Pete Golding isn’t happy with his defense.
And during the bye week, playing time could be up for grabs.
Coming out of Saturday’s loss at Florida, Golding made it clear Ole Miss will take a hard look at its defense. That includes the coaching, execution and potentially which players are getting the snaps.
“We have some guys to look at to play better football,” Golding said.
That’s the quote that stands out.
Golding also made sure the responsibility didn’t fall entirely on his players. He said the problems start at the top and acknowledged that Ole Miss has put weaknesses on film that opponents will continue attacking until they’re fixed.
There are obvious areas to address.
Florida ran for 302 yards. Safety play struggled. And second-half defense has become a recurring issue.
The bye gives Ole Miss time to examine rotations, snap counts and responsibilities before returning to SEC play.
“I told our group that I love our group,” Golding said. “I think they are wired the right way. But right now it is not a good enough product and that starts with me.”
Safety should be one position to watch, but the evaluation could extend throughout the defense. Players who have been further down the rotation could get opportunities to push for larger roles.
Nothing has been announced.
But Golding’s message was clear: the bye week isn’t just for rest.cssd
It’s an opportunity to find the best 11 Ole Miss can put on the field.
