In the conference where everything “just means more,” every Saturday is filled with exciting action, and this one is no different. At 3:30 p.m., No. 21 Florida hosts No. 4 Ole Miss in a battle between 3-0 SEC squads at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
As part of this week’s Tailgate Edition, I spoke with Russ Eddins, the sports editor at The Daily Mississippian, the student-run newspaper for the University of Mississippi and the greater Oxford/Lafayette area.
Eddins has worked at the Daily Mississippian since August 2023 and has been the sports editor since April 2025. He answered questions about Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy’s health before giving his game prediction for Saturday’s contest.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What has been the biggest key to Ole Miss’ 3-0 start?
The biggest thing really is that the pass game has been stellar. [Trinidad Chambliss] is already at almost 1,000 yards through three games. Nine total touchdowns … It’s been stellar to see him play. The wide receiver room was a big question mark coming into this year. But Deuce Alexander is now the obvious No. 1 guy. You know how insanely fast he is … All the receivers have really stepped up.
Q: Outside of Alexander, how would you grade the play of the receiver room?
This team lost three of its top four receivers from 2025 [De’Zhaun Stribling, Harrison Wallace III, Cayden Lee], but the wide receivers and tight ends have really stepped up. Alongside Alexander, Horatio Fields has been a standout guy. He’s been great in big moments … Traylon Ray has come onto the scene and cemented his role … At tight end, Caleb Odom has been super solid … Chambliss has really thrived in this passing scheme, especially with offensive coordinator John David Baker.
Q: How would you assess the play of the Ole Miss defense thus far?
It’s been pretty good. The front six has been really good. Suntarine Perkins and Luke Ferrelli have lived up to what they should be, and Will Echoles came on in a big way against LSU. Kam Franklin’s been amazing. They’ve all lived up to the hype.
Q: How has Trinidad Chambliss improved from his breakout 2025 campaign thus far in 2026?
It’s the IQ. I see that on the field. I see a real understanding of the game … He’s seeing the game really well. Last year, he saw the game really well, but this year, I see a real step up. And his arm talent has been stellar. It’s been there his whole career, but it really stood out to me against LSU. He looks comfortable. He looks like he’s one step ahead no matter what.
Q: If Kewan Lacy plays, he’s a game-changer. We saw that last year against UF [224 yards, three touchdowns]. But if he were to miss action, who would step up?
I can see a mixture of all three [Chambliss and running backs JT Lindsey and Makhi Frazier] mixing in. Lindsey has really been noticeable. He hasn’t been a bell cow, but his contributions have been noticeable. You look at the two-point conversion against LSU — huge play. You saw the fourth-and-one in that same drive. Frazier, we haven’t seen a lot of him this year, but this is why you paid him to be here … But if you look at the game log after Lacy went out, Trinidad took over that game a little bit. Lacy really unlocks this offense, but I’m confident in the ability to operate without him.
Q: While Ole Miss’ defense has done enough thus far to start 3-0, they have given up a fair amount of yardage through the running game. Now, the Rebels face Jadan Baugh. How do they slow down the run without giving up other explosives?
It’s really going to come down to limiting Florida to the run game … forcing them to be one-dimensional. Against LSU, Ole Miss’ secondary was fantastic. There was no one open. So if you can limit Florida to just run the ball all game, they can become a little more one-dimensional. LSU ran the ball a lot and had some success, but they also got stifled a lot. I think there is a piece of this defense that can stop the run very effectively. The question is, are we going to see it?
Q: This game has the makings of a potential shootout. Do you think that’s a situation that Ole Miss would benefit from?
Any game that has Ole Miss can be a shootout. Just look at the last two years. They score a lot of points. But will it be a shootout? I don’t know, because the crowd is going to just be so good and so loud. Trinidad may not be able to hear himself think. At the end of the day, this offense is elite. Florida is an elite football team. No. 21 in the country. They’re been fantastic. So I think it will come down to the crowd environment and if the crowd can disrupt Ole Miss.
Q: Ok, now’s the time. What’s your score prediction?
I’m an Ole Miss student and an Ole Miss fan my entire life. I can’t pick against Ole Miss. I think it’s going to be another high-scoring affair. I look for Ole Miss to score 30 again. Give me Ole Miss 36-32. It’s going to be a good game.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @maxbernstein23.
Max Bernstein is a fourth-year sports and media journalism major and sports management minor. This Fall, he is a Sports Editor and a Florida Gators and Jacksonville Jaguars reporter at The Alligator. Now in his ninth semester with The Alligator, Max previously served in roles including Digital Managing Editor, Sports Editor, Assistant Sports Editor and Football Reporter. He has also made appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. In the rare moments Max isn't working, he's usually with his girlfriend Reese, watching sports with his fraternity brothers or missing his family and his two cats.
