Ole Miss advanced to 2-0 on Saturday. The Rebels found a good rhythm after falling behind by two scores. The offensive line looks like a weak point on the team, but the run game has risen as a threat to opposing defenses.
Austin Simmons is resilient
Austin Simmons had a rough start with two first-quarter interceptions, which helped Kentucky build a 10-0 lead.
He eventually found his rhythm with a pivotal 55-yard fourth-and-one strike to Harrison Wallace III early in the second quarter, sparking the Rebel comeback. He also rallied to finish with 235 passing yards while leading multiple scoring drives.
The quarterback’s ability to bounce back under pressure was encouraging, but slow starts are becoming a discouraging pattern. Panic is not warranted after only two games, but repeated early miscues raise concerns moving forward.
Offensive line struggles loom large again
The offensive line’s weaknesses were once again on display at Kroger Field, even if they did not always appear in the box score. The Wildcats did not sack Simmons, but they forced him to make a couple bad decisions and put a lot of pressure on the sophomore.
Simmons’ turnovers and the offense’s overall inconsistency were tied, in part, to protection breakdowns.
With a promising batch of transfers and new recruits, the 2025 season was supposed to mark a step forward for the offensive line, but the unit’s continued struggles threaten to limit the Rebel offense and stunt Simmons’s development. If Ole Miss wants cleaner offensive execution, improvement up front is a must.
A new offensive identity built around the run
While the passing game sputtered early, Ole Miss leaned on the ground attack, and it paid off. Running back Kewan Lacy rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, his second straight 100-yard game of the season. He now leads the SEC in rushing yards.
Simmons added a rushing touchdown of his own. Together, the duo accounted for 376 of the Rebels’ 457 total yards. The Rebels offense, once defined by Jaxson Dart’s deep passing game, has grown to incorporate a ground-and-pound approach. Through two weeks, this style has proven effective, especially in this tough SEC road test at Kentucky.
Ole Miss’ 30-23 win in Lexington, Ky., showed both promise and problems. Simmons proved he can recover from early mistakes; Lacy continues to shine as a breakout star; the new run-first identity is taking shape. But if the offensive line does not improve, the Rebels could find themselves in trouble.
