Coming off the bye week, Jimmy Rodgers faces his biggest test — and WSU’s biggest test in years — as the Cougs travel to Oxford to take on #4 Ole Miss.
This will be the highest-ranked opponent the Cougs have faced since the #4 Michael Penix Jr.-led Washington team in 2023. Prior to that, you’d have to go back to 2014, when WSU lost a thriller to Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and the #2 Oregon Ducks. This will also mark WSU’s first matchup against an SEC opponent since 2013, when they fell by just seven points to an Auburn team that went on to play in the National Championship.
The betting line currently favors Ole Miss by 32.5 points, so let’s take a look at some of the key factors that make the Rebels such a dangerous opponent.
Ole Miss by the Numbers
Record: 5–0
Offense (Per Game – National Rankings):
- Points: #14 – 41.0 per game
- Total Yards: #7 – 531.0 per game
- Passing: #5 – 320.0 per game
- Rushing: #25 – 208.0 per game
Defense (Per Game – National Rankings):
- Points Allowed: T-#33 – 19.0 per game
- Total Yards Allowed: #53 – 336.0 per game
- Passing: T-#33 – 166.0 per game
- Rushing: #100 – 164.0 per game
Turnover Margin: -3
LSU managed to hold this explosive offense to just 24 points — the only team so far to keep them under 30.
Head Coach: Lane Kiffin
One of the premier coaches (and personalities) in college football, Kiffin has led Ole Miss to four 10-win seasons in the last five years. His teams consistently feature some of the most dynamic offenses in the nation — and this one might be his best yet.
However, it’s worth remembering that the last time WSU faced a Lane Kiffin–led team, back in 2013, the Cougs did pull off an upset — knocking off his ranked USC squad 10–7 in the Coliseum.
WSU by the Numbers
Offense (Per Game – National Rankings):
- Points: T-#111 – 21.0 per game
- Total Yards: #128 – 307.0 per game
- Passing: #71 – 216.0 per game
- Rushing: #133 – 78.0 per game
Defense (Per Game – National Rankings):
- Points Allowed: T-#101 – 29.0 per game
- Total Yards Allowed: #50 – 330.0 per game
- Passing: #28 – 163.0 per game
- Rushing: #78 – 150.0 per game
Turnover Margin: -6
Idaho’s 33 passing yards against us certainly help that #28 pass-defense ranking. But over our last three games, we’ve only forced opposing teams to punt four times. Meanwhile, in Ole Miss’s two games against non-SEC opponents, the Rebels have punted just three times total.
If WSU wants to stay competitive in this one, it’ll have to dominate the turnover battle, about the only thing that the Rebels haven't done exceptionally well this year. Ole Miss has only forced four turnovers in five games — never more than one in a single outing. Our defense will need to create takeaways, and the offense must protect the ball to keep the Cougs in it as long as possible.