What Wins and What Loses the Game For Ole Miss vs Louisville

In order for Ole Miss to walk away with a win in their neutral site matchup versus Louisville, they will have to do one thing: activate the offense.

Starting off strong has been the recent success story for Ole Miss as the Rebels have scored big in most recent week one matchups.

In 2025, they scored 63 versus Georgia State, 76 points in week one 2024 versus Furman, and 37 points in week one 2023 versus Tulane.

Get Kewan Lacy going

Kewan and Trinidad play action pla — Dec 20, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) fakes the hand off to running back Kewan Lacy (5) against the Tulane Green Wave during the first half of a game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Getting Kewan Lacy going will be the Rebels' bread and butter. The standout running back stayed with Pete Golding and the Rebels amidst all the rumors of him following Lane Kiffin to LSU. In 2025, Lacy finished first in RB carries with 306, third in yards with 1,567 and 24 touchdowns, an Ole Miss record, passing Quinishon Judkins.

Lacy averaged 5.1 yards a carry while leading the nation in broken tackles. When the Rebels get Lacy going, they are going to implement some play-action and deep-ball action. Trinidad Chambliss, a Heisman favorite coming into the 2026-27 season, now has a full season of SEC experience under his belt and is ready to make a splash in the NCAA history books.

Establish Chambliss Deep Ball

Chambliss celebratio — Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) celebrates a play during the CFP Fiesta Bowl against Miami at the State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After the historic 2025-26 season Chambliss and the Rebels had, a few revamps happened to the program. Lane Kiffin, former Ole Miss head coach, left the team mid-playoff run for LSU and took eight Ole Miss staffers with him. Pete Golding, former defensive coordinator and Rebel staffer who stayed with the team, led them through three rounds of the CFP and will now have a chance at a full season with his own team, not under Kiffin's control.

Chambliss getting the deep ball going early on in the season will be another key to Rebels' success. After losing his top two wide outs in De’Zauhn Stribling and Tre Wallace III, Pete Golding and the Rebels' new staff brought in five new weapons for Chambliss: Darrell Gill Jr., Johntay Cook II, Cameron Miller, Isiah Spencer, and Horatio Fields, on top of Deuce Alexander, Caleb Odom, Cunningham and Kewan Lacy returning from last year.

In 2025, Chambliss tossed 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns, and just three INT’s all while missing the first two games of the season because he wasn't the starter yet. In 2026, with no other quarterbacks in the Ole Miss room threatening his starting spot and the NCAA losing its lawsuit against Chambliss, expect a 4,000-yard passing season and even more yards with his legs.

A Scary Looking Defense

New Rebels DB Sharif Denson making a tackle vs Tennesee — Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) runs the ball while defended by Florida defensive back Sharif Denson (0) during a college football game between Tennessee and Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida., on Nov. 22, 2025. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the defense side of things, Pete Golding revamped the whole core in the portal. This past winter, Golding welcomed five new linemen, six new defensive backs, and three linebackers.

Starters expected out of these transfers are Sharif Denson, stand out DB from Florida State, Blake Purchase, a huge defensive end with a 79.5 inch wing span is going to replace Princewell Umanmielen on the edge, and Luke Ferrelli, a transfer linebacker from California, who started some drama after choosing Ole Miss over Clemson.

All these guys joining a defense already consisting of Will Echoles, Surtaine Perkins, and Kam Franklin is going to be scary for opposing offenses.

What loses this game for the Rebels is shooting themselves in the foot.

In 2025, Ole Miss was a super clutch team; a strip fumble in week three versus Arkansas was enough to put the Razorbacks over the edge. A great late-game win against Oklahoma after being down most of the game controlled the whole fourth to escape Norman with a win, and in the CFP against Georgia, the whole sequence leading up to the game-winning kick was some of the most clutch football in Rebels history.

If the Rebels can stay consistent and clutch and stick to their brand of football all Ole Miss fans know and love, they will have no problem walking out of Nashville with a win versus the Cardinals this fall.

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