Ole Miss heads into its first home game of the 2026 season with a chance to clean up a few rough edges before the schedule tightens up. The Rebels are 1-0 after surviving a 41-38 battle with No. 24 Louisville in Nashville, where Lucas Carneiro delivered the game-winning kick.
That opener gave Ole Miss a win, but it also exposed some problems that need attention fast. The defense had stretches in which the back end and the linebackers looked out of sync in the second half, and Pete Golding has an opportunity to sharpen the communication against Charlotte before LSU comes to town.
The offensive line was also tested in Week One. Injuries forced Ole Miss to shuffle tackles after Delano Townsend was shaken up against the Cardinals, and the group never really found a rhythm in the run game. Kewan Lacy had a quiet night while he was healthy, and Makhi Frazier and JT Lindsay also struggled to create much on the ground.
Through the air, the opener belonged mostly to Deuce Alexander, Caleb Odom, and Trinidad Chambliss. Other receivers had very limited production, and that makes Week Two a useful chance to spread the ball around. Caleb Cunningham, Johntay Cook, and Horatio Fields are expected to work their way into the mix against Charlotte, while Chambliss needs more reps with a wider group of targets as Ole Miss gets ready for SEC play.
The Rebels also came out of Nashville banged up in a few important spots. Kewan Lacy, Antonio Kite, Keaton Thomas, and Sharif Denson are all names Ole Miss will want available for its Week Three home game against LSU, a matchup that already carries plenty of attention.
Because of that, the Charlotte game could serve as a controlled runway. If Ole Miss gets ahead early, it would make sense to limit some key players and let the depth chart breathe a little. The Rebels are heavy favorites, and a one-sided game would open the door for some unfamiliar faces to get on the field.
One player expected to see action is Deuce Knight. The Auburn transfer is viewed as a highly touted addition, and getting him game reps now would give Ole Miss another option if an emergency pops up later in the season.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin's Oxford Return Is Turning LSU's Trip Into A Frenzy
Lane Kiffins first trip back to Oxford as LSUs coach has already turned a late-September matchup into one of the hottest tickets on the Ole Miss calendar. The Sept. 19 game is driving up prices across town, with short-term rentals in Oxford climbing above $4,000 for just two nights and hotel rooms in the city and nearby areas getting scarce fast.
The frenzy is not limited to the stadium side of things, either. As ticket demand surges around Kiffins return, the spillover has pushed fans into surrounding towns in search of a place to stay, and even those options are being priced at a premium. For Ole Miss fans, it is the kind of weekend that has become as much about navigating the market as securing a seat. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Faces A Kewan Lacy Decision Fans Will Be Watching
Kewan Lacys status has been one of the bigger early-week concerns for Ole Miss, but Pete Golding offered some relief by saying the running back is expected to be available for the upcoming game against Charlotte. Lacy has been dealing with a thigh bruise, and the Rebels also expect linebacker Keaton Thomas back after an ankle injury, giving the defense a potential boost as well.
Lacys return still comes with a caveat, though, because the staff plans to manage his workload and he could be held to limited snaps. For Ole Miss, the question now is less about whether Lacy can suit up and more about how much the Rebels need to lean on him, especially with a game in which they can afford to be cautious but still want to keep their offensive rhythm intact. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Playoff Path Is Coming Into Focus As Week 2 Looms
With Week 2 on deck, the national playoff picture is already starting to take shape through a handful of early heavyweight matchups. Ohio State-Texas and Michigan-Oklahoma headline a slate that should tell the committee plenty about a few of the sports biggest names, while Memphis-Boise State adds another game with real ranking ripple effects. There are also coaching and player storylines baked into the weekend, the kind that can move a teams profile long before conference play takes over.
For Ole Miss, though, the broader lesson is patience. The Rebels are among the teams with a softer early path, which means their first real test will come later rather than in this opening stretch. That can be a blessing in September, but it also leaves plenty unresolved about how much separation the Rebels can build before the schedule starts asking harder questions. [Read more 🡒]