Injuries are part of football. Everyone knows that, even if nobody likes being reminded of it on opening weekend.
Ole Miss had its share of scares Sunday night against Louisville, the kind that make a crowd go quiet for a moment and make a coaching staff hold its breath. The good news is the Rebels seem to have avoided anything major.
The biggest question was running back Kewan Lacy. He left midway through the third quarter with a thigh injury after carrying the ball 17 times for 61 yards and a touchdown.
It wasn’t cramps, and it wasn’t one of those routine early‑September dehydration deals. Anytime a player misses an entire half, people start to worry. Head coach Pete Golding didn’t sound worried.
“We’ll get in there with the medical staff. I don’t think it’s anything serious, but they didn’t feel like putting him back in the game was the right decision at that point,” Golding said.
That’s the line everyone wanted to hear. And it wasn’t the only encouraging update.
Ole Miss had a handful of other players leave the game, including linebacker Keaton Thomas, defensive back Kam Franklin, right tackle Tommy Kinsler and left guard Delano Townsend. Opening weekend always brings leg cramps. It’s hot, players are burning through energy, and even people standing on the sideline break out in a sweat. But the Rebels had more than cramps to sort through.
Golding said the X‑rays were negative across the board. Thomas dealt with an ankle issue and tried to push through it late. Franklin got stepped on and cleated. The rest fell under the soft‑tissue umbrella, the kind of stuff that heals quickly with a little time and a little treatment.
“They’ll all be back,” Golding said. “It was some soft‑tissue stuff.”
That’s about as positive as an injury update gets after Week One. No long‑term concerns. No season‑altering news. Just a handful of bumps and bruises that should fade fast.
And the timing helps. Charlotte comes to Oxford next, which means Ole Miss has a full week to rest, recover and get everyone back to normal. If everything Golding said holds true, the Rebels walked out of a physical opener with good news at every spot they needed it.
In early September, that’s a win just as important as the one on the scoreboard.
