Tag: rebels

Carson Beck score vaults No. 10 Miami past No. 6 Ole Miss in CFP semifinal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Carson Beck’s 3-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds remaining provided the winning points for Miami’s 31-27 College Football Playoff semifinal comeback win over Ole Miss in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night in Glendale, Ariz.

The Hurricanes (13-2) capped a 15-play, 75-yard drive to secure their first opportunity to play for a national championship since 2002. Miami, which has won five national championships, is seeking its first since 2001.

Miami, the No. 10 seed, won the Fiesta Bowl for the first time in five all-time appearances, and will also get to host when it faces either No. 5-seed Oregon or top-seed Indiana on Jan. 19th at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Ole Miss (13-2), the No. 6 seed, which persevered to reach the CFP semifinals despite its coach Lane Kiffin departing to become LSU’s coach in November, put together a go-ahead touchdown drive when quarterback Trinidad Chambliss connected with Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown. The Rebels added the two-point conversion when Chambliss found Caleb Odom in the back of the end zone.

But Beck, who completed 23 of 37 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, engineered Miami’s third scoring drive of 13 or more plays.

The Hurricanes took a 24-19 lead with 5:04 left when Malachi Toney caught a bubble screen, broke a tackle and sped his way to the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown.

The lead changed four times in the final seven minutes of the game after Lucas Carneiro’s fourth field goal from 21 yards put Ole Miss ahead 19-17.

After holding Ole Miss to minus-1 yard in the first quarter, Kewan Lacy broke through Miami’s defensive line and scored from 73 yards out to give the Rebels a 7-3 lead.

Lacy left the game due to a right hamstring issue, but he returned on the Rebels’ first drive of the second half. He finished with 103 yards on 11 carries.

The Hurricanes committed 10 costly penalties for 74 yards and Ole Miss sacked Beck four times while Miami’s prolific pass rush, which accumulated 46 sacks entering the game, only sacked Chambliss once.

Chambliss completed 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards, one touchdown pass and no interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Dramatic CFP run to end for Miami or Ole Miss at Fiesta Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Miami and Ole Miss have provided two of the most compelling storylines of this year’s College Football Playoff.

But only one will earn the chance to play for a national title after the teams square off on Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl in a CFP semifinal in Glendale, Ariz.

After making the 12-team field as the final at-large selection, the 10th-seeded Hurricanes (12-2) have defied the odds twice with dominant defensive performances in wins against seventh-seeded Texas A&M 10-3 in the first round and a 24-14 Cotton Bowl triumph against No. 2 Ohio State on Dec. 31.

The No. 6 Rebels (13-1), who will play Miami for the first time since 1951, drubbed 11th-seeded Tulane 41-10 and put together a stunning 39-34 comeback win over No. 3 seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal last Thursday.

The winner of Thursday’s game will face the winner of the Peach Bowl semifinal matchup Friday between top-seeded Indiana and fifth-seeded Oregon for the national championship on Jan. 19 in Miami.

Ole Miss continues to persevere and extend its best season in program history despite having its coaching staff in flux since head coach Lane Kiffin departed in November to become LSU’s head coach.

With Pete Golding promoted to head coach and multiple assistant coaches such as offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. remaining with the Rebels until their season ends, they have continued to find ways to extend their season.

Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge on Tuesday compared the situation to how they handled the uncertainty of coaches’ availability during the COVID pandemic in 2020.

“We always talk ahead basically after every game, me and Charlie (Weis Jr.) and Pete (Golding) have sat down and talked about the next week coming up and how we’re going to handle it,” Judge said. “And when he’s going to Baton Rouge, when he’s coming back, how we’re going to prep for the next week. Throughout the week, we’ve communicated in terms of all the what-ifs.”

Ole Miss is seeking its first national championship while Miami is one win away from playing for a potential sixth national title and its first since 2001.

Two of the biggest keys for the Rebels will be trying to slow down Miami’s rushing attack led by Mark Fletcher Jr. and keeping quarterback Trinidad Chambliss protected from the Hurricanes’ dominant pass rush led by defensive linemen Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor.

The Hurricanes have posted 12 sacks in two CFP games and lead the nation with 46 sacks overall over 14 games.

“We’re a D-line that puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback,” said Mesidor, who has 3 1/2 sacks in the playoffs. “Our DBs are big and fast and great players. I think we help each other out, 100%. We put pressure on the quarterback, have him make a mistake.”

Ole Miss is ranked No. 65 nationally in rushing defense (146.1 yards per game), and yielded 124 yards to Georgia last week. Fletcher ran for 172 of Miami’s 175 yards against Texas A&M and ran for 90 of the Hurricanes’ 153 yards on the ground against Ohio State last week.

