Ole Miss Football: 3 takeaways from close loss vs. Memphis in Week 1

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NASHVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 17: Quarterback Kyle Shurmur #14 of the Vanderbilt Commodores drops back to throw a pass past Benito Jones #95 of the Ole Miss Rebels during the second half at Vanderbilt Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

2. Ole Miss’ defense has grown a bit

Defense is a big part of SEC football and Ole Miss consistently struggled.

A year ago, they were miserable against the run, couldn’t generate a pass rush and turnovers were very unlikely for this unit and many said they had a long way to go in 2019 to even be passable as an SEC defense. Well, they did put together a decent enough performance against a Memphis offense that has the ability to put its foot on the gas and really run away with a game.

Ole Miss’ defense held Memphis to 13 points as the other two came from a safety which is more on the offensive play than it is on the defense. Those points came in the first half, one touchdown per quarter. Otherwise, the Ole Miss defense played well and was able to put together a quality performance.

Of course, it wasn’t enough to win, but it was enough to see the growth from a year ago to now.

In a game that was predicted to be one that finished with a total score in the 80s, the fact that Ole Miss was able to slow Memphis down. That being said, this unit still has a lot of growing to do as the season goes on.

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