Both Mississippi and WSU had bye weeks coming into this game.
Jimmy Rodgers and OC Danny Freund brought their absolute best against a sleepy noon crowd and an Ole Miss team that may have been looking ahead to their trip to Georgia next week.
Losing an absolute war, 24–21, to a team currently ranked #4 in the country (and possibly a little overrated) with better athletes at many positions, our coaches put our guys in the best position to win. I could point to some negatives—penalties were killers, and a couple of illegal formations wiped away huge plays that may have swung the game—but let’s take a look at some of the positives from this one.
Top 5 Takeaways from the Game
1. Danny Freund is an Awesome Offensive Coordinator
If you had told us we’d have 100 more yards of offense than LSU did and 70 more rushing yards, we would’ve taken that every time. We won the time of possession battle, ran quick-hitter plays, and went north–south, not east–west. I was so impressed with how our offensive line played and how many easy completions Freund schemed up.
2. Zevi is That Dude
I watch a lot of college football, and I implore you to ask yourself—how many quarterbacks would you actually rather have than Zevi? Watching the Red River Rivalry reminded me of the ups and downs that came with the John Mateer experience (he hadn’t practiced in three weeks, and it was wild they even let him play). I’m not trying to be down on Mateer, but Zevi didn’t have a single throw that even threatened to be intercepted.
He was deliberate and smart with his decisions, and the few times he stretched the field, he made absolutely perfect throws. Beyond that, his pocket presence was phenomenal—the sacks he avoided, the potential 10-yard losses he turned into no gain or minimal loss, those were game-changing. Zevi is everything you could want in a QB. I just wish we could’ve seen him under center for that North Texas game a second time.
3. The Defense Never Gave an Inch
Yes, Ole Miss had 439 total yards, but there weren’t many easy ones. On the opening drive, their offense marched down the field until they reached the 4-yard line—then we got a huge, morale-boosting stop. After that, the defense settled in.
We sacked them three times and pressured them constantly on big downs. The play of the game might’ve been Chambliss scrambling for a touchdown on 3rd down, just barely getting around our guys. Our secondary covered well, we gang-tackled, and especially in the first half, we made a ton of open-field tackles.
The way our corners and safeties blew up quick throws to the outside clearly came from great film study and excellent coaching execution. It’s a shame that Tucker Large’s interception came off the board due to a penalty, because that was a spectacular play—he got around the receiver and made the pick without committing PI.
Every phase of the defense battled. Maybe most excitingly, on Ole Miss’s final drive—when they were one first down away from icing the game—it was 2nd and 4, and we stuffed them twice. They never gave an inch all game.
4. Coug Fans Showed Up in a BIG Way
Walking around Oxford, it was incredible how many “Go Cougs!” chants you’d hear and how much crimson you’d see. I heard more than a few times that we brought significantly more fans than LSU did two weeks prior, and a couple of unconfirmed reports said it was around 6,000.
The WSU crowd was electric all game. The players gave everything they had, and the fans did too. On Ole Miss’s final possession, during that crucial 3rd down to get the ball back, Zevi said in his postgame comments it was the loudest he’d heard the stadium all day. Huge shoutout to every Coug who made the trip—it was absolutely worth it.
5. Ole Miss Fans Are the Best
You hear the stories, but I can confirm—they might actually undersell it. These are some of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met. Kind, helpful, genuinely curious about our stories—it was just a class act all around.
“The Grove” is something else. Some friendly tailgaters said that on a big game day, nearly 250,000 people fill that area! From the older men in suits at the game to kids tossing footballs at the tailgates, it’s an amazing fan base and community. Thank you for the hospitality, Ole Miss fans.
I’m not a fan of moral victories—I never have been—but this might be the best I’ve ever felt after a loss. They had to kick WSU fans out of the stadium because we were still cheering for our guys after the game.
I hope this is a building block for Jimmy Rodgers as he continues to establish his culture and identity within the program. Even if it doesn’t directly shape the rest of the season, thank you—coaches, players, and fans—for giving us Saturday.
Go Cougs!