“We’ve got a bye week, so why not get better?”
Patrick Kutas asked that question Tuesday. For Ole Miss, it works more like a to-do list than a question.
Florida rolled the No. 9 Rebels 52-28, dropping them to 3-1. They don’t play this week.
Plenty of teams would treat that as a chance to rest their legs. Kutas is treating it like extra homework.
The Ole Miss offensive lineman wants the open week spent fixing what broke in Gainesville. He also wants the sting to stick around.
“Nobody likes that feeling,” Kutas said.
Honesty over a makeover
Pete Golding set the tone right after the loss. The Ole Miss coach wanted his team to sit with it instead of brushing it off.
Kutas agrees, even if it isn’t much fun.
“It’s difficult, but necessary,” he said. “It sucks, but you can’t forget that feeling.”
Tuesday’s practice was in full pads. The Rebs even worked in live tackling with the scout team.
There’s no opponent’s game plan to install this week. That leaves room for the Rebs to work on themselves.
Kutas said it doesn’t take a big overhaul. It takes a hard look.
“You’ve got to look at yourself in the mirror, look at the tape and see what went wrong,” Kutas said. “What did we do to make this not work? What did we do well?”
He added, “You have to be honest with yourself and have a true evaluation.”
Getting better starts with the first drive
The tape shows exactly where to begin. It’s the opening quarter.
Ole Miss crawled out of the gate at Florida. The Rebs got past midfield on their first drive, but Florida stuffed them on fourth down with a yard to go at its own 47.
Florida went 65 yards the other way for a touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, it was 10-0.
The Rebels didn’t reach the end zone on any of their first six drives. Lucas Carneiro kicked two field goals, and Ole Miss headed to the locker room down 17-6.
“We were a little sluggish coming out in the first and second quarters,” Kutas said.
His fix sounds simple enough. “When we get the opportunity to start with the ball, we’ve got to start fast,” he said. “We’ve got to start fast, sustain it and end fast.”
He thinks a quicker start would change a lot. “If we can start fast, we can be one of the best offenses in the country.”
A line still learning each other
Getting better also means getting closer up front.
The Rebels had two new starters at tackle this season. Injuries have already tested the line too.
Kutas says the group is fine. He just thinks there’s more in the tank.
“I think we’re in a good spot,” he said. “Obviously, there are things you can improve every single day. You can find tweaks in your game on film.”
That’s where the extra practice time pays off.
“The longer we play together, the more practices and reps we get, the more we’re going to gel,” Kutas said.
The offense found its footing late
Once Ole Miss settled in at Florida, the Rebs showed what they can do.
After halftime, Trinidad Chambliss led two straight touchdown drives. Ole Miss made it 17-14 and then 24-21.
A Chambliss strike to Deuce Alexander added another touchdown later on. Florida never let the Rebels close the gap.
Meanwhile, Florida scored touchdowns on five straight drives out of halftime. The Ole Miss defense couldn’t slow them down.
Chambliss threw for 298 yards and ran for 44 more. He accounted for three touchdowns. Alexander hauled in seven balls for 134 yards and a touchdown.
The Rebels did all that without Kewan Lacy, whose shoulder injury kept him out. JT Lindsey got the first start of his Ole Miss career. Makhi Frazier and Joshua Dye backed him up.
Vanderbilt is next
The Rebs get a few days off first. Vanderbilt comes after that.
Kutas isn’t waiting that long. He’s already watching the Commodores.
He says the Florida loss has only made the Rebs hungrier. “If anything, it’s lighting a fire under us,” he said.
That’s the whole point of the Ole Miss bye week. Keep the anger. Put it to use.
“Coming off a loss into a bye week is a challenge, but it’s nothing we’re not ready for,” Kutas said.
One rough day in Gainesville doesn’t settle the season, either.
“One loss early in the season doesn’t define us,” he said.
