Ole Miss doesn’t just need Kewan Lacy back on Saturday. The Rebels need him to look like the back they expected when the season began.
No. 9 Ole Miss heads to Nashville on Oct. 10 to face Vanderbilt, and weather could play a role in how that one unfolds.
If the conditions turn the game into more of a grind, the Rebels may have to lean hard on the ground game instead of letting the passing attack carry the load. That puts even more pressure on Lacy to be a real centerpiece alongside quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Lacy missed the loss to No. 16 Florida on Sept. 26 after leaving the Sept. 19 game against No.
10 LSU in the third quarter with a left shoulder injury. He had already dealt with injury trouble earlier this season, leaving Ole Miss’ Week 1 game against the Louisville Cardinals early as well.
Before sitting out against Florida, Lacy had totaled 191 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries. That production came despite the stops and starts that have interrupted his season. He entered the year with Heisman expectations after a 2025 campaign in which he ran for more than 1,500 yards and 24 touchdowns, but the numbers haven’t matched that level so far.
His biggest single-game output this season is 87 rushing yards against Charlotte, and that was also the game in which he scored two of his four touchdowns. Even so, he has found the end zone in every game he has played, and another score Saturday would hardly be a surprise.
Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding said he "fully anticipates" having Lacy back against Vanderbilt, even though he is still listed as questionable on the injury report.
That would matter for an offense already producing at a high level. The Rebels are averaging more than 35 points per game, and Chambliss has been a huge reason why, piling up more than 1,300 combined yards and 12 touchdowns.
But when Lacy has been out, Chambliss has had to do even more, including in the run game. Take away Lacy and Chambliss from the Rebels’ rushing numbers, and Ole Miss has only 171 rushing yards and one touchdown on 50 carries. That lone score came from backup quarterback Deuce Knight in garbage time against Charlotte.
That’s the hole Lacy has left behind. If he’s back and healthy, Ole Miss has a chance to open up its offense even more. If he isn’t, the Rebels could be asking Chambliss to keep carrying far too much again.
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Ole Miss Faces A Real Offensive Question Before Vanderbilt
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Kewan Lacys limited availability in recent games has been part of that uncertainty, especially on the ground, where the Rebels have had to adjust to a different kind of rotation and output. Add in an unusual kickoff time and a series with some historical weight, and this trip to Vanderbilt becomes less about simply staying on schedule and more about whether Ole Miss can find a dependable offensive answer before the SEC slate tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Curtis Is Back In The SEC Spotlight Georgia Never Lost Sight Of
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Through those first four appearances, Curtis has thrown for 746 yards with four touchdown passes and three interceptions, while also adding 133 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. For Ole Miss, the news matters because a healthier Curtis changes the way Vanderbilt can structure its offense, and it puts one more layer of uncertainty on a conference game that was already going to test the Rebels preparation. [Read more 🡒]