“They have a lot of confidence in their run game,” Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery said Tuesday. “It’s very physical, and that’s somewhat of a model to dominate up front. And that’s our plan, to dominate their line of scrimmage and shut that down.”

Chambliss had one of the best games of his career against Georgia, completing 30 of 46 passes for 362 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Miami’s top defensive players are conscious of the challenge that awaits them with Chambliss’ playmaking ability.

“I definitely think it’s something everybody collectively as a defense has to focus on,” said Miami defensive back Keionte Scott, who had a key 72-yard interception return for a touchdown against Ohio State. “I don’t think you can put it on one or two position groups. When it gets to that point where it breaks down or it doesn’t break down, I think everybody doing their job (1 through 11) can erase a lot of those things.”

–Field Level Media

Charlie Weis Jr. to coach Ole Miss’ offense in CFP before going to LSU

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Charlie Weis Jr. may be following Lane Kiffin to LSU, but unlike Kiffin he’s being allowed to coach Ole Miss through the College Football Playoff.

The Rebels posted a graphic to social media Tuesday showing their coaching staff for the postseason, which revealed Weis will remain their offensive coordinator for that time.

Pete Golding was promoted to head coach — no interim tag — when Kiffin decided over the weekend to accept the LSU job. Kiffin privately and publicly lobbied to be allowed to coach the Rebels in the playoff but Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter rejected the idea.

Weis, though, will be joining Kiffin’s staff at LSU after coaching the Rebels in the playoff. No reason was immediately given for the decision.

Kiffin released a statement expressing his full support of Weis coaching Ole Miss in the postseason.

“With the playoff committee releasing updated rankings tonight, I wanted it to be known that after conversations with LSU, we are allowing Charlie to return to Ole Miss to coach the team during the playoffs,” Kiffin said Tuesday. “I’ve already made the committee aware of this and I’m hopeful this decision will allow Ole Miss to receive the highest ranking possible because these great players are very deserving of that. I’m excited that Charlie will be back to help coach the greatest team in the history of Ole Miss.”

Weis has helped Ole Miss rank third in total offense (498.1 yards per game), third in passing offense (309.6) and 11th in scoring offense (37.3 ppg) in Division I this season. The Rebels achieved this with Division II transfer Trinidad Chambliss at quarterback due to an early-season injury to QB1 Austin Simmons.

The coordinator is the son of Charlie Weis, the former head coach of Notre Dame (2005-09) and Kansas (2012-14).

It is not guaranteed but essentially a formality that Ole Miss (11-1) will be an at-large selection for the CFP field. The Rebels were ranked No. 7 last week before beating Mississippi State 38-19 in the Egg Bowl in Kiffin’s final game on the job. Their only loss came by eight points at Georgia, another playoff team.

Golding was the Rebels’ defensive coordinator before being promoted to the head job. Bryan Brown, the co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, will handle the defense.

–Field Level Media

Ole Miss promotes DC Pete Golding to replace Lane Kiffin as head coach

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ole Miss has promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to permanent head coach, replacing Lane Kiffin, who left to become LSU’s head coach on Sunday.

The school announced the promotion Sunday afternoon shortly after the players were informed of Kiffin’s departure and Golding’s promotion and less than three weeks before the Rebels are expected to host a College Football Playoff game in Oxford, Miss. Dec. 19 or 20.

“We could not be more excited to announce Pete Golding as the next head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. His tenure will begin immediately as he leads our program in the pursuit of a national title,” Ole Miss AD Keith Carter said in a statement. “Today’s team meeting was a clear indicator of his ability to galvanize our squad. All of our players and coaches are ecstatic and ready to lock arms for a playoff run.”

No. 7 Ole Miss set a program record with its 11th regular-season win Friday vs. Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, 38-19. Kiffin, who had been reportedly considered a return to Ole Miss as well as job offers at Florida and LSU, informed LSU on Saturday he would be accepting its head coach position after six seasons leading the Rebels.

Golding, 41, will be a first-time head coach after a career coaching across the Southeast. He’s concluding his third season as Ole Miss defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach, spending the three prior seasons (2020-22) as Alabama defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach and five seasons total under Nick Saban.

The Hammond, La. native transformed Ole Miss’ defense during his time leading that side of the ball. His 2024 defense led the nation in sacks (52) and tackles for loss (120) and ranked second nationally in scoring defense (14.4 points per game).

