Though Ole Miss got out of its season opener with a win, the Rebels did not make it easy on themselves for the victory. The program needed a last-second field goal to get past Louisville, which had left head coach Pete Golding with seven players dealing with injuries ahead of Charlotte’s visit to Oxford. The good news is that Golding has now received a crucial update on two of his starters, running back Kewan Lacy and linebacker Keaton Thomas, and neither injury is expected to be serious.

“Ole Miss star tailback Kewan Lacy and linebacker Keaton Thomas are expected to dress and play against Charlotte, per coach Pete Golding,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on X. “Lacy had a thigh bruise against Louisville, and Thomas (ankle) left the game with injury. Both could see limited snaps, but are expected to be available.”

Though the players aren’t ruled out of the game, they haven’t received the green light yet for a full workload. Golding plans to limit snaps for both players against Charlotte, a team Ole Miss expects to dominate. With LSU and Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford on September 19, Ole Miss believes there is no reason to rush both players back until they are 100% healthy.

Lacy suffered the thigh bruise early, on a first-quarter run where multiple defenders drove him backward. Though he returned to the game, he was back on the sideline with ice on his leg by the third quarter and did not return later. He finished with 17 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown, along with four catches for 19 yards. Thomas also left the game with an ankle injury after recording eight tackles as the Rebels’ green-dot defender.

The Rebels were pushed to the edge against the Cardinals before Lucas Carneiro kicked a 48-yard field goal, which sealed the victory (41-38). Though Ole Miss started the season with 1-0, it wasn’t the clean four-quarter performance Golding wanted, as losing Lacy and Thomas in the second half only added concerns to the team heading into Week 2.

“We’ll get in there with the medical staff,” Golding said, according to Taylor Hodges of HottyToddy. “I don’t think it’s anything serious, but they didn’t feel like putting him [Lacy] back in the game was the right decision at that point.”

Golding revealed further injury updates on other players who were also injured that night, including defensive lineman Kam Franklin, right tackle Tommy Kinsler, left guard Delano Townsend, safety Sharif Denson, and wide receiver Deuce Alexander.

“They will all be back,” Golding said. “Some soft-tissue stuff. Keaton’s was an ankle deal. All of that. X-rays were negative on all those guys. Went to the tent and kind of tried to push through it late.”

Losing five players in a single game sounds like a complete setback, but Week 1 in college football has become a brutal survival test across the country. Between shortened summer camp contact rules and players jumping straight into full-speed Power Four hits, opening weekend always sees a spike in soft-tissue strains and cramps due to high heat.

For Ole Miss, having half a dozen guys limp off in one night is not an isolated curse, but it highlights how delicate roster durability is when team conditioning meets real-game violence for the first time.

With Michigan State transfer Makhi Frazier and LSU transfer JT Lindsey providing depth at running back, Taj’j Butler stepped up at linebacker when Thomas went down. For now, Golding has enough depth to manage limited snaps for both starters, providing an encouraging sign ahead of the game against Charlotte.

Deuce Alexander injury update after win over Louisville

Wide receiver Deuce Alexander, who finished with five catches for 159 receiving yards and posted two 62-yard touchdown catches, was also getting stretched out on the sideline in the third quarter before heading to the locker room for evaluation.

“Some guys came in to some injuries and played really well when they had their opportunity,” Golding said, according to Sam Hutchens of Clarion Ledger. “I think it’s a great example for those guys that have been 2’s, and some of them have been 3’s, that their preparation matters just like the starter. You don’t know when your time is going to come up.”

Alexander returned to the field in the fourth quarter and was once again back on the sideline drinking fluids, as he was dealing with a cramp rather than a serious injury.

With a soft schedule against a 49ers team that lost to an FCS opponent (the Citadel Bulldogs), Golding has a chance to be cautious with his injured players ahead of the Week 3 game against LSU in two weeks.

These minor bumps might look easy to manage against a non-conference opponent, but the margins in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff race are razor-thin. Ole Miss cannot afford to let small ankle tweaks or nagging thigh bruises linger into grueling SEC play.

A single slip-up in the playoffs against a top-tier opponent like LSU, which, against Clemson, has already shown what they are capable of, can shatter a program’s playoff hopes. Getting Lacy and Thomas back to full speed right now is not just about beating Charlotte, but also about protecting the Rebels’ entire postseason ceiling before the real battles begin.