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Kentucky

Take Two: Kentucky-Ole Miss Predictions

3val57SW_400x400 (1)by: Justin Rowland09/05/25
NCAA Football: Georgia St. at Mississippi
Aug 30, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) hands the ball off to running back Kewan Lacy (5) during the second quarter against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Kentucky hosts Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon in a huge game for Mark Stoops’ program as a tone-setter for the 2025 season.

The Wildcats’ game against Ole Miss last year was the highlight of the team’s season. Cats Illustrated writers Jeff Drummond and Justin Rowland share their takes on the matchup.

What are the biggest reasons for optimism for Kentucky fans going into Saturday?

Jeff Drummond: I think the recent history of the UK-Ole Miss series should give fans a certain level of confidence that this will be a competitive game. Each of the last four times the Cats and Rebels met on the gridiron, the game was decided in the final minute or overtime. Granted, these are almost two entirely revamped rosters, but UK has several key players back from the team that won last year in Oxford. I like the fact that the Cats played in a competitive game last week against Toledo while Ole Miss coasted through a blowout of Georgia State. I think the Kentucky defense will put the Cats in a position to be in the game going into the fourth quarter. Brad White has frustrated Lane Kiffin in the last two matchups, holding the high-powered Rebs to just 39 combined points.

Justin Rowland: I think you have to feel pretty good about the defense after Week 1. Brad White befuddled the Rebels’ offense in Oxford last year. But let’s back up. Ole Miss was better last year than they’re expected to be this year. Kentucky is probably better this year than it turned out to be last year. And this game is in Lexington. So if last year’s Kentucky team was capable of winning on the road at Ole Miss, this year’s Kentucky team is certainly capable of it in Lexington. Nothing about last season’s slide has anything to do with what will happen on Saturday. The Ole Miss offensive line was a big question in fall camp and Kentucky really got after Tucker Gleason last week. For Kentucky to win this game it needs to run the ball, stop the run, and get after the quarterback.

What are the main reasons for concern?

Drummond: Ole Miss looked fantastic last week. New quarterback Austin Simmons picked up where Jaxson Dart left off, throwing for 341 yards in his first college start. The rushing attack posted 295 yards. It’s a balanced offensive attack that will also test you with the tempo. But the bigger concern is probably when the UK offense is on the field. If the Cats cannot generate a consistent passing attack and create more explosive plays than they did last week, it’s going to be hard to keep pace.

Rowland: You know Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss have this one circled. They’ve heard for a year about how last season’s game went. It may have kept them out of the playoff. They will be looking to make a statement in the first big game of the year for both teams. While both teams have some questions and there are a lot of unknowns after Week 1 the widespread consensus is that Ole Miss was in a much better position than Kentucky going into this year. The Rebels were not picked as a conference favorite but they were right in the thick of things while UK was picked at the bottom of the league with Mississippi State. So by any way of looking at the game a Kentucky win would still be a clear upset. Teams on the wrong side of point spreads like this one do win, but it’s not the most common outcome.

What’s your game prediction and who will be Kentucky’s MVP?

Drummond: This is a huge game for Kentucky and Mark Stoops. The fan base remains skeptical of the Cats’ chances this season, but a win in this spot would help change the narrative moving forward. I am a subscriber to the “due theory,” and UK is long overdue for an SEC win at Kroger Field. Give me Kentucky 26, Ole Miss 24 in another nailbiter between the teams. Jacob Kauwe wins it with a late field goal.

Rowland: In this week’s 3-2-1 my bold prediction was that Kentucky will have a chance to win in the fourth quarter. I didn’t see quite enough from Zach Calzada to pick a win against an Ole Miss team that has a lot more talent and depth than Toledo. I’ll call for Ole Miss to win a close one, 30-24. My MVP pick for Kentucky is Dante Dowdell. They need him to chew up yards and clock. He will get opportunities.