Ole Miss Expected to be Without Key Offensive Player vs. Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 21st-ranked Florida Gators are set to host No. 4 Ole Miss, and the Rebels are expected to be without one of its top offensive playmakers.

Running back Kewan Lacy, who has been dealing with a left shoulder injury, is not expected to play on Saturday, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding told ESPN's Pete Thamel. Lacy was listed as doubtful on Friday's SEC-mandated availability report.

Lacy suffered the injury in last week's win over LSU before having X-rays after the game and an MRI on Sunday. He was later listed as questionable on Wednesday and Thursday before being downgraded on Friday.

"We still have another chapel session, so I'm not giving up yet," Golding told ESPN.

While Lacy's availability has been up in the air this week, Florida has prepared as if he was fully healthy, defensive coordinator Brad White said. Lacy has rushed for 191 yards and four touchdowns this season and rushed for 224 yards and three scores last year against the Gators.

"He's a game changer," White said. "When you watch him carry the football, he operates at a different speed. And there was a there a play last week that they got him hemmed up and he makes a jump cut and turns a corner, oh my goodness."

If Lacy can't go, the Rebels will likely rely on JT Lindsay (12 carries for 48 yards) and Makhi Frazier (nine carries, 38 yards) at running back while emphasizing quarterback Trinidad Chambliss' dual-threat abilities. Chambliss has thrown for 924 yards and seven touchdowns while adding another 64 yards and two scores on the ground.

"He's a really talented player," White said. "I mean, unbelievable arm strength, obviously mobility. He can escape anywhere in the pocket. He can work down it. A lot of times, shorter quarterbacks have trouble seeing his vision lines. There's no problem. He does a great job of always sort of finding the holes through the A gaps, the B gaps. His arm strength is incredible.

"And credit to the receivers. They do a great job because some of those things are coming fast, and they do a great job of catching with their hands. They're not body catchers, so again, credit to them in terms of what they can do there. So, it's going to be a huge challenge for us.”

Kickoff between the Gators and the Rebels is at 3:30 p.m. on ABC. The two teams will each release a final availability report at approximately 2 p.m.

Enjoy our content? Make Florida Gators on SI a Preferred Source to see more stories from us on Google: https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=si.com

Add us as a preferred source on Google