Ole Miss Has One Problem It Needs to Fix Immediately Against Charlotte

The Ole Miss Rebels are coming off a thrilling victory over the Louisville Cardinals. It was a resilient win for Pete Golding's team as Lucas Carneiro drilled the game-winning field goal.

However, Sunday's win didn't happen without a fair share of flaws. Naturally, every team is working through the motions during the first week, but those issues were exposed a bit more because Louisville was a quality opponent.

This week, the Rebels return home to face Charlotte. The 49ers are coming off a triple-overtime loss to The Citadel. Ole Miss has one major area to clean up this week.

A Complete Offensive Effort

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss throws downfield. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Ole Miss offense was a tale of two halves. During the first half, the Rebels made uncharacteristic mistakes, including two turnovers by Trinidad Chambliss. Ole Miss went into the locker room with a 10-6 lead, but it didn't look pretty.

The second half was completely different. After Louisville scored its first touchdown, Chambliss and the offense quickly responded. The Rebels' quarterback threw a strike to Deuce Alexander and he made a 62-yard house call. Ole Miss had five scoring drives in the second half.

While those results should better represent what the Rebels' offense is capable of doing, the first-half woes are concerning. Ole Miss must play a complete game on Saturday against Charlotte. From start to finish, the Rebels should move up and down the field on offense.

But it's also understood that Chambliss is operating under new offensive coordinator John David Baker. While some things remain the same, Alexander noted that everyone is still learning.

"Just learning each other, and learning how he thinks, and how everybody thinks on the sideline," Alexander said. "Being able to talk through things and handle adversity helped us out."

Alexander had a huge game against Louisville. He finished with five catches, 159 yards, and two touchdowns. If this offense is going to be successful, Alexander must step up and continue to be the top wideout that this team thinks he can be.

Again, the second-half results were promising. While it's important not to look past Charlotte, this is a good opportunity to turn in a complete effort. The conference schedule is challenging, and Ole Miss will line up against quality defenses.

Saturday may not have all the answers, but it needs to be a step in the right direction. If the Rebels are going to replicate last season's success, the offense has to be the answer.

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