Kewan Lacy is progressing well from his shoulder injury after a limited but productive return in Ole Miss’ dominant 52-17 win at Vanderbilt last Saturday, and head coach Pete Golding said Monday the star running back is “feeling really good” heading into Saturday’s homecoming matchup against No. 13 Missouri.
Lacy, who suffered a left shoulder injury (the same one that required offseason surgery) in the third quarter of the Rebels’ Sept. 19 win over LSU and missed the subsequent loss at Florida, rested and rehabbed during the bye week. He returned to practice in a limited capacity the following week and started against the Commodores. He finished with seven carries for 39 yards and a 2-yard touchdown run in the first half, helping Ole Miss build a 42-3 lead before the coaching staff held him out of the second half with the game well in hand.
At Monday’s press conference previewing the Missouri game, Golding updated reporters on Lacy’s status after the Vanderbilt performance.
“I think he’s feeling really good,” Golding said. “He came in yesterday. I thought he was going to be a lot sorer than he was. I think the way the game helped a little bit, as far as from the management standpoint of it. The offensive staff did a really good job managing him in the first half. Then based on where the game was, obviously, there was a decision made that we shouldn’t need him for the second half. So I think that helped getting him back in the flow of everything, getting him involved in the offense, eliminating the contact. So hopefully we’ll go in this week, and we’re going to manage it the exact same way going into the week. But I think it was really good for his confidence, right, to be able to get out there and not be an issue, to get some good experience back with the guys. Obviously, you see how explosive he is when he is in there. Different type of offense. So I think it went as good as it possibly could have. I think a lot of that was based on the situation.”
Golding indicated the Rebels will continue carefully managing Lacy’s workload, rotating him with other backs rather than loading him up with a heavy snap count. Against Vanderbilt, Makhi Frazier led the rushing attack with 73 yards on 13 carries, while the group as a whole produced nearly 200 rushing yards. Golding praised Frazier’s recent practice and play, noting JT Lindsey remains in the mix and that depth at the position allows the staff to be specific with Lacy’s packages when he is on the field.
Lacy entered the Vanderbilt game with 191 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries this season (through three appearances). His limited but effective return provided a boost after the bye and helped the Rebels bounce back strongly from the Florida loss. With another week of managed work ahead, Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1 SEC) expects him available again Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium against Missouri.