Can Louisville Actually Threaten Ole Miss in Nashville Next Season?

The Louisville Cardinals had an up and down 2025 season. By no means were the Cardinals bad but they couldn’t find a way to win the clutch games. Louisville completed something the Ole Miss Rebels couldn’t do last year and that was beat the Miami Hurricanes.

In 2025, the Cardinals started their season 4-0 before dropping a game to Virginia 30-27. Louisville had a huge win against the then ranked No. 10 Miami Hurricanes. The Cardinals went to hardrock and handled business against Carson Beck and the Hurricanes as Beck tossed four interceptions this game.

After this huge win the Cardinals lost the next three out of six. A huge win against in-state rival Kentucky 41-0. They found themselves in the Boca Raton Bowl against Toledo and they came out with a 27-22 victory ending the season 9-4.

Louisville Did Something Last Year That Ole Miss Couldn't

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

All Rebel fans know the season ended and don’t want the same result this season. Though the Cardinals beat the Hurricanes earlier in the season, the Miami team the Rebels played was not the same Hurricanes Louisville played, and here's why.

When Carson Beck played Louisville, it was Week 6 of the college football season and not even October yet. When Carson Beck played Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl, he just came off two huge upset wins versus Texas A&M in College Station and defeated the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, the defending national champions.

Ole Miss will keep a solid remainder of the starting offense from the 2025 season and for Louisville they lost the majority of their key players after the 2025 season. Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy and Deuce Alexander will return on the offensive side while Surtaine Perkins and Will Echoles come back for Pete Goldings defense.

Last season, the Louisville Cardinals averaged 384.5 yards of total offense while the Rebels averaged 462.0 yards of total offense. The Cardinals defense allowed 392 yards of total offense and 24.8 points a game. On the other hand, the Rebels defense allowed 405 yards a game and 27.5 points in 2025.

This being the first game of the year and neither team having home field advantage, expect a Rebels edge as they could be ranked No. 3-5 during week one of the season from last year's playoff run with new head coach Pete Golding.

Louisville has their head coach returning but the loss of defensive coordinator Ron English, who stepped away to watch his son play ball at Navy, expect a new form of Cardinal defense under new DC Mark Ivey promoted by head coach Jeff Brohm.

In reality, the Rebels should handle business in Nashville week one continuing the momentum from last season's historic CFP run. Golding will look to keep his reputation high and prove he doesn’t need Lane Kiffin to win ball games.

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