Ole Miss starting left tackle Terez Davis walked up to the podium wearing proof practices have become much more physical.
Davis stood at the podium with his jersey noticeably ripped.
“I think it happened today during a short-yardage period,” Davis said at Tuesday’s media availability. “We were definitely getting after it today.”
That’s been the tone of the week as Ole Miss tries to bounce back from a 52-28 loss to Florida.
It was also the tone for how Davis talked about his own play and how the offensive line has handled the first month of the season. He’s been solid at left tackle, but he didn’t pretend everything has been perfect.
“I feel like there’s always something to improve on,” Davis said. “I feel like I’ve been doing pretty well. My teammates have been helping me, and my coaches have been helping me. As far as footwork, there are always little details to work on, hand placement, the right footwork and stuff like that.”
The bigger storyline, though, sits on the other side of the line.
Right tackle has been a rotation since the opener, when Tommy Kinsler IV got banged up against Louisville. Connor Howes has stepped in, stepped up and kept the position afloat while Kinsler works back toward full strength.
Davis said none of this surprised him.
“He’s been doing a great job,” Davis said of Howes. “Connor was here last year, so he kind of got the opportunity, like me, to learn from guys like Diego and Jaden. I feel like he was ready for the moment when his name got called, and he’s been doing a great job.”
Pete Golding echoed that, but he also made it clear the rotation hasn’t been about indecision. It’s been about survival, health and keeping the best five available.
“Getting Tommy back healthier is a big piece,” Golding said. “Obviously, he has been banged up. Having Connor get meaningful snaps and play really well at times has been important. The consistency is improving and has to continue to improve.”
Golding didn’t shy away from the reality of the position. Right tackle has been a week-to-week puzzle, and the staff has had to adjust on the fly.
“At the tackle position, we have multiple guys who can play winning football,” he said. “A lot of it is based on who is healthy. A lot of it is within the game and who has the hot hand and is playing well. But you have to have depth at every position in this league if you’re going to make the run you need to make.”
That depth will matter this weekend. Vanderbilt’s defense isn’t complicated, but it is aggressive. Davis said the Commodores bring pressure, twist up front and try to overwhelm protections with numbers.
“They’re physical,” Davis said. “On third down, they run a lot of blitzes. They like to bring seven or eight to confuse you. They run a lot of twists and stuff like that, so we just have to be prepared. They have two pretty good edges we have to prepare for. They’re good inside, too. They have good size, and they play physically.”
Which brings everything back to that ripped jersey.
Ole Miss needs its tackles, Davis on the left, Kinsler and Howes on the right, to play with the same edge they’ve shown in practice. The same physicality that tears fabric. The same urgency that comes from knowing the rotation isn’t a luxury, but a necessity.
If the Rebels get that level of play Saturday, the offensive line won’t have any issues handling Vanderbilt’s pressure.
