Ole Miss heads to Nashville on Saturday with more than just Vanderbilt to worry about.
The Rebels are trying to bounce back from last week’s loss at Florida, they’re walking into a stadium where the home team hasn’t lost in nearly two years, and they may have to deal with hurricane weather while doing it.
Vanderbilt has been a different team at FirstBank Stadium, and the Commodores’ scheme on both sides of the ball creates enough problems on its own.
Add in heavy rain, strong winds and a long injury list, and Ole Miss’ margin for error gets even smaller.
Before the Rebels take the field at 2:30 p.m., here’s everything to know about the game.
The Opponent: Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt enters Saturday’s game against Ole Miss at 3-2 after opening the season with wins over Austin Peay, Delaware and NC State before dropping consecutive SEC road games to Auburn and Georgia.
The Commodores are not the same offensive team they were last season with Diego Pavia, but they remain difficult to prepare for. Vanderbilt uses multiple personnel groups, shifts and motions to create favorable numbers in the running game and can involve the quarterback as a runner. Jared Curtis gives the Commodores more of a downfield passing threat, while Blaze Berlowitz allows Vanderbilt to lean more heavily into option concepts. Wide receiver Junior Sherrill has been the offense’s most consistent playmaker and enters the matchup with 474 receiving yards.
Defensively, Vanderbilt plays an aggressive, boom-or-bust style. The Commodores frequently manufacture pressure and rank among the national leaders in sacks, but that aggression can leave defensive backs isolated and create opportunities for explosive plays when opponents handle the pressure correctly.
Vanderbilt has also been significantly better at home. The Commodores have won 10 consecutive games at FirstBank Stadium, including victories over top-10 opponents Alabama in 2024 and LSU last season.
Weather Report
Rain and heavy winds are about as guaranteed as it can be in hurricane weather.
According to the National Weather Service, “Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 4pm, then a chance of showers. High near 71. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.”
Read more about Saturday’s weather here.
Ole Miss Uniforms
- Helmet: Powder blue
- Jersey: White
- Pants: White
Powder, White, White 🧊#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/Gsw9eMcqsN
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 9, 2026
How to Watch: No. 9 Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
- Who: No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels (3-1, 1-1 SEC) at Vanderbilt Commodores (3-2, 0-2 SEC)
- When: 2:30 p.m., Saturday
- Where: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Ole Miss leads all-time series 54-40-2
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 33, Vanderbilt 7 (October 28, 2023)
- Last time out, Rebels: lost to No. 21 Florida, 52-28
- Last time out, Commodores: lost to Georgia, 38-14
Student-Athlete Availability Report
Ole Miss
Out
- WR #12 Izaiah Hartrup
- LB #26 Ant Davis Jr.
- RB #28 Joshua Dye
- S #35 Craig Tutt
- S #39 Gerald Lacy Jr.
- OL #70 Jalan Chapman
- OL #71 Emanuel Faulkner
- TE #87 Wyatt Smalley
Questionable
- RB #5 Kewan Lacy
Vanderbilt
Out
- CB #2 Jaylin Lackey
- LB #20 Jamison Curtis
- DL #55 Aaron Bryant
- OL #72 Mitchell Smith
- WR #81 Kahden Smith
Odds, Spread, Totals
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Ole Miss: -9.5 (-115)
- Vanderbilt: +9.5 (-105)
Moneyline
- Ole Miss: -365
- Vanderbilt: +285
Total
- Over: 54.5 (-114)
- Under: 54.5 (-106)
HottyToddy.com Staff Picks
Andy Hodges
Ole Miss 38, Vanderbilt 10. Ole Miss is heavy favorite against Vanderbilt, who has been known to create numerous problems at times over the year. They’ve even come away with shocking wins over the Rebels that has de-railed entire seasons (I’m thinking of 2008 primarily here). I’m not expecting any of that to happen in this game because the loss at Florida has created some soul-searching with the Ole Miss coaches and players. There has even been talk of “loafing” by the Rebels players and nothing will get folks’ attention faster than that word, especially if they are. This Commodore team hasn’t appeared to have the talent to pull off any kind of upset like that but the Rebels can’t afford to just slip by with a win. Vandy has already shown this year they can get a miracle win. Ole Miss can’t let it get that close. Ole Miss 38, Vanderbilt 10.
Taylor Hodges
Ole Miss 34, Vanderbilt 24. The Rebels have had two weeks to fix the defensive woes that led to the fiasco in Gainesville. Maybe I’m just a pessimist, but I’ll believe they’re fixed when I see it. That being said I do believe Ole Miss is just better. It has more talent than Vanderbilt, more experience and a special quarterback in Trinidad Chambliss. It’s really the matchup of Chambliss vs. Vanderbilt’s pressure-heavy defense that has me believing Ole Miss win. But expect the Commodores to keep it close for most of the game. Unless Kewan Lacy is healthy, in which case this could turn into a blowout. I’ll stick with the close score, though.
Nina Houdeshell
Ole Miss 42, Vanderbilt 10. This game is what could give Ole Miss some confidence back before heading into what’s looking to be a challenging matchup against Missouri. The bye week came at just the right time for the Rebels to address the problems that happened at Florida. Ole Miss regains their fans trust.
Hudson Miller
Ole Miss 38, Vanderbilt 14. Ole Miss is heavily favored and they should be. They are easily the better team on paper and talent wise. Their defense has been tested over the past two weeks of practice and they will come out with a new energy this weekend. The weather sets up Kewan Lacy’s possible return in a big way with a run-heavy offense. However, Trinidad Chambliss will still be heavily involved as well. I see this being a 38 to 14 Ole Miss win.
Cianna Rivera
Ole Miss 31, Vanderbilt 14. Coming into the Ole Miss vs Vanderbilt game this weekend Ole Miss is the favored team to win. After the Florida game, Ole Miss definitely needs a win this week to boost morale. With Ole Miss coming out of the bye week, the team has had time to work on what needs to be improved. With that being said, Ole Miss is definitely taking the win this week.
EA College Football 27 Simulation
