Two weeks after Florida put 52 points on his defense, Pete Golding watched Ole Miss put 52 on Vanderbilt. The Rebels led 42-3 at halftime, forced four turnovers and won 52-17 in Nashville. Asked what was different, Golding gave the answer that should end the scheme debate for a week.
There wasn’t one new call that we put in for this game that wasn’t already a part of the system. We build a buffet in the offseason in the summer that we know you’re going to pick from week in and week out. I think the execution was a little better, and I think we played harder. And I think we had some guys win one-on-ones.
His follow-up was the whole philosophy in two sentences: “We’re not always going to have a free guy. Offenses are designed to get a hat on a hat. You got to win your one-on-one.”
What the bye week was for
Golding opened the session by laying out exactly what Ole Miss spent two weeks fixing.
We had put a lot of things on tape that we had to correct and clean up. I told them coming into it, it’s not going to be perfect, doesn’t need to be perfect, but I thought there was an emphasis on the effort. I thought there was an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball of leveraging the football, being a little more violent on contact. Wasn’t perfect. Still had some missed tackles. Still had some lost leverages. But that’s week in and week out.
The numbers back him up. Vanderbilt ran for 103 yards, two weeks after Florida ran for 302, and Pro Football Focus charted the Rebels for six missed tackles after three straight games at 14.
He named who he saw driving it. “There was a different feel on defense from the Keaton Thomas of the world and the Kam Franklins and the Will Echoles and guys that have always loved football. But the holding other people accountable piece — like, this is not okay.” And he singled out a cornerback: “I thought Kite had his best two weeks of practice coming off of Florida. He didn’t play well. I thought he came back, didn’t play perfect, but responded right.” Antonio Kite made his first interception as a Rebel.
Golding included himself in it: “This just ain’t the players. We focus as a staff too.”
On the turnovers, a careful answer
Ole Miss had forced very few takeaways coming in. It forced four on Saturday. Golding would not take full credit.
It’ll be interesting to go back and see, did we actually force them or did they give them to us? I thought we were able to affect their quarterback a little bit. I thought we played tighter in some coverage. We tipped some balls. The weather might’ve had something to do with obviously the ball control on both sides a little bit. But if you’re not taking the football away and you’re not good on third down, it’s hard to win.
Kewan Lacy was a game-time decision
Lacy, who missed Florida, played 25 snaps and scored on a two-yard run in the first quarter. Golding said the return was not settled until the Rebels came out of pregame.
He’s been battling back. Really his first contact was in pregame, and so we don’t BS the injury piece of it. We got him through practice this week, and it was going to be a game-time decision based on how he felt coming out of pregame. And he came out and said, “Coach, I’m good. I’m ready to go.” It gives us a different spark, obviously. I think we’re a lot more explosive with him.
He also credited the backs behind him: Makhi Frazier, who led the team with 13 carries for 73 yards, and Shekai Mills-Knight, who broke a 35-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The play the defensive line had been waiting for
Defensive tackle Jamarious Brown caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Trinidad Chambliss in the second quarter. Golding said the offensive staff had been running those big-man plays against his defense in practice for a while.
They always got complementary plays with the big boys. So they always run them versus us. I’m like, dude, when are we ever going to run these in the game? So I think the opportunity presented itself. It was a great design, great execution. That dude was a hell of an athlete in high school — Wildcat quarterback, tight end. So he made a heck of a play, man.
On Chambliss, and on the quarterback across the field
Chambliss threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns with an interception and ran for a fourth score. Golding’s read was honest: “I think probably he would want a couple balls back, but I thought he played well. That wasn’t a perfect game to play quarterback in. They do a lot on defense to cause problems — a lot of different looks, drop in, drop out. I thought he did a good job for the most part taking care of the ball.”
And on Vanderbilt freshman Jared Curtis, who threw a touchdown pass against his defense in the third quarter: “I think that kid’s going to be special, man. Elite arm talent. He’s really big. He’s more athletic than you think. I think he’s going to be a problem in the future.”
Already thinking about Missouri
Asked how badly Ole Miss needed this after Florida, Golding turned the question forward.
I think we’re going to have to have another one next week. Every week is independent of its own. I know y’all hear me say that, but y’all don’t believe that. You got to show up every week and come to work. And when you don’t, man, you’re going to get exposed. I wanted them to go and enjoy the heck out of this tonight. But guess what? You’re going to hear the same thing next week if you don’t play well.
Asked about defensive backs Andy Jaffe and Edwin Joseph, who each left the game at different points, Golding said he did not have an update.
Ole Miss is 4-1, 2-1 in the SEC. Next up: Missouri at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2:30 p.m. CT. Hotty Toddy 🦈
Quotes from the Ole Miss postgame press conferences, Oct. 10, 2026. Team and individual totals via Ole Miss Athletics. Photo: Pete Golding, October 10, 2026, at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.