The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels will host the No. 13 Missouri Tigers on Oct. 19 in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in what is shaping up to be a meaningful and playoff-impacting week of football. Several Rebels transferred to Missouri during the offseason. With familiarity and top-tier talent, there is a lot to break down position to position.
Quarterback
Trinidad Chambliss leads the Rebel offense and has done so since Austin Simmons was injured early last season. Simmons transferred to Missouri following the season and has seen abundant success. Simmons has 1,287 yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception this season.
Chambliss has been a Heisman-favorite this season and has put up 1,435 yards, 11 touchdowns, with four interceptions. On the ground, he has added 113 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
While both quarterbacks are among the best in the conference, Chambliss holds a rather favorable upper hand.
Running backs
For the Rebels, Kewan Lacy has charted 230 yards on 46 carries with five rushing touchdowns but has missed significant time due to lingering injuries. Makhi Frazier has 153 yards on 30 carries, and JT Lindsey has 25 carries for 86 yards. Shekai Mills-Knight scored a 35-yard rushing touchdown against Vanderbilt and has likely earned himself more snaps.
Missouri’s main back is Jamal Roberts, who has emerged as one of the top running backs in the conference. This season, he has rushed for 200 yards in back-to-back games and been named an SEC Player of the Week. He has scored eight touchdowns this season.
His presence is crucial, and he has been carrying the running back room himself, due to Ahmad Hardy being out with an injury since the beginning of the season.
The Ole Miss backfield seems to have the upper hand in this matchup because of its depth and amount of running backs who can step up and produce.
Offensive line
The Rebels have allowed nine total sacks for 48 yards lost this season. The Tigers have allowed just six. Missouri hosts All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green alongside several other veterans. The unit ranks 11th in offensive line rankings across the country according to Yahoo Sports.
The Rebels have several veterans such as Patrick Kutas and Tommy Kinsler IV who add experience to the group, and Yahoo Sports has Ole Miss ranked 23rd in offensive line rankings. While both lines are strong, the Tigers have a slight upper hand.
Tight ends
Ole Miss has lots of flexibility and upside in its tight end room. Luke Hasz has eight receptions for 47 yards, and Caleb Odom has 13 receptions for 201 yards and a touchdown. Both are reliable for the Rebels.
Missouri uses tight ends more for blocking rather than receiving. Brett Norfleet is the main star at tight end for the Tigers and has just nine receptions for 80 yards.
With tight ends serving many roles, saying one team’s position group is better is not really fair, since the tight ends’ responsibilities vary based on scheme and situation.
Wide receivers
The Rebels and Tigers compare well at wide receiver. The main star for Missouri is Ole Miss transfer Cayden Lee. He is a security blanket for Simmons and has 616 receiving yards on 41 receptions.
The Rebels have much more depth at wide receiver, including Deuce Alexander, Traylon Ray, Horatio Fields and Johntay Cook II. Alexander is the Rebels WR1 and has 32 receptions for 503 yards.
Defensive line
Missouri’s defensive line is more favorable than the Rebels.’ The Tigers have produced 18 sacks this season and only allow 78.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks eighth nationally, whereas the Rebels have allowed an average of 176.4 rushing yards per game.
The Rebel defensive front has also struggled to break the line and get a significant amount of sacks. Ole Miss only has nine this season and has struggled to play complete games, produce sacks and stop the run.
Secondary
The Ole Miss secondary has struggled with consistency this year but seemed to mesh well and finally click against Vanderbilt. Missouri, however, does a better job of limiting explosive plays and produces more turnovers.
Ole Miss allows 28 points per game, and Missouri gives up about 17.7 points per game. The Tigers show more promising signs of playing as a unit.
Linebackers
Missouri’s Nicholas Rodriguez leads all of FBS with 63 total tackles, and teammate Robert Woodyard Jr. has 31 tackles and an interception so far. Missouri has a dominant linebacker corps.
The Rebels have lots of depth and strength in their linebackers, but their stats do not compare to Missouri’s. Hybrid linebacker Suntarine Perkins has lots of SEC experience but only 17 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries this season. Luke Ferrelli has 34 total tackles and a sack this season. Missouri holds the upper hand in this positional comparison.
Kicker
Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro is one of the best kickers in the country. His powerful leg is a major advantage for the Rebels. Carneiro is 80% on field goals and has completed all extra point kicks in 2026. His longest field goal is 57 yards.
Missouri’s kicker is Blake Craig. He is 66.7% on field goals, with his longest kick being 52 yards. He has made every extra point kick this season. Carneiro is clearly the better kicker for this matchup because of his clutch ability.
