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The University of Mississippi Athletics
11/11/2026 | Football
OXFORD, Miss.- Head coach Pete Golding met with reporters this week alongside offensive lineman Brycen Sanders, wide receiver Horatio Fields and defensive back Joenel Aguero as the Rebels prepare for Saturday's road trip to Oklahoma. Coming off a 42-7 loss to Georgia, the Rebels will learn from their mistakes and move forward. This week's practice report is presented by Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center.
Owning the Georgia Loss and Preparing for Oklahoma
Golding was direct about the Georgia loss, saying responsibility is shared by players and coaches alike.
"We didn't coach well, we didn't play well, and that's the outcome you're going to get when you do that," Golding said.
He said Sunday's film session was about understanding why it happened, and that Monday and Tuesday are about turning the page.
"You can't have that guilt from the past and clutter your mind to be able to focus on a really good Oklahoma team," he said. "If our attention is not on Oklahoma and preparing really well and practicing really well, then you're going to get the same results."
Golding pointed to the Georgia explosive plays as proof of how costly a lack of execution can be against an elite opponent. The Bulldogs had 11 explosive plays for 299 yards, and he said the Rebels missed chances to make routine plays.
Golding said Oklahoma's defense will look familiar because it draws on many of the same concepts Georgia used, and that the Sooners have been aggressive with pressure and alternative looks.
"I just think from a philosophy standpoint, believing in establishing the run on offense, controlling the clock, taking care of the football," he said.
On the other side of the ball, he said Oklahoma has simplified its offense in recent weeks while putting more emphasis on its quarterback's legs.
"Simplifying it within reason and then making you account for the quarterback," Golding said.
Golding closed by reminding his team that everyone benefits from a strong performance, regardless of what the standings say.
"Everybody benefits from working extremely hard and playing really well," he said. "Everybody does."
Brycen Sanders: Offensive Line Looking to Respond
Sanders said the offensive line has responded the right way and that the room is eager to prove what it can be.
"We're embarrassed to put that product on tape, and we're going to go prove Saturday, not only to ourselves, but everyone else, the type of team we can be," Sanders said.
Sanders said the offensive line expects to see many of the same looks the Rebels saw last week.
"They run a copycat defense, so they're going to see what Georgia did successfully and they're going to copy that," Sanders said. "We just got to watch tape, figure out what went wrong, what went good, and fix that in practice this week."
Sanders also praised veteran lineman Troy Everett for the experience he brings.
"It's like having another center next to me," Sanders said. "He's a great player and a great person, and he's got a lot of experience to be able to help us."
With another hostile environment ahead, Sanders said the team has learned from slow starts in its previous road games.
"You can't start slow and let the crowd get into the game," he said. "We got to start fast, take the crowd out of the game and really rely on our run game."
Horatio Fields: Building Confidence and Starting Fast
Fields said the offense is working to identify what has held it back early.
"Our goal for our first possession is to start fast," Fields said. "We know we're good. We know we can start fast, but we're trying to find what's in our way."
He said the group looks forward to going on the road.
"Playing an away game is pretty fun to us," Fields said. "The main goal is to shush them. That excites us to go into a hostile environment, and it gives us a little more energy."
Fields said consistency in preparation is what builds confidence in a week like this one.
"Being consistent builds confidence, and your preparation allows you to be ready," he said. "As long as you're ready for your opportunity, that's all you can ask for."
Joenel Aguero: Defensive Physicality and Stopping the Run
Aguero said the defense knows exactly what needs to be fixed following the Georgia loss.
"We all seen the film," Aguero said. "We know what we got to clean up personally."
He said the biggest area for improvement is physicality at every level of the defense.
"Just being more physical on all three levels," Aguero said. "Everybody doing their job and what they need to do, self included."
Aguero, who spent three seasons at Georgia before transferring to Ole Miss, said stopping the run is the first priority against Oklahoma.
"They are a run-first offense, so stopping the run is the biggest thing," he said. "And then they utilize their tight ends a lot, so just being able to stop the run and then stop the pass afterwards."
Aguero also said the defense creates its own energy before games.
"We get hyped, we listen to music, and we try to pump each other up before we get on the field," he said.
With a tough road test ahead and a team determined to answer the Georgia loss, the Rebels head to Norman focused on the only thing they can control.
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