After an electric home win versus Duke University this past Saturday, Tulane University will travel to take on the No. 13-ranked University of Mississippi Rebels.
The last time these teams met, the Green Wave hosted the Rebels on Sept. 9, 2023. It was a tight battle for three quarters until Ole Miss pulled away in the fourth to win by 17 points. However, that was before head coach Jon Sumrall joined Tulane.
In a press conference this week, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin discussed the last time he faced one of Sumrall’s teams, which was in 2022 against Troy University. He mentioned how tough his teams are, noting their tackling ability. So, even though the Rebels are double-digit favorites, he isn’t taking the Green Wave lightly.
On the other side, Ole Miss is dealing with a quarterback dilemma. Austin Simmons, their starting quarterback, is coming off an ankle injury he suffered in a win against the University of Kentucky. Backup Trinidad Chambliss, a Division II transfer, put up a whale of a game against the University of Arkansas, throwing for 353 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions.
Kiffin cleared Simmons to play, but he has been somewhat turnover-prone in the first two starts of his young career, which could benefit the Wave. We will have to see who they decide to go with; signs are pointing at Simmons at the moment, but Kiffin could be trying to keep Tulane in the dark.
In order to come out with a win against a team like this, Tulane needs to be near-perfect at every level. While quarterback Jake Retzlaff broke a school record with four rushing touchdowns, he fumbled for a second straight week, which cannot happen against Ole Miss; Retzlaff said himself that it was a boneheaded play.
While the defensive secondary, led by Javion White, has been a non-issue this season, the pass rush and front seven need to pick it up. In the past two games, Tulane has only recorded one sack. Winning a game like this needs to be won in the trenches, and if the Wave can finally break through and get after the quarterback, the ball-hawking secondary will be set up for success.
While Tulane may be underdogs, they have a chance to make some serious waves on a national stage.
Kickoff will take place at 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.