Golding details Ole Miss plan for Texas

Pete Golding described Texas as one of the country’s best teams while outlining Ole Miss’ approach for its Saturday trip to Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium. During his Monday local press conference, the first-year Rebels head coach pointed to quarterback Arch Manning, Texas’ win over Ohio State and Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling as central parts of the matchup.

Golding called Manning an elite quarterback and said Texas had dealt with bad luck, including drops at costly times. He also referenced the Longhorns’ former No. 1 ranking while pushing back on any suggestion that their regular-season losses reflected a lack of quality.

Ole Miss’ defensive plan starts with winning early downs. Golding said the Rebels must stay ahead of the chains and force Texas into obvious passing situations, when the defense would have a better chance to create an advantage.

Golding expected Sarkisian to establish the running game first, then build play-action passes from it. Texas rushing success would make obvious passing situations harder to force.

Golding also addressed the Rebels’ backfield rotation. Ole Miss planned to continue managing Kewan Lacy’s shoulder injury while working Makhi Frazier and JT Lindsey into the rotation. Golding said Lacy, a Texas native who grew up supporting the Longhorns, wanted to return to the field for the game.

The matchup carried postseason weight for two playoff contenders trying to avoid another regular-season loss. Golding also expected a high-intensity atmosphere from the Texas crowd given those stakes.

Why it matters

Ole Miss and Texas entered the matchup as playoff contenders seeking to avoid another regular-season loss. Golding’s plan depended on limiting early-down rushing success and forcing Arch Manning into clear passing situations.

What to watch next

The source identified Ole Miss’ 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday game at Texas on ABC as the next event, but it did not report the result.