OXFORD, Miss. — Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart have spent the week trading compliments instead of bulletin-board material.
When No. 5 Ole Miss visits No. 9 Georgia on Saturday afternoon, two of college football’s sharpest minds will square off with plenty of respect and major implications for the SEC race.
Kiffin has repeatedly credited Smart for building what he called “the standard program in college football,” while Smart countered by labeling Kiffin “one of the best in-game coaches” in the nation.
Their teams’ contrasting strengths of Georgia’s defensive discipline and Ole Miss’ pace-driven offense will test that mutual admiration once the ball is kicked at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
Smart, who is 1-2 against Ole Miss as Georgia’s head coach, said he’s urging Bulldog fans to make Sanford Stadium louder than ever.
“We need the best atmosphere we’ve ever had,” Smart said this week. “He does an unbelievable job of communicating with his quarterbacks, getting them in the right plays. It’s going to take a lot to make that difficult.”
Georgia last hosted a Top 10 opponent as the lower-ranked team three years ago. Oddsmakers still list the Bulldogs as 7.5-point favorites despite Ole Miss’ unbeaten record.
Kiffin’s Rebels aim for program milestone
Ole Miss has won its first six games for only the fourth time since 1962.
Saturday’s meeting offers a chance for the Rebels to extend that streak and earn a defining win under Kiffin, who guided last season’s squad to 11 victories, the most in school history.
“We’ve done some good things here as a program,” Kiffin said. “But there’s another step — can you go beat an elite program like Georgia on their field?”
He acknowledged the noise in Athens could be historic but downplayed its effect.
“Both teams have to play in the noise,” he said. “The game’s about blocking, tackling, catching, throwing, and taking care of the football.”
Chambliss, Lacy headline Ole Miss offense
Few quarterbacks have made a smoother jump from Division II to the SEC than Trinidad Chambliss.
The Ferris State transfer leads the conference in yards per completion and yards per attempt while totaling 1,567 yards of offense and 10 touchdowns.
“He’s explosive, fast, tough, and has great instincts,” Smart said. “They deserve the greatest award there is for finding this guy. He’s really good.”
Chambliss ranks third among SEC quarterbacks in rushing yards and is the first Rebel since Eli Manning in 2001 to surpass 250 passing yards in each of his first four starts.
His running mate, Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy, has added balance with 587 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
“He becomes more effective because of the quarterback and the tempo,” Smart said. “They go really fast and wear people down.”
Ole Miss also features Georgia natives Cayden Lee and Deuce Alexander at receiver in a pair of homecomings that add to the matchup.
“They recruit our state hard and do a great job,” Smart said. “It’s special for those kids to play in front of family.”
Georgia looks to reassert control in SEC East
Georgia’s lone loss this season came in a 31–28 defeat at Tennessee, snapping the Bulldogs’ 21-game conference winning streak.
Since then, Kirby Smart’s team has leaned on its defense and the steady dual-threat play of new starter Gunner Stockton. The redshirt junior has been efficient with the ball and adds a designed-run element that diversifies Georgia’s offense, pairing quick-game accuracy with timely scrambles and play‑action shots.
Defensively, Georgia ranks among the SEC’s best in total and scoring defense, with linebackers Smael Mondon Jr. and C.J. Allen leading a unit intent on disrupting Ole Miss’ tempo and limiting explosive plays.
“It’s about limiting big plays and forcing long drives,” Smart said. “Against a team like Ole Miss, one or two plays can swing momentum.”
Rebuilt Rebel defense faces ultimate test
Ole Miss’ defense — which replaced 20 of 22 starters in the offseason — has emerged as one of the nation’s most disruptive units.
The Rebels held Georgia to its lowest point total since 2021 and fewest yards since 1995 in last year’s meeting in Oxford, a 27-13 Ole Miss win that snapped a six-game series skid.
“Really impressive,” Smart said of Kiffin’s overhaul. “They’re constantly moving, causing havoc. They’ve got a couple of the best inside guys we’ve seen.”
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s aggressive front, anchored by newcomers Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen, ranks in the top 10 nationally in sacks.
The question is whether that pressure can rattle Beck and limit Georgia’s methodical pace.
Kiffin’s challenge, he said, lies not in revenge or history but in execution. “Those teams were different,” he said. “This is about playing your best in the moment.”
The Prediction
Everyone is coming down with predictable picks. Fans and media in Georgia are taking the Bulldogs and the guys doing it in Mississippi are, obviously, taking Ole Miss.
Too many people around here are looking at the too-close win over Washington State last week. Last week has nothing to do with this week.
There is actually an argument to be made that it could help. Losses and close wins tend to get a team focused.
It’s probably a good bet that has worked with Ole Miss this week. Now they just have to do it on the field Saturday.
The will.
Ole Miss 27, Georgia 21
Key takeaways
- Mutual respect defines the Ole Miss-Georgia matchup, with both coaches emphasizing execution over hype.
- Ole Miss’ balanced offense, led by Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, faces Georgia’s elite defensive front.
- Georgia seeks redemption after last year’s loss, while Ole Miss aims for its first 7-0 start since 1962.
