What is a Pete Golding defense going to look like at Ole Miss? The first fall scrimmage was a taste

Once the first scrimmage of fall camp was in the books for Ole Miss it was very clear the defense has shifted and adapted to the new philosophy Pete Golding is instilling.

With one set of spring practices and two weeks of preseason camp under its collective belts the Rebels defense looked completely transformed, starting up front at the line of scrimmage.

A signature during Golding’s time at Alabama the Crimson Tide defense might allow an opposing quarterback to air it out and possibly have success, but the ground game was going to go nowhere.

The mission was successful in the first game-like environment for the Ole Miss defense. Quinshon Judkins rushed for nine yards while the top running back on the day was freshman Kedrick Reescano with seven carries for 33 yards.

On the back end the Ole Miss secondary came up with three interceptions off Jaxson Dart, Spencer Sanders and Austin Simmons plus four sacks in the scrimmage.

“I thought they came out with a lot of energy and a lot of juice,” Ole Miss acting head coach Derrick Nix said after the scrimmage. “Created, I think, about three turnovers today. Seen some guys up front like Cedric Johnson go back there and close the pocket up a few times. For our first scrimmage I thought it was pretty good.”

Johnson along with DeeJay Holmes, Isaac Ukwu and Reginald Hughes all made their way to the backfield to sack an Ole Miss quarterback on Saturday.

Pressure to the opposing offense’s backfield is always the mission but it is the calling card of a Pete Golding defense. The first line of defense is not going to let much, if anything, slip into the second level or secondary.

Golding has shifted the Ole Miss defensive line to a four-man front with his scheme but that is not a permanent change.

While Golding has indeed altered the philosophy of the defense they are not going to become a predictable front for 12 games.

Being able to change and be affective in any type of defensive front alignment is Golding’s goal. There is no one big swing of changes and then walking away and seeing how that plays out for an entire season.

“From a front structure, a lot of that’s based on who you’re playing,” Golding said on Friday. “What they’re doing, what’s the rhythm of the throws. I know they were on (former co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge) pretty good about the odd-man front, but a lot of those teams they were probably playing were quick rhythm, ball out in space and you’re wasting a guy.

“We’re going to do whatever we need from a front structure and coverage dictated by who we play. We’re not going to go into it, ‘Alright, this his who we are.’ We’re going to do what we need to do to win the football game. They’ve adapted well. I think some of them, what we’re asking them to do is more natural, positionally, for them.”

So, change has arrived for the Ole Miss defense but do not look for it to be be a four-man front every snap from September to Thanksgiving night. But what has already been seen with the new defensive front alignment is cause for optimism in improving the run defense from a season ago.

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