Ole Miss has lost twice, and both losses took the same shape: a first half that got away and a second half that nearly rescued it. At Texas the offense did not allow a sack, could not move the ball before halftime, then nearly won the game after the break. Auburn visits Oxford on Saturday.
Locked On Ole Miss host Steven Willis argued the fix is a coin-toss decision, not a scheme change. Ole Miss should stop taking the ball to open games and start deferring, he said, and concentrate on winning the middle eight rather than the opening drive. A slow start followed by handing over the second-half kickoff, he said, is a disadvantage taken twice.
Former Ole Miss offensive lineman Todd Wade agreed and supplied the defensive half. The start of a game is when that unit is at full tilt, Wade said, so it is the optimal time for the defense to be on the field. He added that the offense has repeatedly produced a strong third quarter once halftime adjustments are made.
Wade also argued the offensive line deserves no blame for Texas, saying the protection was there even without two of its best players. Willis read it the same way: the Longhorns sped Trinidad Chambliss up with simulated pressure without getting him on the ground. Wade singled out Connor Howes, the redshirt freshman who shifted from right tackle to the blind side and looked natural there.
Wade predicted Ole Miss 38, Auburn 31, allowed he may have given Auburn too much credit, and expects seven to 10 points in the first quarter. He wants Chambliss running again, expects a loud home crowd to trouble an Auburn offense built on tempo, and said Ole Miss should get right before Georgia comes to Oxford.
Photo: Andy Jaffe and Anthony Robinson III, October 24, 2026, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images.
Adapted from the October 30, 2026 episode of Locked On Ole Miss, hosted by Steven Willis, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Watch the full episode.