Kentucky will be the first test of the season for Ole Miss.
The Kentucky Wildcats are preparing to head to The Grove this weekend to face the Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.
Coming into Saturday’s matchup, the Cats are 2-2 (0-2), while Ole Miss is 4-0 and will play its first conference game of the year this week.
Through their first four games, Ole Miss has squared off with Furman, Middle Tennessee State, Georgia Southern, and Wake Forest, which completes their non-conference slate for the season.
Sitting at No. 6 overall in the AP Poll, you would think we know a ton about the Rebels by this point. The only problem is they haven’t been tested, and head coach Lane Kiffin pointed to that fact on Monday.
“I’m a realist. I don’t think our opponents have really prepared us for the SEC play.”
Kiffin continued:
“What my hope is our practice and our fall camp has prepared us, because we play against really good players on both sides of the ball. Defensively, we play against really big linemen, and the same the other way around. The schedule…it is what it is. I hope that our practice has (prepared us) because our practice is similar to what we face.”
#6 Ole Miss hosts Kentucky this weekend. Asked HC Lane Kiffin if he thinks their schedule so far has prepared the Rebels for SEC play.
“I’m a realist. I don’t think our opponents have prepared us for SEC play. My hope is that our practice and our fall camp has prepared us” pic.twitter.com/9my0c4VrSn
— Jon Sokoloff (@JonSokoloff) September 23, 2024
This is going to be another stout test for the Cats, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Ole Miss is one of the best offenses in the country, and quarterback Jaxson Dart has set himself up as an early leader for a spot in the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City.
For Kentucky, though, this game will really come down to offense. Will these defenses they have faced help the Cats figure out how to move the ball effectively and score points? We will get that answer on Saturday.