Rebel nation, it’s a quiet Sunday on the schedule but a loud one in the film room. Ole Miss sits 3-1 and smack in the middle of its only bye week, so the headlines are all about a defense being rebuilt, an offense finding a new identity, a schedule with no more room for slip-ups — plus a volleyball team that won’t lose in the SEC. Here’s your Sunday reading list. Hotty Toddy.
Football
Ole Miss Defense’s Effort Problem Shows Up on Film, Will Echoles Says
Sat., Oct. 3 · last 24 hours. Will Echoles didn’t dress it up: “We put a lot of loaf on film.” The lineman says the Florida collapse was about want-to, not talent, and the bye week is for finding who’ll actually chase the ball. Pete Golding is watching closely for who does it consistently. (Hotty Toddy)
Ole Miss Has Eight Straight Games to Prove Florida Was an Outlier
Sat., Oct. 3 · last 24 hours. The No. 9 Rebels get their lone bye now, then eight consecutive games — seven of them SEC — to prove the 52-28 night in Gainesville was a stumble, not a trend. Expect Golding to shuffle the linebacker and secondary rotations before Vanderbilt. The margin for a playoff push is thin. (Sports Illustrated)
Rebel Rundown: Assessing the Temperature Surrounding Ole Miss Football
Sat., Oct. 3 · last 24 hours. A mood check at 3-1: the locker room isn’t fractured. Right guard Patrick Kutas admits the Florida loss “stings” but says it’s “lighting a fire under us,” while Echoles preaches playing “fast, fearless and physical.” Three top-25 opponents are already behind them. The temperature reads warm, not boiling. (Sports Illustrated)
Is Ole Miss Football Playing Today? The Rebels’ Week 5 Schedule
Sat., Oct. 3 · last 24 hours. Short answer: no football this weekend. The Rebels are off, with the next kickoff set for Saturday, Oct. 10 at Vanderbilt — 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. It’s the only open week of the regular season, and Golding is using it to patch a run defense that got gashed in Gainesville. (Yahoo Sports)
The Numbers Show a Dramatic Shift in Ole Miss’ Offensive Identity
Thu., Oct. 1. Ole Miss has quietly become a passing team: 322.5 yards per game through the air (first in the SEC) against just 117.5 on the ground (14th). New coordinator John David Baker’s system, Kewan Lacy’s nagging injuries and loaded boxes all factor in. Getting the run game healthy again may decide the season. (Hotty Toddy)
Ole Miss Secondary Faces Its Most Important Stretch of the Season
Thu., Oct. 1. The back end is the bye-week project. Corners Antonio Kite and Jaylon Braxton have graded out well, but safeties Edwin Joseph and Joenel Aguero have struggled, and elite quarterbacks loom on the schedule. Keaton Thomas says the defense has to lead itself back. The secondary’s reset starts now. (Sports Illustrated)
Men’s Basketball
Men’s Basketball to Hold Open Practice
Fri., Oct. 2 · last 48 hours. Chris Beard’s Rebels take the show on the road: a free open practice at Columbus Air Force Base on Monday, Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m. CT, with a meet-and-greet to follow for fans with base access. It’s the first of four in-state looks at the squad outside Oxford this season. (Ole Miss Athletics)
Women’s Sports
Volleyball Cruises Past Missouri in SEC Showdown
Fri., Oct. 2 · last 48 hours. Ole Miss stayed perfect in league play, handling Missouri 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 20-25, 25-20) to move to 8-5, 2-0 in the SEC. The night belonged to Jorda Crook, who notched her 1,000th career kill, while Melia Johnson (13 kills) and Shayla Meyer (10) powered the attack. (Ole Miss Athletics)
Soccer Falls 2-0 at No. 5 Alabama
Fri., Oct. 2 · last 48 hours. The SEC breakthrough stays out of reach. Ole Miss dropped a 2-0 road decision at No. 5 Alabama, falling to 7-6 overall and 0-5 in conference. Goalkeeper Anna Claire Jacobi stayed busy with eight saves, but the Rebels managed only three shots on goal. Next up: Oct. 9 at Georgia. (Ole Miss Athletics)
Other Sports
Women’s Tennis Announces 2026 Fall Schedule
Thu., Oct. 1. The racket’s up: Ole Miss women’s tennis has released its fall slate, a run of individual tournaments that lets the Rebels sharpen up before the spring dual-match season. It’s a quieter corner of the athletic calendar, but a telling early look at the program’s newcomers and returners. (Ole Miss Athletics)
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