This year’s defense ranks third in the Southeastern Conference and 20th nationally in passing defense (182.6 yards per game) and 25th in scoring defense (20.1 ppg).

“I would like to thank Keith Carter, Chancellor Boyce and the entire Ole Miss leadership team for placing their trust in me. Oxford is home, and it’s an incredible honor to lead one of the nation’s premier programs, and I can’t wait to get to work immediately and prepare this team to win a national championship,” Golding said in a statement.

“Ole Miss Football is special. Since the day I arrived, I’ve felt the passion, pride and unwavering support of Rebel Nation. This is a place where expectations are high, and football is woven into the fabric of the community. Our mission moving forward is clear: we will play with toughness, discipline and relentless effort in everything we do. We will recruit at the highest level, develop our players on and off the field, and compete every single day to bring championships to Oxford. Most importantly, we will represent this university with class and integrity.

“To the Ole Miss family, thank you for your support and belief. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I can’t wait to attack this challenge together.”

Kiffin shared a statement on his X account, stating that he expressed his desire to coach Ole Miss through the remainder of the 2025 season, but that request was denied by Carter and the Ole Miss administration.

–Field Level Media

No. 7 Ole Miss takes down Mississippi State in Egg Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Trinidad Chambliss threw four touchdown passes, De’Zhaun Stribling caught two of them and No. 7 Ole Miss all but clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff with a 38-19 victory against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday at Starkville, Miss.

Chambliss completed 23 of 34 passes for 359 yards and the Rebels (11-1, 7-1 SEC) overcame any distractions about head coach Lane Kiffin’s potential departure to win their third straight game against their in-state rival. They improved to 5-1 in the Egg Bowl under Kiffin.

Freshman Kamario Taylor made his first start and rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 178 yards to lead the Bulldogs (5-7 1-7). Mississippi State fell short of bowl eligibility for a third consecutive season after 13 straight bowl appearances.

Mississippi State received the second-half kickoff and drove to Kyle Ferrie’s 36-yard field goal to pull within 21-13. Ole Miss answered with Lucas Carneiro’s 43-yard field goal to restore an 11-point lead.

Chambliss’ 23-yard touchdown pass to Stribling expanded the lead to 31-13 early in the fourth quarter. Taylor scrambled for a 35-yard touchdown with 10:40 remaining as Missippi State closed the gap to 31-19.

Ole Miss capped the scoring in style when Chambliss threw an 88-yard touchdown pass to Deuce Alexander. The Rebels went on to complete the first 11-win regular season in school history.

Ole Miss received the opening kickoff and five players lateer Kewan Lacy ran 31 yards for a touchdown. Lacy finished with 143 yards on 27 carries

Mississippi State muffed the ensuing kickoff and started from its 3-yard line, but drove 97 yards in 10 plays, the last of which was a 22-yard touchdown run by Taylor that tied the score.

Chambliss threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Wallace III to give the Rebels a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Ferrie kicked a 40-yard field goal to pull the Bulldogs within 14-10 before Chambliss directed a 75-yard drive and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Stribling with 12 seconds remaining before halftime to increase the lead to 21-10.

–Field Level Media

Trinidad Chambliss (3 TDs), No. 6 Ole Miss trounce The Citadel

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Trinidad Chambliss passed for 333 yards and three touchdowns, Kewan Lacy rushed for three touchdowns and No. 6 Ole Miss trounced The Citadel 49-0 in a nonconference game Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

Lacy ran for just 49 yards, but scored all of his touchdowns as the Rebels (9-1, 5-1 SEC) rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead against the outmanned Bulldogs (4-6, 3-3 in the FCS Southern Conference).

Chambliss completed 29 of 33 passes, while the Ole Miss defense allowed just 106 yards. The Citadel threw only eight passes, completing three for 23 yards.

On Ole Miss’ first play of the second half, Chambliss threw a 40-yard completion to Caleb Odom, and four plays later they teamed on a 1-yard touchdown pass that increased the lead to 42-0.

The score remained unchanged at the end of the third quarter after the Bulldogs drove to the Rebels’ 11. On fourth-and-1, Javante Graves-Billips was stopped for a 4-yard loss.

On the third play of the fourth quarter, Mikey Rosa intercepted Austin Wallace, who replaced Chambliss, and returned to the Ole Miss 17, but the threat ended when Jack Weil was wide left on a 32-yard field-goal attempt.

Damien Taylor’s 1-yard touchdown run completed the scoring. Simmons completed 7 of 12 passes for 100 yards and an interception.

