‘This is all about us’: Cayden Lee emphasizes accountability after Ole Miss’ narrow win over Washington State
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss wide receiver Cayden Lee didn’t sugarcoat things after No. 4 Ole Miss’ 24–21 win over Washington State on Saturday. The Rebels stayed perfect on the season at 6–0, but Lee made it clear that the performance was far from the team’s standard.
The sophomore wideout, who scored one of the Rebels’ key touchdowns in the win, met with media following the game and spoke candidly about the team’s uneven execution and slow start.
“I felt like we were very sluggish. We didn’t start the way we wanted to. I feel like we were very up and down. I felt like there was really no consistency. So we just have to play better.”
Cayden Lee
Lee’s score came on a highlight-worthy juke move that sent him into the end zone — one of the few offensive sparks in an otherwise grind-it-out win.
SHEEESH CAYDEN 👀@Cayden_X_Lee x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/96KX7zNTX9
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 11, 2025
“That felt pretty good,” Lee said with a grin. “I’ve been practicing my yards after the catch all offseason, so just being able to be intentional with that, it felt pretty good.”
Looking Ahead to Georgia
While the Rebels left Vaught-Hemingway with another victory, Lee emphasized that performances like Saturday’s won’t be enough in the coming weeks. With back-to-back road trips to Georgia and Oklahoma on deck, he knows the margin for error will shrink.
“It really doesn’t matter who we play,” Lee said. “If we play like we played today, it’s going to catch us at some point. Luckily it didn’t today, but we just have to play better moving forward. Luckily today, we were able to go 1–0.”
Halftime Reset and Locker Room Message
Asked about what changed in the second half, Lee credited the team’s internal conversations more than any major schematic shift.
“We just talked to each other,” Lee said. “Somebody said, ‘This is all about us.’ It’s not about who we’re playing. Doesn’t matter if it’s whoever — it’s about what we’re doing and controlling what we can control.”
On the Energy and the Fans
Head coach Lane Kiffin mentioned postgame that he felt his team would need to “create its own energy” for the early kickoff. Lee echoed that sentiment but also made sure to credit Rebel fans for showing up strong.
“We have our fire extinguisher on the sideline just trying to get the crowd and everything into it,” Lee said.
“I feel like there was actually a good crowd — good Walk of Champions crowd and everything like that. It really starts right when we get off the bus, just seeing the Walk of Champions and all the fans. Keep coming out and keep supporting us. We appreciate it.”
Cayden Lee
Flushing It and Moving Forward
For Lee and the Rebels, the focus now shifts quickly to what’s next — a massive SEC matchup in Athens.
“It really doesn’t matter how we played today,” Lee said. “Let’s say we won by 50. At the end of the day, we have to have short memory and just get ready for next week. Because in this conference, it doesn’t matter how you did the previous week — it’s about what you’re going to do moving forward.”
Next Up:
Ole Miss will travel to No. 10 Georgia next Saturday for a marquee SEC showdown. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
