Ole Miss Rebels Receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells scored a massive touchdown in Saturday’s victory against the Georgia Bulldogsbut on Monday, he had some profound moments during a media availability session.

Wells is a new addition to this Ole Miss roster in 2024, and he, like so many other transfers, came to Oxford for one reason: to reach the College Football Playoffs and compete for a championship. Saturday’s win over Georgia helped the Rebels improve their chances of reaching the CFP, but it was just a continuation of a change that appeared to be happening two weeks ago when Ole Miss played a solid second half against Oklahoma.

When the Rebels lost to LSU in Baton Rouge last month, quarterback Jaxson Dart said it best: “We have to win.” So far, Ole Miss has accomplished that goal, but with two regular season games remaining, there is still work to be done.

To what does Wells attribute this recent success? Simple: solid practices.

“We knew there was still something left on the table and we know we all came here for a reason,” Wells said. “At the start of this week, I didn’t feel like anyone was forced to do anything or that anyone was nervous about anything.

“We felt like we had a great weeks of preparation after those losses. We were just going to do what we do, play our ball. We don’t care what logo we play. I feel like that it simply depends on our preparation.

Ole Miss entered halftime of its game against Oklahoma on Oct. 26 much like it had in some previous games: sloppy. The Rebels trailed the Sooners 14-10 at intermission that Saturday, but outscored the opposition 16-0 over the final two quarters to secure the victory.

What has changed?

“We knew what type of team we were,” Wells said. “We didn’t play to our level at all and we understood that. … I keep saying it, but we just rely on our preparation. We practice very well. That’s the football and things might not go the way you want them to, but if you get back into training, I feel like it will definitely help you get over that hurdle.”

Georgia This appeared to be the biggest hurdle on paper for the Rebels in the regular season, and they passed that test with flying colors on Saturday. But if they neglect the last two games on their schedule, they can get beat and find themselves out of the playoff picture at the end of the year.

First comes Florida on November 23, and a road game in The Swamp is always a formidable challenge. Next up, Ole Miss hosts Mississippi State in Oxford on Black Friday, and apparently anything can happen in the Egg Bowl.

“We know what the end goal is, but we have to win next week,” Wells said. “We won this game, but now we’re heading to Florida. We can’t really focus on Georgia or look too far ahead. You’ll forget about these last two tricky games coming up.”

This week is all about rest and regrouping for the Rebels after their emotional victory, but it’s also about what Wells considers so important to the team’s success: preparation. It appears he’s ready to get a head start in scouting the Gators.