Ole Miss Prepares for Tough Road Test at No. 11 Oklahoma

OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) The No. 8 Ole Miss Rebel football team (6-1, 3-1 SEC), coming off a hard-fought loss in Athens, will look to rebound on the road against No. 11 Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1 SEC) on Saturday morning.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin met with the media Monday to preview the 11 a.m. CT kickoff in Norman. Jayden Williams and Suntarine Perkins met with the media on Tuesday.

Battling Back

The Rebels were handed their first defeat of the season last Saturday against Georgia. The Rebel defense struggled against a high-powered Bulldogs offense. Despite the uneven performance, linebacker Suntarine Perkins believes the team is fully capable of executing and improving going into Norman.

“We just have to focus and communicate with one another and everything will fall into place,” Perkins said.

In what will be Ole Miss’ first-ever trip to Norman, the Rebels will have to shake off last week’s setback and rebound at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Kiffin believes the experience of playing in a tough atmosphere in Athens last Saturday could help prepare the team for what’s to come in Norman.

“It’ll be another challenging road game, but I’m glad we had one to prepare us for what it’s like to play in a really loud environment,” Kiffin said. “Hopefully it’ll help us going into this one.”

The Rebels will look to prove their resilience and show that one setback won’t define their season as they aim to bounce back strong against the Sooners.

Finding Consistency

Despite the loss on Saturday, the Ole Miss offense had a strong performance. The Rebels scored a touchdown on their first five drives of the game before faltering late in the fourth quarter. In reference to quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the overall offensive play, Kiffin thought it was strong but noted there were areas to improve.

“Going into a very tough place to play, we played great for three quarters but didn’t finish it off,” Kiffin said.

Another bright spot of the Ole Miss performance was the strong play of the offensive line. The Rebels allowed no sacks against a strong Georgia defense.

“I think we are playing real good together,” Williams said. “We had people in and out during camp with injuries, so each and every week we get better from playing with one another for more than three days at a time.”

The Rebel offense will have to be at their very best against a historically strong Oklahoma defense.

Sound Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners will pose a big challenge for the Rebels. The Sooners boast statistically the strongest defense in the SEC and one of the best in the nation. Led by fourth-year head coach Brent Venables, the Oklahoma defense has allowed just 213 yards per game—ranking first in both the SEC and the FBS.

“Statistically, this is the best defense we have played since we got here,” Kiffin said.

Not to be outdone, the Sooner offense has been impressive this season as well. Led by transfer quarterback John Mateer, who ranks first in the conference in completion percentage (64.9%) and completions per game (22.17), the Sooners have shown they can score in bunches.

After an uneven defensive performance in Athens, Kiffin knows the Rebel defense will need to get back on track in Norman.

“We’ve got to get back on track defensively,” he said.

The Rebels will need a complete team effort on both sides of the ball to leave Norman with a statement win against one of the SEC’s toughest opponents.

(Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics)