Ole Miss 48 Georgia Tech 23

The Ole Miss Rebels dealt a thorough defeat to the Georgia Tech yellowjackets yesterday, and the Rebels performance displayed some highly encouraging signs that seem to point to future success. Firstly, the conditioning is there. The Rebels get better as the game progresses into the final minutes, and they are seemingly able to hit the gas at will. Georiga Tech could not keep up.

The Rebels defense is greatly improved over last season’s unit. The players are fast, and they are playing smart, to the team’s strengths. They don’t have to dominate, but slow down the opposition enough to give the offense a chance. It seems to be a bend-not-break type of defense. It is highly athletic, especially at the corners.

The Rebels offense, led by Jaxson Dart at quarterback, and I will say Caden Davis at kicker, is very good. It is capable of the run, and it is capable of the pass, a complete offense. Davis has range and accuracy, can put points on the board from 50+ yards out. Inevitably, he’ll be called on to win a close game for the Rebels. Dart is the kind of scrappy and smart quarterback that is hard to beat. He’s not going to make bad decisions or throw interceptions, and he’ll grab those 20 yard runs when the middle is open. Interestingly on that point, the Rebels have a capable and experienced backup in Spencer Sanders, and that opens things up quite a lot. Dart can run with abandon. Put succinctly, the Rebels do not have any glaring weaknesses on offense. Any team that faces them will have to outplay them, obviously, but what I mean is that they can’t be beaten with a scheme. They can only be beaten with skill.

The Rebels face Alabama this Saturday, at Tuscaloosa. It ought to be a loss, especially in a historical context. I think the Rebels have won at Tuscaloosa only twice. I mean, dear God help us. Twice! I know Rebels fans this season feel optimistic about the Rebels chances this year, but if you were a betting man, you’d never put money on the Rebels to win this game; therefore, if the Rebels do go there and find a way to win, that could be an indicator that Ole Miss in going to have a special season, and I’m talking potential playoff season. If the Rebels lose, which is the most probable outcome, games against LSU and Georgia will be just as tough to win. Put another way, this game presents a true measuring stick that will show where Ole Miss stacks up against the league’s elite teams. Alabama may not have the best quarterback on the field during this game, but they are always going to be fundamentally sound, smart, and they will never get gassed. At this point, Ole Miss looks like it can compete on those terms, too, so this game is going to be interesting, to say the least.

Go Rebels!