Ole Miss doesn’t need a full-blown alarm bell yet, but the Rebels do need Kewan Lacy back in a hurry.
A week after getting knocked around at Florida and falling to 3-1, Ole Miss is heading into a tougher stretch with a few obvious problems staring back at it. The defense has been the loudest one. Florida put Pete Golding’s unit in a bad spot, and the bye week offered a chance to clean up the mess.
Still, the more pressing question might be Lacy’s shoulder.
The running back sat out the Florida game because of the injury, and the extra week off before Vanderbilt gave him more time to recover. That matters because Ole Miss has felt his absence. The Rebels haven’t been able to replace what he brings, and even when he’s been available, the offense has lacked the explosive edge he usually supplies.
Through three games, Lacy has 191 rushing yards. At the same point last year, he had 290.
That drop has pushed Ole Miss into a far more one-sided offensive shape. The Rebels are throwing at a ridiculous rate, and coming into this week, Trinidad Chambliss led the SEC in pass attempts.
That kind of volume can work for stretches, but it also comes with risk. Chambliss has been strong early, yet he has already tied his interception total from last season with three.
The offense wasn’t the problem against Florida, at least not in the same way the defense was. Ole Miss still put up 28 points and piled up 426 yards.
But Lacy changes the whole feel of the unit. He gives the Rebels balance, and that balance was a big part of what made them so hard to deal with a year ago.
There’s a version of this offense that lets Lacy handle 20-25 carries while Chambliss keeps taking shots downfield. That’s the shape Ole Miss probably needs more than the one it has right now. Without that, the Rebels are leaning heavily on the pass, and the turnover threat grows with every additional attempt.
Offensive coordinator John David Baker addressed Lacy’s role before the season, and the way he framed it now looks different from what Ole Miss has actually needed.
"I don't want him to carry the ball that much. Now, to me, the difference is carries and touches," Baker said.
"Like, is he going to get the same amount of touches? Yes, but in different ways."
That idea may not hold up much longer. Lacy does not need to be asked to lead the FBS in carries again, but Ole Miss clearly needs more from him than it has gotten so far.
The Rebels still see themselves as a College Football Playoff team, and the talent is there for that to be more than talk. But if the defense keeps leaking and the offense stays this tilted, that path gets a lot harder to follow.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Secondary Takes A Hit With Missouri Looming
Ole Miss is heading into a pivotal stretch with another piece of its secondary on the shelf after safety Edwin Joseph had ankle surgery following the injury he picked up against Vanderbilt. The timing is less than ideal with Missouri up next, and while the Rebels have not laid out a firm timetable for Josephs return, the procedure almost certainly keeps him out of that matchup.
Pete Golding had already signaled the ankle was serious enough to warrant a second opinion before the surgery was ultimately decided on, which only underscores how much uncertainty surrounded the situation. For a defense trying to steady itself in conference play, losing a safety at this point adds another layer of concern, and Ole Miss will now have to sort out the back end without knowing when Joseph might be available again. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Crucial Line Decision Before Missouri
Ole Miss heads into its matchup with Missouri with one of the more important spots on the offensive line still in flux, and it starts at right tackle. Starter Tommy Kinsler IV is dealing with an injury, which has pushed sophomore Connor Howes into a larger role there lately, giving the Rebels a chance to see how the line holds up when asked to adjust on the fly.
Pete Golding has pointed to Howes development as a bright spot, even while acknowledging Kinsler IV is still sidelined. On the other side, Terez Davis has settled in as the left tackle after transferring from Maryland, so the Rebels are now balancing one established edge with another that may still be coming into focus before a key SEC test. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Entered A Recruitment Rebels Fans Will Notice
Ole Miss mens basketball is already looking well beyond the immediate future, and Chris Beards staff is making sure it stays in the mix as the 2028 class starts to take shape. One of the bigger names on the board is five-star guard Tai Bell, a prospect with a high-profile family background and the kind of pedigree that tends to draw attention wherever he goes. The Rebels are set to host him for an official visit during the weekend of Oct. 30, a notable step as the program builds its next wave of recruiting momentum.
Bell, the son of former NBA player Raja Bell, has also picked up an offer from Texas, where his brother is already playing, which adds another layer to a recruitment that is sure to get attention. For Ole Miss, the visit is about getting in early and making a strong impression while the conversation around the young guard is still developing. Beard and his staff are clearly treating this one like an opportunity worth chasing, and Rebels fans will have a reason to keep an eye on how it unfolds. [Read more 🡒]