Nov 16, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops walks onto the field before the game against the Murray State Racers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Can Mark Stoops give Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels trouble once again?

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 12:48 PM ET

It wasn't pretty, but Mark Stoops and the Kentucky Wildcats are now 1-0 thanks to a 24-16 win over the Toledo Rockets in Kroger Field. Toledo is a solid MAC team, but this weekend will begin the real test for the Kentucky Wildcats as they are set to host Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels.

In week one, Ole Miss took on Georgia State and beat them 63-7 in a game where the spread was -33.5. Austin Simmons is the new quarterback for Kiffin, and despite two picks, he put up 341 yards and three touchdowns.

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Last season, Kentucky went into Oxford and took down the Rebels 20-17, and in the two previous meetings before this one, Ole Miss won, but by a combined four points. Stoops has had the number of Kiffin, and it has to do with making games ugly.

In his first game as a Kentucky Wildcat, it is hard to say that Zach Calzada looked great, as he was missing by a wide margin on a lot of throws downfield. While the goal of this football game will be to run the ball at a high level, Calzada will still need to make some big-time throws for the Wildcats to win.

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Last season, while Brock Vandagriff was putrid for the Wildcats, he did make some big throws in the win over the Rebels, and Calzada will need to do the same this season.

Big Blue Nation is going to show out for this football game, and for the Wildcats to win, they will need to slow the elite offensive attack of Ole Miss.

If Kentucky can do this and slow the game down by running the ball well, it is possible for the Wildcats to pull off the upset, but seeing how Calzada threw the ball on Saturday, it is hard to be confident. If this game is close, the Wildcats will need some explosive plays in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset.

The defense made some big stops in the matchup with Ole Miss last season which gave the offense a shot late, and the hope is that it will do the same this season. Getting a pass rush would go a long way to getting the victory.

Kiffin has been preparing all off-season for this matchup with Kentucky, so it is clear that Stoops is in his head ahead of the first SEC matchup for both teams.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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