Ole Miss closed the 2024 regular season on a relatively cold Friday evening at VHS in front of an announced crowd of 67,896, slogging their way to an uneventful but methodical 26-14 win over rival MSU. The win improves the Rebels to 9-3 on the season, likely on the outside looking in regarding the CFP. I expect Ole Miss to be the 1st team out and Alabama to get the 4th SEC slot, if the SEC gets a 4th slot at all. Expecting anything else is just not realistic. I have more to say about that and other subjects, but not in this post. I will (try to) stay focused on the game and leave other topics for another day. I will focus on plays/drives in this game, and how they impacted to ebb and flow of the game.
Writers note: I watched the game from the SEZ yesterday (thanks for the seat MM) instead of my usual location on the East side. It was a different perspective. I could see the play of the LOS much better and had a better vantage of the play as it unfolded. I may decide to move to this location next year.
1. 12:43 1st 3-0 Ole Miss. This scoring opportunity presented itself after LB Chris "Poo" Paul intercepted an MSU pass and set the Rebel offense up at the MSU 34. After a 1st down run by converted WR-RB Micah Davis, Ole Miss stalled out and was forced to settle for a 39-yard FG by Caden Davis. Failure to turn this INT opportunity into a TD was a big moral win for the MSU defense. I thought we were a little tight with the playcalling, We gave the ball to Davis on 4 straight plays. We got under center to do so (I liked that aspect, BTW). We didn't move the worst DL in the SEC, at all. It was an omen of the fight that was to come.
2. 7:54 1st 7-3 MSU. Giving full credit where it is due, MSU came to play. They played (and coached) like a team that had nothing to lose. They seemed to have an overall team strategy of keeping the game close, not getting blown out early, and seeing what happens in the 4th quarter. After a quick 3 and out (we thought), MSU lined up to punt on 4th and 7 from their own 28. MSU executed the fake punt to perfection, completing a pass for a 1st down. I said to my friend right then, "If they score on this drive it will be a 4 quarter fight". Well, their coaching staff seemed to think the same way, pushing all their chips to the center to convert this possession into points. After the fake punt, they moved 75 yards in 11 plays, calling timeout twice in the drive. MSU converted on 3rd down and 5 with an 18-yard completion, then converted on 4th down for a 2nd time (fake punt was 1st) on 4th and 7 for a 34-yard touchdown. The fight was on.
3. 2:16 1st 10-7 Ole Miss. Ole Miss followed the MSU score with perhaps their best drive of the day, moving 75 yards in 13 plays. The big play of the drive occurred on 3rd and 15 when JD was forced from the pocket, scrambled to his right, and found Prieskorn in the middle of the field for a big 1st down. A punt there could have been very big for MSU to maintain momentum. Ole Miss converted a 3rd and 1 from the 6 for the TD, with JJ taking the ball in from there for the touch. My thought after this drive, which was mainly relief, was that a stop on the next drive would open the floodgates for the route that we were all (including most realistic MSU fans) expecting. Then, Lee Corso stepped in with his pencil.
4. 0:00 1st 14-10 MSU. MSU was undaunted by us taking the lead, as they moved 75 yards in 6 plays to retake the lead on a 6-yard run by their QB Michael Van Buren on the final play of the quarter. MSU HC Jeff Lebby has always been one to take shots down the field. He is good at scheming to create personnel mismatches. While he was OC at Ole Miss, the theme on offense was "Score from far" or something to that effect. MSU converted a couple of downfield shots on this drive, first converting a 3rd and 8 from their own 27 for 18 yards to keep the drive alive, then hitting Coleman (good player...NIL... just saying) for 43 yards to set up the score. My fears of a 4 quarter battle were coming to fruition, and...honestly...I was not positive we would persevere. Yes, I was worried at this point. Lots of factors at play with that, life/coaching experiences... battered spouse syndrome...bottom line; our body language was bad at that point.
5. 8:40 2nd 17-14 Ole Miss. After 2 punts by each team, Ole Miss took over at the 11 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, RB UBIV followed some good blocking by Kalepo (kick block), James (turn-up block), and Wright (2nd level seal of LB), made the safety miss (Isaac Smith, Ole Miss legacy...just saying), and took it to the barn for an 89-yard score. Big, possibly game-saving momentum swing.
