COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ole Miss had plenty of questions raised about how good it was after starting 4-0 and losing its SEC opener 20-17 to Kentucky.
The No. 12 Rebels’ only Power 4 Conference when in the first four games was against Wake Forest. So, the SEC loss led to many people asking if the Rebels deserved their status as one of the best teams in the nation.
Saturday’s win didn’t fully reassert Ole Miss into the conversation of best teams, but it took a big step in doing just that. The Rebels won in dominant fashion against South Carolina and here are five stats that tell the story of Saturday’s 27-3 win.
14
That’s the number of points Ole Miss scored in the first 10 minutes of Saturday’s game and the Rebels never looked back. Road games are challenging because of the hostile fan environment. But when those fans’ team is down by two touchdowns with time still left in the first quarter, the environment becomes less-challenging.
Too easy for Parrish 😎 @DoubleTay_21 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/RBSKCAvXcg
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 5, 2024
16
That’s the total number of negative plays South Carolina’s offense had against Ole Miss. The Rebels’ defense sacked quarterback Lanorris Sellers six times and recorded 10 tackles for a loss. South Carolina ran a total of 76 plays, so these 16 are only a small portion of the game. But it’s hard for any offense to be successful taking one step back for every two steps forward.
4-4
That’s the number of trips to the red zone Ole Miss had and the number of times its offense scored points on those trips. The Rebels scored three touchdowns on their red zone trips and kicked one field goal.
2
That’s the number of one-yard touchdown runs JJ Pegues had against South Carolina in the first half. The 6-2, 325 lbs. senior defensive tackle even showed off his agility on his second touchdown run of the game.
JJ got them moves 🕺@JeremiahPegues4 | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/MPaZaNQ3zD
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 5, 2024
6.2
That’s the average number of yards per play Ole Miss’s offense gained on Saturday. Ole Miss ended the day with 425 yards of total offense, but averaged just 3.4 yards per run. The passing attack more than made up for it averaging 20.4 yards per completion.
