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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football vs. Charlotte: Practice Report
9/9/2026 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss football team is preparing for its home opener against Charlotte following an intense win over No. 24 Louisville in Nashville.
Head coach Pete Golding met with reporters this week alongside wide receiver Caleb Odom, defensive end Kam Franklin and offensive lineman Patrick Kutas as the Rebels turn their attention to Charlotte following a thrilling, hard-fought 41-38 win over Louisville. After reviewing the tape, the message inside the Manning Center is clear: a win is a win, but there is plenty to clean up. This week's practice report is presented by Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center.
Lessons From Week One
Golding was direct in his assessment of the Louisville game, calling it a tale of two halves and making clear the outcome does not mask what needs to be corrected.
"When you bust coverages and miss 19 tackles and you get 240 yards after contact, moving forward in this league you're not going to have an opportunity to hit a game-winning kick," he said.
He credited the team's resilience for finding a way to win but stressed that the margin for error shrinks considerably as the schedule gets tougher.
"The positive for sure was there were flashes and times where that's what it's supposed to look like," Golding said. "We just have to get it more consistent."
Kutas echoed that sentiment from the offensive side, saying the line took confidence from protecting the quarterback against one of the ACC's most experienced pass-rush units but knows there is more to prove.
"We played really physical and it was just great to see that," he said.
He also credited backup right tackle Connor Howes for stepping in seamlessly after Tommy Kinsler went down.
"I just got to try to calm him down with elite communication and let him know we're fine. Just go out there and play. He played great."
Staying Focused
Golding pushed back on any notion that Charlotte represents a chance to coast, framing this week as an opportunity to fix the issues that showed up on tape regardless of the opponent.
"It doesn't matter if you're playing Louisville, Charlotte, or Delta State," he said. "If you call three cloud and they don't roll to cloud, it's going to be a touchdown."
He said the primary goals this week are execution consistency, cleaner tackling and taking care of the football on both sides.
Franklin said the defensive line is locked in on the task at hand.
"We keep the main thing the main thing," he said. "We ain't talking about next week. We worried about Charlotte. We are going to dominate them. Then when next week comes, we'll worry about that."
Franklin said the effort against Louisville was there but the execution needs to be sharper, adding that he and Will Echoles have continued to set the standard for the room day in and day out.
Making Plays When It Counts
Odom had one of the signature moments of the Louisville win, hauling in a critical third-down conversion on the game-winning drive and finishing with a touchdown on the afternoon. He said the play has been a staple of two-minute drill work since the spring.
"Every time we do two-minute drills whether it was fall camp, spring, summer, OTAs, I knew that play was going to be called," Odom said. "Just finding the space between the two backers was the most important thing."
He also spoke to the calm that Chambliss projected throughout the final drive.
"Every ball is going to be right on the money, right where the receiver can only get it, and it's our job to go make the plays," Odom said.
He added that the explosive ability of Deuce Alexander is something defenses will have to account for going forward and that it will only create more opportunities for everyone else in the offense. Alexander hauled in five passes for 159 yards and added two 62-yard touchdowns.
Odom also revealed that correcting his vision with contacts has made a tangible difference in his game after drops cost him opportunities last season.
"Catching every ball, seeing it to the tuck," he said. "That was a big thing."
With the Rebels returning home to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this weekend, the focus is on finishing cleaner and giving the Oxford faithful something to celebrate.
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