6. 12:42 3rd 17-14 Ole Miss. Not a scoring play here, but this play has to be included. MSU QB Van Buren is running toward the LOS after RPO fake to the RB. He stops and pops a pass downfield to a wide-open teammate. A good throw here is a big gain, possibly a TD. Instead, the ball is underthrown, and Trey Washington is able to undercut the throw and make the pick. BIG. PLAY. We don't turn the INT into points, but we avert the big play and get a good punt from Masin to pin MSU deep.
7. 6:31 3rd 17-14 Ole Miss. Again, not a scoring play, but a HUGE play nonetheless. Ole Miss is forced to punt after yet another listless offensive possession, and MSU muffs the punt, and Suntarine Perkins recovers at the MSU 24. After losing 2 yards in 3 plays, Davis kicked a 43-yard FG to push the lead to 20-14 with 5:48 left in the 3rd. 20-14 Ole Miss.
8. 9:56 4th 26-14 Ole Miss. After stopping a solid 10+play MSU drive with sacks by JJ and Walter Nolen on 1st and 3rd down, Ole Miss moved 87 yards in 10 plays to extend the lead on a great catch by Prieskorn for a 19-yard TD on 3rd and 5 from the MSU 19. Ole Miss converted on 3rd down 3 times in the drive, with one of those being via a PI penalty on MSU, who tackled a wide-open Cayden Lee on what would have been an easy TD pass. I disagreed with us going for 2 there, but we did anyway, and it was picked by MSU's Smith (did I mention he is an Ole Miss legacy...) and returned for about 30 yards before we got him down.
9. 7:19 4th 26-14 Ole Miss. After the Ole Miss TD, MSU drove down to the Ole Miss 1-yard line in relatively easy fashion, hitting another shot play to Coleman (did I mention he was a good player...NIL...) to the 1-yard line. After stopping MSU short on 1st down, MSU has a 2nd and goal from the 1-yard line. MSU QB Van Buren takes the snap and goes straight up the gut for the goal line. At about the LOS, he met Walter Nolen, who had beaten his man and was awaiting. Nolen stood the MSU QB up and drove him back. MSU doesn't score on the drive, we run out the clock to end the game.
10. I close this piece with some in-game hot takes I had:
A. Caleb Warren was one of the game captains for Ole Miss; but didn't get a snap in the game. How you go from being indispensable (remember the 2022 Kentucky game when he went down and we couldn't get a snap?) to not even being able to play...even when the guy who replaced you is obviously hurt...is beyond me. Speaking on that subject, I have watched his replacement all season, and... oooook.
B. James started and played every snap at RG on Saturday. Scott didn't play a snap that I saw. Was he injured? I thought James played decent... nothing spectacular... he did make a nice block on the 89-yard TD run by UBIV.
C. Juice Wells was so misused this season. He is a YAC guy. Get him the ball quick in space and let him cook. Personally, I thought he was better suited to be a slot guy. I am not at practice every day, so there's that. I know he was much more important to USCe last year than he was to us this year. I believe he has an extra year of eligibility. I hope he decides to come back and improve upon his performance this year. The talent is there, if used, IMHO, properly.
D. UBIV situation... He gained 136 yards on 20 carries while playing the majority of the snaps on Saturday. His 89-yard TD is probably the play of the game. Now, I know what the naysayers will say... he did that against MSU, who had the worst run defense in the SEC. I agree completely. That said, how many yards did the other backs get against the same said worst defense? How many runs of 30+ yards has ANY RB had this year besides UBIV? I could go on, but it is pointless now. I close with this statement, from my coaching experience:
d1. IF the reason that UBIV didn't play this year was due to some undisclosed action/inaction on his part (I have heard things like hitting the RB coach, inappropriate use of his manhood, etc..) then one of two possible things should have happened:
I. He should have been dismissed from the team permanently
II. He should have been suspended for a specific number of games, then restored to full opportunity after serving his time
d2. IF he didn't play due to favoritism, grudge, etc...that coach(es) should be encouraged to seek employment elsewhere. If it was CLK...I don't know that I have the answer, other than this situation could just be the beginning...of the end...if he doesn't own it and learn from it (something he has not shown a strong ability to do to this point in life).
d3.IF it is just what they have publicized is the reason, that they just didn't believe in him, then there needs to be some serious self-analysis of our personnel appraisal skills.
