[Tuck4Bama]

OXFORD — Whenever an Ole Miss place-kicker approaches the tee, swings his leg and boots the football, the same thought flashes through special teams coordinator Chris Rippon's mind.

Someone on the kickoff team will make a bone-jarring hit. It will be so big, the returner's helmet will pop off and the ball will squirt free. Then an Ole Miss player will grab it, sprint to the end zone and score a touchdown.
"I haven't changed," he said. "I never will. ... Every kickoff."

But, unfortunately for Rippon, the scene has been more like the opening kickoff in the 30-24 loss to Florida. His stomach dropped when Florida's Brandon James fielded the ball, sprinted through defenders and had to be brought down by kicker Joshua Shene at Ole Miss' 32-yard line.

The NCAA's new kickoff rule - which backed the ball from the 35-yard line to the 30 - has had a problematic effect on the Rebels (1-3, 0-2 in SEC), who will try to correct the flaws in time for Saturday's game at No. 15 Georgia (3-1, 1-1).

Ole Miss is last in the SEC in kickoff coverage with a net average of 33.2 yards. In other words, its opponents are starting drives at the 38-yard line. The SEC's average is the 31.

The struggles are frustrating for a group that has tried and tried to eliminate the problems but with little success so far.

UM Football: Kickoff unit still problem for Rebels