The No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels will face their toughest opponent yet this season when they kick off against the No. 7 LSU Tigers at home on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. This is a must-win matchup with major playoff implications for the Rebels. The entire college football world will be watching.
The Tigers will come to Oxford with an extremely talented roster. Quarterback and ASU transfer Sam Leavitt leads the team. On3 ranked him as the No. 1 player in the portal. Though he has not had a perfect start to his season, he has shown flashes of greatness, especially due to his rushing ability.
In his first game as a Tiger, Leavitt had two rushing touchdowns and helped LSU defeat Clemson 51-10. Then, in LSU’s 45-14 victory over Louisiana Tech last Saturday, Leavitt rushed for three more touchdowns.
Leavitt’s mobility may present a problem for the Rebels. Against Charlotte, the Rebels were able to limit 49er starting quarterback Cole Gonzales to just six rushing yards. However, against a talented Louisville team in Week 1, quarterback Lincoln Kienholz had 69 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
Ole Miss fans may remember when Arkansas dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green threw for 305 yards and ran for 115 yards against the Rebels last season. Head coach Pete Golding’s defense has struggled against mobile quarterbacks in the past, and the defense has not changed schematically since he took over as head coach.
While Leavitt is great with his feet, his arm is slightly inconsistent, and it has been arguably one of the Tigers’ biggest weaknesses. Leavitt also struggles with interceptions. This season, he is tied for the most interceptions in college football with four.
If the Rebel defense can contain Leavitt on the ground and generate enough pressure to force him into difficult throws, Ole Miss could generate turnovers.
The Rebels intercepted the 49ers once last week, though they have dropped a few would-be INTs through two weeks. The secondary has been shaky to begin the season. If they want to capitalize on opportunities against a stronger LSU team, Rebel defensive backs will need to step up their game.
The Tigers present an even bigger challenge on the other side of the ball. Through the first two weeks, the Tiger defense has been one of the most elite units in the country.
LSU’s defense allows the fewest yards per game in the country at just 142.5. Additionally, the Tigers have 11 sacks, which is second most in the country.
It is important to note that the Tigers have tallied these numbers against relatively weak opponents. Louisiana Tech and Clemson are not on the same level as SEC teams. This will be the Tigers’ first true test against a difficult opponent, as well as their first road test under new head coach Lane Kiffin.
Indeed, perhaps the biggest threat of all comes from the Tigers’ coaching staff. Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. understand the Rebels extremely well. Both coaches were with Ole Miss last year and helped establish the Rebel offense’s high-tempo identity.
“Obviously the former players and all the former coaches and the relationships that you’ve had (are important),” Golding said in a press conference on Tuesday. “That’s not unique to one game anymore. It’s still going to be no different when we play Missouri, right?”
When Missouri comes to town in October, they will bring former Rebels Austin Simmons, Cayden Lee and Chris Graves Jr. This weekend, Princewill Umanmielen, Winston Watkins and Devin Harper will return to Oxford.
However, Golding acknowledged the exceptional circumstances around the game.
“This will be unique. Their head ball coach recruited a lot of these guys and all that is on the opposing side,” Golding said. “They know it’s a Top-10 matchup and regardless who we play, you play a Top-10 team in this league, if you don’t prepare really well and practice really well and play your best game, you’re probably not going to win the game.”
Kiffin likely knows that quarterback Trinidad Chambliss will frequently look to dump the ball off to running back Kewan Lacy, both in situations when the Rebels need yards and in high-pressure moments. If Lacy is limited, either the other running backs will need to step up or Chambliss will have to throw the ball more.
Against Charlotte, Chambliss was only sacked once, but to allow him more time to analyze his options — and more time for the routes to develop downfield — the offensive line will need a considerable effort.
New starting left tackle Terez Davis has looked decent through two games, as has the rest of the offensive line. As a whole, the unit has not played poorly, but it will need to be at its best this Saturday.
The Cardinals did not sack Chambliss in Week 1; however, that was more thanks to Chambliss’ elite scrambling ability than it was stellar offensive line play. The 49ers managed to sack Chambliss once.
The offensive line has struggled to create gaps for Lacy and the other running backs. Ole Miss rushers have totaled 313 yards, 4.3 per attempt, this season. Lacy and the rest of the rushers have not been able to generate many explosive plays, due in large part to the fact that the offensive line allows defenders to get into the backfield so frequently.
In terms of health, the offensive line may not be at its best. Kinsler did not play against Charlotte; Connor Howes took his place after Kinsler left the Louisville game with an injury.
Overall, the Rebels have worked for months to prepare for this matchup, but more than statistics will influence the outcome of the game.
With ESPN’s College Gameday hosting its weekly show from the Grove and all of the drama surrounding Kiffin’s return to Oxford, the Rebels need to remain focused.
Golding has made it abundantly clear all season that it is not a “Kiffin vs. Golding” matchup, but an LSU Tigers vs. Ole Miss Rebels matchup.
Still, there is no denying that the threat of the past looms large. If the Rebels can secure a win, this could finally be the chance for not just players, but the whole Rebel fan base, to finally put the past behind them and prepare for a future free from Kiffin.