E. It is so nice to know we have a good, reliable defense. Pete Golding is the best, most impactful, assistant hire in the history of my life as an Ole Miss fan. (insert Teddy KGB gif saying, "Pay the man HIS MONEY!")
F. Frasier Masin is the most undervalued member of the 2024 Ole Miss football team. The dude averaged over 45 yards per punt Saturday on 6 attempts, with 3 of those inside the 20. MSU consistently had to traverse the length of the field to get points.
G. Ditto for Caden Davis. He was fairly consistent as a FG kicker, missing a few kicks that he should have, but doing his job for the most part all season. He has been undervalued as a kickoff specialist who can consistently put the ball in the end zone.
H. I saved this hot take for last...The 2025 Ole Miss Rebels will be BETTER than the 2024 version. Mark. It. Down.
In closing, I know this will not be popular here, but I am not of the opinion that 2024 was a failure. Don't get me wrong, I am very disappointed like everyone else here. That said, we went 9-3! We lost 3 games by 13 points, in total. I remember too many other seasons when we were ecstatic to go to Shreveport or Memphis (or even Birmingham) for a meaningless bowl game. We were so close this year, it really hurts. It just wasn't meant to be this year. We have to rebound and reload. All in. That is where I am. I hope you are too, or get there soon. It will take all of us to make it happen.
I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my therapeutic after-game rants. Thank you for your encouragement, support, likes, agreements, disagreements, and points of discussion. I plan to write a couple of additional posts from now until the 1st of the year summarizing the 2024 season and what to expect in 2025. Topics will include (but not necessarily be limited to):
A. 2024 Season summation (good, bad, ugly)
B. CFP hierarchy/pecking order
C. Coaching (CLK and staff) critique and moving forward
D. Thoughts for improving CFB (NIL, Collectives, Portal, Eligibility, Recruiting, Signing Period, etc)
E. Thoughts for improving CFB rules (game pace, fake injuries, targeting, overtime, etc)
Ok, that is enough to burden myself with no need to be unburdened by what has been (wink). If there is a topic about this great game that you would like to see discussed, shoot me a message. I may not know anything about it, but I will research it and give MHO. That is all. Thanks.
Writers note: I watched the game from the SEZ yesterday (thanks for the seat MM) instead of my usual location on the East side. It was a different perspective. I could see the play of the LOS much better and had a better vantage of the play as it unfolded. I may decide to move to this location next year.
1. 12:43 1st 3-0 Ole Miss. This scoring opportunity presented itself after LB Chris "Poo" Paul intercepted an MSU pass and set the Rebel offense up at the MSU 34. After a 1st down run by converted WR-RB Micah Davis, Ole Miss stalled out and was forced to settle for a 39-yard FG by Caden Davis. Failure to turn this INT opportunity into a TD was a big moral win for the MSU defense. I thought we were a little tight with the playcalling, We gave the ball to Davis on 4 straight plays. We got under center to do so (I liked that aspect, BTW). We didn't move the worst DL in the SEC, at all. It was an omen of the fight that was to come.
2. 7:54 1st 7-3 MSU. Giving full credit where it is due, MSU came to play. They played (and coached) like a team that had nothing to lose. They seemed to have an overall team strategy of keeping the game close, not getting blown out early, and seeing what happens in the 4th quarter. After a quick 3 and out (we thought), MSU lined up to punt on 4th and 7 from their own 28. MSU executed the fake punt to perfection, completing a pass for a 1st down. I said to my friend right then, "If they score on this drive it will be a 4 quarter fight". Well, their coaching staff seemed to think the same way, pushing all their chips to the center to convert this possession into points. After the fake punt, they moved 75 yards in 11 plays, calling timeout twice in the drive. MSU converted on 3rd down and 5 with an 18-yard completion, then converted on 4th down for a 2nd time (fake punt was 1st) on 4th and 7 for a 34-yard touchdown. The fight was on.
