OXFORD, Miss. - Saturday’s showdown between No. 13 Mizzou and No. 9 Ole Miss comes with plenty of layers, but the cleanest one is this: Missouri has a chance to cash in on its best road opportunity in a while and maybe leave Oxford with a statement win.
The Tigers are 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference, while Ole Miss enters at 4-1 and 2-1. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m., and if Missouri gets the job done, it would mark the program’s first road win over a ranked SEC opponent since beating No.
24 Kentucky on Oct. 14, 2023.
There’s also a built-in homecoming angle for three Missouri players who know Ole Miss well. Quarterback Austin Simmons, receiver Cayden Lee and cornerback Chris Graves all transferred from the Rebels to the Tigers during the offseason. Even with that backdrop, the group has framed this one less as revenge and more as another step in Missouri’s push through a demanding conference slate.
Missouri arrives with momentum after a 27-6 win over Texas A&M last Saturday. That result gave the Tigers consecutive SEC victories for the first time since the final two games of the 2024 season. Ole Miss, meanwhile, rolled past Vanderbilt 52-17 to steady itself after a blowout loss to Florida the week before.
One of the biggest individual matchups belongs to Missouri running back Jamal Roberts, who has piled up 200-plus rushing yards in back-to-back games. He’s the first Tiger tailback to do that since 2000, and now he draws an Ole Miss run defense that has allowed the most rushing yards per game in the SEC through five games at 176.4.
Simmons will also line up against the quarterback who replaced him in Oxford, Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss took over after Simmons injured his left ankle in Week 2 and kept the job even after Simmons returned. He helped lead Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinal in 2025 and has thrown for 1,453 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2026.
A Missouri win would do more than add another mark in the standings. It would likely send the Tigers into the AP top 10 for the first time since Week 6 of the 2024 season.
Missouri could also be down a few pieces. Linebacker Jeremiah Beasley and tight end Brett Norfleet were listed as questionable on Friday night’s SEC Student Athlete Availability Report and were later listed as game-time decisions on Saturday’s report.
Both were warming up on the sideline. ESPN’s Pete Thamel also reported Friday night that defensive tackle Sterling Webb would be a game-time decision.
In Other News...
Mizzou Just Added Another Guard Worth Watching In Dennis Gates' Plan
Missouri has added another piece to its future backcourt with the commitment of Devin Cleveland, a four-star combo guard from Chicago who picked the Tigers for the 2027 class. Cleveland chose Mizzou over finalists such as TCU and Michigan, giving Dennis Gates another talented perimeter target to build around as the program keeps working to stockpile guards who can fit his style.
Cleveland brings the kind of profile that tends to draw attention early, with the scouting report pointing to his skills, physical tools and the potential role he could grow into once he reaches Columbia. For Missouri, it is another sign that Gates and his staff are staying active on the recruiting trail and trying to line up pieces well ahead of time, even if the real payoff is still a ways off. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Just Added Another Guard Tigers Fans Will Want To Watch
Missouri added another intriguing name to its future backcourt when Devin Cleveland, a four-star guard ranked No. 30 in the Class of 2027, committed to the Tigers after an official visit. He picked Mizzou over Michigan and TCU, a notable win for Dennis Gates and his staff as they continue building out the next wave of perimeter talent.
Cleveland will spend his senior year at La Lumiere School, giving Missouri fans another high-level guard to follow long before he gets to Columbia. He joins fellow four-star guard Scottie Adkinson in the Tigers 2027 class, giving the program a strong early foundation and another sign that Gates has momentum on the recruiting trail. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Cleared Most Injury Doubts Before A Huge Ole Miss Test
Missouri got a much cleaner injury picture than it had been carrying into Saturdays matchup with No. 9 Ole Miss. On the final availability report before the game, the Tigers listed only eight players as limited, a group that included linebacker Jeremiah Beasley and tight end Brett Norfleet as game-time decisions, while six players were ruled out. Everyone else who had previously been tagged questionable or doubtful was cleared to play.
For a team heading into one of its biggest tests of the season, that kind of late-week clarity matters. The SECs reporting system is designed to keep the pregame picture accurate, with penalties attached to mistakes, so Missouris final update gave a more reliable look at who could be available when the Tigers and Rebels kicked off. It also left just enough uncertainty around a couple of key names to keep the attention on the sideline right up to game time. [Read more 🡒]