OXFORD — Consider the Ole Miss secondary excited for its latest challenge.
Saturday’s matchup with Tulsa (2-1) will provide the No. 16 Rebels (3-0) with their steepest test yet, particularly as a defense. The Golden Hurricane are averaging 43 points per game behind the nation’s top passing offense. Quarterback Davis Brin is tied for the national lead with 11 touchdown passes and leads college football with 402 passing yards per game. Wide receiver Keylon Stokes is third nationally with 457 receiving yards.
Up to this point, Ole Miss has played two FBS teams — Troy and Georgia Tech. While the Trojans boast the No. 8 passing offense in America, the Yellow Jackets are near the bottom of the pack at 120th. Central Arkansas’ passing offense is 78th in the FCS in yards per game.
Tulsa and Troy are similar in terms of pace — the Golden Hurricane are running 79.5 plays per game against their FBS opponents compared to 76.5 for Troy, according to TeamRankings. Also of note is that, in one road game this season, the Golden Hurricane ran 88 plays.
Troy has actually attempted more passes than Tulsa (130 to 125). But Tulsa stretches the field more, averaging 15.3 yards per completion compared to 12.2 for Troy.
Simply put, Saturday is going to be a different animal for the Rebels, who are giving up just 4.3 points per game through three contests. And it’s something Ole Miss defenders are looking forward to. The Rebels have allowed just 192.7 passing yards per game, good for 39th overall.
“Honestly, I do love it when there’s a team that’s going to pass the ball a lot. So, obviously, there’s more opportunities to get interceptions,” senior safety A.J. Finley said. “So yeah, honestly, I feel like we do get a lot more excited.”
Stokes is averaging 16.3 yards per reception and JuanCarlos Santana is seventh nationally, averaging 23.3 yards on his 14 catches. Tulsa’s receivers can get down the field but can also make plays in space, senior cornerback Deantre Prince said. Prince specifically noted “No. 5” — Santana — as a vertical threat. Albeit against Jacksonville State, Santana averaged 46 yards per catch last weekend en route to 137 yards and a touchdown.
“Their vertical routes are great, but they also have playmakers. The quarterback, he lets his receiver make plays. He trusts them,” Prince said. “And he’ll throw it up to them, and they’ll come down with it.”
Overall, Finley is pleased with how the Ole Miss secondary has performed. If there’s one thing he would like to see more of, however, it’s making plays on the ball. For as good as their defense has been, the Rebels have intercepted just three passes compared to 13 pass breakups, which is four more than defending national champion Georgia and defending Southeastern Conference champion Alabama have.
“We’ve done a decent job. … I personally should have made a few plays last week,” Finley said. “ … But I feel like we have to get the ball out of the air more in the secondary, just make more plays when the ball gets in the air.”
Rebels to retire Ben Williams’ No. 74
Ben Williams, the first African American to play in a varsity football game for Ole Miss, will have his No. 74 jersey number retired later this season, Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter announced Thursday.
Williams’ jersey retirement ceremony will take place at the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State on Nov. 24.
He was 65 when he died of natural causes in 2020.
Williams will be just the fourth player in Ole Miss football history to have his number retired, joining Archie Manning (18), Chucky Mullins (38) and Eli Manning (10).
“It is our honor to recognize Gentle Ben and his immense impact by enshrining his No. 74 among the greats to ever wear the Red and Blue,” Carter said. “Few individuals in the history of our university have opened more doors for others than Ben. In a year that our campus is celebrating 60 years of integration, the athletics department is excited to forever distinguish Ben — the player and the person — for breaking down walls in our football program and helping make Ole Miss what it is today.”
Williams, who was affectionately known as “Gentle Ben,” joined James Reed to become the first African American student-athletes to sign football scholarships with the Rebels.
A native of Yazoo City, Williams was a four-year letterwinner for the Rebels (1972-75) and earned all-America honors, drawing a first team distinction in 1975. Williams was also a three-time first team all-SEC selection and member of Ole Miss’ Football Team of the Century.
Williams owns the program record for career sacks with 37, including an Ole Miss single-season record of 18 in 1973. Over his career, he amassed 377 tackles, including a career-high 116 as a senior.
He played 10 NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills, earning Pro Bowl selection in 1983 and later being named among the all-time top 50 Buffalo players.
Williams became a business owner in Jackson and was active in Ole Miss alumni work and community volunteer efforts.
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