3. 2:16 1st 10-7 Ole Miss. Ole Miss followed the MSU score with perhaps their best drive of the day, moving 75 yards in 13 plays. The big play of the drive occurred on 3rd and 15 when JD was forced from the pocket, scrambled to his right, and found Prieskorn in the middle of the field for a big 1st down. A punt there could have been very big for MSU to maintain momentum. Ole Miss converted a 3rd and 1 from the 6 for the TD, with JJ taking the ball in from there for the touch. My thought after this drive, which was mainly relief, was that a stop on the next drive would open the floodgates for the route that we were all (including most realistic MSU fans) expecting. Then, Lee Corso stepped in with his pencil.
4. 0:00 1st 14-10 MSU. MSU was undaunted by us taking the lead, as they moved 75 yards in 6 plays to retake the lead on a 6-yard run by their QB Michael Van Buren on the final play of the quarter. MSU HC Jeff Lebby has always been one to take shots down the field. He is good at scheming to create personnel mismatches. While he was OC at Ole Miss, the theme on offense was "Score from far" or something to that effect. MSU converted a couple of downfield shots on this drive, first converting a 3rd and 8 from their own 27 for 18 yards to keep the drive alive, then hitting Coleman (good player...NIL... just saying) for 43 yards to set up the score. My fears of a 4 quarter battle were coming to fruition, and...honestly...I was not positive we would persevere. Yes, I was worried at this point. Lots of factors at play with that, life/coaching experiences... battered spouse syndrome...bottom line; our body language was bad at that point.
5. 8:40 2nd 17-14 Ole Miss. After 2 punts by each team, Ole Miss took over at the 11 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, RB UBIV followed some good blocking by Kalepo (kick block), James (turn-up block), and Wright (2nd level seal of LB), made the safety miss (Isaac Smith, Ole Miss legacy...just saying), and took it to the barn for an 89-yard score. Big, possibly game-saving momentum swing.
6. 12:42 3rd 17-14 Ole Miss. Not a scoring play here, but this play has to be included. MSU QB Van Buren is running toward the LOS after RPO fake to the RB. He stops and pops a pass downfield to a wide-open teammate. A good throw here is a big gain, possibly a TD. Instead, the ball is underthrown, and Trey Washington is able to undercut the throw and make the pick. BIG. PLAY. We don't turn the INT into points, but we avert the big play and get a good punt from Masin to pin MSU deep.
7. 6:31 3rd 17-14 Ole Miss. Again, not a scoring play, but a HUGE play nonetheless. Ole Miss is forced to punt after yet another listless offensive possession, and MSU muffs the punt, and Suntarine Perkins recovers at the MSU 24. After losing 2 yards in 3 plays, Davis kicked a 43-yard FG to push the lead to 20-14 with 5:48 left in the 3rd. 20-14 Ole Miss.
8. 9:56 4th 26-14 Ole Miss. After stopping a solid 10+play MSU drive with sacks by JJ and Walter Nolen on 1st and 3rd down, Ole Miss moved 87 yards in 10 plays to extend the lead on a great catch by Prieskorn for a 19-yard TD on 3rd and 5 from the MSU 19. Ole Miss converted on 3rd down 3 times in the drive, with one of those being via a PI penalty on MSU, who tackled a wide-open Cayden Lee on what would have been an easy TD pass. I disagreed with us going for 2 there, but we did anyway, and it was picked by MSU's Smith (did I mention he is an Ole Miss legacy...) and returned for about 30 yards before we got him down.
9. 7:19 4th 26-14 Ole Miss. After the Ole Miss TD, MSU drove down to the Ole Miss 1-yard line in relatively easy fashion, hitting another shot play to Coleman (did I mention he was a good player...NIL...) to the 1-yard line. After stopping MSU short on 1st down, MSU has a 2nd and goal from the 1-yard line. MSU QB Van Buren takes the snap and goes straight up the gut for the goal line. At about the LOS, he met Walter Nolen, who had beaten his man and was awaiting. Nolen stood the MSU QB up and drove him back. MSU doesn't score on the drive, we run out the clock to end the game.
