Coming into Week 5, Ole Miss appeared to have one of the most dominant offenses in college football after pummeling its first four opponents.
The Rebels faced their first real test on Saturday and didn’t pass. Kentucky upset Ole Miss 20-17, marking the Wildcats’ first top-10 win on the road since 1977 when they beat No. 4 Penn State in State College.
Kentucky hasn’t exactly been impressive this season. While it played a top-ranked Georgia team close two weeks ago, South Carolina, which barely beat Old Dominion in Week 1, walloped the Wildcats 31-6 in Week 2.
What was the difference for Ole Miss this week after putting up a slew of 40-plus-point performances? It faced a real defense.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart’s 261 passing yards were his fewest of the season by more than 100 yards. The Rebels were held to just 92 rushing yards after posting 200-plus in each of their first four games.
It wasn’t exactly an offensive showcase from Kentucky, as the Wildcats had just 336 yards of total offense, but they beat Ole Miss by slowing down the pace of the game and avoiding turnovers. If Kentucky can do that, tougher opponents the Rebels will see later this season like LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia should be able to as well.
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