One Ole Miss Stat From Louisville Should Terrify Pete Golding

The Ole Miss Rebels will need to get the defense back on track in week two.

Sep 6, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding on the field following the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss survived a scare against No. 24 Louisville as the Rebels won 41-38 on a last-second field goal by Lucas Carneiro.

It was a tale of two halves for Ole Miss, as new offensive coordinator John David Baker and the Rebels offense were extremely stagnant throughout the majority of the first half, while Trinidad Chambliss had two turnovers and the play-calling was suspect.

The defense was excellent in the first half, as the Cardinals also could not get anything going. The Ole Miss defense soon fell apart in the second half, as the defensive back play was not the best and the Cardinals scored multiple long touchdowns.

Rebels' Missed Tackles a Glaring Issue

Sep 6, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lincoln Kienholz (3) is sacked by Mississippi Rebels defensive end Blake Purchase (3) and linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were multiple plays in Sunday's game that need to be cleaned up defensively if the Rebels want to make it back to the College Football Playoff like they did the year before.

The Ole Miss defense allowed 240 yards after contact, and a lot of that had to do with poor tackling from the defensive back unit. Edwin Joseph struggled at safety, missing many tackles and looking lost out there at times. Anthony Robinson also struggled with positioning, as the Rebels' secondary might need more time to mesh as a group.

The defensive line for Ole Miss played great on paper, but many times, failing to take the correct pursuit angles let Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz run free and create plays with his legs, which ultimately led to throws on the run.

The Bright Spots On Defense

Dec 20, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels linebacker Tahj Chambers (26) and defensive back Antonio Kite (8) react during the fourth quarter against the Tulane Green Wave at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite allowing 38 points to the Cardinals, the Rebels had a couple of standout players who performed very well, including Jay Crawford, Blake Purchase, Keaton Thomas and Tah'j Butler.

Crawford was easily the best defensive back on the field for the Rebels, as his health will be critical to how far Ole Miss can really go this season. The Rebels will need Antonio Kite and Sharif Denson to get healthy and potentially play a big role going forward.

The defensive line was led by Oregon transfer Blake Purchase, as the combination of Purchase and Franklin wreaked havoc on the Louisville offensive line all night long. Franklin had a sack in the game, while Purchase had 0.5 sacks, as the defensive line looked very impressive all night.

Ole Miss will take on the Charlotte 49ers on Saturday at 6:45 p.m. Central Time in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

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