LSU football faces Ole Miss on Saturday night in a top-10-ranked showdown. The stakes are high. LSU coach Lane Kiffin returns to Ole Miss in what promises to be a hostile environment. Ole Miss fans aren't fond of Kiffin after the coach bolted for rival LSU ahead of Ole Miss's College Football Playoff run.
But aside from the coaching drama, it's a chance for LSU to make a statement. LSU is 2-0 after blowouts of Clemson and Louisiana Tech -- two unranked wins. A win on Saturday gives LSU a signature victory to put at the top of the resume. Moving to 3-0 would give LSU some margin for error in the final 3/4 of the season.
Beating Ole Miss will require establishing the run. Winning on the road in the SEC is hard. It's even harder when you can't run the ball.
The good news for LSU? I think the Tigers will be able to run the ball vs. this Ole Miss defense.
Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis know how to create yards in the run game
Few offensive minds are better at drawing up the run game than Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis. Wherever Kiffin goes, elite rushing attacks follow. So far, LSU's averaging 228 yards per game on the ground. A much better mark than LSU's 2025 offense.
Kiffin and Weis have several tools. LSU will spread defenses out and take advantage of light boxes. If needed, LSU can condense the formation because it trusts its wide receivers to make a block. Throw in the QB run threat of Sam Leavitt, and this rushing attack becomes tough to prepare for.
Vs. Clemson, LSU showed off the creativity with the power read given to Winston Watkins. Leavitt reads the defensive end and opts to give it. Watkins gets the ball with an RB blocking out in front, plus two receivers throwing blocks. Clemson's safety rotation is opposite of the direction LSU is running the ball and the Tigers get a numbers advantage on the outside.
LSU LT Jordan Seaton can win vs. Ole Miss defensive ends
LSU left tackle Jordan Seaton vs. the Ole Miss defensive ends is a matchup to watch. Seaton is one of the best tackles in the SEC, but he'll face players like Kam Franklin and Suntarine Perkins, two of the SEC's top edge players.
Franklin poses a unique challenge. Franklin has the size of a defensive tackle but the speed and explosiveness of a defensive end. Seaton has a similar skill set on offense -- he's athletic, but he plays with power, too.
Seaton is uniquely equipped to handle the Ole Miss defensive line. That doesn't mean LSU will win every matchup across the front, but if LSU can run off tackle to the left side, things will get easier for the rest of the group.
LSU center Braelin Moore is among the best in the SEC
Keep an eye on LSU center Braelin Moore. Moore transferred to LSU ahead of the 2025 season, but an ankle injury prevented him from settling in last year. Now, Moore looks comfortable, and he's playing like one of the nation's best centers.
Ole Miss defensive tackle William Echoles is good, and this will be Moore's biggest test yet. Echoles will get his wins, but I think Moore will win the war. Moore is playing on another level right now. No matter the scheme, whether it's inside zone or outside zone, Moore is executing. I expect that to continue here.
The Ole Miss defense has tackling problems
The Ole Miss defense has a tackling problem. According to PFF, Ole Miss has the 14th-highest missed-tackle rate in the FBS through two weeks. Safety Edwin Joseph and linebacker Luke Ferrelli have each missed six tackles. Six other Ole Miss defenders have already missed two or more tackles.
Ole Miss defense has had some tackling issues this year pic.twitter.com/jGwgVuDQsK
— Will Rosenblatt (@rozenwill) September 16, 2026
LSU running back Dilin Jones is a tough, downhill runner. QB Leavitt is slippery and can make you miss. I like Jones and Leavitt's ability to get some yards after contact in this one.
Where Ole Miss poses a challenge
Pete Golding has a strong defensive mind, and Ole Miss has some talented players in the front seven. Ole Miss will throw a lot at LSU's offensive line, like Louisiana Tech did last week. Movement, stunts, and blitzes can create communication issues, and LSU's offensive line hasn't proven immune to them yet.
LSU can't afford to get rattled early by different looks as it did against Louisiana Tech.
LSU football vs Ole Miss betting odds
According to FanDuel, LSU is a 3.5-point favorite vs. Ole Miss, as of Wednesday morning. The total for the game is 58.5.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Why LSU football will have success running the ball vs Ole Miss
