Mississippi was struggling after suffering a second defeat by three points, putting their playoff and Southeastern Conference aspirations on the brink. Despite a challenging start, the 10th-ranked Rebels managed to turn things around after falling behind to Oklahoma at halftime. Since then, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin believes his team has been one of the best among FBS competitors.
“Some people would say right now we’re playing as well as anybody in the country, which we are,” Kiffin noted with confidence. The Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) recently enjoyed a bye week following a decisive 28-10 victory over then-No. 2 ranked Georgia. As they look ahead to concluding their schedule against Florida and Mississippi State, they are anticipated to be clear favorites.
The resurgence began after a heartbreaking 29-26 overtime loss to LSU, but it ultimately started in the second half against Oklahoma, where Ole Miss made a notable comeback to secure a 26-14 win with 16 consecutive points. At halftime during that game, Kiffin challenged his squad, mainly composed of transfer portal additions, to step up and decide whether they wanted to continue letting close games slip away or strive for greatness.
“I told them you can keep screwing these games up at the end, and the narrative can be, you guys came here for money and Ole Miss can’t be one of those teams that makes an elite run and can’t be a championship team,” Kiffin explained. “Or you can have enough.”
Since accepting that challenge, Ole Miss has significantly outperformed opponents, outscoring Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Georgia a remarkable 107-41 in total. The Rebels capped off their win against the Bulldogs with the last 12 unanswered points, showcasing their newfound competitiveness and tenacity.
Typically, a bye week might seem ill-timed when a team is experiencing momentum, but this break allows quarterback Jaxson Dart an additional week to recover from an ankle concern that had momentarily sidelined him during the Georgia game. This break may also facilitate the return of wide receiver Tre Harris, who has missed the last three matchups due to a lower body injury.
Juice Wells, a recent transfer from South Carolina, stated that the team recognized they were not meeting their own expectations. “We knew there was something still left on the table and we knew we all came here for a reason,” he reflected.
Kiffin once again drew upon the transfer portal to enhance his roster following a Top 10 finish last season. This influx included key players such as the currently injured tailback Henry Parrish Jr., linebacker Chris Paul Jr., and linemen Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen, though some joined the team in the summer.
Kiffin connected these late arrivals to the team’s ability to thrive late in the season, likening the situation to an NBA free agency arrangement. “This was kind of like an NBA free agent thing where it was put together late,” he stated. “There were a lot of late pieces. I think what you’re seeing is when those teams are put together, they take longer sometimes than ones that have been together for years, and then they screw up early in the year sometimes.”