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OXFORD, Miss. — “Parking lot. Playoffs. Playground. Spot that damn ball; we’re gonna play.” Those were among the first words Pete Golding said to his Ole Miss team after being introduced as the new head coach. His favorite phrase isn’t a slogan — it’s a challenge. Spot the ball, and his team will be ready to get after it. Anywhere. Anytime. Anyone. No excuses, no hesitation.
And as the Golding era officially begins in Oxford Saturday vs. Tulane in a College Football Playoff game loaded with tradition, intensity, and high stakes, his very first decision as head coach won’t be a blitz call or a fourth-down gamble — it’ll be deciding exactly where the ball is spotted, and how the Rebels choose to strike first.
The weather will be picture perfect for fans — temps in the low 60’s at kickoff, dropping to mid-50s by the final whistle. The sun will set midway through the second half as darkness falls above and around the bright lights of history being made — but the Vaught’s winds might be tricky.
Former coach Lane Kiffin was always the ball hawk, taking every opportunity to get his offense on the field first. When he’d win the coin flip, he would win the ball, always choosing to start on offense. When the Rebels would lose the coin flip, the opponent usually deferred, giving Ole Miss the ball first anyway. That had been a constant for six years.
But this is now Pete Golding’s team. Given the potential for wind to play a role in the game, Coach Golding could choose to set the tone with his defense, should he win the coin toss against the Green Wave. By deferring, he would get the wind, and in this historic battle, the wind could be an all-important ally to align with his defense.
It’s forecasted to be coming out of the south end zone at 10+ miles per hour at kickoff, but gusting up to 25 mph. This could wreak havoc on a Tulane offense that’s on the road competing in an absolute madhouse. The last time Jake Retzlaff faced the Rebels in the Vaught, he was an abysmal 5-for-17 for 56 total yards.
The unpredictable wind gusts make for an excellent ally for the defense and special teams as it plays into the Rebels’ hands.
Meanwhile, if Ole Miss begins on defense, forcing a quick 3-and-out means Trinidad Chambliss and the offense can immediately use the wind to their advantage. The football flies a tad quicker and a bit farther — advantages that are necessary when exploiting tight windows.
Either way for the Green Wave, it’s pick your poison.
The wind and the gusts will be strongest in the first quarter, and both will die down as the game progresses, becoming less of a factor.
So, it all begins for the Golding era as early as the very first coin toss. What will he do? As he said in that introductory meeting with his team, “We ain’t playing scared. We ain’t coaching scared.”
Hotty Toddy!
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David Walker
David Walker was named Louisiana’s High School Player of the Year at just 16 years old and, at 17, became college football’s first quarterback to earn Freshman of the Year honors. He remains the NCAA’s youngest-ever starting quarterback, a distinction that has stood for decades.
Transitioning from a wide-open high school offense to Emory Bellard’s renowned wishbone triple option, Walker excelled as a dual-threat quarterback. He graduated as Texas A&M’s all-time winningest quarterback and served as a two-time team captain, helping to transform a program that had endured 15 losing seasons in the previous 16 years.
After his playing career, Walker coached and taught algebra at six Texas high schools before moving into private business. In 2011, he published his memoir, “I’ll Tell You When You’re Good,” a title inspired by the coaching philosophy of Shannon Suarez, the Sulphur High and Louisiana High School Hall of Fame coach who was a significant influence on Walker’s life and career.
Walker’s compelling storytelling in his autobiography reflects the breadth of his experiences in high school and college football, and it is an undeniable fact that he saw more action than any athlete in the history of the NCAA. Since 2013, he has contributed to The Rebel Walk, sharing his insights and expertise with readers.
