Why Ole Miss’ run defense could be a concern in the College Football Playoff

Key Highlights

• were dominant, throwing for over 300 yards while getting 241 more on the ground. Ole Miss scored on eight of its first nine possessions, and Tulane just had no answers defensively.
• But, the blowout win did show a glaring concern: Ole Miss’s run defense. The Rebels could not contain the Tulane ground game, as the Green Wave went for 178 yards on 4.6 yards per carry.
• And that wasn’t a one-game problem. After being a dominant force up front in 2024, ranking first in rushing yards allowed per game (85.1) and in yards allowed per carry (2.4), Ole Miss has significantly slipped this season.
• They rank 71st in rushing yards allowed per game (157.1), while being 92nd in yards allowed per carry (4.7). AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, the issue hasn’t shown up as much this year because Ole Miss’s offense has been elite, and the pass defense has been a top-30 unit in the country this year. But, in Ole Miss’s close games this season, they struggled to defend the run.
• Against Kentucky early in the year, they allowed 172 rushing yards and 4.6 yards per carry.