Ole Miss heads to Norman on Saturday for a 3:15 CT kickoff against Oklahoma at Gaylord Family Stadium, and both teams arrive with plenty left to prove. The Rebels and Sooners have both missed the mark on their preseason goals, but a November SEC game still carries real weight. Even with the College Football Playoff likely out of reach for both sides, a win can ease some of the frustration around each fan base and give recruiting and next season a boost.
Oklahoma’s offense runs through quarterback John Mateer, who has had an uneven year but continues to have the trust of the coaching staff. He has flashed big-play ability, but he has also thrown mind-boggling picks.
Last weekend, with new offensive playcaller Jason Witten helping steer the attack, Mateer threw for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has been playing better than he did early in the season, and he’ll be a serious test for Ole Miss’ defense.
His top targets in the passing game are Isaiah Sategna III and Rocky Beers. Sategna has 625 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns this season, while Beers has 518 yards and 4 touchdowns of his own.
The run game has been a different story. Oklahoma has struggled badly on the ground and sits last in the SEC in rushing yards.
Mateer leads the team in rushing attempts, but he is only second on the team in rushing yards. Lloyd Avant is the leader there with 394 yards, and he also has two-thirds of the Sooners’ rushing touchdowns with 2.
Oklahoma has found the end zone on the ground only three times all season.
Witten’s presence seemed to help against Florida, and the Sooners will be looking for that same spark again this week.
On the other side, Brent Venables has built his reputation on defense, first as one of college football’s top defensive minds at Clemson and now at Oklahoma. His teams in Norman have generally been strong on that side of the ball, and this season is no exception. The Sooners rank fourth in the SEC in total defense and have been especially sharp in pass coverage, giving up just 153 passing yards per game.
Senior safety Peyton Bowen and senior linebacker Owen Heinecke are the key names to know on that unit. Bowen leads the team with three interceptions, while Heinecke has piled up 73 tackles.
Ole Miss coach Pete Golding pointed to Oklahoma’s style in his Monday press conference, saying, "From a defensive standpoint, [Oklahoma] create[s] negative yardage plays, you know, very aggressive."
That kind of pressure will look familiar to the Rebels after facing Georgia’s defense last weekend, and Ole Miss will need to clean up the mistakes from that game if it wants to score on Saturday.
Oklahoma has been a hard team to pin down all season. The Sooners’ highs include the Red River Rivalry win over Texas on a walk-off field goal, while their lows include a 17-point home loss to South Carolina.
They’ve also faced a schedule similar in difficulty to Ole Miss’ and have already shown they can handle strong competition, including a three-score win over Florida last weekend. This is not a team to overlook.
In Other News...
Trinidad Chambliss Just Got A Reminder Of How Highly Hes Regarded
Trinidad Chambliss just picked up another sign of how much his season has resonated beyond Oxford. The Ole Miss quarterback was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, the honor that goes to the best player in college football, a notable nod for a player who has helped keep the Rebels in the national conversation even through a stretch of inconsistency.
The recognition matters because it shows how much respect Chambliss still commands despite Ole Miss taking three losses and not always finding smooth footing on offense. The Maxwell Football Clubs vote reflects his impact amid those challenges, and it keeps him in a select group as the season moves toward its final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Took A Brutal Kewan Lacy Blow
Kewan Lacys absence has become one of the more significant personnel issues hanging over Ole Miss as the season moves deeper into November. The running back was injured against Texas and has already missed the past two games, leaving the Rebels to adjust without one of the players who figured to matter most in the backfield down the stretch.
What makes the situation so difficult is that this is no short-term setback. Lacy is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season, a blow that affects both Ole Miss immediate plans and his own longer-term outlook as he weighs the next step in his college career and potential NFL Draft decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces One Costly Problem With CFP Hopes On The Line
Ole Miss heads into its November 14 road game at Oklahoma with the kind of urgency that comes with playoff math tightening fast. The Rebels have spent much of the season building a rsum that keeps them in the conversation, and this trip will say plenty about whether they can protect that standing away from home against a quality opponent with its own defensive identity and impact players.
The matchup also comes at a time when Ole Miss is still sorting through recent performances and coaching changes, which adds another layer to an already difficult spot. With key players on both sides and defensive strengths likely to shape the night, the Rebels do not just need a good showing in Norman. They need the kind of result that keeps the CFP path open. [Read more 🡒]