Now that the hangover from Monday has officially subsided from those of us over the age of 40, there’s some thoughts about Ole Miss and Louisville that just have to be shared.
First and foremost, this Ole Miss defense has been incredibly hyped by fans and also by sources inside the program. It’s only one game, but what was being said about this defense was it would be better than the very good 2024 version of Pete Golding’s defense.
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And at times, the front seven especially was swarming and dominating Louisville, and it seems clear this is a true SEC front seven in terms of talent and ability. The secondary got burned on a handful of occasions, and for right now, coaches are saying it is all fixable and not an alarming trend just yet. But for fans, this had to be the most shocking part of Sunday night’s game as Ole Miss was up two touchdowns only to see the lead disappear.
When I asked our staff what kind of prediction they had for the game, most of the answers indicated a two or three touchdown win against Louisville. It’s what should have honestly happened and what was expected to happen.
You could see the look on Golding’s face on the sideline though. How did this keep happening? How did Louisville keep punching and coming back?
I think the answer is going to be one the program has to come to grips with this season. Teams are going to bring their absolute best now against Ole Miss. The target is on our back after a top four finish last season and a top 10 ranking this season.
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The lights are going to be brighter than ever in these games, and there will be some inexperience at times that shows through on this roster. It could be that no lead is safe in the Power Four games this year.
Then again, maybe its just one game and its all going to be corrected and fixed. I don’t think we will find that out against Charlotte come Saturday, but if the 49ers do have a few explosive plays, the hand wringing and anxiety of this fanbase will reach some peak levels prior to Sept. 19 against LSU.
