Suntarine Perkins previews crucial week of practice leading up to

Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins is only in his second year of college football. Despite this, he quickly established himself as a leader on and off the field.

Despite the Rebels’ heartbreaking 20-17 loss to Kentucky last Saturday, the team remains determined to improve on its mistakes.

“Just stay focused,” Perkins said Monday. “It was one of those games you have to win, a big game like that. Staying focused, coming into this week focusing on our main goal, getting ready for Saturday against South Carolina.”

While the loss certainly hurts, it’s important to improve on the mistakes made, especially with a road game on the horizon in one of the most hostile environments in the SEC.

But this setback carries an important lesson for Ole Miss: learning to lose and rebound.

“Everybody was sick. It was a tough time,” Perkins said. “We came back, getting ready for weights, and here we are today, just staying focused. We keep going. That’s it.”

The SEC has earned a reputation as a ruthless conference, and for good reason. Dwelling on past mistakes won’t improve morale in the locker room or help the team on the field. The fact that Perkins, while only a sophomore, was able to recognize this speaks volumes about the cultural coach Lane Kiffin developed at Oxford.

The offense will definitely need a big day, but the defense needs to be able to carry the momentum from their big performance Saturday into Columbia this week.

The Rebels and Gamecocks are scheduled to have a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff in Columbia. The match will be televised on ESPN.