OXFORD – In an era of college football where skill position players often get most of the headlines, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin made sure his team was focused on dominating in the trenches against South Carolina.
That message clearly resonated with all parties involved.
The No. 7 Rebels (8-1, 5-1 SEC) notched a 30-14 win over the Gamecocks on Saturday in a game where they outgained South Carolina 417-230. Ole Miss held South Carolina to just 50 rushing yards on 1.6 yards per rush and ran for 258 itself. Gamecocks star quarterback LaNorris Sellers was sacked six times, while Rebels senior Trinidad Chambliss was not sacked at all. Six sacks were the most by Ole Miss in a game this season.
The Rebels totaled five sacks over the first five games of the 2025 season; they have 14 sacks over their last four games alone. Ole Miss’ offensive line has surrendered just eight sacks in nine games this season, including one over the last three games. Ole Miss’ last two opponents, South Carolina and Oklahoma, have a combined 50 sacks this year. The Rebels have allowed the second-fewest sacks in the SEC and are tied for 12th nationally in fewest sacks allowed.
Kiffin told reporters postgame that winning up front was a point of emphasis heading into the matchup with the Gamecocks. Saturday was the Rebels’ first SEC win this year by more than eight points.
“In this room last night, in the team meeting, was, ‘Let’s try to dominate on the line of scrimmages and not leave it up to skill people in the game,’” Kiffin said. “And so I thought they did that.”
The Rebels’ 258 rushing yards were their most in SEC play this season and second-most in a game overall. Sophomore running back Kewan Lacy’s 167 rushing yards against the Gamecocks marked a career high, and his 863 rushing yards are second in the SEC and eighth nationally. Lacy’s 13 rushing scores are tied for second-most in the FBS; his 54-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter Saturday night put the finishing touches on Ole Miss’ impressive night.
“My coach always preach(es), ‘Make one defender miss, win your one-on-ones.’ And I saw my one-on-one and I won it,” Lacy said. “And I saw grass, so I just got to the end zone.”
Ole Miss hosts The Citadel Saturday at noon. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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