Ole Miss WR Cayden Lee is 'Focused On Oklahoma' Following Football Bye Week

The Ole Miss Rebels are locking their sights on the Oklahoma Sooners this weekend in Oxford.

Sep 14, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) runs for yards after a pass reception against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels took advantage of an open date last week by nursing injuries and performing some self-evaluation in preparation for this week's game against the Oklahoma Sooners.

Sophomore wide receiver Cayden Lee was a part of that soul searching on the offensive side of the ball, and he found great benefit in a week off following the Rebels' heartbreaking 29-26 overtime loss to LSU the Saturday prior. Much of last week was focused on correcting mistakes, according to Lee, some mishaps Ole Miss hopes to avoid in the remainder of the schedule.

"It was definitely good to go back and look at things from the beginning of the season, what we've done well and what we can improve on," Lee said in a press conference on Tuesday. "Just to not do the things we've done poorly in the back half of the season."

Oct 12, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) is tackled by LSU Tigers safety Jardin Gilbert (2) during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

One of the players who struggled with the LSU loss was quarterback Jaxson Dart. Dart was visibly upset in postgame media availabilities that night in Baton Rouge, but Lee believes his signal caller and the team as a whole have closed the book on that difficult loss.

Now, they're looking at the Sooners.

"[Dart has] definitely shaken it off," Lee said. "Bye week gave us some time to just think about it collectively, and now, we're focused on Oklahoma. We can't go back and fix what was in the past. We can only fix what's going forward. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."

Ole Miss is currently favored in Saturday's game by 20.5 points as the Sooners come in on the heels of some struggles. Oklahoma fired its offensive coordinator over the weekend, and they have made yet another quarterback change, returning the duties to the preseason starter in Jackson Arnold.

Still, the Sooners have a talented defense, and their head coach in Brent Venables specializes on that side of the ball. The Rebels are preparing for a real test this weekend.

"Coach Venables is a very defensive-minded coach," Lee said. "They present a good challenge, but I feel like if we continue to practice well and do the things we need to do, we'll get the job done."

Kickoff on Saturday between Ole Miss and Oklahoma is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford. The game will be televised on ESPN.

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