Ole Miss Eyes Sugar Bowl Redemption Against Georgia: “It’s Personal Now”
There’s no time to bask in the glow of a 41-10 win when the next opponent is the one that handed you your only loss of the season. That’s the mindset inside the Ole Miss locker room as the Rebels gear up for a Sugar Bowl rematch with Georgia on January 1.
Sure, the Rebels handled Tulane with ease to punch their ticket to New Orleans, but the real story is what comes next - a shot at redemption against a Georgia squad that did more than just beat Ole Miss earlier this season. The Bulldogs didn’t punt once.
They put up a season-high 43 points. And they left the Rebels’ defense searching for answers.
Now, that same defense is locked in - and they’re not waiting until New Year’s Day to get serious.
Back to Work Before the Sun Comes Up
Head coach Pete Golding made it clear: celebration time was short-lived. After the win over Tulane, the team was back to work by 7 a.m. the next morning. No surprise, considering what’s at stake.
But for linebacker TJ Dottery and defensive lineman Will Echoles, the turnaround was even faster.
“Me and TJ Dottery, I swear we were just literally talking about that, like, 30 minutes ago,” Echoles said following the Tulane game. “So, man, it’s a personal thing now. We know we’ve got to go play our best - and go be dominant like we know we can.”
That word - personal - keeps coming up. And when you look back at what happened in Athens back in October, it’s easy to see why.
The First Meeting: A Defensive Nightmare
Georgia’s 43-35 win over Ole Miss wasn’t just a high-scoring affair - it was a statement. Quarterback Gunner Stockton lit up the Rebels for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
The Bulldogs added another 221 yards on the ground. And the most jarring stat?
Zero punts.
That’s not just a bad day at the office for a defense - that’s a gut punch.
Echoles didn’t sugarcoat it. “We’ve got to tackle better.
We’ve got to do everything better. The Georgia game - I mean, it was a bad game for the defense, period.
We’ve got to play better, and we’re going to play better come January 1st.”
A Defense Recharged
If the Sugar Bowl is going to be different, it starts with the defense. And if their performance against Tulane is any indication, they’re trending in the right direction.
Ole Miss didn’t just beat Tulane - they smothered them. The defense was flying to the ball, forcing turnovers, and setting the tone from the opening snap. It was the kind of game that builds confidence - and maybe more importantly, belief.
For Dottery, the rematch with Georgia is about more than X’s and O’s. It’s about grit.
“Just spotting the ball and getting out there and playing Georgia,” he said. “Knowing they’re a very physical team, and we’re a very physical team - that’s what I’m most excited for. Just the physicality of that game.”
January 1: More Than a Bowl Game
This isn’t just about a trophy or a final ranking. For Ole Miss, this is about proving who they really are - especially on defense.
Georgia exposed some cracks in the armor last time. Now, the Rebels have a chance to show they’ve patched them up and come back stronger.
It’s a rematch. It’s a statement opportunity. And for this Ole Miss defense, it’s personal.