By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
OXFORD, Mississippi – There was nothing “just different” about this.
No. 8 Ole Miss was just too much for No. 7 LSU in a 32-24 win on Saturday night, just like it was last season here when new and “different” LSU coach Lane Kiffin was still the Ole Miss coach in a 24-19 Rebels’ win.
Same as it ever was, for now, despite Kiffin preaching how “just different” LSU is over and over ever since his introductory press conference last Dec. 1 after leaving the Rebels following the regular season.
But just like last year, LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker could not solve Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss at the end. And Ole Miss’ defense stopped LSU’s offense just enough at the end, just like last year.
“At the end, we didn’t finish,” Kiffin said. “We couldn’t finish on defense, couldn’t stop them. We let them go down and score.”
That’s when Chambliss scooted around left end untouched on a naked boot leg for a 14-yard touchdown and 30-24 lead with 6:14 to play to complete a 75-yard in 13 plays over 5:07 for the clincher.
Then Ole Miss new coach Pete Golding pulled a Kiffin by gambling and going for two, and former LSU running back JT Lindsey scored for a 32-24 lead.
Chambliss riddled LSU’s defense all night, completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns as Ole Miss outgained LSU, 426 yards to 330.
“Out biggest fear every minute was when the games at the end and Trinidad has the ball in his hand,” Kiffin said. “And that guy made a lot of plays in the game. Did a great job and that’s why he’s the hardest player to play in America. Showed up great tonight.”
And that’s why Kiffin tried to get Chambliss to transfer to LSU.
“Our team is resilient, and I love them so much. I’m speechless,” Chambliss said. “I trust in my preparation as well. We worked our butts off this whole week and this whole year, and it’s just, go out and do it. There’s no thinking at that point. Just go.”
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, showing no signs of any supposed injury that had him listed as doubtful on Wednesday, tried to bring the Tigers back. He drove LSU to a first and goal just inside the Ole Miss 10-yard line with 1:55 to play after a pass interference call. His 5-yard rush made it second and goal from inside the 5-yard line, but a false start penalty pushed LSU five yards before he gained four.
On third and goal from 6-yard line, Leavitt threw poorly to wide open tight end Zach Grace in the end zone. The pass was too much to the 6-foot-2 Grace’s right, and he couldn’t make the catch. Trey’Dez Green, LSU’s 6-foot-7 starting tight end, may have had the reach to make the catch in the same situation, but he left the game early in the fourth quarter with a knee injury after catching four passes for 60 yards.
Then on fourth and goal with 58 seconds left, Leavitt’s pass was batted at the line of scrimmage and bounced high in the air before cornerback Jaylon Braxton intercepted in the end zone. Leavitt played spectacularly at times as he rushed 17 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. He completed 16 of 27 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown, but threw inaccurately at critical times.
“Offense, we moved down, but stalled at the end,” Kiffin said. “Critical false start, too.”
Chambliss ran out the clock, and it was over. And Ole Miss was 3-0 and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference as the Rebel fans began celebrating wildly with their fourth win over LSU in six games in front of the largest crowd ever at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium – 70,033.
Kiffin hit his knees on the sidelines as the game ended with the Tigers falling to 2-1, 0-1 in the SEC.
“It was a little weird seeing him on the sideline and seeing other coaches,” Chambliss said of seeing Kiffin, his former coach who signed him from Division II Ferris State after the 2024 season. “But it is what it is. We’re competitors at the end of the day. It’s just a football game, but I’m glad we got the win. We don’t quit. A lot of people may doubt us. They always doubt Ole Miss. I don’t know why. We’re here now. We’re here to compete.”
The Tigers trailed 24-7 at the half after being outgained 289 yards to 117. But they came back to cut Ole Miss’ lead to 24-21 with 3:05 to play in the third quarter on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Leavitt to Ole Miss transfer wide receiver Winnie Watkins on third down and 13 yards to go.
LSU then completed a 17-0 run by tying the game at 24-24 on a 23-yard field goal by Scott Starzyk with 11:21 to play on a 55-yard drive in nine plays.
But LSU’s defense could not keep stopping Chambliss, particularly at the end.
Ole Miss dominated the first half on both sides of the ball.
The Rebels put up 289 total yards in the first half against the No. 1 defense in the nation coming in as LSU had just allowed 142.5 yards a game through two easy wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech. And Ole Miss’ defense limited LSU to just 117 yards.
Leavitt threw for only 51 yards in the first two quarters, completing 9 of 13 passes. The Tigers rushed for 66 yards on 19 carries to just 41 on 12 carries by Ole Miss. The Rebels had 15 first downs and converted seven of nine third downs to LSU’s seven first downs on five of nine conversions.
Meanwhile, Chambliss was on fire, completing 21 of 27 passes for 248 yards by halftime. He threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Traylon Ray for a 17-0 lead with 9:49 to go in the second quarter to the delight of the raucous Ole Miss crowd as LSU looked dead.
The Tigers seemingly climbed back into the game with a ball-control drive of 75 yards in 17 plays with 13 of those on the ground over 7:52 to get within 17-7 with 1:57 left before halftime on a 2-yard TD run by Jones.
But Chambliss responded by shredding LSU’s defense on Ole Miss’ next drive as he took the Rebels 75 yards in eight plays in a two-minute drill to go up 24-7 with seven seconds to go before halftime.
“I’m proud of the way the guys battled back,” Kiffin said. “To be down like that at half after letting them go down and score, and then come back and go on a 17-0 run – it was really good.”
But LSU couldn’t finish, which was not different.
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