🎖️ Legend Speaks: Todd Wade
Ole Miss legend Todd Wade joined today’s Locked On Ole Miss on Missouri Eve, and he did not hedge on what Saturday means.
This is the game of the year for Ole Miss.
Todd Wade
His reasoning: “If we don’t win this game, there’s a great chance we don’t go to the playoffs.” On Austin Simmons, his plan matches Bill Flowers’ from Wednesday: “We can’t sit there and let him throw the ball.” And on the defense: “If we can create enough confusion and really get on them early, I like our chances.”
The former offensive tackle called pass protection the matchup to watch, against a Missouri defense with 15 sacks. His grade for the quarterback: “I’m grading Trinidad here. He’s almost perfect.” Todd Wade’s call: Ole Miss 34, Missouri 31.
☕ Morning Coffee
“He throws it to set up the run.”
Missouri allows 78.3 rushing yards a game and 2.4 a carry. On today’s LOOM Flagship, Steven calls it the best run defense Ole Miss will see all season, and argues that is exactly why Ole Miss wins. “Trinidad Chambliss doesn’t need the run to set up the pass,” he says. “He throws it to set up the run.”
His three reasons:
- The RPO game. Missouri’s linebackers come downhill hard on standard downs. Show them the run, and the ball goes right behind them to Caleb Odom, who has 17 catches for 230 yards.
- Throw first. Opponents have run it 193 times for 470 yards against Missouri and thrown it 203 times. Ole Miss throws for 300.6 yards a game, 15th in FBS, and allows 1.0 sacks a game, best in the SEC.
- Lead early. Ole Miss has outscored opponents 109-33 in the first half and is 4-0 when leading at halftime. Get up two possessions, and Jamal Roberts spends the fourth quarter watching.
One honest caution from Steven: Ole Miss has been outscored 59-29 in third quarters. “The lead has to survive halftime.”
🔑 Keys to the Game
- Win first and second down. Missouri runs for 181.7 yards a game. Make it third-and-eight, not third-and-two, and Austin Simmons has to throw into Pete Golding’s disguises.
- Work the middle. When Missouri’s linebackers step up for the run, the middle opens for Deuce Alexander, who averages 100.6 receiving yards a game.
- Play clean. Ole Miss was flagged 11 times at Vanderbilt. Simmons has thrown one interception all season, so the takeaways will not be handed over.
Tom Vanderford, the mayor of Corinth, put it in one line on today’s show: “The game hinges on our defense versus their run game.” Tom Vanderford’s call: Ole Miss 38, Missouri 31.
👀 Players to Watch
- Trinidad Chambliss has a touchdown pass in 18 straight games, one shy of Matt Corral. He is 23 passing yards from the Ole Miss career top 10 and 40 from John Fourcade at No. 9. Steven called Fourcade “a major friend of this program” and promised “John will be the first one cheering.”
- Kewan Lacy has a rushing touchdown in 13 straight games played, the longest by an Ole Miss player since records began in 1956. Missouri allows 2.4 yards a carry. Steven: “Something has to give tomorrow, and I trust the streak more than the defense.”
- Blake Purchase leads Ole Miss with 3.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. Simmons has 14 touchdown passes and one interception, so if the ball isn’t coming through the air, Purchase has to take it at the quarterback.
📡 Around the SEC Squad
The SEC Squad Show split on Missouri week: two panelists took Ole Miss at home, Locked On SEC and Locked On Vols, and three took Missouri on the road.
The whole country should be talking about this — Austin Simmons and Trinidad Chambliss. This could be first-rounder versus first-rounder.
Locked On Bama, which picked Missouri
Locked On Vols went the other way: “Missouri’s the trendy team. Everybody likes Missouri right now. Then Ole Miss is just going to get that win.” And Locked On Mizzou, our crossover partner Thursday, on Simmons coming back to Oxford: “There’s absolutely no doubt that he has a chip on his shoulder.”
🏆 The 24-Team Playoff
The College Football Playoff is reportedly nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams starting in 2027, pending final approvals, according to The Sporting Tribune, citing ESPN and On3. Power Four champions and the top Group of Six champion would get automatic bids, with the first two rounds played on campus.
Steven and Tom Vanderford took it on today. Steven’s view: “This is the first time in a very long time that the fans got something.”
🗳️ The Calls Are In
| Guest | Call |
|---|---|
| Bill Flowers (Wednesday) | Ole Miss 42, Missouri 28 |
| Todd Wade (today) | Ole Miss 34, Missouri 31 |
| Tom Vanderford (today) | Ole Miss 38, Missouri 31 |
| Locked On Mizzou (Thursday) | Missouri 28, Ole Miss 24 |
Guests’ calls are their own. Every statistic in this newsletter comes from the Ole Miss game notes.
🔮 Saturday: No. 13 Missouri
| Matchup | No. 13 Missouri (5-1, 2-1 SEC) at No. 9 Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1 SEC) |
| Kickoff | Saturday, Oct. 17 · 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m. ET |
| Where | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford · the 99th Homecoming |
| TV | SEC Network |
| Home streak | 14 straight wins in Oxford, third-longest active streak in FBS |
Tomorrow, Missouri. Eight days to Texas.
📻 This Week on Locked On Ole Miss
| Monday | LOOM Flagship: what we learned in the 52-17 win |
| Tuesday | LOOM Flagship: He Said What? Pete Golding’s Missouri week press conference · Rebel Squad LIVE |
| Wednesday | LOOM Flagship: Missouri week, from both sidelines · Ole Miss legend Bill Flowers |
| Thursday | Locked On Ole Miss × Locked On Mizzou: the crossover |
| Today | LOOM Flagship: why Ole Miss beats Missouri · Ole Miss legend Todd Wade · Tom Vanderford on the 24-team playoff |
| Saturday | Michael Katz of the Daily Journal at midnight · the game-day slate with Locked On Bets · pregame show ahead of the 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff |
🔗 Five Clicks
1. Missouri can take Lacy away and still lose
Why Trinidad Chambliss is the answer to Missouri’s plan.
2. The SEC Squad picks Ole Miss-Missouri
Three of the five panelists went with Missouri. The full breakdown.
3. Blake Purchase leads Ole Miss in sacks
And Missouri has to block him Saturday.
4. Thursday’s Everydayer
Bill Flowers, the crossover, and the records Chambliss and Lacy are chasing.
5. Wednesday’s show, recapped
Both sidelines of Missouri week, in one place.
💬 Join the Everydayers
The Missouri game thread is open in the LOOM Private Discord, free to join. What’s your final score?
Everything else lives at olemisshub.com, and if you want the show ad-free plus the members-only room, take your fandom to the next level with the Everydayer Club.
Missouri Eve. Hotty Toddy. 🦈