Ole Miss received the opening kickoff and drove 87 yards in 10 plays, the last of which was a 2-yard touchdown run by Lacy. The Rebels’ second possession was similar as they drove 77 yards in nine plays, culminating in a 15-yard touchdown run by Lacy that produced a 14-0 lead.

On Ole Miss’ next possession, The Citadel stopped Lacy for a 2-yard loss on fourth and 1 from the Ole Miss 32, but Weil was wide right on a 46-yard field-goal attempt.

Three plays later, Chambliss threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Winston Watkins for a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Chambliss threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Cayden Lee and Lacy ran 3 yards for a touchdown that expanded the Rebels’ lead to 35-0 at halftime.

–Field Level Media

No. 6 Ole Miss not focused on rankings ahead of Citadel matchup

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said he wasn’t looking ahead to the first CFP rankings that were released Tuesday night.

The Rebels (8-1) landed at No. 6 as they prepare for a non-conference game against The Citadel (4-5) on Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

“I really hadn’t thought much about that,” Kiffin said of the rankings before they were released. “This isn’t coach speak. I really don’t, because it’s still so early and so much left to play.”

Ole Miss still has SEC games at home against Florida and at rival Mississippi State, plus a potential SEC Championship Game, before it will know its ultimate postseason fate.

But Kiffin did say he was curious about how the SEC — which has nine teams in the Top 25, including six in the top 12 — would fare in the initial CFP rankings.

The SEC is expanding from eight conference games to nine next season, partly, Kiffin said, because of the expectation that strength of schedule will become a bigger part of the CFP equation.

“I’d look less about where we are and more of (the SEC as a whole),” Kiffin said, “just to see, OK, are they actually going to pay as much attention that we were told they are going to now?”

The expanded league schedule will leave one fewer opportunity to schedule a non-SEC opponent such as The Citadel. Kiffin said the most important thing for Ole Miss as it enters the final third of the regular season is to continue to get better for the stretch run.

The Rebels have beaten Oklahoma and South Carolina since suffering their loss at Georgia.

“We’ve got a big challenge to get better this week,” Kiffin said. “I thought we’ve gotten better in some areas the last couple weeks. We’ve talked about focusing on ourselves. We’ve got a lot to work on.”

Citadel head coach Maurice Drayton said the Bulldogs, like the Rebels, are focused more on themselves than their opponent even though their opponent is an FBS powerhouse.

“We’re coming off back-to-back weeks of preparing for rivalry games with Furman and VMI,” Drayton said, “and I realize I have to do a better job of communicating with the players.”

The Citadel ended a two-game losing streak when it defeated VMI 35-24 last Saturday, but it was a struggle against a team that entered the game with a 1-7 record.

The Bulldogs fell behind 21-0 early in the third quarter, scored a touchdown before the end of the period, then reeled off 28 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, though it couldn’t relax until the final touchdown with 12 seconds left.

“I learned a valuable lesson, that you have to stick with your process,” Drayton said. “The focus has to remain on our process no matter who we are playing.

“We have yet to play a complete game this season, and that’s our goal every week. We want our guys to compete against that guy in the mirror. If he can be the best version of himself, then we’re going to be fine.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Lawson Luckie (7) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Mississippi Rebels during the first quarter of the game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Lawson Luckie hauls in 3 TDs, No. 9 Georgia upsets No. 5 Ole Miss

Posted on | by Field Level Media

ATHENS — Gunner Stockton completed 26 of 31 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns as No. 9 Georgia posted a 43-35 victory over visiting No. 5 Ole Miss on Saturday in Southeastern Conference play.

Stockton also ran for 59 yards and a score, while Lawson Luckie hauled in three touchdowns receptions for Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC), which outgained Ole Miss 510-351.

Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) was paced by Trinidad Chambliss. He threw for 263 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns.

After leading by a point at halftime, Ole Miss tacked on with Chambliss’s 75-yard pass to De’Zhaun Stribling on the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter.

Stockton then hit Luckie for a 3-yard score, before Georgia’s two-point conversion came up short, as the Bulldogs cut their deficit to 28-26 with 10:02 left in the third.

Chambliss continued the offensive barrage with a 2-yard rushing score, but Stockton responded with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Nate Frazier, cutting Georgia’s deficit to 35-33 with 12:56 left in the fourth.

After a punt by Ole Miss, Stockton hit Luckie for the duo’s third touchdown connection of the game, giving Georgia a 40-35 lead with 7:29 left.

Following Ole Miss’s second straight punt, Peyton Woodring added on with a 42-yard field goal, giving Georgia an eight-point lead at the 2:06 mark.

Georgia forced a turnover on downs on the Rebels’ final possession to secure the massive conference win.

