Another College Football Playoff game, another rematch for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Just this time, it will be a revenge game for Pete Golding's squad.
The upcoming opponents, the Georgia Bulldogs, were the only ones who could defeat the Rebs in the regular season. Golding will have every intention to settle that score in the Sugar Bowl.
For that, however, Golding could learn from some defensive shortcomings that held the Rebs back, and give the Ole Miss fans their revenge-served-cold win.
1. Fix the "Gassed" defense
In their first meeting earlier this season, the Rebels' defense literally ran out of steam by the fourth quarter. Georgia’s offense stayed on the field for 34 minutes, while Ole Miss only controlled the ball for 26; it left the Rebels' defense all but gassed.
Since Golding is still managing the defense, a good start would be managing the tempo. Lane Kiffin was more of a "lightning fast" offense guy, but Golding's style is more of a controlled speed.
The offense eating up more time on the clock could translate to Golding's defense having a better chance to catch their breath.
2. Shore Up the Run Defense (Especially the Edges)
Another stat the Georgia gashed Ole Miss in was the rushing yards (221), and the majority of it was off the edges or off-tackle. This strategy of sealing the defensive line with their loaded offense was the primary reason why Georgia scored a blowout 14-0 in the fourth quarter.
Besides that, Ole Miss couldn't make Georgia punt once. Even Kiffin owned up to that shortcoming, which screamed that the Rebs' defense was helpless. A lot of that had to do with Georgia bullying the edges.
The only solution to this would be tightening the edge and using "heavy" packages on early downs. More focus on closing the gap towards the bigger guys, like Will Echoles and Zxavian Harris, could largely benefit the Rebs.
3. Dial Up the Pressure on Gunner Stockton
Unleashing his pass-rush game could be the key to not rendering his defense helpless yet again. More importantly, it will create pressure on Gunner Stockton, which is exactly what Golding would be aiming for.
The Bulldogs' offense has been inconsistent at times this year, and one point holding them back when Stockton does not have a clean pocket to hit short-range passes.
The last time the two met, Georgia averaged 6.4 yards per play. This time, Golding needs to find ways to make Stockton 'hurry and react' rather than letting him sit back and pick apart the secondary.
Both teams head to the Caesars Superdome on New Year's for the Sugar Bowl