LSU defensive end Sai'vion Jones (35) chases after Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) in the third quarter on Saturday, September 30, 2023 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The last time LSU’s defense faced Ole Miss, it turned in one of the worst performances in program history. The Rebels scored 55 points and picked up 706 yards.
The 2023 road loss was one of the driving forces behind coach Brian Kelly’s decision to overhaul his defensive staff at the end of his second season at LSU. Now, it’s only fitting that another game against Ole Miss could define his third. Here are four keys to an LSU win over the No.
9 Rebels (6:30 p.m., ABC).
All of them are centered around the critical need for the No. 13 Tigers to play better defense than they did in the same game a season ago. 1.
Force negative plays If it can stop a chunk of Ole Miss’ plays behind the line of scrimmage, then the LSU defense can both defend the run and put the Rebels in third-and-long situations — two keys to slowing down coach Lane Kiffin’s offense, a ground-based attack that’s struggling on third down. Under Kiffin, Ole Miss is 1-4 in games in which it has rushed for fewer than 100 yards. The Rebels have also converted only four of their last 23 third-down tries.
2. Dial up pressure LSU’s defense can’t give Jaxson Dart too many clean pockets. If it does, then the veteran Ole Miss quarterback can burn the Tige.
