OXFORD – For the third straight season, Ole Miss and LSU will meet as ranked opponents. And if the previous two games are any indication, Saturday’s contest at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium should be another gem.
The No. 13 Rebels (4-0, 2-0 SEC) have started the season with four straight wins for the second year in a row, while No. 4 LSU (4-0, 1-0 SEC) has yet to surrender more than 10 points in a single game. The teams have split their last four meetings, with the home team emerging victorious each time.
Ole Miss had its worst rushing offense in head coach Lane Kiffin’s tenure in 2024 and has seemingly made a concerted effort to remedy that this year. LSU, meanwhile, has one of the top run-defense units in college football. Here is a look at how the units match up headed into Saturday’s game. Advanced statistics in this story, such as run direction and missed tackles, are from Pro Football Focus.
Rebels’ run game
A year after averaging 175.7 yards per game on the ground, the Rebels are 25th nationally at 218.5 yards per game thus far in 2025. Sophomore Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy is fifth in the SEC with 358 rushing yards and leads the conference with seven rushing touchdowns. His 89.5 rushing yards per game are on pace to be the most for an Ole Miss player since Quinshon Judkins’ record-setting 2022 freshman season (120.5). Lacy has eight rushes of at least 10 yards and has forced 27 missed tackles, according to PFF. He has also picked up 28 first downs as a runner.
In two starts for injured redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons, senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been a significant asset in the running game. He’s rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns over his two starts, including 112 yards against Tulane. Chambliss became the fourth Ole Miss quarterback ever to throw for 300 yards and run for 100 in a game. Chambliss has been explosive as a runner with six runs of at least 10 yards and has 114 yards after contact.
Of 171 total rushes this season, a combined 62 (36%) of Ole Miss’ attempts have gone outside the tight end on the left and right sides; Lacy himself has 19 carries off the right edge. Lacy has racked up his highest yardage totals off left guard (72 yards) and inside the right guard (67 yards). Twelve of Chambliss’ 36 carries have come off the tight end on the left side for 66 yards.
LSU’s run defense
After giving up 140.1 rushing yards per game last season – including 180 against Ole Miss – LSU ranks 10th nationally at 64 yards per game allowed in 2025. Opposing starting quarterbacks have a combined 33 rushing yards against the Tigers this season. As a team, the Tigers have missed 17 tackles in run defense.
Florida was the most successful FBS team to run on LSU this season with 79 yards on 2.9 yards per carry. In that game specifically, the Gators had 55 yards off the tackles and tight ends on both sides combined.
Jaden Baugh led all Gators rushers with 46 rushing yards in the game, and his most successful run came off left tackle for 13 yards. Florida quarterback D.J. Lagway had 19 net rushing yards in the game off scrambles and had one 10-yard carry off right tackle.
In LSU’s matchup with FCS opponent Southeastern Louisiana last weekend, the Lions had 88 rushing yards. They averaged 9.5 yards per carry on attempts off the right side of the center and had a 16-yard carry off left guard.
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