Presbyterian College vs. Ole Miss: Game Grades, Analysis for the Rebels

After suffering two disappointing losses to LSU and Auburn, Ole Miss got back on the winning track as it blew past Presbyterian College 48-0. The final box score can be found at NCAA.com.

The Rebels dominated on offense, defense and special teams. And it was a game where they needed to fix some things before they finish the season with Arkansas and Mississippi State. Winning against an FCS team is not a big accomplishment, but it’s good to go into a bye week with a win, and that’s what the Rebels did on Saturday.

Here are some game grades and analysis for the Rebels against the Blue Hose.

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	B+	A-
Running Offense	A	A+
Passing Defense	A	A
Running Defense	A	A-
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	A	A

Passing Offense

The Rebels did not throw all over the field against PC, but the three quarterbacks who played for the Rebels passed with accuracy and made good decisions while they were in the pocket. Bo Wallace led the way, going 11-of-15 with 140 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.

Devante Kincade and Ryan Buchanan also played, and they were a combined 13-of-15 for 98 yards and one touchdown. Not only did we see a good Wallace, but we saw good Ole Miss backups as well, and that’s always a positive.

Running Offense

The run game was on another level as the Rebels rushed for 402 yards and averaged 11.2 yards per carry. Jordan Wilkins had 171 of those yards, while Mark Dodson had 128. Both players showed great speed, better explosion and the vision you need to be effective at running the ball. The way the Rebels ran the ball against PC will help them be better at it when they take on Arkansas and Mississippi State.

Passing Defense

The Ole Miss defense is one of the best in the country, and the Blue Hose got a good taste of it for 60 minutes. PC quarterback Heys McMath could never get in a rhythm, as he only completed nine of his 17 pass attempts for 56 yards and one interception. Serderius Bryant got a pick to go along with his six tackles. Senquez Golson had a pass breakup, and Channing Ward notched a sack. Ole Miss was too fast for the Blue Hose, which is why McMath was not effective in the pocket.

Running Defense

The running game for the Blue Hose was not any better; they rushed for 89 yards on 36 carries. Carlos Thompson was a big reason why PC could not get the ground game going, tallying 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Fadol Brown was another key component in the run defense with three tackles for loss.

The Ole Miss front seven was too much for the Blue Hose offensive line, and it’s almost amazing they were able to get any yards, given how the Ole Miss defense was playing.

Special Teams

If there was one area that wasn’t as stellar as it could have been, it’s the special teams. C.J. Moore did get a blocked field goal, and the return game was solid. But the Rebels missed two field goals (one was blocked), and the coverage teams weren’t as tight as they have been this season. That might be too critical, but they can’t miss multiple field goals or be loose in coverage when they finish out the season in two weeks.

Coaching

After two emotional losses, Hugh Freeze did a good job of getting his players physically and mentally ready to play against Presbyterian College. This could have been a game where the Rebels just go through the motions. But the Rebels put the pressure on the Blue Hose from start to finish, and that was because the coaches would never let the players take any plays off.

Even though the College Football Playoff may not happen for the Rebels, they are not out of the SEC West race, and the coaching staff needed the players to play effective in this game in order to evaluate for the final two games of the season as well as the 2015 season.

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