Pete Golding’s first regular-season game running Ole Miss came with plenty of good and plenty to clean up, and the biggest takeaway from the 41-38 win over ranked Louisville in Nashville is pretty simple: the Rebels’ defense doesn’t have to be flawless against Charlotte. It just has to get the secondary sorted out.
That was the sore spot against the Cardinals. Ole Miss had trouble all over the back end, with defensive back miscues opening the door for Louisville to stack up big plays and fuel a late comeback in the second half. The Rebels also looked shaky in their communication on defense, and Louisville took control of both the rushing and passing games for stretches.
The injury situation only made things tougher. Keaton Thomas, the green dot linebacker for the Rebels, was excellent early, putting up three solo tackles and a tackle for loss before getting hurt in the second half.
Ole Miss also didn’t have Sharif Denson on the field, even though he arrived as a highly touted transfer addition for Golding and company. Antonio Kite, another big-name defensive back from last season’s historic team that won two playoff games in 2025, barely saw the field as well, and Ole Miss needs him healthy before the SEC stretch.
The offense, meanwhile, started slowly and didn’t help much in the first half. Trinidad Chambliss turned it over twice, and John David Baker’s offense had a hard time creating anything downfield. Ole Miss managed only 10 points before halftime.
Then the Rebels finally found some life after the break. Deuce Alexander delivered the explosive plays, scoring two long touchdowns, and Chambliss connected with Caleb Odom up the seam for another score as Ole Miss found its rhythm late.
Now comes Charlotte, and this should be the kind of game that gives Ole Miss a chance to reset. The Rebels head home as heavy favorites, and Pete Golding can use the matchup to create advantages and potentially rotate in some new defensive pieces.
Against the 49ers, perfection won’t be the standard. Fixing the communication issues in the secondary will be.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Fans Need To Know These New Vaught-Hemingway Game Day Changes
Ole Miss is set to welcome Charlotte to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, and the Rebels are rolling out a full slate of gameday details that fans will want to sort through before heading to Oxford. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT, and the latest information covers everything from ticketing and the pregame schedule to stadium policies and other basics that can make an evening in The Grove run a lot smoother.
The biggest takeaway for fans is that this one comes with updated procedures, including a push toward NFC-enabled mobile tickets and a new traffic flow plan around the stadium. For a crowd used to the familiar rhythms of a home Saturday, it is worth paying attention to the changes ahead of time so entry, parking and the rest of the gameday routine stay as organized as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Just Reopened An Ole Miss Debate Fans Never Settled
Lane Kiffin has spent years making himself impossible to ignore, and not just because of what happens on Saturdays. The latest reminder came from college football analyst Paul Finebaum, who drew a Kardashian comparison while pointing to Kiffins long trail of high-profile moves and controversies, including his departure from Ole Miss after leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff.
For Ole Miss fans, Kiffins exit remains part of the larger argument over what he left behind and what he might still become. His ability to keep generating attention has never been in question, but the bigger issue is whether success at LSU could eventually reshape how his time in Oxford is remembered - or leave the old debate even harder to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces One Big Test Before LSU In Home Opener
Ole Miss comes home this week with a chance to settle in after opening the season with a win over Louisville, and the matchup with Charlotte should give the Rebels a softer landing before the schedule tightens again. The 49ers arrive at 0-1 after a triple-overtime loss to The Citadel, which gives Lane Kiffins team a game in which execution and discipline can matter as much as the final score.
The bigger point, though, is about sharpening the edges. Ole Miss is still trying to find more consistency across the board, and this is the kind of tuneup where the staff can push for cleaner play without having to empty the playbook. With LSU waiting next week, the Rebels would like a home opener that looks complete in all phases before the real pressure starts to rise. [Read more 🡒]