OXFORD – If football is a game of adjustments, the 2026 Ole Miss football team has already done its share of adapting in the first half of the season.
Through the first four games of the year, the No. 7 Rebels (5-1, 3-1 SEC) were among the worst run-stopping teams in college football, surrendering just under 195 yards per game. That problem reared its head in the worst way in Gainesville on Sept. 26 when Florida ran for 302 yards and six touchdowns in a blowout 52-28 victory.
Since then, the Rebels had a bye week to figure things out and have played games against Vanderbilt and Missouri. Ole Miss surrendered 103 rushing yards to the Commodores and held the Tigers – headlined by star running back Jamal Roberts, who entered the matchup with 828 yards – to 39 rushing yards in a dominant 31-3 win. It was the fewest rushing yards Ole Miss has allowed to an SEC opponent since surrendering 39 to Mississippi State in the 2024 Egg Bowl.
What’s been the biggest difference defensively since that fateful day in The Swamp? It’s not complicated, according to head coach Pete Golding.
“I contribute it to their preparation last week and how they take coaching and how they prepare and how they practice. This group’s had ability. We’ve said it the entire time,” Golding said. “But like in any week, you have to focus and do things right. … We talked about the rush yards in the bye week. I mean, 70% of our rush yards were missed tackles. And so if we tackle the guy with the ball, it’s a pretty important piece of football, it kind of helps a bit. So, I think the emphasis on it has been good.”
The Rebels’ adjustments this season haven’t solely involved X’s and O’s. It’s also included key personnel altering the way they operate. That’s evident in Ole Miss’ running back room, where juniors Kewan Lacy and Makhi Frazier have dealt with various adversities and managed to thrive despite them.
Lacy, a Doak Walker Award finalist in 2025 who tied the program record with 1,567 rushing yards, has been limited by injuries this year. He left the opener against Louisville with a leg injury and returned the next week against Charlotte. Lacy suffered a shoulder injury against LSU, missed the Florida game and returned after the bye against Vanderbilt. He ran for 59 yards in the first quarter against Missouri but was injured again and was seen going in and out of the medical tent on the sideline throughout the second quarter. He returned in the third and finished with a season-high 122 yards.
This season has involved extra hours in the Manning Center so Lacy can get his body right.
“You get up early. Long nights, long days. But if you really love football, you’re going to make time,” Lacy said. “So, really just having a schedule and sticking to that schedule throughout the week, that’s going to help you.”
Frazier, a first-year transfer from Michigan State, led the Spartans with 520 rushing yards last season. He signed on at Ole Miss knowing Lacy was the leader in the backfield but still had his ups and downs in the early portion of 2026, totaling 17 carries through the first three weeks. Frazier led the team with 73 rushing yards at Vanderbilt and notched his first 100-yard game at Ole Miss on Saturday as the Rebels ran for a season-high 257 yards.
Frazier has also had to learn his new normal.
“There’s one ball. And (Frazier) had a really good year last year and came in and, I think early it didn’t go the way he envisioned … and then he got his opportunity,” Golding said. “And I think his mentality changed. I think his focus has been a lot better, I think he’s become more of a team player. And I think that’s the best thing about that room. … They pull for each other, and it’s fun to see.”