By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
OXFORD, Mississippi – One of LSU’s best weapons appeared to be getting primed for a critical fourth quarter Saturday night here as he gathered in a pass from quarterback Sam Leavitt and rumbled for a 19-yard gain to the Ole Miss 31-yard line on the second play of the final period.
The No. 7 Tigers, who were down 17-0 in the second quarter and 24-7 at half, trailed by just 24-21 at the time and were threatening to take a 28-24 lead. It was the 6-foot-7, 242-pound Green’s fourth catch of the night for 60 yards as the No. 8 Rebels struggled to cover the mismatch and to tackle him. But just as Green was stopped by multiple defenders and fell to the ground after a hit to his right knee, he grimaced in pain, tried to get back up, but couldn’t.
Trainers hurried to the field, and Green had to be helped off, favoring the right knee. After a visit to the injury tent on the sidelines, he was soon seen on crutches. And his night was over. LSU lacked one more big play as it settled for a 24-24 tie on a 23-yard field goal from Scott Starzyk with 11:21 to play. The Tigers (2-1, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) never scored again in a 32-24 loss in front of a record crowd of 70,003 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to the Rebels (3-0, 1-0 SEC).
LSU TE Trey'Dez Green pic.twitter.com/eS37jQCQ6i
— Mike Scarborough (@ScarboroughMike) September 20, 2026
After Ole Miss took a 32-24 lead with 6:14 to play, LSU had a chance for a touchdown through seven shots within the Rebels’ 10-yard-line over the final 1:51 and could have tied it 32-32 with a two-point conversion. But the Tigers failed to score.
Leavitt threw errantly toward wide open backup tight end Zach Grace in the end zone on third and goal with 1:07 to play, but the 6-foot-2 Grace could not come up with the catch. Same situation, and the 6-foot-7 Green likely has the reach to make the grab. Leavitt’s pass on fourth and goal was batted at the line, deflected into the air and intercepted in the end zone by cornerback Jaylon Braxton. Ole Miss ran out the remaining :58, and it was over.
Green was the second starter to leave the game for the Tigers. Star defender (linebacker/safety combination) Dashawn Spears exited early in the second quarter with an apparent injury to his left knee.
“Yeah, neither seemed really well,” said LSU coach Lane Kiffin, who lost to the team he coached to an 11-1 (7-1 SEC) regular season just last year. “They weren’t close to returning, so that’s part of this game. Losing Trey’Dez was a big factor, but I’m proud of the way the guys battled back.”
Ole Miss was also without one of its best players in running back Kewan Lacy, who left the game in the third quarter with and injury and did not return. He gained 43 yards on nine carries with a 5-yard touchdown run for a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Tigers host No. 9 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-1 SEC) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC). The Aggies gave up 408 yards to Kentucky in a 31-21 loss at Texas A&M on Saturday night.
“That stadium’s full an hour early. So, I guess I had to leave to get them to do that. So, you’re welcome.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 20, 2026
-Lane Kiffin to Ole Miss. He was laughing as he said it. But he’s right. Column:https://t.co/P6SuR3cmvL
“Those two guys are real critical players,” Kiffin lamented. “A year ago, we were really fortunate (not to have key injuries). It happens sometimes.”
Grace, a junior transfer from Oregon, finished with zero catches on Saturday with the single target. Malachi Thomas, LSU’s other backup tight end who is a 6-3 junior transfer from Pittsburgh, also played, but was not targeted for a pass.
Senior tight end Dae’Quan Wright (6-4, 255), who caught four passes for 66 yards in Ole Miss’ 24-19 win over LSU here last season, could have fit in nicely for Green. Kiffin signed him in August as a transfer after he was on the Cleveland Browns’ training camp roster briefly last summer, but he did not add him to the roster under pressure from the SEC office. Kiffin made a final decision not to ever put Wright on his roster, even though a Baton Rouge judge ruled Wright could play at LSU because he was one of hundreds of players nationally suing the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility in 2026.
The late villain Al Davis, who fired and tried to embarrass young Lane Kiffin 18 years ago, would be so proud of him today. For Lane has become him. Column:https://t.co/BKkEuAtPAF
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 19, 2026
“We let this one get away,” Kiffin said of the loss that dropped him to 1-9 in his head coaching career against top 10 teams on the road. “We came back and had the momentum.”
Ole Miss took its 32-24 lead at 6:14 to play on a 14-yard touchdown run by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who rambled for 36 yards on nine carries while completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns.
“We let them go down and score,” Kiffin said. “I felt like we were in good position. We had them on the ropes.”
But he didn’t have the Green light.
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