Three keys to victory for the Kentucky Wildcats to take down Ole Miss

What does Mark Stoops's Kentucky team have to do in order to beat Ole Miss?

Oct 12, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops runs onto the field before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to take on the Ole Miss Rebels in what will be one of the biggest games of the 2025 season. Ole Miss is a team that Kentucky has given fits over the last five years, and Coach Stoops would love to see that continue this season.

Last year, the Wildcats took down Ole Miss in Oxford in what was one of the biggest upsets this program has seen in a while. This top ten road victory was the only win the Wildcats would end up getting in SEC play a year ago.

Stoops's style of play has given Ole Miss trouble slowing Lane Kiffin's potent offense, and making this game an ugly one will be a goal once again for the Kentucky Wildcats.

Let's take a look at three keys to victory for the Wildcats to take down the Ole Miss Rebels.

Three keys to victory for Kentucky to take down Ole Miss

1) Find success in the passing game

Kentucky’s quarterback Zach Calzada (5) with a complete pass against Toledo Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field. August 30, 2025 | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the Wildcats' first game of the season last week, Zach Calzada got nothing going in the pass game, and this is a big reason why the Wildcats only won this game by eight points. If Kentucky is going to find a way to pull off this upset, they will have to make some explosive plays happen in the passing game. If Calzada is going to be the quarterback for the rest of the season for this team, he needs to have a big game on Saturday.

2) Get a pass rush on Austin Simmons

Aug 30, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) passes the ball during warm ups prior to the game against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss has a star quarterback in the making in Austin Simmons, but he is young and hasn't played a lot of snaps on the road. Last week against Toledo, it looked like the Kentucky Wildcats might have an elite pass rush. If this is the case, they need to be in the face of Simmons all game long in the hopes of forcing him to make mistakes.

3) Win the turnover battle

Kentucky’s tight end Willie Rodriguez with a complete pass against Toledo Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field. August 30, 2025 | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To pull off an upset like this, the Wildcats will need to win the turnover battle. They didn't take care of the football last week against Toledo, and if that is the case on Saturday, the Wildcats will get blown out. This also means the defense will need to find a way to turn over Simmons and the Ole Miss offense in this football game. If the Wildcats win in this aspect, they have a shot to pull off the upset.