Lane Kiffin says Ole Miss may have to run the ball more than expected in week 1 game

Fans are ready for the new college football season after a taste of what's to come after a wild four-game week 0 slate. Ole Miss takes on Furman in Oxford on Saturday, with Lane Kiffin already having a slight headache with a few wide receivers with injury concerns.

Jordan Watkins and Antwane Wells are both suffering from niggles that could prevent them from seeing any action on Saturday. When asked if Kiffin would have them available this weekend, he replied, "I hope to, but I don't know."

During the press conference, Kiffin mentioned that with the injuries, running the ball would be important against Furman.

""We've got a lot of receiver injuries going into this first game, so the ability to run the ball is going to be very important in this game.""

- Lane Kiffin in press conference

Kiffin and his staff put together the top-ranked transfer portal class this offseason, with several wide receiver commits, including Wells. Watkins and Wells are two of the top receivers in the room, but the Rebels are spoiled for players who could step up in place of the potential missing players.

Sophomores Ayden Williams and Cayden Lee could step up alongside Tre Harris on Saturday. Transfers Micah Davis, Jordan Smart, and Devin Price have experience playing in big games, so Kiffin could utilize those guys more. When questions were asked about how many wide receiver transfers the Rebels had brought in, it now looks like a great move from Kiffin, with the injuries.

Kiffin mentioned leaning more toward the running game, and just like the receiver room, the running back room is stacked. Ulysses Bentley IV looks to be the leader, but having Henry Parrish Jr., Rashad Amos, and Domonique Thomas means the Rebels have different qualities to be used in games.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart mentioned how impressed he was with the running back room, calling them the most underrated part of the team. As Ole Miss fans, we're going to have so much fun watching this team gel and grow through the season.