Ole Miss gets boost as star RB Lacy expected back this week

Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy is expected to return for Saturday's game at Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding said on Monday.

Lacy missed the Rebels' 52-28 loss at Florida on Sept. 26 due to an injury sustained in a win over LSU a week earlier, but benefited from the teams' bye last Saturday.

"Obviously [Lacy] rested all last week," Golding said on Monday. "Was good for a solid week, not practicing. Practiced last night, came back. Did individual, did some team sessions. A lot of that was non-contact last week. Fully anticipate having him this week."

Golding said he will lean on a rotation at running back against the Commodores instead of letting Lacy handle the bulk of the work.

"That's going to be a constant rotation based on how (Lacy) is, and how healthy he is," Golding said. "But even coming back, he's not going to take the toll of 40 or 50 snaps, and all those things."

JT Lindsey, a former LSU transfer, and Makhi Frazier, who transferred from Michigan State, split carries against the Gators with Lacy out.

Lacy, regarded as one of the top running backs in college football, has 39 carries this season for 191 yards and four touchdowns. He suffered a thigh bruise that knocked him out of Ole Miss' season-opening win over Louisville, but he returned the following week and rushed for a pair of touchdowns against Charlotte.

He was an All-America pick and Doak Walker Award finalist last season when he set single-season program records for rushing attempts (306), yards (1,567) and touchdowns (24).