After Woodring’s 51-yard field goal began the scoring, Chambliss’s 7-yard touchdown run gave Ole Miss a 7-3 lead with 5:47 left in the opening quarter.

Stockton then led Georgia to a 13-play, 75-yard drive, stamped with his 11-yard touchdown pass to Luckie on the first play of the second quarter.

Kewan Lacy’s 1-yard touchdown rush gave Ole Miss a 14-10 edge before Stockton’s 22-yard scamper helped Georgia retake the lead with 7:13 left in the first half.

Lacy’s second score gave Ole Miss a 21-17 lead, before Woodring’s 35-yard field goal as time expired cut the Bulldogs’ halftime deficit to 21-20.

–Field Level Media

8Sep 13, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) passes the ball during warm ups prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorback at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Report: No. 13 Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons doubtful vs. Tulane

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons is unlikely to play against Tulane on Saturday due to an ankle injury, ESPN reported Friday.

The 13th-ranked Rebels (3-0) will turn to Trinidad Chambliss to make his second consecutive start when the Green Wave (3-0) visit Oxford, Miss.

Simmons reportedly could be available in an emergency role, as he was last weekend when he came off the bench to throw a second-quarter touchdown pass in a 41-35 win against Arkansas.

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin was optimistic about Simmons’ availability earlier this week. “I would anticipate Austin being fine to play and being our starting quarterback,” he said.

ESPN reported that Simmons aggravated his ankle injury during his relief appearance against the Razorbacks.

Simmons, a sophomore, has completed 34 of 56 passes for 580 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions in three games this season. He has rushed 16 times for 69 yards and one score.

Chambliss, a senior transfer from Division II Ferris State, completed 21 of 29 passes for 353 yards, one TD and no picks against Arkansas. He rushed 15 times for 62 yards and two scores.

–Field Level Media

8Sep 13, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Austin Simmons (13) passes the ball during warm ups prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorback at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

QB Austin Simmons expected to return for No. 13 Ole Miss vs. Tulane

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ole Miss is getting its quarterback back, while Tulane is thriving after finding its quarterback unusually late.

Austin Simmons is expected to return from a one-game absence due to an ankle injury when the No. 13 Rebels (3-0) host the Green Wave (3-0) on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

Ole Miss did just fine in Simmons’ absence as Trinidad Chambliss played two series to finish off a 30-23 victory at Kentucky after Simmons was injured two weeks ago, and then Chambliss ran for two touchdowns and passed for another in a 41-35 victory against visiting Arkansas last Saturday.

Simmons was briefly thrust into the game because Chambliss’ hand was bleeding and he threw a 4-yard touchdown on his only pass attempt, but he aggravated his injury during his cameo.

“I would anticipate Austin being fine to play and being our starting quarterback (against Tulane),” Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin said.

Simmons threw two early interceptions that helped Kentucky open a 10-0 lead, but he helped rally the team to the victory.

Whoever is playing quarterback will be able to lean on running back Kewan Lacy, who has five touchdowns and two 100-yard rushing games. The one sub-100 game came last week, but he still had 84 yards from scrimmage.

“He didn’t have the big numbers last week, but I think a lot of that was schematically, defensively,” Kiffin said of Lacy. “(Arkansas) had a plan, it seems to me, that if Trinidad played they were going to stop the run and make him throw. And they were very much committed to stopping the run in that game.

“(Lacy) ran really hard. He’s taking care of the ball really well and he pass protects really well. He’s had a couple of big explosive plays the last two weeks.”

Quarterback Jake Retzlaff was a late arrival at Tulane, transferring from BYU in July. He found himself in a three-way competition to start, winning partly because of a late injury to one of his competitors.

During preseason camp Retzlaff came on “like wildfire and picked it up and has run really fast with what he’s been given,” Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall said.

Retzlaff has helped lead the Green Wave to victories against Northwestern, South Alabama and Duke. He rushed for 111 yards and a school quarterback record four touchdowns and completed 15 of 23 passes for 245 yards in a 34-27 home victory against Duke last week.

Tulane is receiving votes in the AP poll and a victory against the Rebels would make the Green Wave an early-season candidate for a CFP berth from the Group of 5.

“These are great opportunities,” Sumrall said of playing the Rebels. “They’re great challenges. This is why you work so hard as a player and as a coach, to measure yourself against what I consider some of the best.

“It’s an opportunity you have to appreciate. You have to embrace it and also respect what you’re going against. It’s going to be a handful, but it’s fun to measure yourself against the best.”

-Field Level Media