The box score says Ole Miss didn’t allow a sack against Texas.
On the surface, that sounds like a day the offensive line should frame and hang on the wall.
After all, sacks are the easiest offensive line statistic for fans to track. Running backs have rushing yards. Receivers have catches. Offensive linemen mostly operate in anonymity unless something goes wrong. So when a team finishes a game with zero sacks allowed against a defense as talented as Texas’, it’s natural to assume the offensive line did its job.
And to be fair, Ole Miss deserves credit.
The Rebels kept Trinidad Chambliss clean against one of the best defensive fronts they’ll see all season. They did it without starting left tackle Terez Davis and had to adjust again when center Brycen Sanders missed snaps during the game. That’s not a small accomplishment.
But if you were expecting Pete Golding to hand out perfect grades on Monday, you haven’t been paying attention.
“I think if you look at it on paper, coming out of there not giving up a sack on paper, you’re like, wow,” Golding said Monday. “But I think moving some pieces around, we weren’t real consistent in the run game of being able to move guys and create some holes.”
And there’s the problem.
An offensive line can protect its quarterback all afternoon and still leave plenty to be desired when it comes to establishing a running game.
That’s something Ole Miss has struggled with at different points this season.
Golding acknowledged that the Rebels created some explosive runs against Texas, but they weren’t consistent enough to sustain that success.
“There were times that it looked really good and we created a couple of explosives, and then there were times that we didn’t,” Golding said. “So it wasn’t perfect by any means.”
That’s not to take anything away from what the offensive line has accomplished.
The unit has dealt with injuries, shuffled personnel and continued providing Chambliss with opportunities to make plays.
And according to offensive lineman Delano Townsend, much of that success comes down to something Ole Miss has that plenty of other programs don’t.
Continuity.
Townsend, Patrick Kutas and Sanders all played together last season, giving the Rebels an experienced interior trio that understands how to work together.
“Just that middle three, we all know how each other operates,” Townsend said Tuesday. “We all got each other’s back.”
That familiarity becomes especially valuable when injuries force players into unfamiliar roles.
Kutas, for example, has been able to slide over to center when Sanders is unavailable, with the rest of the offensive line adjusting around him.
“We help each other out with communication, echoing calls and just all being on the same page, having each other’s backs,” Townsend said.
That’s a big reason Ole Miss has managed to avoid a significant drop-off despite having to make changes up front.
Now comes the next challenge.
With five regular-season games left and leading running back Kewan Lacy sidelined this week by a shoulder injury, the Rebels need their offensive line to do more than simply hold the line in pass protection.
Makhi Frazier and the rest of the running back room will get their opportunities. The question is whether those opportunities come with space to operate.
Ole Miss has shown it can protect Chambliss, even when circumstances force adjustments up front. That’s important.
But the next step is turning occasional success in the running game into a weekly strength.
Because zero sacks allowed looks great in a box score.
When it’s third-and-2, though, nobody cares about the sack total. They care whether the offensive line can open a hole.
