The No. 10 Ole Miss football team is set to take on No. 2 Georgia in a big top-10 SEC showdown. However, the Rebels defense could be missing two key pieces against Georgia.
Per Pete Nakos of On3, edge rusher Kam Franklin and linebacker Keaton Thomas are both game-time decisions. Franklin is third on the team with two sacks on the season along with 25 total tackles. Meanwhile, Thomas is the team's leading tackler with 52 this season.
Ole Miss' defense is coming off a tremendous performance in their 45-15 win over Auburn. The Rebels run defense limited the Tigers to just 63 rushing yards on 2.3 yards per carry. This was a big bounce-back performance after getting torched for 207 yards on the ground in their 34-27 loss to Texas.
Article Continues BelowThomas was a tackling machine in that game, with eight total tackles (six solo). His potential absence would be a big blow for the Rebels defense against a Georgia ground game that is one of the most prolific in the nation. The Bulldogs are top 25 in both rushing yards per game (200.1, 24th) and rushing touchdowns (20, T-19) this season. Their top three running backs, Dwight Phillips Jr., Nate Frazier, and Bo Walker, are all averaging over six yards per carry this season.
On the other side, Ole Miss will already be without leading rusher Kewan Lacy due to injury. The junior running back has not played since their loss to Texas. He has rushed for 388 yards with five touchdowns this season. The combination of Shekai Mills-Knight and Makhi Frazier made up for Lacy's absence with a combined 127 yards on 33 carries.

