LSU’s trip to Oxford comes with plenty of baggage, and not just because it’s a Top-10 matchup.
No. 7 LSU walks into the 2026 Magnolia Bowl against No.
8 Ole Miss still trying to solve a road problem that has haunted the Tigers for three straight visits to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. This will also be the first meeting between the programs after Lane Kiffin’s departure from the Rebels, which adds another layer to a game already loaded with noise.
Since Kiffin’s previous run at Ole Miss began in 2020, LSU has split the series 3-3. The catch is obvious: every Tigers win came in Baton Rouge, and every loss came in Oxford.
Kiffin knows the setting well. He also knows what’s coming from the other sideline now.
“The competition gets harder,” Kiffin said in a press conference prior to the matchup. “We’re going to play one of the best teams in the country.”
The recent history between these teams has swung wildly from one style of game to another. The losing streak started on Oct. 23, 2021, when No.
12 Ole Miss beat LSU 31-17 behind a 470-yard night on offense. Matt Corral was sharp, going 18 of 23 for 185 yards and a touchdown, while the Rebels’ defense forced three turnovers.
Then came the wild September 2023 shootout, a 55-49 Ole Miss win that turned into a back-and-forth showcase between Jaxon Dart and Jayden Daniels. It stayed tight all the way to the final five seconds, when an LSU touchdown try fell incomplete. That 55-point output was the most Ole Miss had ever scored against a ranked opponent.
The 2025 edition was more of a grind, and LSU came up short again. No.
11 Ole Miss knocked off No. 4 LSU 24-19, leaning on defense to frustrate the Tigers’ offense.
LSU converted under pressure on all but two of its third downs. Trinidad Chambliss threw for 314 yards and added 70 rushing yards on 23 completions, while Kewan Lacy ran for 87 yards.
This LSU team, though, looks different under Kiffin’s direction in 2026.
Sam Leavitt has brought a new kind of juice at quarterback, especially with his legs. He rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson, then added only 22 rushing yards against LA Tech but still finished with three total touchdowns. Through this season, Leavitt has 574 passing yards and 41 completions.
The Tigers have also gotten production from a deeper group of playmakers. Junior tight end Trey’Dez Green leads LSU with 162 receiving yards. Dilin Jones tops the team on the ground with 179 rushing yards, while Winston Watkins Jr. has 153 receiving yards and Eugene Wilson III has 128.
Defensively, LSU has been loud and disruptive under coordinator Blake Baker. The Tigers registered seven sacks against LA Tech and four against Clemson, and the line has made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
At linebacker, TJ Dottery and Whit Weeks have been central to that surge. The two have combined for 26 tackles over LSU’s last two games, and Dottery has forced two fumbles. Dottery, a former Rebel, and Weeks will be at the center of the effort to slow Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the Rebels’ attack.
“We know we’re walking into a hostile environment,” Weeks said about the atmosphere in Oxford ahead of the game.
Kiffin, though, said the focus has to stay inside the building.
“It won’t be about all the other stuff and all the noise,” Kiffin said. “It’ll be about how well did we practice, how well did we prepare, how well do we play on gameday going into a place that has had a lot of success there.”
The game is set for Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m.
In Other News...
LSU Suddenly Has A Huge QB Question Before Ole Miss
LSUs biggest concern heading into Ole Miss might not be the matchup itself, but the uncertainty under center. Starting quarterback Jaden Leavitt was listed as doubtful in the SEC availability report with an unspecified injury, a notable development for a team that had seen him play well in recent games and show no obvious signs of being limited.
The report also left linebacker TJ Dottery questionable, while Tylen Singleton, TreyDez Gree, Whit Weeks and Phillip Wright III showed up with different injury designations as the Tigers tracked multiple moving parts. For LSU, the timing makes the quarterback situation especially delicate, and it leaves the Tigers waiting for clarity before a game that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Huge Ole Miss Question At Quarterback
An early-season quarterback wrinkle has suddenly put LSU on the spot heading into its matchup with Ole Miss, with Sam Leavitt now listed as doubtful because of an undisclosed injury. The timing makes the situation especially delicate, because this is the kind of game where every snap at quarterback gets magnified and any uncertainty quickly changes the conversation around the Tigers.
If Leavitt cannot go, Elon transfer Landen Clark is expected to get the start, a major spotlight moment in a rivalry game with plenty riding on it. The market has already reacted, with the betting line moving toward Ole Miss after the injury update, and LSU now has to sort out its offensive plans with less clarity than it would like this close to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Heads To Ole Miss With A Major SEC Week Concern
LSUs first injury report of the 2026 season arrived just before its SEC opener at Ole Miss, and it immediately put the spotlight on quarterback Sam Leavitt. The junior is listed as doubtful, which is not the kind of designation a team wants heading into a conference road game, especially one that will help set the tone for the league schedule. The report also shows a mix of injury statuses across the roster, with several linebackers and other players tagged questionable, out, or probable.
What makes the update even more notable is the lack of detail around the injuries. LSU did not specify the nature of the ailments, leaving the depth chart picture a little murky as the Tigers head into a difficult matchup. For a season opener in SEC play, uncertainty at quarterback and across multiple defensive spots is hardly ideal, and it puts the focus squarely on how much availability LSU will actually have when the game kicks off. [Read more 🡒]