Pete Golding’s Ole Miss Rebels made their College Football Playoff debut on Saturday. The squad succeeded in the mission by defeating Jon Sumrall’s Tulane Green Wave 41-10 before a record crowd of 68,251 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The win marked Golding’s first game as Ole Miss’s head coach, giving him a College Football Playoff victory in his debut.
Pete Golding Brings Calm Amid Lane Kiffin Buzz in Ole Miss’ Playoff Win
Heading into the College Football Playoff, Ole Miss faced a tough situation after Lane Kiffin abruptly left the program for LSU. The sudden change left Pete Golding with little time to steer the team and reset the narrative.
After the Rebels’ win over Tulane, Golding spoke about how he prepared his players amid the coaching transition.
“I mean, it would be one thing, no disrespect, if this was the Pop-Tarts Bowl or something like that,” Golding said. “It would have been really hard, but this is the playoffs. When people start talking about, ‘Are they going to play or not going to play?’ What are we talking about?”
“These kids have gone 11-1 up to this point and have a home playoff game for the first time in the history of the program. They don’t really care who runs them through the tunnel. That’s the truth. They care about their preparation. They care about the plan, are they getting developed?”
In the win on Saturday, Ole Miss totaled 497 yards (346 passing and 151 rushing) while earning 30 first downs. As the game ended, fans at a still-packed Vaught-Hemingway Stadium erupted in chants of “Pete! Pete! Pete!” to give Golding a standing ovation.
Athletic Director Keith Carter reflected on the whirlwind month for Ole Miss football, joking that someone suggested he should write a book about it. He also praised Golding, saying that everyone had quickly connected with the new head coach.
Golding shared his perspective on leading the program through such a crucial period.
“The ability to make decisions, things you’ve been talking through for years, to finally be the last voice, it kind of hit me some,” Golding said. “And then you’re just for the players, how they responded. Some of those hugs will get you a little bit. There’s been so much work you couldn’t take a deep breath. Then the game got to a point where you could look around some. And it was pretty damn cool.”
Ole Miss, sitting at No. 12 in PFSN’s College Football tOLi, now prepares for a rematch against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Bulldogs handed the Rebels their only loss this season, 43-35, on Oct. 18.
The upcoming game will give Golding’s squad a chance for revenge.
