Ole Miss didn’t just survive a shuffle up front against Missouri. Patrick Kutas came away with a sharper feel for how much Brycen Sanders handles when the Rebels are at full tilt.
When Sanders went down with a lower-body injury in the second quarter of the Week 7 win, Kutas slid into center and Troy Everett moved in at right guard. It was a change the Rebels had been preparing for since Kutas arrived in Oxford ahead of the 2025 season, even if the moment still required him to shake off a little rust.
“It was fun. It was good to get a little switch up,” Kutas said Tuesday.
“Kind of knock some cobwebs off, but I thought we had dudes that could plug and play really well. That was very good to see.”
He added, “I play a lot of center during spring ball, fall camp and then occasionally I’ll get the reps during the (practice) week. But since I’ve played (center) in a game, it’s been my sophomore year.”
Even with his role at right guard, Kutas says his mindset leans toward the middle of the line.
“I think with me it’s like I play right guard, but I think like a center,” Kutas explained. “Even though I’m playing right guard, I still like to know what’s going on with all the spots and calls and stuff like that.”
That opportunity to handle the protection calls gave him a new respect for Sanders and everything the center is doing before the ball is even snapped.
“You kind of take Brycen for granted when he’s out there just because he’s dialing up everything,” he said. “All the calls and then you get thrown in and it’s like, ‘Oh wow, he’s doing a lot of the work’. Definitely the mental side.
The Rebels’ front has quietly held together through injuries and rotating pieces at tackle, and the results have been solid. Ole Miss has given up just five sacks through six games while averaging 153 rushing yards per game.
That physical identity showed up again in the Missouri win, when Ole Miss rolled to more than 250 rushing yards and produced two 100-yard rushers. Kewan Lacy led the way with 122 yards on 16 carries, good for 7.6 yards per carry, despite not being 100 percent.
“It’s like you know you got a guy that’s going to put everything in to run the ball and help us look good, honestly,” Kutas said. “But just knowing that he’s wanting to get back in the game, it speaks levels to the type of guy he is and the type of player he is.”
Now the Rebels head to Austin, Texas, for a Week 8 matchup with Texas and a defense Kutas described as loaded with talent and size. Lacy is also looking for another big day against a team he has ties to, while Ole Miss gets ready for a setting that will feature 100,000 people in the stands.
“You just can’t let the environment control how you feel and how you play. It’s going to be a hostile environment, it’s going to be a lot of people, it’s going to be loud, but we know that. So we just gotta be really good with communication up front throughout the whole unit and we’ll be fine.”
“They’re a really talented defense,” Kutas said of the Longhorns’ defense. “They got a lot of first round players.
Big dudes, athletic dudes. I think it’ll be a really good matchup.
I know we’re just excited to go out and be physical again.”
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Got A National Vote Of Confidence Before Texas
Ole Miss is heading into the stretch run with plenty of momentum, and it just picked up a notable endorsement from one of the sports most recognizable voices. On the Pat McAfee show, ESPN analyst Rece Davis said he views the Rebels as a legitimate contender in the 2026 college football season, even putting them in the conversation as the SECs second-best team behind Georgia.
That kind of national confidence matters because the schedule only gets more revealing from here, starting with Texas on deck. Ole Miss already has notable wins over LSU, Missouri and Louisville, and the next few weeks will show whether the Rebels can keep stacking those kinds of results as the second half of the season tightens the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Real Opening Against Texas If One Unit Holds Up
Ole Miss comes into this week riding the lift of a strong win and looking at a Texas team that suddenly has real urgency attached to it. The Longhorns have dropped two straight, and the Rebels know they are getting a defense that still carries a strong reputation overall, even if the matchup has changed a bit with a key piece now unavailable on the edge.
Colin Simmons being out with a high ankle sprain matters because it can alter how much pressure Texas gets on Trinidad Chambliss, and that is where this game could tilt if Ole Miss protects well enough. Kewan Lacy has battled injuries but remains an important part of the Rebels' offense, and if he gives them a steady presence, Ole Miss has a path to make this more uncomfortable for Texas than the rankings would suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Gets Rare Vote Of Confidence In Massive Texas Test
Ole Miss is heading into one of its biggest measuring-stick games of the season with an unusual bit of outside optimism attached. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy picked the Rebels to beat Texas, pointing to a Longhorns offensive line that has struggled and the possibility that edge rusher Colin Simmons could be limited by injury, while also noting Ole Miss has the kind of offensive line play that can help it handle a physical road test.
The quarterback situation adds another layer to a matchup already thick with stakes. Steve Sarkisian has hinted at a possible change behind center but still expects Arch Manning to start, and McElroy also pointed out that Texas still brings real defensive strength to the table. For Ole Miss, the challenge is clear: take advantage of the openings that have shown up for Texas while surviving the stretches where the Longhorns can still make life difficult. [Read more 🡒]