In a Nutshell: Ole Miss 10, Bama 24 

OXFORD, Miss. – Here’s a quick look at Ole Miss’ 24-10 loss to Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Not our day in Tuscaloosa. pic.twitter.com/fbOYY12CzM

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 23, 2023

THE POSITIVE: First-half defense

Ole Miss fans were waiting for the Rebel defense to make a statement, and it seemed like they were up to the task in the first half. They were disrupting, recording 4 sacks, 9 tackles for loss and an interception in the first half. The bright spot is they have an opportunity to build on that moving forward.

THE NEGATIVE: Offensive struggles 

Jaxson Dart and the Rebel offense saw a little success early. Ole Miss marched 75 yards down the field, ending it with a touchdown run from Dart.

REBS LEAD!

🎯 @JaxsonDart pic.twitter.com/3xsRdzwsdq

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 23, 2023

But after the touchdown drive, the Ole Miss offense could not piece it together throughout the rest of the game. Jaxson Dart was sacked five times and the Crimson Tide defense was in the backfield often. Ultimately, a lot of the Rebels’ wounds were self inflicted in this one.

THE KEY PLAY: Milroe’s touchdown pass

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was taking some big shots in this game, especially in the first half. However, Bama took a 17-7 lead in the third quarter because Milroe stood in the pocket and took a shot for a 33-yard touchdown pass.

THE KEY PLAYER/BRIGHT SPOT: Suntarine Perkins

If there was a bright spot for Ole Miss, it was the breakout game for former 5-star recruit Suntarine Perkins. The true freshman linebacker saw limited playing time through the first three games, but it seemed like Golding made the decision to change that narrative this week.

Perkins finished the game with 5 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks — certainly a career day for the talented young linebacker.

Have you heard about @suntarine Perkins? pic.twitter.com/xd4LXyr0Bv

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 23, 2023

THE KEY UNIT: Both the offensive and defensive line

Coming into the game, the Ole Miss offensive line was a question of concern in the offense. Running back Quinshon Judkins has yet to get it going behind them and Jaxson Dart has been under duress since Ole Miss took a trip to New Orleans in week two.

The Rebel defensive line has been one of the better units for Ole Miss thus far. Today, the guys in the trenches were causing problems early, making it hard for Milroe. The second half did not pan out the same, as it seemed the Alabama offensive line was just winning the push battle up front against an Ole Miss d-line that was on the field a lot today. 

THE MOMENTUM SHIFTER: Dart’s interception 

Leading into the Bama game, Dart had shown massive improvements in his decision making and ability to protect the football. The Rebel QB entered the game with a passer rating above 200 and a TD/INT ratio of 7-1.

Against Alabama, Dart made one of the only bad decisions he has made all season, throwing deep into double coverage while trailing 9-7 in the third quarter. The Crimson Tide capitalized with a touchdown, making it a two-score game and that proved to be where the Bama offense started to click.

WHAT THIS GAME MEANS GOING FORWARD:

At the end of the day, Ole Miss has one of the toughest schedules in the country and will have to flush this loss quickly to prepare for LSU at home next week.

There are areas of concern that I am sure Lane Kiffin will address with his team following Saturday’s loss. There are more opportunities on the schedule for big wins, and it starts next week when the Rebels welcome the Bayou Bengals.

(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)