The very first SEC Football game Saturday afternoon, Kentucky travels to Ole Miss for a Top 25 showdown between the Wildcats and Rebels. This will be only the third meeting between the two programs since the 2017 season, with Ole Miss having won both previous matchups in Lexington (37-34 in 2017, 42-41 in 2020).
Ole Miss (4-0) enters their SEC Football opener ranked as the No. 14 team in the country, with the Rebels coming off a 35-27 win a week ago over Tulsa in Oxford. This matchup with Kentucky will undoubtedly be the Rebels toughest test yet as well, with Ole Miss previously having beaten Troy, Central Arkansas, and Tulsa at home, as well as Georgia Tech on the road.
Offensively, the Rebels come into this contest averaging 41 PPG on that side of the ball, a group led by the running back duo of Quinshon Judkins and Zach Evans, one that has combined for nine touchdowns so far this season. Ulysses Bentley IV has also found the end zone four times this season, while Jonathan Mingo, Malik Heath, and Michael Trigg have emerged as the top three receivers for quarterback Jaxson Dart.
On defense, Ole Miss is allowing only 10 PPG to opponents across the first four weeks of the season, a number that ranks sixth fewest nationally. Leading the Rebels defense are names such as Troy Brown, Tysheem Johnson, AJ Finley, and Ladarius Tennison, while Khari Coleman is Ole Miss’s top pass rusher with 2.5 sacks on the year.
Kentucky (4-0 overall, 1-0 in SEC) on the other hand has already opened SEC Football play, having previously gone to Florida to defeat the Gators 26-16 back in week two. The Wildcats are also coming off a 31-23 home win over Northern Illinois, and are currently ranked as the No. 7 team in the country.
Led by quarterback Will Levis, the Kentucky offense comes into this game averaging 31.2 PPG, and will get a boost Saturday as star running back Chris Rodriguez Jr is expected to return. Kavosiey Smoke has been the Wildcats top running back so far this season, while Tayvion Robinson, Barion Brown, and Dane Key have emerged as their top three pass catchers.
Defensively, Kentucky is allowing the 11th-fewest PPG to opponents in the country at 13 per game, a group led by the duo of Jacquez Jones and DeAndre Square. Jordan Lovett is also a key name for the Wildcats defense, as are Jordan Wright, JJ Weaver, and Alex Afari Jr as pass rushers.
Ole Miss vs Kentucky Line, Spread, Over/Under
As of Thursday, Ole Miss is a 6.5-point favorite over Kentucky according to FanDuel. The money line is Ole Miss -260, with the over/under at 53.5.
Ole Miss vs Kentucky SEC Football Prediction
This week in SEC Football has the potential to bring about multiple upsets, with this game as a legit possibility in that conversation. I’ll say that Ole Miss does pull off the Top 25 upset as well due to a late score, with the Rebels handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season in a close, one possession game. Prediction: Ole Miss 28, Kentucky 24
What Channel is the Ole Miss vs Kentucky Game On?
Ole Miss vs Kentucky will be played on Saturday, October 1 from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, MS. Kickoff is set for 12:00 PM ET, with the game available to watch on ESPN.
Ole Miss vs Kentucky Live Stream
Ole Miss vs Kentucky on fuboTV can be found here.