AP poll: Light nonconference schedule knocks Ole Miss football out of top five

Though the Ole Miss football team has etched itself in history with the hottest start in the program’s existence, the Associated Press has dropped the Rebels one spot in its latest top 25 due to the quality of opponents Lane Kiffin’s group has taken on so far.

A dominant Tennessee victory at Oklahoma moved the needle more so than Ole Miss rounding out a relatively light slate of non-conference opponents with a 52-13 thrashing over Georgia Southern on Saturday. The Volunteers, previously ranked No. 6 in the top 25, swapped places with the Rebels in the latest rankings after a strong showing in Norman.

Through the first four games, Ole Miss has outscored its opponents 220-22 — the greatest scoring differential in SEC history. Additionally, the Rebels became the first program in the SEC to have 600 total yards in four consecutive games.

The offense once again clicked on Saturday. Veteran quarterback Jaxson Dart continued to build upon the chemistry he has with a cornucopia of weapons, specifically standout wide receiver Tre Harris. Dart completed 22 of 31 passes with four touchdowns and one pick against the Eagles. Harris was the recipient of 11 passes for a career-best 225 yards with two touchdowns to complement the feat.

On the other side of the ball, Pete Golding’s defense surrendered its first touchdown of the season on a trick play resulting in Georgia Southern’s running back tossing a pass to an open teammate in the end zone. Though the three-game streak of preventing a touchdown was broken as key players Jared Ivey and TJ Dottery were noticeably absent, the defense stood strong for the most part, surrendering just 194 yards all night.

By contrast, the Rebels more than tripled the Eagles’ offensive production as the group amassed 607 total yards in the contest. Arkansas transfer linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul, Jr. stepped up for the Rebels, notching 10 tackles (seven solo), 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hurry.

Rebel fans were met with a scare early in the first quarter when Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner JJ Pegues was slow to get up and later favored his collarbone area after recovering a fumble. Pegues was examined for an injury and was given the green light to resume action on the gridiron.

The Swiss army knife, Pegues, checked back into the game and was utilized on both sides of the ball, recording an offensive touchdown in the process to alleviate any concerns about his injury status. He finished with two tackles on defense.

Penalties remained an issue for the Rebels after a sloppy outing at Wake Forest one week ago. The team was flagged 11 times for 133 yards, marking back-to-back weeks of being penalized more than 10 times in one game. Kiffin acknowledged that he expects his team to inevitably err on the field, especially defensively, due to the physical style of play. However, he is hoping to clean up costly, unforced errors before conference play begins.

A full recap of Saturday’s game can be found here.

Ole Miss (4-0) will have a shot to earn the respect of pollsters this coming Saturday when Kentucky (2-2) comes to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be broadcast on participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations as well as a television network yet to be determined.

The full top 25 can be found below: