No. 6 Ole Miss hosts Furman Saturday at 6 p.m. to open a much-anticipated 2024 season for the Rebels. Here are four keys to an Ole Miss victory.
Stay healthy
The most important part of an early-season game — particularly one against a team you’re heavily favored against — is to make sure there are no major injuries to key pieces. The best way to do that? Build up a big lead and let your backups get some experience.
Build some continuity on the offensive front
As much hype as Ole Miss’ defensive line transformation has gotten this offseason, the Rebels’ offensive line has a lot of new faces as well. The Rebels returned three starters but brought in several new pieces in the transfer portal. While only five can start at a time, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. said that he’d like to see his linemen be able to rotate. This is the kind of game where the Rebels can see what combinations provide the best results while also getting various pieces valuable experience.
Show off your new toys on the defensive line
About that defensive line …
There’s no better way to get people excited in a game that shouldn’t be close than by showing off new additions like Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen. They should have a field day, regardless of how much they wind up playing.
Umanmielen wasn’t at full speed for most of the early-season practices available to media, so Saturday might be a way for him to get some of the rust off and to learn on-the-fly. The Furman game is also a chance for some of the other defensive linemen brought in, such as Jacksonville State transfer Chris Hardie or freshmen like William Echoles and Kam Franklin, to find their rhythm before the slate of games gets tougher. A few early sacks or tackles for loss can build up a lot of confidence going forward.
Play as many defensive backs as…
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