LSU at Ole Miss — What to Know
- Top-10 Magnolia Bowl: No. 7 LSU (2-0) visits No. 8 Ole Miss (2-0) Saturday night in Oxford. It’s the first LSU–Ole Miss matchup with both teams ranked in the Top 10 since 1962.
- Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. ABC has the national broadcast.
- Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford: This is Kiffin's first trip back to Vaught-Hemingway since leaving Ole Miss for LSU following the 2025 regular season. He faces his former defensive coordinator, Pete Golding, who succeeded him as Ole Miss head coach.
- College GameDay is in Oxford: ESPN's show returns to The Grove for the first time since 2021, adding to what should be one of the biggest atmospheres of the college football weekend. The celebrity guest picker is scheduled to be MORGAN FREEMAN.
- Major LSU injury question: QB Sam Leavitt is currently listed as questionable after dealing with back spasms. He returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday. His availability is one of the biggest things to monitor leading into kickoff.
- Leavitt has been explosive but turnover-prone: He has 574 passing yards and five rushing TDs, but has thrown four interceptions through two games.
- LSU's offense has exploded under Kiffin: The Tigers are averaging 48 points and 586 yards per game after beating Clemson 51-10 and Louisiana Tech 45-14.
- LSU's defense may be the bigger story: The Tigers have been dominant against the run, allowing only 18.5 rushing yards per game through their first two games. That sets up a huge matchup with Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy.
- Trinidad Chambliss is the key for Ole Miss: The Rebels QB has completed roughly 70% of his passes for 561 yards and five TDs, with only one interception. Last season against LSU, he threw for 314 yards and added 71 rushing yards in Ole Miss' 24-19 win.
- Watch LSU DE Princewill Umanmielen: The former Ole Miss defender already has five sacks in two games for LSU. His matchup against the rebuilt Ole Miss offensive line could be crucial.
- Ole Miss has the recent edge in Oxford: The Rebels beat LSU 24-19 last season at Vaught-Hemingway. Saturday is the 115th meeting in the rivalry.
- Potential deciding factors: LSU's ability to contain Chambliss outside the pocket, Ole Miss' ability to establish Lacy against LSU's elite run defense, Leavitt's health, and turnovers. LSU has been statistically dominant but Leavitt's four interceptions give Ole Miss an obvious opportunity to swing the game with takeaways.
Big picture: This is more than the Kiffin storyline. It's an undefeated Top-10 SEC opener, a major early College Football Playoff résumé opportunity, and one of the biggest LSU–Ole Miss games in decades.
Here's more from J&J on Friday's show on 92.9 FM ESPN:
Full coverage and setup live on 92.9 FM ESPN
Full coverage and setup live on 92.9 FM ESPN
