Mississippi defensive back Cliff Coleman (6) runs the ball during an NCAA college football game against Tennessee in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014.
With another big win against an SEC opponent, Ole Miss remains firmly entrenched at the number three spot in the AP top 25 poll with the 34-3 win over Tennessee.
Once again, it was the defense that stood out for the Rebels, holding Tennessee to just three points on the day. Meanwhile, the offense started off slow against the Volunteers’ solid defense but eventually rallied to score 34 points.
“I’m real proud of a lot of things tonight,” head coach Hugh Freeze said. “There’s also a lot of things that will most certainly keep us grounded that we need to work on to get more efficient and get better.”
The offense for Ole Miss struggled in the first quarter, putting up zero points and trailing Tennessee 3-0 at the end of the quarter. Freeze talked about the slow start on offense.
“Our first half, constantly, felt like we were backed up, and we certainly didn’t want to do anything that would give them any momentum, and at the same time, we were totally inept and didn’t win first downs at all until the next to last drive before the half,” Freeze said.
Although the game didn’t start out in favor of the Rebels, Freeze didn’t feel that all the blame fell on his team and gave credit to the effort and intensity of Tennessee.
“Part of the credit goes to them for sure; they have three of what I consider to be NFL first-rounders on the defensive side,” Freeze said. “They played to their strengths, and they certainly gave us problems, and they kept us in third and long, and they were tough to handle in some one-on-one situations.”
When the offense was stagnant, it was senior wide receiver Vince Sanders who was able to give the team some momentum. Sanders caught a 28-yard pass and then caught a 39-yard touchdown the next play.
Freeze explained how they were able to get Sanders the ball against Tennessee’s defense that held the Rebels’ offense in check until then.
“They were traveling their best corner on Laquon (Treadwell), and he was doing a good job, and he was kind of mixing up his techniques a little bit, and they did a good job of mixing up coverages,” Freeze said. “We decided to give Vince (Sanders) a shot at the boundary – see if their other corners could be that efficient. Vince was able to win some one-on-ones.”
Sanders finished the game with four catches for 108 yards and one touchdown, the most in the game by both teams. Starting senior quarterback Bo Wallace wasn’t surprised with the success from Sanders.
“I mean he’s going to be Vince,” Wallace said. “Every time he goes out there, he’s not going to drop balls, and he’ll make big plays. He definitely deserves more credit that he gets.”
Wallace explicated on the emotional effect Sanders’ touchdown had.
“I think after we scored that first touchdown, it kind of brought the energy back to us as an offense and kind of brought energy back to the crowd again,” Wallace said. “That was a big drive for us.”
After this touchdown, the Ole Miss offense played better throughout the game.
Meanwhile, the defense didn’t need anything to jump-start them, as they played lights out the entire game, giving up zero total rushing yards to the Volunteers. The pass defense also played well, picking off Tennessee senior quarterback Justin Worley three times, giving the Rebels 15 interceptions on the season, which ties them for first in the entire NCAA.
Two players who were vital to the defense’s success that night were senior cornerback Senquez Golson and freshman defensive end Marquis Haynes. Golson was able to intercept two passes, which gives him seven total, good for second in the nation.
“He’s been in the right place at the right time; he’s played technique so well,” defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said of Golson’s performance. “He’s done a great job for us.”
Haynes was also instrumental in stopping the Volunteers’ aerial attack, getting two and a half of the team’s seven sacks on the day.
“It’s hard to block him,” Wommack said of Haynes. “He’s got all that speed on the edge, and people don’t realize he’s a lot stronger than what he is.”
Freeze also praised Haynes.
“Marquis Haynes, I think, gets better every week. He plays the game with speed off the edge that’s certainly SEC quality, and he’s very physical,” Freeze said. “Hopefully, he’ll gain some weight before his sophomore campaign, but he’s doing pretty well in our third down packages for us for sure.”
Wommack gave a little more insight into how the defense played so well.
“There was a huge mismatch with our D-line and their O-line,” Wommack said. “They couldn’t run the ball, and every time they tried to throw it down the field very far, we were on top of them and were getting pressure on them, so it makes it tough on a quarterback.”
With this win in the books, Ole Miss will next travel to Baton Rouge to take on the 24th-ranked LSU Tigers.
