No. 13 Missouri travels to No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday for a top-15 SEC showdown with a built-in subplot: Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons will face the program that benched him last season. This Missouri vs Ole Miss preview breaks down the matchup, the numbers and the biggest questions heading into kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
Missouri is 5-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play after beating Texas A&M 27-6 on Oct. 10. Ole Miss is 4-1 overall and 2-1 in conference games following a 52-17 rout of Vanderbilt the same day. Both teams climbed in the polls this week, with Missouri moving to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll and Ole Miss sitting at No. 9 in the AP poll and No. 10 in the Coaches Poll, according to 247Sports.
Missouri Vs Ole Miss Preview: Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi
- TV: SEC Network
What Does The Austin Simmons Return Mean?
Simmons started at Ole Miss before losing his job to Trinidad Chambliss following a Week 3 injury last season, and he never started another game for the Rebels, according to CBS Sports. Chambliss went on to throw for 3,937 yards, finish eighth in Heisman voting and lead Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals. Simmons entered the transfer portal after that playoff run and landed at Missouri, where he has thrown for 1,434 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception this season while completing 64.8% of his passes.
Ole Miss coach Pete Golding addressed facing his former backup turned starter elsewhere. “It’s scary to know how good he is and how talented he is,” Golding said, per CBS Sports. Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz praised how Simmons handled the demotion before his move.
“I think the biggest thing is he’s a tremendous teammate. He showed great leadership. You go from being the starting quarterback to getting Wally Pipped and now you’re having to be the encourager,” Drinkwitz said.
Simmons has not downplayed the difficulty of the exit. “It was tough leaving. I’d been there for so long,” he said at Missouri’s preseason media day in August.
Chambliss, for his part, called the setup unusual. “Going to be weird to see them in different colors,” he said after Ole Miss’ win at Vanderbilt.
Who Else Made The Jump From Oxford To Columbia?
Simmons is not the only player who left Ole Miss for Missouri. Wide receiver Cayden Lee, who played three seasons with the Rebels, has caught 41 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns through six games at Missouri. Cornerback Chris Graves Jr. also made the transfer. Simmons has been named SEC Offensive Player of the Week twice this season, according to Sports Illustrated.
How Have Both Teams Trended Since Their Only Loss?
Ole Miss’ lone defeat came 52-28 at Florida on Sept. 26, a game in which Gators running back Jadan Baugh ran 29 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns. Missouri later beat that same Florida team 45-17, with Baugh limited to 12 carries for 13 yards, a swing Sports Illustrated flagged as a point of comparison between the two SEC contenders.
Missouri’s only loss this season came on the road against Mississippi State, three weeks before its 27-6 win over Texas A&M. Since that setback, the Tigers have won two straight, including a 45-17 win over Florida the week before facing the Aggies.
What Do The Season Numbers Say About Each Offense?
Ole Miss ranks among the most efficient scoring offenses in the country, leading the FBS by converting 100% of its red zone trips into points. The Rebels average 439.0 passing yards per game, 39th nationally, and 302.7 rushing yards per game, 29th nationally, for a total of 392.4 yards per game that ranks 108th in the FBS. Missouri averages 433.8 total yards per game, 43rd nationally.
Turnovers mark a clear separation point. Missouri ranks 15th in the FBS with a plus-5 turnover margin, while Ole Miss sits 77th at minus-1. Missouri also controls the clock better, averaging 30 minutes 30 seconds of possession per game (59th nationally) compared to Ole Miss’s 26:08 average, which ranks 135th. On defense, Ole Miss has struggled on third down, ranking 123rd nationally by allowing a 45.9% conversion rate, while Missouri’s offense converts 42.7% of its own third-down chances, good for 57th in the FBS.
By the Numbers
- Total offense per game: Missouri 433.8 yards, Ole Miss 392.4 yards
- Passing yards per game: Missouri 256.5, Ole Miss 300.6
- Rushing yards per game: Missouri 181.7, Ole Miss 133.2
- Points per game: Missouri 35.8, Ole Miss 38.8
- Turnover margin: Missouri +1, Ole Miss 0
- Third-down conversion rate: Missouri 42.17%, Ole Miss 43.10%
- Time of possession: Missouri 10,686 seconds total, Ole Miss 7,766 seconds total
- Total takeaways: Missouri 4, Ole Miss 7
Missouri Outlook
Quarterback Austin Simmons has completed 107 of 165 passes for 1,434 yards with 14 touchdowns against a single interception this season. Running back Jamal Roberts has carried the load on the ground with 828 yards and eight touchdowns on 147 attempts, and he posted 222 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries in the win over Texas A&M. Receiver Cayden Lee has caught 42 passes for 616 yards and five scores. Missouri’s plus-5 turnover margin and 30:30 average time of possession reflect a ball-control approach that has produced wins in four of its last five games, with the only blemish coming at Mississippi State.
Ole Miss Outlook
Trinidad Chambliss has thrown for 1,435 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions on 70.1% completion this season, and he added 213 yards, three touchdowns and one interception through the air plus a rushing score in the win over Vanderbilt. Running back Kewan Lacy has totaled 230 yards and five touchdowns on just 46 carries, while receiver Deuce Alexander has 503 yards and five touchdowns on 32 catches, including a five-catch, 74-yard, one-touchdown performance against Vanderbilt. Ole Miss’ red zone offense leads the FBS at a 100% scoring rate, but the Rebels’ minus-1 turnover margin and 123rd-ranked third-down defense are areas Missouri’s offense could look to exploit.
What To Watch
Ole Miss has won 14 consecutive games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium dating back to late September 2024, a home streak Missouri will try to end on the road. Both teams remain in the thick of the SEC race at 2-1 in conference play, and a win would strengthen either program’s playoff positioning given their rankings in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll. Ole Miss turns around quickly to face No. 7 Texas on Oct. 24, while Missouri heads to Arkansas on Oct. 31.
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