Ole Miss Rebels could be without one half of their dynamic backfield duo in huge upcoming game against the Florida Gators
The Rebels dodged a long-term injury, but Saturday’s trip to the Swamp carries real uncertainty.
Ole Miss Rebels star running back Kewan Lacy has officially received an update on his shoulder injury, and the news is a mixed bag heading into a crucial SEC matchup at Florida. ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the news, providing the first look at Lacy’s MRI results and his status for Saturday’s game against the Gators in the Swamp.
“Sources: Ole Miss star running back Kwon Lacy had an MRI on his shoulder today and the injury is not expected to be long-term. He’s uncertain for the game at Florida on Saturday, as he’ll be monitored this week to gauge his recovery.”
Ole Miss dodges a bullet, but questions remain
So it seems that any sort of long-term injury has been escaped by Kewan Lacy and the Rebels. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Ole Miss is heading into one of the toughest environments in college football without a guarantee that its best running back will suit up.
The Florida Gators, ranked 21 in the latest AP Poll, were actually favored over the Rebels as of early Sunday. That alone should raise eyebrows considering Ole Miss has arguably two of the best wins in all of college football, victories over Louisville and LSU. Lacy playing or not playing could sway those lines in a significant way. He’s that big of a deal for this offense.
Trinidad Chambliss carried the load against LSU
The Rebels got the job done for much of the second half without Lacy against the LSU Tigers in Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford, but that was largely because Trinidad Chambliss put the team on his back. Chambliss delivered what could turn out to be a Heisman moment very early on in the regular season, and it kept Ole Miss afloat when Lacy went down.
The truth is, the Ole Miss offense flows through the backfield, more specifically the duo of Chambliss and Lacy. Without both healthy and available, this team looks different, and not in a good way.
Kewan Lacy stats vs LSU
- 9 carries
- 43 yards
- 1 TD
What comes next for Ole Miss
We will wait to see exactly what comes next for Ole Miss, for Lacy, and for the Rebels this week. For now, the MRI confirmed no long-term damage, and the program has avoided a worst-case scenario. We just don’t know what it’s going to look like when they head down to the Swamp this Saturday.
