The LSU win was supposed to be the moment Ole Miss announced itself. Instead, Florida delivered a reality check. The Gators ripped apart Pete Golding’s defense in a 52-28 rout, exposing issues the Rebels can no longer hide. With serious questions now being raised about what went wrong, the defense is under the spotlight, and a former NFL player believes he knows what might be behind it.

“Run off people that don’t want to be there,” former Chicago Bears offensive tackle Bradley Sowell sounds off on Ole Miss’ struggling defense in a conversation with On3’s Ben Garrett. “I think you have a little bit of a want-to issue, and that goes into a little deeper issue.”

These comments came after Ole Miss fell to the Gators, with the Rebels’ defense completely collapsing. Defensive struggles are hardly new for Ole Miss, but the way the unit unraveled against the Gators is particularly worrisome.

Pete Golding counted 62 missed tackles in the first four games, a major reason the Rebels surrendered a staggering 302 rushing yards. Florida’s offense exposed just how vulnerable Ole Miss has been against the run. The Gators racked up 498 total yards, including 302 on the ground and 196 through the air.

While stopping the run remained the biggest concern, Florida quarterback Aaron Philo still made an impact, throwing for 196 yards and a touchdown despite completing only eight passes beyond the line of scrimmage. He also added one of Florida’s six rushing touchdowns.

The tackling and execution issues were even more evident on the ground, with Jadan Baugh and Duke Clark combining for 268 rushing yards, more than 200 of which came after contact. All in all, the entire defensive unit collapsed against the ranked opponent.

Florida’s performance was not an isolated setback, either. Ole Miss allowed 469 yards to Louisville in the season opener and nearly gave up a fourth-quarter comeback to LSU. This comes after defensive coordinator Bryan Brown described the unit as “really, really physical,” with huge emphasis on playing fast and limiting explosive plays. But alas.

After the game, Ole Miss linebacker Keaton Thomas took responsibility for the defense’s struggles while promising that the team would address the issues during the bye week.

“Obviously, that’s inexcusable. As the green dot, I put that solely on my back. Whether it was my mistake or somebody else’s, it’s my defense,” Thomas said after the game.

Thomas also acknowledged that the halftime message did not sit well with everyone, with some players struggling to respond to the criticism. That disconnect was certainly evident in Ole Miss’ second-half performance. He added that the team will work to address the issue during practice.

“I’m going to make it evident too, to call guys out and let them know that, if you don’t want this, then you shouldn’t have come here,” Thomas said.

“This isn’t the end of the year. This is one game, and to be honest, we needed this. After last week, some guys might have thought that they had arrived.”

He added that he is confident the defense will take a big step forward in the next game, but his own teammates appear a bit more conservative in their overall approach.

Ole Miss defensive end sends a message ahead of Vanderbilt clash

In a recent conversation with Mississippi Scoreboard’s Billy Watkins, defensive end Blake Purchase opened up about the collapse against the Gators, admitting that the Rebels played too cautiously at times and now have to rediscover their physical edge.

“After watching the tape, I thought we played cautiously at times. And there is a fine line between not wanting to make a mistake and just playing freely. Being physical and striking the block is what we’re focused on right now,” said Purchase.

Purchase has emerged as a key presence on Ole Miss’ defensive front, recording five tackles against Florida. He leads the unit with 16 tackles and tops the team in tackles for loss (3.5) and sacks (1.5), while rotating at defensive end as Pete Golding looks to build depth and find the right combination.

“It seems like a long time since we’ve played a game. We’re all super anxious to get back on the field. But I definitely think the bye week came at a good time. It gave us a chance to look at ourselves over the first four weeks of the season, analyze ourselves, and get better,” he further added.

They definitely worked plenty during the bye week. Ole Miss practiced in full pads, and one session was given entirely to defensive fundamentals, without any defensive plays being called. The focus was on striking blocks, tackling, running to the football, and just playing with greater physicality. 

Golding was asked at his Monday press conference what the defense had focused on correcting during the bye week.

“A lot,” he said.

With the Vanderbilt showdown coming up next, it remains to be seen how much of that “a lot” they will be able to execute. It is not just a chance to bounce back in the standings but also a test of their culture and resolve.