LIVE! From the Manning Center: Ole Miss has put defensive improvement on tape, but now, Georgia
Ole Miss, defensively, took a step back against Texas A&M.
However, the Rebels, winners of five straight games, have still held three of their last four SEC opponents to under 300 yards of offense, the first such stretch for Ole Miss since 2008-09.
It’s been a drastic turnaround, to say the least, under first-year coordinator Pete Golding, formerly of Alabama, and the Rebels are repeating the obvious benefits record-wise.
No. 10 Ole Miss (8-1, 5-1) travels to top-ranked Georgia (9-0, 6-0) Saturday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
“I don’t believe the belief level’s really changed,” veteran safety Trey Washington said following practice on Tuesday. “Going into the season, we were confident in what we could do, and we’ve put it on tape. We’ve also not put it on tape.
“So, we’re focused on being more consistent from here on out.”
Ole Miss is coming off a come-from-behind win over Texas A&M.
It was the Rebels’ third fourth-quarter rally of the year. They’ve now won eight of their first nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 70s.
Georgia, meanwhile, is the two-time defending national champion and haven’t lost a home game in nearly 1,500 days.
Washington, though, said the Rebels are treating this like any other week. Washington, against the Aggies, led Ole Miss in tackles (10) for the fourth time this season. Five were solos. He’s produced double-digit tackles, and tied his career-high each time, in three games this season.
“It’s been really focused,” Washington said. “We had a really good practice (on Tuesday). Really physical. I think we’re going to be ready.”
Washington was joined at the Manning Center podium by a pair of his Rebel teammates.
Wide receiver Tre Harris set new career-high totals in receptions (11) and yards (213) in the 38-35 win over Texas A&M. Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris had seven tackles, the most for the sophomore in his two seasons as an Ole Miss Rebel.
Harris also blocked a potential game-tying field goal in the game’s final seconds, the third of his career.
Here’s everything the trio had to say.
