nation in total offense with 560.2 yards a game, and LSU is 66th in total defense, allowing 353.6 a game. The Rebels are No. 1 in the country against the run with just 63.7 yards allowed a game and No. 3 in scoring defense with just 7.5 points a game allowed.
Kiffin still has his guys faking injuries here and there to try to curtail momentum from his opponent’s offense or stop the clock when on offense.
Running back Matt Jones hit the ground and grabbed his hamstring in the Kentucky game after Dart motioned at him.
“Matt Jones, fortunately, survived to walk off the field,” TV announcer Sean McDonough said sarcastically. “Just a blatant fake injury.”
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer noticed some timely “injuries” as well on Saturday.
“It’s a really bad look for college football,” he said. “And it’s not what this game is about, if what it looks like is what’s accurate.”
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