What Ole Miss defense must change for Georgia rematch in Sugar Bowl
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OXFORD − Ole Miss football coach Pete Golding said his team’s celebration after winning in the College Football Playoff would be quick.
Enjoy the 41-10 win against Tulane and then back to work at 7 a.m. on Dec. 21 to prepare for Georgia (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 (7 p.m., ESPN).
Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery and defensive lineman Will Echoles didn’t even wait until the morning to move on. For the Ole Miss defense, a rematch with Georgia is personal.
Georgia handed Ole Miss (12-1) its only loss. The Bulldogs beat the Rebels 43-35 in Athens, Georgia, on Oct. 18. If not for a huge offensive game from Trinidad Chambliss, it would’ve been a blowout.
“Me and TJ Dottery, I swear we were just literally just talking about that, like, 30 minutes ago,” Echoles said postgame on Dec. 20. “So, man, it’s a personal thing now. So we know we got to go play our best, like I said, and go be dominant like we know we can.”
The 43 points are a season-high against Ole Miss. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton passed for 289 yards and four touchdowns in the game. Georgia also had 221 rushing yards.
Perhaps the most striking stat from the first game is that Georgia didn’t punt.
“Man, we just got to go play our best game,” Echoles said. “We got to tackle better. We got to do everything better, you know. The Georgia game, it was – I mean, it was a bad game for the defense, like, I mean, period. We got to play better, and we’re going to play better come January 1st.”
Ole Miss’ defense was dominant against Tulane. It’s looking to prove the stifling, turnover-forcing performance was no fluke.
“Man, just spotting the ball and getting out there and playing (Georgia),” Dottery said. “Knowing they’re a very physical team, and we’re a very physical team, so that’s what I’m most excited for, just the physicality of that game.”
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss vs Georgia: What Rebels defense must change for Sugar Bowl
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