How Ole Miss' Last Game Against Oklahoma Changed the Rebels' Defense Forever

Last year, Ole Miss came into a rainy, hostile environment with an Oklahoma Sooners homecoming crowd letting them hear it.

This game was vital for both teams. The Rebels just lost their first game a week prior to Georgia, and Oklahoma was two weeks removed from losing to their rival, the Texas Longhorns.

Ole Miss would end up winning a thriller 34-26 against the Sooners.

Game Recap

Ole Miss Rebels tight end Trace Bruckler scores a touchdown | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Both teams started with a promising drive that ended in three points.

The next drive for the Rebels finished in the end zone when Kewan Lacy ran it in from 28 yards for the score.

The Rebels' defense then had a huge moment when they forced Oklahoma to punt. That punt was the first one forced by the Ole Miss defense since late in the fourth quarter against Washington State.

That game happened two weeks prior to the game in Norman.

The Rebels got the ball back and stalled out on offense after a mishandled snap by Trinidad Chambliss forced them to punt.

Oklahoma struck back when quarterback John Mateer took advantage of some broken coverage and found star wide receiver Isaiah Sategna for a 76-yard touchdown. It was tied at 10 early in the second quarter.

The great Sooners defense once again forced Lane Kiffin’s offense to punt. Punter Oscar Bird pinned Oklahoma back deep in their own territory. A couple of plays later, the Rebels' defense tackled Oklahoma running back Tory Blaylock in the end zone for a safety.

Ole Miss followed that with a very important bounce-back drive on offense. Chambliss was being rushed a lot in the past few drives, so he saw fit to start using his legs against the Sooners. He picked up a first down on two very big downs. One on a second and 15 on their side of the field and another on a third and nine to get the Rebels in red zone territory.

The Sooners' defense once again bent but didn’t break and kept the Rebels out of their end zone. Kicker Lucas Carneiro made a 22-yard chip shot to make it 15-10.

The Rebels' defensive line then continued to make a statement when former Ole Miss edge Princewell Umanmielen sacked Mateer on a crucial fourth and two.

Ole Miss Rebels defensive end Princewill Umanmielen tackles Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Rebels had the momentum after that and stormed down the field and scored their second touchdown of the day when Lacy rushed into the end zone from two yards out.

The first half came to an end with Ole Miss up 22-10.

The Rebels got the ball after half and punted on their first drive.

The Sooners' offense came out of the first half with a drive that ended in three points, which put them down nine.

With the sun starting to come out in Norman, the Rebels' offense matched that Sooners drive and got a field goal of their own, making the score 25-13

After that drive, the Sooners remembered how they got their first touchdown on a big play and followed that formula again. This time, it was a 65-yard rushing touchdown for running back Xavier Robinson.

Oklahoma Sooners running back Xavier Robinson runs for a touchdown | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Sooners were only down by five and were right back in this contest.

The Rebels' offense stalled out the next drive, and this game was looking like a repeat of the Georgia game a week prior for Ole Miss. They controlled that game the whole time, but the Bulldogs hung around late and ended up winning that game.

The Sooners scored a touchdown on their next drive and had their first lead of the day. However, they missed a crucial two-point conversion to keep the score at 26-25 Sooners.

Luckily, the Rebels learned from the mistakes they made in Athens and answered immediately with a touchdown of their own when Chambliss found tight end Trace Bruckler wide open for six.

The Rebels would also miss their two-point conversion which kept the score at 31-26 Rebels.

After both teams stalled out, Ole Miss punted back to the Sooners and forced a fumble from Sategna on the return and Bruckler, who just scored the go-ahead touchdown, recovered it.

After a huge pass to Winston Watkins to start the Rebels' drive, they ended their drive with a field goal to go up by eight.

The Sooners would still have a chance to tie it, and it was up to the Rebels' defense to prevent that.

The defense held strong and forced the Sooners to punt. All the Rebels had to do was get a first down, and the game was over. The mighty Oklahoma defense didn’t let that happen, however, and the Rebels were forced to punt.

The Ole Miss defense would have to stop Oklahoma’s offense one more time. With the sun fully out and shining on their backs, that’s exactly what the Rebels' defense did. They batted down a Hail Mary attempt, and the Rebels got a huge win.

What this game did for the Rebels

Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding huddles with players | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

This game was huge for Ole Miss, especially their defense. A week before, defensive coordinator Pete Golding was left scratching his head when his team allowed eight straight scoring drives against Georgia.

This game established the narrative that would define the Rebels' defense for the rest of the season. They became a bend-don’t-break style defense. They knew they would allow some points, but their offense would score too. If they could just get a couple of key stops, the Rebels would have had a great chance to win the game.

This style clearly worked for the Rebels for the rest of the season. They would end up winning their next six games, including a win against Georgia in the second round of the playoffs. That same defensive style gave Ole Miss a chance to beat Miami in the playoff semifinals. The Rebels' offense just had a couple of miscues that cost them the game.

This game proved to be bigger than just a higher number on their win record, and should be remembered as one of the Rebels' greatest seasons.

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