No. 9 Ole Miss is back in action Saturday against Charlotte, and the Rebels will be looking for a cleaner performance after opening the season with a win over Louisville.
That victory pushed Ole Miss to 1-0 for the sixth straight year, which stands as the third-longest run in program history. The Rebels also have a long track record in season openers: eight straight from 1996-2003 and 16 in a row during the Johnny Vaught era between 1947 and 1962.
This time, though, the opener carried a little more weight. Ole Miss improved to 5-4 in openers against Power Four teams, and it marked a second straight opening win over Louisville.
Now the focus shifts to Charlotte, a game that on paper looks like a clear mismatch. The 49ers went 1-11 last season and just lost to The Citadel, which is part of why this matchup gives Ole Miss a chance to tighten up a few loose ends before LSU comes to Oxford in Week 3.
There is some reason to think the Rebels will treat this one seriously rather than as a sleepwalk spot. Pete Golding is expected to coach this group hard as Ole Miss works on cleaning up the mistakes that showed up in Week 1. At the same time, the goal has to be getting through the game healthy.
Charlotte’s struggles could also shape the way the game plays out. If the 49ers find themselves trailing, they may lean on the passing game, which would give Ole Miss’ secondary a chance to improve its communication after that stood out as the biggest red flag in the opener.
Up front, the Rebels won’t be dealing with a line loaded with future NFL talent the way they did last week. It will also be worth watching whether Carius Curne makes his debut, and whether Kewan sits out to be fully ready for Week 3 while JT Lindsay and Makhai Frazier get more reps.
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 🡒]