Ole Miss has been absolutely terrible on its opening offensive possessions this season.
There’s really no other way to describe it. Not when the Rebels have gained a grand total of 24 yards on their first offensive possessions against eight opponents not named Charlotte.
That’s not a typo. Twenty-four yards. Eight games.
An average of just three yards per opening possession.
For an offense loaded with talent, led by one of the most talked-about quarterbacks in the country and capable of putting up 40 or 50 points, that’s an almost unbelievable statistic.
And here’s the thing: We’re nine games into the season. There are only three games left on the regular-season schedule.
These miserable opening possessions aren’t a fluke or some strange coincidence. They’re a legitimate problem that Ole Miss has had nearly an entire season to correct.
And Saturday night’s 42-7 embarrassment against Georgia showed exactly how costly that problem can become against an elite opponent.
Ole Miss’ first offensive possession against the Bulldogs lasted all of 44 seconds.
Makhi Frazier rushed for one yard on first down. Trinidad Chambliss then threw consecutive incomplete passes, and Oscar Bird came onto the field to punt.
Three plays, one yard and another wasted opportunity to establish some early momentum.
Georgia responded with a seven-play, 72-yard touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead.
The Rebels went three-and-out on their next possession, too, and the Bulldogs promptly marched 96 yards for another touchdown.
Just like that, Ole Miss was down 14-0, and a game that had been billed as one of the biggest of the season for the Rebels was already getting away from them.
But here’s what’s particularly frustrating about Ole Miss’ opening possession against Georgia: It wasn’t even the Rebels’ worst of the season.
Against LSU, Ole Miss lost 13 yards on its opening drive. Against Louisville, it lost 12 yards. And two weeks before facing Georgia, the Rebels opened their game against Texas with three plays for zero yards.
In fact, the similarities between the opening possessions against Texas and Georgia are almost eerie.
Against Texas, Ole Miss went three-and-out for zero yards in 42 seconds. Against Georgia, it went three-and-out for one yard in 44 seconds.
That’s not exactly the kind of consistency the Rebels should be looking for.
Through nine games, Ole Miss has scored on its opening possession just once. That came against Charlotte, when the Rebels marched 75 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown.
Otherwise, there hasn’t been much to celebrate.
Five of the Rebels’ nine opening possessions have been three-and-outs. Their longest opening drive against anyone other than Charlotte came against Auburn, when they gained 25 yards in five plays before punting.
Even against Missouri, a game Ole Miss eventually won 31-3, the Rebels managed only 14 yards before sending out the punt team.
Now, a bad opening drive doesn’t necessarily mean an offense is going to have a bad day.
Ole Miss scored 45 points against Auburn after that opening punt. It put up 52 against Vanderbilt despite gaining just four yards on its first possession. The Rebels also overcame their disastrous opening drive against LSU to beat the Tigers.
But there’s a difference between surviving a slow start and being able to afford one.
Against Georgia, the Rebels couldn’t afford to spend the first several minutes figuring things out. Not when the Bulldogs were moving the football almost at will against an Ole Miss defense that struggled to get off the field.
And that’s where some responsibility has to fall on offensive coordinator John David Baker and the rest of the coaching staff.
Opening possessions are supposed to be among the most carefully prepared sequences of an offensive game plan. Coaches spend an entire week studying opponents, identifying weaknesses and determining how they want to attack a defense right out of the gate.
Obviously, the players still have to execute. They have to make blocks, complete passes and avoid costly mistakes.
But when an offense repeatedly comes out of the gate looking completely unprepared to move the football, it’s fair to start questioning the preparation itself.
This isn’t the first month of the year anymore. Baker and the Rebels have had plenty of opportunities to adjust, change their approach or figure out why their opening possessions have been so ineffective.
Whatever they’ve tried, it clearly hasn’t worked.
The Rebels have shown they can make adjustments and find offensive success as games progress. What they haven’t shown is an ability to consistently establish that rhythm from the opening kickoff.
Nine games into the season, it’s no longer enough to acknowledge the problem. Ole Miss should have fixed it by now.
