Rece Davis predicts upset against top-15 program in Week 9

Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss offense meets Brent Venables’ Oklahoma defense Saturday in Norman in a matchup between two of the SEC’s top-15 teams. Both sit at 6-1, both boast top-five units nationally, and both know a loss could derail playoff hopes entering November.

On Thursday’s episode of College GameDay Podcast, ESPN analyst Rece Davis said he expects the Rebels to hand Oklahoma its second defeat of the season. Davis cited Ole Miss’ historical edge and offensive balance as reasons he believes Kiffin’s team will prevail again.

“I think Ole Miss wins too. I think Ole Miss is better,” Davis said. “And also, Ole Miss has never lost to Oklahoma. This is only the third meeting. Beat them last year. The last game Josh Heupel lost as a college football player was against Ole Miss in the Independence Bowl. Deuce McAllister—they lost the last game of what had been the ’99 season, and then 2000, you know, they won the national championship.”

Ole Miss Offense Faces Nation’s Top Defense

Kiffin’s eighth-ranked Rebels are averaging 37.4 points and 491.9 yards per game. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a Division II transfer from Ferris State, has delivered five straight games with at least 250 passing yards. Running back Kewan Lacy has added 618 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, ranking third in the SEC in yards and second in scores. Tight end Dae’Quan Wright provides explosiveness in the passing game, leading all SEC tight ends in yards per catch at 20.7.

Venables’ 13th-ranked Sooners counter with the nation’s best defense. Oklahoma leads the FBS in total defense, sacks, and tackles for loss, and is second in scoring defense, giving up just 9.4 points per game. Defensive end R Mason Thomas has 5.5 sacks, while Taylor Wein adds 3.5 as part of a relentless front.

“(Venables) just somehow gets the information to the guys and they do a great job of playing plays,” Kiffin said. “When they see plays that they think are coming, they go take them away or pick them off. It’s phenomenal prep, a film study of signals.”

Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) has 1,549 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception, along with 323 rushing yards with five scores on the ground. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Venables credited his assistants. “We’ve got an excellent staff. This is the best defensive staff that I’ve been on since I’ve been coaching. And I’ve been on a couple of really amazing staffs.”

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, a transfer from Washington State, has thrown for 1,567 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for five more. True freshman running back Tory Blaylock adds balance with 391 yards on the ground.

Davis’ pick of Ole Miss to beat Oklahoma would mark a third straight win for the Rebels in the series. Ole Miss defeated the Sooners 26-14 last season and 27-25 in the 1999 Independence Bowl.

The Rebels will face Oklahoma on Saturday at noon ET at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on ABC.