LSU and Ole Miss are headed into another one with plenty of baggage already built in, and this year’s version has an added wrinkle: Coach Lane Kiffin is back at Ole Miss for the first time as a Tiger. That alone gives the matchup a fresh edge, but this rivalry has never needed much help. The recent history has been packed with wild finishes, huge offensive numbers and games that stay tight until the very end.
The last three meetings tell the story. In 2024, LSU pulled out a 29-26 overtime win on the night the program celebrated 100 years of Tiger Stadium.
A year earlier in Oxford, Ole Miss survived a 55-49 shootout that went down to the final play. That game produced 1,343 total yards, with 706 from the Rebels and 637 from the Tigers, one of the biggest offensive explosions the SEC has seen.
Last season’s trip to Oxford was a different kind of problem for LSU. The Tigers knew they would need a strong offensive day to beat Kiffin, but instead turned in a rough 24-19 loss that felt worse than the final score. LSU finished with only 57 rushing yards and just two third-down conversions, which left the defense carrying too much of the load against a sharp Ole Miss offense.
This year’s meeting is tougher to pin down. LSU has looked excellent through two games and shows a clear edge in several important statistical areas.
The biggest separator, though, is on defense, where the Tigers have been dominant. The concern is obvious too: LSU has struggled against mobile quarterbacks over the last two seasons, and this defense has not yet seen one like Trinidad Chambliss.
That’s why the question on the table is simple: How many points will Ole Miss score against LSU? The numbers give plenty to chew on before the vote.
LSU’s offensive profile stands out immediately. The Tigers are running the ball 57 percent of the time, a sharp shift from recent seasons when the run game was used far less often.
Last year LSU ran it 46 percent of the time, and two seasons ago that number was 41 percent. Through two weeks this fall, the Tigers are leaning into the ground game in a way that has changed the feel of the offense.
The defensive numbers are even more striking. Ole Miss has already allowed 305 rushing yards, while LSU has given up just 36, and all of those positive yards came against reserves.
LSU is second in the country in rush defense. That’s the kind of gap that jumps off the page, even this early in the season.
LSU also holds the edge through the air, ranking third nationally in total offense and first in total defense. Ole Miss, meanwhile, sits 39th in total offense and 108th in total defense.
LSU leads the SEC in passing yards per game, though the Tigers are only 12th in passer rating, something worth watching after the turnover-heavy showing against Louisiana Tech. Ole Miss is sixth in both passing categories.
The Rebels’ secondary has also shown some cracks. Louisville found room downfield last week, and Ole Miss has already given up the second-most passing yards in the SEC through two games. The Rebels are 122nd nationally in 20-plus-yard passes allowed, which is the kind of stat LSU will notice.
There are a few other areas LSU has to clean up. Penalties remain a problem, with the Tigers averaging eight penalties per game, second-most in the conference.
And despite all the offensive production, LSU’s touchdown conversion rate is 12th in the SEC. Ole Miss has been perfect in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on all seven trips.
The pass rush has been a major strength for LSU. The Tigers have 11 sacks, tied for the second most in the country. Princewill Umanmielen leads the nation with five sacks, according to CFBstats.com.
Special teams look close on paper. Tre Wilson’s return helped LSU’s punt return average, while Grant Chadwick has kept the punting game effective by regularly pinning opponents deep. The numbers can be a little misleading there, but the units are certainly in the same neighborhood.
A few other items are also on the radar today. Coach Jay Johnson will meet with the media to release the fall baseball roster and discuss the incoming class for the 2027 season.
LSU also has tickets on sale for the fall baseball exhibition games against Samford on October 31 and November 1 in Biloxi, Miss., at Keesler Federal Park as part of the Hancock Whitney Coast Classic. The October 31 game starts at 3 p.m.
CT, and the November 1 game begins at 1 p.m. CT.
In softball, LSU has announced its 2026 fall schedule. It includes eight games, with six at Tiger Park.
The Tigers open Oct. 15 against Northwestern State, play Florida State in Orange Beach on Oct. 24-25, then come back home for the rest of the slate. The annual Purple/Gold World Series runs Nov. 17-19, and admission to all games at Tiger Park is free.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Just Added Another Twist To LSU Week
The LSU-Ole Miss week already had plenty of juice on its own, and Landry Kiffin found a way to make it even more interesting by launching her clothing brand, Fifth Year, with a live sale during the game. The line centers on activewear and gameday apparel, built around college colors and traditions, which makes the timing feel tailor-made for a rivalry weekend that has long carried meaning on both sides.
For LSU fans, the wrinkle is the family connection behind it all. Landrys brand launch lands in the middle of a week tied to both LSU and Ole Miss, a reminder of how closely those schools are woven into her family story. Fifth Year is still in its opening chapter, but the rollout has already given this matchup an extra layer of off-field intrigue. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Picked Up An Ugly Off Field Twist
Just before LSU lined up to face Ole Miss, one of the Tigers newest defensive additions was dealing with something far less familiar than a game plan. Princewill Umanmielen was served court papers tied to a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by Ole Miss, a reminder that this rivalry has spilled well beyond the field and into the legal side of roster movement.
The case also involves Devin Harper, another former Rebel who transferred to LSU, and it asks for nearly $1 million in penalties while trying to sort out revenue-sharing obligations between the schools. For LSU, it adds an uncomfortable layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of edge, with the off-field fallout now hanging over players who made the jump from Oxford to Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs SEC Standing Suddenly Became A Real Issue Behind The Scenes
A behind-the-scenes hiccup in LSUs SEC relationship surfaced this week when LSU System President Dr. Wade Rousse told Commissioner Greg Sankey the university would not attend a high-stakes league meeting on the advice of legal counsel. The reason was tied to a federal lawsuit involving LSU employees, a complication that forced the school to sit out a gathering it otherwise had every reason to be part of as conference business continued to pile up around college sports.
LSU still stressed that its commitment to the SEC has not changed, and the league moved forward without the Tigers, taking no action to punish the university for the absence. Even so, the timing only added to the tension around a legal dispute over athlete eligibility that remains active and is still working its way through the courts, leaving LSU in the middle of a situation that is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]