The Florida Loss Is Over; The Questions About Ole Miss' Defense Aren't

Ole Miss needs to have some problems solved against Vanderbilt if they want to play well the rest of the season.

Mississippi Rebels Head Coach Pete Golding looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coming off a bye week, the 52-28 blowout loss to No. 16 Florida is still fresh on the minds of the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels and their fans.

Florida's win was defined by their rushing attack, having more than 300 total yards and six total rushing touchdowns.

However, even if Florida exploited Ole Miss' weakness in run defense more than anyone so far, they weren't the first rushing attack Ole Miss had struggled against. In the first three games of the season before Florida, Ole Miss' defense allowed an average of 159 rushing yards per game.

So now the Rebels turn their attention to Vanderbilt, hoping to have solved their issues in the run game, but Vanderbilt will test just how deep a problem the run defense will be.

What's Been the Issue So Far?

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh is tackled by defensive end Kam Franklin and linebacker Keaton Thomas during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Although the run defense had been far from perfect prior to Florida, there were factors that gave Ole Miss hope it would improve.

For example, the Rebels held Louisville running backs Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown to just four yards per carry on 23 rushes for a total of 92 yards. Additionally, the Rebels' defense limited LSU running back Dilin Jones to 4.6 yards per carry on 23 rushes for a total of 106 yards and a touchdown.

So what went wrong for Florida running backs Jadan Baugh and Duke Clark to have more than 6.5 yards per carry for 268 yards and four touchdowns? The answer: physicality.

Florida was able to run the ball with their two main backs 41 times in the game against Ole Miss, partially because they had a lead for the entire game, but also because it just kept working. Louisville's running backs and LSU's Dilin Jones only ran the ball 23 times, respectively.

Another sign of Ole Miss' lack of physicality was that the defense was actually getting into spots that gave them chances to make a play on the ball carrier; they just couldn't wrap up the tackle.

Florida's Baugh and Clark had more than 200 of their 268 yards come after contact, although not every one of these plays would've resulted in a successful tackle for the defense; it's an undeniable sign of their lack of physicality.

One would think a run defense with such a weakness could be a result of Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding's defensive structure; maybe he's giving up rushing numbers to secure the passing game?

However, beyond the LSU game in which Ole Miss limited Sam Leavitt to 158 passing yards, the passing defense has also been an issue.

In the opening game against Louisville, Cardinals QB Lincoln Kienholz threw for more than 300 yards and had two passing touchdowns. Florida QB Aaron Philo also threw for 196 yards and a touchdown despite the number of rushes on the day and the fact that he only had eight passes completed beyond the line of scrimmage.

Another knock on Golding's structure has been how well teams have adjusted to his defense in the second half of games. Against Louisville, 32 of their 38 points came in the second half; LSU came back from a 24-7 deficit at halftime to have the game tied at 24 late and 35 of Florida's 52 points came in the second half.

After all of the issues became obvious against Florida, Ole Miss needs to have used their one bye week this season to correct major structural issues with the defense, and Vanderbilt will be a test to see if they have.

What Ole Miss Needs Against Vanderbilt

Auburn Tigers defensive back Eric Winters chases down Vanderbilt Commodores running back Sedrick Alexander during the first quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Vanderbilt isn't the offensive powerhouse Florida and LSU seem to be, but they have some players that could give Ole Miss trouble if their struggles in run defense continue.

Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander has run for 200 yards and four touchdowns this season. Although not eye-popping numbers, he has scored a touchdown in every game.

Vanderbilt also kept things competitive with No. 2 Georgia before the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half.

Ole Miss and Pete Golding have had two weeks now to look over what went wrong so far this season, particularly against Florida. If they can't learn from the loss and control the run against Vanderbilt, they could be in trouble for the rest of the season, playing against more talented teams and running backs.

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