Keys to Victory: How LSU Football Can Take Down the Ole Miss Rebels in SEC Battle

The Bayou Bengals enter a Top-15 showdown in Oxford, stage set for Saturday's anticipated matchup.

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Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will square off against No. 13 Ole Miss on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CT in Oxford.

In one of the most anticipated matchups of Week 5, the pair of Top-15 programs will take the field with all eyes set to be on the SEC foes.

There are a myriad of storylines surrounding this weekend's clash, but one that continues stealing headlines is Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin's offensive mastermind squaring off against LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker's unit.

“I think we’re at that point that we know each other very well,” Kelly said. “I mean, this is the fourth time we’ve played against each other. Blake’s done it when he was at Missouri too. So, there’s no tricks really. It’s not like, oh, I never saw that coming.

“When you get down to it, it’s the team that really is executing at the highest level and doing the little things the right way. They’re going to get theirs. There’s no question that’s that’s a great offense.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

"But I think that’s played a little bit too much, cause they know each other so well and they know what to expect. And both of them, on offense and defense, know how to make the appropriate adjustments.”

What are the keys to victory on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium?

Keys to Victory: Week 5 Edition

No. 1: LSU's Elite-Level Defense Sets the Tone

The last time the LSU Tigers hit the road to Oxford in 2023, quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense annihilated the Rebels defense after dropping 49 points with over 600 yards of total offense.

The problem in 2023 was that the LSU defense gave up 56 points and over 700 yards of total offense in a historic game at Vaught Hemingway Stadium where the Rebels ultimately came out on top with a win.

Ole Miss will enter Saturday's matchup at No. 9 in the country in total offense with the Rebels averaging a whopping 543 yards per game and No. 12 in scoring averaging - slightly under 45 points a contest.

Defensive coordinator Blake Baker has transformed the LSU defense in 2025 with multiple new pieces that have the Tigers among the top in the country with the unit ranking No. 4 in the SEC in total defense and No. 17 overall, allowing opposing offenses to gain 246 yards per game.

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LSU has thrived in keeping opponents off the scoreboard - ranking No. 9 in America while allowing an average of 9.25 points per game. 

The LSU defense has the edge in this one with the Tigers looking to once again wreak havoc on Saturday against the Rebels.

No. 2: Offense Easing Into a Groove

Across the first three weeks of the season, LSU's starting signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier struggled to get in a groove while dealing with a nagging torso injury.

Leading into Week 4 against Southeastern Louisiana, Nussmeier was 69-for-106 on passing attempts with 689 yards to go with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The 689 passing yards placed him at No. 9 in the SEC.

Fast forward to last Saturday in Baton Rouge and it was a different story.

Nussmeier led the Bayou Bengals to six consecutive touchdown drives with the Tigers taking a 35-0 lead at halftime while keeping a foot on the gas through the first possession of the second half.

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LSU's QB1 ended the night going 25-for-31 through the air with 273 passing yards and four total touchdowns. Of the six incompletions, five were drops by the receivers. Nussmeier was nearly flawless.

With Nussmeier getting back in a groove, look for the Tigers' signal-caller to remain dialed in come Saturday at Vaught Hemingway Stadium while carrying the momentum.

No. 3: Fall Back on the Defensive Veterans

Let's tale one final look at the LSU Tigers defense.

Kelly and Co. added 18 newcomers via the NCAA Transfer Portal with multiple immediate impact weapons coming on the defensive side of the ball.

LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane comes in as the highest-graded defensive back in America with the chance to continue carrying his momentum into a critical SEC matchup against multiple talented Ole Miss Rebels wideouts - De'Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace III, Cayden Lee, etc.

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In the trenches is where the Tigers can make a difference with LSU's front four shining across the first four games of the season with Jack Pyburn, Bernard Gooden, Dominick McKinley, and Patrick Payton, among others, handling business.

The Ole Miss offensive line has been "average" across the first four games of the season [PFF grades]:

LT Diego Pounds - 58.1
LG Delano Townsend - 60.7
C Brycen Sanders - 56.1
RG Patrick Kutas - 56.1
RT Jayden Williams - 58.9

LSU's front four has the chance to wreak havoc and make the Ole Miss offense operate in a different capacity compared to the program's first four matchups against Georgia State, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tulane.

No. 4 LSU and No. 13 Ole Miss will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

More LSU News:

The Early Predictions: LSU Football vs. Ole Miss Rebels in Massive SEC Showdown

LSU Football Eyeing Flip Targets Committed to Ohio State, Arkansas and Texas A&M

LSU Football Cornerback, Five-Star Freshman Receives Rave Review From Brian Kelly

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