Ole Miss Beat Louisville, But One Major Concern Can't Be Ignored

The Ole Miss Rebels may have won, but there is much to work on.

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) carries the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels survived a back-and-forth thriller, winning 41-38 over the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals. Lucas Carneiro drilled a 48-yard field goal as time expired.

It wasn't a pretty win by any means. The Rebels nearly squandered a 14-point lead with 6:30 left and required a game-winning drive to hold off the Cardinals.

There were certainly some positives out of the season opener, but Ole Miss leaves with major concerns as they head home.

A Flipped Script From Both Sides of the Ball

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Deuce Alexander (1) celebrates his touchdown catch with wide receiver Horatio Fields. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Ole Miss offense and defense had completely different first and second halves. The offense started slow, as Trinidad Chambliss turned the ball over twice and the Rebels managed one touchdown.

The defense shut down the Louisville offense in the first half. The defensive line stepped up, and Lincoln Kienholz never found a rhythm. Ole Miss held onto a 10-6 lead going into halftime. Then, the second half flipped the script.

Chambliss showcased his Heisman-level skills as he slung multiple 62-yard touchdown passes to Deuce Alexander. The explosive offense came to life as Ole Miss went toe-to-toe with Louisville. Chambliss finished with 336 passing yards and three touchdowns.

However, old habits die hard. Similar to last season, the Rebels' defense was susceptible to the big play. They allowed eight plays of 20+ yards in the second half. Missed assignments and poor tackling allowed the Cardinals to crawl back into the game. It was an unacceptable effort from Golding's defense in the second half.

Ole Miss revamped its secondary through the transfer portal, but Saturday revealed there is much to work on. The Rebels must be more balanced moving forward.

Injury Concerns?

Mississippi Rebels running back Kewan Lacy warms up. Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The big concern is around running back Kewan Lacy. He left the game in the second half and never returned. We'll get a better update regarding his injury status, but given his heavy usage last season, Ole Miss should exercise caution with its star running back.

Defensive end Kam Franklin, linebacker Keaton Thomas, and right tackle Tommy Kinsler also left the game. Golding isn't too worried about the injuries.

"They will all be back," Golding said. "Some soft-tissue stuff. Keaton's was an ankle deal. All of that. X-rays were negative on all of those guys. Went to the tent and kind of tried to push through it late."

Hopefully, no one faces long-term absences, but this many injuries in the first week are not ideal. Regardless, the Rebels should be happy to leave Nashville with a win.

Louisville is a tough team, and this game was never going to be easy. Ole Miss was resilient, and even though they weren't at their best, they found a way to beat the Cardinals.

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