No. 6 Ole Miss has now tied last year’s regular-season win total, as the Rebels toppled the Citadel 49-0 in Saturday’s military appreciation game.
Ahead of the matchup, Rebel head coach Lane Kiffin challenged Trinidad Chambliss to be efficient, as the Division II transfer had a subpar passing performance in last week’s victory over South Carolina. Chambliss answered the bell against the Bulldogs, completing 29 of 33 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns, leading an Ole Miss offense that totaled 603 yards and seemingly clicked on all cylinders.
“Each week, I try to be as efficient as I can be, no matter who we’re playing. But it was definitely crucial this week because I didn’t have a good game against South Carolina,” Chambliss said. “I wanted to bounce back and be more technical and just have a better performance.”
Harrison Wallace III was Chambliss’ top target, with 87 yards on eight receptions in the blowout over the Bulldogs. Kewan Lacy logged 49 yards and three scores on the ground on 11 carries. Lacy tied former Rebel back Quinshon Judkins for the most single-season rushing touchdowns in Ole Miss history at 16.
The Rebels (9-1, 5-1 SEC) scored touchdowns on five of six offensive drives in the first half, testing the Citadel’s defense. A trio of scores came as a result of carries by Lacy in the red zone. Freshman receiver Winston Watkins Jr. won a tip drill in the end zone to catch a touchdown pass, and Chambliss found Cayden Lee for a 22-yard score, giving Ole Miss a 35-0 advantage at halftime.
Standout tight end Dae’Quan Wright was banged up in the first quarter and was sidelined for the remainder of the matchup. Caleb Odom and Luke Hasz got some traction in the pass game. Odom had 64 receiving yards and a third-quarter touchdown catch, one that followed a drop on the previous play. Ole Miss’ final touchdown of the game came on a one-yard score by backup running back Damien Taylor.
The Citadel (4-6, 3-3 SOCON) had two scoring opportunities in the game, but missed a pair of field goals, resulting in the goose egg on the scoreboard. Aside from one somewhat fruitful drive and an Ole Miss turnover that found the Bulldogs on the Rebels’ side of the field, the Citadel’s offense was stifled all afternoon. The visiting team was held to a mere 106 yards through four quarters of action.
Rebel linebacker TJ Dottery led Ole Miss in tackles with seven, two of which were for a loss of yards. Andrew Maddox and Tyler Banks also had success getting to the backfield, recording 1.5 tackles for loss apiece. For the Citadel, defensive back Temarcus Elam had a game-high 10 tackles, one of which yielded a loss of yardage.
“These things happen where these guys hang around, and nobody feels good about it afterward. We talked about that all week. What is your standard? Is the standard the standard regardless of who the team is, what network it’s on, or how many people show up in the crowd? Do you need that stuff to play really well, or are you an elite competitor to where none of that matters?” Kiffin said of his challenge to his team. “I think they answered that today.”
Austin Simmons, who was the Rebels’ starting quarterback before suffering a week-two ankle injury at Kentucky, checked into the game in the second half. The sophomore completed seven of 12 passes for 100 yards and was sacked twice.
There were a couple of notable, yet random, asides to Saturday’s game. In the middle of a commercial break, a former Ole Miss track and field athlete, who was slated to kick a field goal for a prize, had a trick up his sleeve. Unbeknownst to the former athlete’s better half, who was holding the ball for the kick, her boyfriend had other plans — and he dropped down on one knee to propose. And in typical Lane Kiffin fashion, the Ole Miss head coach photobombed the couple’s inaugural engagement picture.
“I didn’t know I could be part of that. But you know, things happen here in the Sip,” Kiffin said. “That was cool. I didn’t know what was going on at all. It happened, and someone in the headset said it. That was really cool, then to have the crowd cheer for them, that was meaningful.”
Another side story of the game occurred after Chambliss found Odom in the end zone early in the third quarter. Following Odom’s catch, the AI-generated song dedicated to Chambliss rang out over the loudspeakers, allowing fans of the red and blue to feel a sense of what island time feels like in north Mississippi in November.
“I just have to give thanks to God. It’s been a ride. The Oxford community and the Ole Miss community have been nothing but open arms, with great people who have been supporting me throughout my time here,” Chambliss said. “My family loves everyone here in Oxford. It’s truly special. They call it the ‘velvet ditch’ because you don’t want to leave, and it’s true because I don’t want to leave ever now.”
The Rebels remain in the driver’s seat for an inaugural College Football Playoff appearance with Saturday’s win. Moving forward, Kiffin and company will look to keep their collective foot on the gas pedal and aim to be unblemished in the final two regular-season contests.
Next up for Ole Miss is an SEC battle against Florida, the team that put the final nail in the coffin of last year’s playoff hopes for the Rebels. The upcoming battle against the Gators will kick off on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN, along with participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
