Good morning, Rebel family. Ole Miss is back to work after the bye, and a trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on Saturday, Oct. 10, is now the whole focus. Pete Golding turned the open week into a run-defense overhaul, Kewan Lacy is expected back, and the Rebels held firm in the polls despite the Florida stumble. Here is everything worth your click this morning. Hotty Toddy.
Football
No defensive calls, live tackling and open jobs: Inside Ole Miss’ open-week overhaul
Mon., Oct. 5 · last 24 hours. Golding stripped his defense back to basics during the bye: no play calls in practice, live tackling restored and starting jobs thrown open. The message was accountability over scheme, with December’s roster decisions looming as natural motivation. It is the clearest window yet into how Ole Miss plans to fix a broken run defense. (On3)
Pete Golding puts tackling, accountability at center of Ole Miss’ defensive reset
Mon., Oct. 5 · last 24 hours. The Rebels charted 62 missed tackles over their first five games, and Golding made fundamentals and accountability the centerpiece of the bye-week reset. Rather than reinvent the scheme, the staff drilled basic execution and made clear that playing time and roster decisions will follow whoever tackles consistently down the stretch. (The Rebel Walk)
Kewan Lacy is expected back for Vanderbilt. His workload is another question.
Mon., Oct. 5 · last 24 hours. Golding indicated Monday that running back Kewan Lacy, a Doak Walker Award favorite, is expected to be available at Vanderbilt coming out of the bye. How big a workload he carries in his return is the open question, with the staff weighing how to ease the Rebels’ lead back into the SEC grind. (On3)
Ole Miss football gets time for Missouri game in Oxford
Mon., Oct. 5 · last 24 hours. The SEC set the window for Ole Miss’ Oct. 17 home date with Missouri: 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 CT) in Oxford, with the network still to be confirmed among ABC, ESPN and SEC Network. First, though, the Rebels travel to Vanderbilt this Saturday, Oct. 10. (The Rebel Walk)
Ole Miss 2028 four-star safety commit Giovanni Tuggle locks in five visits
Mon., Oct. 5 · last 24 hours. On the recruiting trail, 2028 four-star safety commit Giovanni Tuggle has lined up five upcoming visits, per On3’s recruiting desk. The pledge remains with Ole Miss for now, but the visit slate is worth tracking as the staff works to keep its young safety class intact through the fall. (On3)
Where Ole Miss football ranks in the polls heading into Vanderbilt
Sun., Oct. 4 · last 48 hours. Even after the Florida loss, Ole Miss held its ground in the polls over the bye: No. 9 in the AP Top 25 and No. 11 in the Coaches Poll heading into Vanderbilt. The Rebels’ early-season résumé, headlined by the LSU win, is still carrying weight with voters. (Yahoo Sports)
3 bold predictions for Ole Miss after the bye week
Sat., Oct. 3. Looking ahead, Yahoo floated three bold calls for the post-bye stretch: Trinidad Chambliss landing a spot at the Heisman ceremony, Kam Franklin topping last year’s team sack leader, and a 10-2 finish that splits Texas and Georgia to keep a Playoff bid alive. Ambitious, but not out of reach. (Yahoo Sports)
Baseball
Mike Bianco names names on who’s already turning heads for Ole Miss
Mon., Oct. 5 · last 24 hours. Fall ball is underway, and Mike Bianco used his preseason press conference to single out early standouts, with outfielder Hayden Federico among the newcomers already turning heads. It is the first real read on a retooled Rebels roster as Ole Miss builds toward its 2027 season. (On3)
Women’s Sports
Ole Miss never finds momentum in 3-0 loss to Vanderbilt
Mon., Oct. 5 · last 24 hours. Ole Miss volleyball’s unbeaten SEC start ended Sunday as Vanderbilt swept the Rebels in straight sets (25-16, 25-20, 25-15) at the Gillom Center. Jorda Crook’s nine kills and Cameron Bradley’s 17 digs were not enough as Ole Miss never found a rhythm against the Commodores. (Hotty Toddy)
Alice Battesti earns MVP as Ole Miss wins Blue Gray title
Sun., Oct. 4 · last 48 hours. A brighter weekend for Rebel tennis: Ole Miss won the Blue Gray Classic in Montgomery, topping top-seeded Wake Forest 4-3 in the final. Junior Alice Battesti was named tournament MVP after key wins in both singles and doubles across the weekend. (Hotty Toddy)
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