OXFORD, Miss. — No. 8 Ole Miss recorded its first loss of the season last Saturday in Athens while No. 5 Georgia outlasted the Rebels, 43-35, at Sanford Stadium.
However, it should be noted that the team’s 6-1 start is actually a bit surprising to many after losing so much talent to the NFL. Before the Georgia game, even head coach Lane Kiffin took note of the Rebels’ situation.
“You know, this is supposed to be a rebuilding year for us. We lost 20 of 22 starters, so I’m happy our guys put us in a position to be in a game like this…” Kiffin said.
A big factor in the Rebels’ success this year has been due to the performance of Missouri transfer running back Kewan Lacy.
Lacy lit a spark on the ground for Coach Kiffin’s offense, as he rushed for 618 yards at a clip of 4.5 yards per carry, placing him third in the SEC in total rushing yards. His 10 touchdowns this season rank third in the nation through his first seven games as a Rebel.
Lacy has also made an impression with his ability to shake off tackles and fight for extra yards as he has made 49 missed tackles throughout the season so far.
The Dallas, Texas native has been praised in the media throughout the season for his contributions to the team, but this week, coach Kiffin, offensive lineman Jayden Williams and linebacker/EDGE Suntarine Perkins all offered their own input on the tailback’s impact.
As Lacy’s blocker, Williams has a first-hand sense of his talent.
“Just explosiveness. I think that’s a different type of background there. Not the biggest, but just a violent runner… Even if we don’t block the best or if we’re not up to someone or if we’re not well spotted, he can catch up because he’s a very violent runner. He breaks tackles. He makes people miss him. But when we have stuff blocked off, it’s even better because you take it into space and you let it eat and it just does what it does..”
Jayden Williams on Kewan Lacy
Perkins is also impressed with what he sees from Lacy and how the guard helps the defense prepare for opponents.
“He just comes in every day to practice, he runs the ball pretty hard, and the offensive line gives us a good look and being able to go against these guys every day and prepare for whatever team we play that Saturday, he just gives us a good look.“
Suntarine Perkins vs. Kewan Lacy
As for Coach Kiffin, he kept his response about Kewan very simple: “Kewan did an incredible job.”
Kiffin also reflected on Saturday’s loss, particularly wondering whether the team should have rushed the ball more in the crucial fourth quarter in Athens.
“You know, I always look at things not like “oh, how did you do that well?” and sit on that. I always look at things and say, “Okay, how could we have done things differently,” you know? And I wish we would have gotten him (Lacy) the ball in the fourth quarter, because they (Georgia) were driving a lot. But at the same time also, in my opinion, we advance against Georgia because of the shots, especially their defense this year, and it’s a lot more difficult to compete against them. That’s why you saw a game with a lot of passing or a quarterback game. And it worked, five series of five touchdowns. So it’s quite difficult to get away from that. But looking back, obviously, when you know we missed some throws, you say, “well, man, I wish we’d kind of given it to him.” But he did a great job.”
Lane Kiffin on Lacy
The Rebels head to Norman, Oklahoma for a critical game against the Sooners on Saturday. Gaylord Family Stadium is known as one of the loudest venues in the country, as was Sanford Stadium in Athens last weekend.
Kiffin spoke earlier this week about the atmosphere against the Bulldogs, as well as establishing a running game in a noisy road environment.
“I think it’s just such a different feeling. You know, when you go to Georgia and you play that defense in that environment and there’s no turnovers, no sacks and no tackles for loss. (That would tell you) probably we would have won and probably won by a few scores. But we don’t block them perfectly every time, you know, and Georgia made some good plays and players make plays. And Kewan would gain another yard or two on a negative run. So it’s a really good feeling to always have, especially on the road.“
Coach Kiffin
Lacy’s impact has been felt all season and with five games remaining, the sophomore has a chance to establish himself as one of the greats in Ole Miss’ rich football history, as well as help the team advance to the College Football Playoff.
A look to the future
Lacy and the Rebels will look to bounce back Saturday as they hit the road to face the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners (6-1, 2-1 SEC) for just the second time as SEC foes. Ole Miss beat the Sooners in Oxford last season, 26-14.
The Rebels and Sooners are scheduled to tip off at 11 a.m. CT as both teams look to stay in the SEC championship race.
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Billy Kuhl
Billy Kuhl joins The Rebel Walk as a sophomore at Ole Miss majoring in journalism with a concentration in sports media. He is a native of Jefferson Township, New Jersey and graduated from Jefferson Township High School where he played varsity baseball and football and swam competitively during his summers. You can contact him at wpkuhl88@gmail.com or send him a private message on X @Billykuhll or instagram @Billykuhll_
