Pete Golding
Pete Golding wanted a response after Ole Miss struggled against Florida.
Saturday in Nashville, his Rebels delivered.
Ole Miss rolled past Vanderbilt 52-17, building a 42-3 halftime lead behind explosive offense and aggressive defensive play.
After spending the open week emphasizing tackling, physicality and execution, Golding saw encouraging signs from a team looking to get back on track in SEC play.
Here are five takeaways from his postgame press conference.
1. Golding Liked the Response
The 52-28 loss at Florida exposed some serious defensive problems.
Golding spent the open week focusing on fundamentals, particularly tackling, leverage and getting off blocks.
Against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss played with more urgency and made the kind of game-changing plays that had been missing.
It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was the response Golding wanted.
2. Nine Minutes Changed Everything
Ole Miss didn’t just take control. The Rebels broke the game open.
Four touchdowns during a roughly nine-minute stretch in the second quarter helped Ole Miss build a 42-3 halftime advantage.
Golding pointed to the team’s complementary football, with the offense finishing drives and the defense creating additional opportunities.
That stretch showed how quickly the Rebels can take over a game when both sides are clicking.
3. Chambliss Kept the Offense Rolling
Trinidad Chambliss delivered another strong performance.
The Ole Miss quarterback threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns while adding a 10-yard rushing score.
Golding praised Chambliss’ execution and ability to keep the offense moving.
His decision-making and ability to extend plays gave Vanderbilt problems throughout the first half.
4. The Defense Turned Mistakes Into Points
Ole Miss needed more defensive playmaking, and Saturday provided it.
Blake Purchase forced a fumble on a sack of Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis, and Suntarine Perkins recovered it for a touchdown.
The Rebels forced four turnovers and converted those mistakes into 24 points.
For Golding, that was an encouraging sign from a defense that had spent the previous two weeks working to correct its mistakes.
5. Lacy’s Return Gave Ole Miss Another Boost
Kewan Lacy made his return felt early, scoring on a two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
The running back finished with 39 yards on seven carries as Ole Miss continued working him back into the rotation following an injury.
Golding explained that the plan was to ease Lacy back into action rather than immediately give him a heavy workload.
His return gives the Rebels another offensive weapon moving forward.
The Bottom Line
Ole Miss answered Golding’s challenge Saturday.
The Rebels played with more urgency, created turnovers and made Vanderbilt pay for its mistakes.
Now the challenge is doing it consistently as SEC play continues.