10. I close this piece with some in-game hot takes I had:
A. Caleb Warren was one of the game captains for Ole Miss; but didn't get a snap in the game. How you go from being indispensable (remember the 2022 Kentucky game when he went down and we couldn't get a snap?) to not even being able to play...even when the guy who replaced you is obviously hurt...is beyond me. Speaking on that subject, I have watched his replacement all season, and... oooook.
B. James started and played every snap at RG on Saturday. Scott didn't play a snap that I saw. Was he injured? I thought James played decent... nothing spectacular... he did make a nice block on the 89-yard TD run by UBIV.
C. Juice Wells was so misused this season. He is a YAC guy. Get him the ball quick in space and let him cook. Personally, I thought he was better suited to be a slot guy. I am not at practice every day, so there's that. I know he was much more important to USCe last year than he was to us this year. I believe he has an extra year of eligibility. I hope he decides to come back and improve upon his performance this year. The talent is there, if used, IMHO, properly.
D. UBIV situation... He gained 136 yards on 20 carries while playing the majority of the snaps on Saturday. His 89-yard TD is probably the play of the game. Now, I know what the naysayers will say... he did that against MSU, who had the worst run defense in the SEC. I agree completely. That said, how many yards did the other backs get against the same said worst defense? How many runs of 30+ yards has ANY RB had this year besides UBIV? I could go on, but it is pointless now. I close with this statement, from my coaching experience:
d1. IF the reason that UBIV didn't play this year was due to some undisclosed action/inaction on his part (I have heard things like hitting the RB coach, inappropriate use of his manhood, etc..) then one of two possible things should have happened:
I. He should have been dismissed from the team permanently
II. He should have been suspended for a specific number of games, then restored to full opportunity after serving his time
d2. IF he didn't play due to favoritism, grudge, etc...that coach(es) should be encouraged to seek employment elsewhere. If it was CLK...I don't know that I have the answer, other than this situation could just be the beginning...of the end...if he doesn't own it and learn from it (something he has not shown a strong ability to do to this point in life).
d3.IF it is just what they have publicized is the reason, that they just didn't believe in him, then there needs to be some serious self-analysis of our personnel appraisal skills.
E. It is so nice to know we have a good, reliable defense. Pete Golding is the best, most impactful, assistant hire in the history of my life as an Ole Miss fan. (insert Teddy KGB gif saying, "Pay the man HIS MONEY!")
F. Frasier Masin is the most undervalued member of the 2024 Ole Miss football team. The dude averaged over 45 yards per punt Saturday on 6 attempts, with 3 of those inside the 20. MSU consistently had to traverse the length of the field to get points.
G. Ditto for Caden Davis. He was fairly consistent as a FG kicker, missing a few kicks that he should have, but doing his job for the most part all season. He has been undervalued as a kickoff specialist who can consistently put the ball in the end zone.
H. I saved this hot take for last...The 2025 Ole Miss Rebels will be BETTER than the 2024 version. Mark. It. Down.
In closing, I know this will not be popular here, but I am not of the opinion that 2024 was a failure. Don't get me wrong, I am very disappointed like everyone else here. That said, we went 9-3! We lost 3 games by 13 points, in total. I remember too many other seasons when we were ecstatic to go to Shreveport or Memphis (or even Birmingham) for a meaningless bowl game. We were so close this year, it really hurts. It just wasn't meant to be this year. We have to rebound and reload. All in. That is where I am. I hope you are too, or get there soon. It will take all of us to make it happen.
I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my therapeutic after-game rants. Thank you for your encouragement, support, likes, agreements, disagreements, and points of discussion. I plan to write a couple of additional posts from now until the 1st of the year summarizing the 2024 season and what to expect in 2025. Topics will include (but not necessarily be limited to):
A. 2024 Season summation (good, bad, ugly)
B. CFP hierarchy/pecking order
C. Coaching (CLK and staff) critique and moving forward
D. Thoughts for improving CFB (NIL, Collectives, Portal, Eligibility, Recruiting, Signing Period, etc)
E. Thoughts for improving CFB rules (game pace, fake injuries, targeting, overtime, etc)
Ok, that is enough to burden myself with no need to be unburdened by what has been (wink). If there is a topic about this great game that you would like to see discussed, shoot me a message. I may not know anything about it, but I will research it and give MHO. That is all. Thanks.
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