The Oklahoma Sooners will be looking to win back-to-back games on Saturday. After a 17-point win over South Carolina last week helped them improve to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC, OU returns home to Norman to host the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday afternoon.
The Rebs have the best offense the Sooners have seen all season, with their only loss coming in a shootout against Georgia. Head coach Lane Kiffin is an excellent play-caller, and he’ll try to stay ahead of head coach Brent Venables this week. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has come out of nowhere to play excellent football for Ole Miss, and they’ll be looking to score early and often on Saturday.
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Here are three defensive keys for the Sooners against the Rebels.
1. Win at the line of scrimmage
Oct 18, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) attempts to elude Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman David Stone (0) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Ole Miss has a very versatile offense that is tricky to stop, based on tempo, wide splits, and downhill runs that open up the passing game. Winning in the trenches will be paramount for the Sooners if they want to continue to shut teams down defensively. If the run game (including the QB run game) is taken away from Kiffin, it can force his hand into more dropback passes, allowing the Sooners to let R Mason Thomas and the other pass rushers eat.
2. Start fast
Oct 18, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) attempts to elude Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kip Lewis (10) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
One of the worst things that could happen for the Sooners would be the Rebels getting out to an early two-score lead. Oklahoma really needs a fast start defensively in this game, one that would shake Ole Miss’ confidence a little bit. If OU can get the Rebs off the field a couple of times early on third and fourth downs, it could set the tone that this week won’t be like all the others for Ole Miss’ offense.
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3. Get takeaways
Oct 18, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Lanorris Sellers (16) is brought down by Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Kobie McKinzie (11) in the second quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Forcing turnovers has been the one major thing this defense hasn’t done well all year long. Against an offense as potent as the Rebels, turnovers can be the great equalizer, especially as OU still has some things to figure out offensively. Taking possessions away from Kiffin and Chambliss would be a huge plus for the Sooners, and they would undoubtedly help energize the crowd, which will need to be raucous and help this defense out by making it hard on the Rebs on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: 3 keys for the Sooners on defense versus Ole Miss
