Ole Miss fans can breathe a little easier today. After a dominant 41-10 win over No. 11 seed Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff, the No.
6 Rebels appear to have avoided a worst-case scenario with star running back Kewan Lacy. Head coach Pete Golding told reporters postgame that Lacy is dealing with a bruised shoulder and will be evaluated further over the weekend.
That’s a big sigh of relief for a team with national title aspirations-and for good reason. Lacy has been a workhorse all season and was off to another strong start Saturday, racking up 89 yards on 15 carries, including a 20-yard touchdown burst in the first quarter.
He looked sharp early, setting the tone for an Ole Miss offense that had no trouble finding its rhythm against Tulane. But late in the second quarter, Lacy went down with the shoulder injury.
He returned briefly after halftime, only to exit again in the second half.
The fact that he was able to return at all is encouraging, but with a showdown against No. 3 seed Georgia looming in the Sugar Bowl, his status will be one of the biggest storylines heading into New Year’s Day.
Lacy’s impact on this Rebels squad can’t be overstated. Since transferring from Missouri after the 2024 season, he’s emerged as the heartbeat of the Ole Miss ground game.
Through 13 games in 2025, he’s piled up 1,279 rushing yards on 258 carries, with 20 touchdowns to his name. He’s also added 25 receptions for 154 yards, showing his value as a dual-threat option out of the backfield.
Now, Ole Miss turns its attention to a massive Sugar Bowl matchup against Georgia-a heavyweight SEC clash with playoff stakes and plenty of history. It’ll be the first time these two programs have ever met in the postseason. Georgia leads the all-time series 34-14-1, dating back to 1940, and while they’ve played five neutral-site games before, all of those came in the regular season.
This one’s different. It’s a playoff game.
It’s New Year’s Day. And it’s a chance for Ole Miss to take a big step toward a national championship.
But to do that, they’ll want Kewan Lacy healthy and ready to roll. His status will be one to watch closely over the next week.