Ole Miss football soon must deal with a fierce Miami pass rush at the Fiesta Bowl. But Kam Franklin boosts the defense.
ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel dropped an update there on the eve of kickoff Thursday.
“Ole Miss starting DE Kam Franklin will play tonight for the Rebels, per a spokesman. He’d been listed as questionable. He has five sacks for the Rebels,” Thamel posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
His presence comes in handy as the Rebels will soon face a physical offense mixed with an experienced CFB quarterback. Plus are underdogs entering this semifinal contest.
Ole Miss vs. Miami potentially could become defensive battle
The Rebels present a quick strike offense that keeps defenders on their toes immediately. Miami defenders Akheem Mesidor and Keionte Scott acknowledge Ole Miss's offensive philosophy.
The latter defender called Ole Miss a “very great offense” that “wants to run at a face pace and put you on islands.” Mesidor, meanwhile, pointed out how Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss prefers to get the ball out in under three seconds — 2.6 seconds exactly.
Miami looks like it has the defensive edge. Scott and Mesidor live in the backfield of offenses — even the safety Scott as a blitzer. Rueben Bain sets the tone up front from his edge rusher spot. He already has grabbed 5.5 sacks in his last three games against ranked foes and two playoff teams.
Ole Miss has surrendered more points compared to the Hurricanes defense — 44 total against Tulane and Georgia. But the Rebels are red-hot heading into the desert at 13-1 overall in the College Football Playoff.
The winner clinches the first spot in the 2026 National Championship game.
