Ole Miss walks into Gainesville with more than a top-five ranking and a big win over LSU in its pocket. The Rebels also carry a set of pressing questions, and No.
21 Florida is the kind of opponent that can expose any loose ends fast. This is Pete Golding’s first true road game with a defense that is still trying to settle in, and The Swamp does not give many teams the luxury of easing into that kind of test.
The first issue sits in the backfield, where Kewan Lacy’s status looms large. Lacy set the Ole Miss single-season touchdown record last season with 24 scores, which helped fuel the program’s "H6I5MAN" marketing push alongside Trinidad Chambliss.
But the start of this season has not been clean for him. He looked like the back Rebels fans remember in week one against Louisville before a thigh bruise forced him out for much of the second half.
Against Charlotte, he worked on a lighter load and still found the end zone twice in a 41-9 win. Then came the LSU game, when he took a hard shot to the shoulder in the third quarter, went down the tunnel and did not return.
If Lacy can’t go or isn’t close to full speed, Ole Miss has to lean on its depth and get the ground game moving early anyway. LSU transfer JT Lindsey stepped in well against his former team and even finished off a gutsy two-point conversion in the win. Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier has already logged nine touches through the first three games, and the Rebels would still have a workable tandem with those two if Lacy is limited.
The offense has another question too: who becomes the next real difference-maker in the passing game? Deuce Alexander III has set the pace, leading the SEC in receiving yards through three games with 295 and emerging as Chambliss’ favorite target. But Ole Miss has enough weapons that someone else needs to seize more of the spotlight.
Traylon Ray made his presence felt against LSU, stretching the field and helping create space for Alexander underneath. Caleb Odom also played an important role and appears to be the main receiving tight end now, while Luke Hasz has shifted more into a blocking job.
Syracuse transfer Johntay Cook II is the name that could change the picture quickest. Ole Miss has been waiting for that first breakout game, and this trip to Florida would be a timely place for it.
Then there’s the defense, and specifically the secondary, which has been the Rebels’ biggest week-to-week headache. The first two games were rough for the passing defense, especially against Louisville. The front seven, by contrast, has been excellent, which only sharpens the frustration around a back end that has not yet found its footing.
Sharif Denson has become a major talking point because of his history in Gainesville before transferring to Ole Miss. He made his first start against LSU, and the timing lined up with a better showing from the secondary overall.
Jaylon Braxton also delivered the game-sealing interception when Kam Franklin tipped a pass off his helmet, but the full body of work still left room for concern. Braxton did not look especially sharp against LSU’s receivers, and Florida’s Vernell Brown III has the kind of playmaking ability that can punish that kind of slip.
If Ole Miss is going to leave Gainesville with its first road win at Florida in nearly 20 years, Braxton and the rest of that secondary will have to be much cleaner.
In Other News...
Pete Golding Didn't Hold Back After Ole Miss Reality Check
A rough afternoon at The Swamp left Pete Golding with little interest in softening the message. The Ole Miss head coach came away from the loss openly dissatisfied, and his postgame remarks made clear he viewed the performance as more than just a bad result. Golding pointed to the Rebels execution and effort, offering a blunt assessment of a team that never found its footing.
Goldings comments carried the kind of edge that usually follows a reality check, especially on the road in a game that slips away early. For Ole Miss, the bigger concern now is not simply the loss itself, but the standard Golding was willing to say the Rebels fell short of. The directness of his reaction suggests the focus in Oxford will turn quickly to what, exactly, needs to change before the next chance to respond. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Got Hit With A Problem Fans Feared
Floridas 52-28 win over No. 4 Ole Miss on Saturday was the kind of result that changes how a season is viewed, and it gave Jon Sumrall his first signature victory as the Gators head coach. Behind a punishing ground game, Florida controlled the tone at home and put the Rebels in a position they had rarely faced this season, with Jadan Baugh leading the way on the ground with 142 yards and three touchdowns.
For Ole Miss, the loss is a reminder that even a top-four ranking can come with some uncomfortable questions once the schedule tightens. Florida is now 4-0 for the first time since 2019, and the Gators are staring at a demanding run that will tell a lot about where this team really stands, with Missouri, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Florida State all still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Turned College GameDay Into A Lane Kiffin Message
College GameDay in Knoxville had the usual pregame energy, but Tennessee fans made sure Lane Kiffin remained part of the conversation. As ESPN set the stage for the Vols meeting with Texas, the crowd took aim at Kiffin, whose short and contentious 2009 stint as Tennessees head coach still lingers with the fan base.
Now at LSU, Kiffin is back in the SEC spotlight with another big week ahead, and the backdrop only added to the noise. Tennessee is preparing to host Texas while LSU lines up against Texas A&M, so the timing of the message was hard to miss for anyone watching the rivalry-adjacent scene unfold. [Read more 🡒]