No. 17 Ole Miss nearly stole defeat from the jaws of victory in front of a striped-out home crowd on Saturday, but a late turnover helped propel a Trinidad Chambliss-led Rebels to a 41-35 win over Arkansas.
The Rebels (3-0, 2-0 SEC) appeared to have a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter when Lucas Carneiro knocked in a 23-yard field goal to put Ole Miss up 41-28 with just under 11 minutes left in regulation. But Arkansas (2-1, 0-1 SEC) was set on a mission to play spoiler in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — a place Lane Kiffin’s teams have seldom lost in his six years at the helm.
Arkansas put together an 11-play drive that resulted in a three-yard touchdown run by Mike Washington to cut the Razorbacks’ deficit to six points. With 4:55 on the clock, Ole Miss had an opportunity to move the chains, force Sam Pittman to use his two remaining timeouts (his quarterback had burned one earlier in the half), and bleed the clock.
However, the game took a different turn when an uncharacteristic drop by sure-handed Rebel wideout Cayden Lee paved the way for a quick three-and-out, giving Green and company the ball back and momentum. Three of the next four plays yielded double-digit gains for the Razorbacks, landing them in Rebel territory with a ticking clock.
Pittman’s chess game was upended when Ole Miss linebacker TJ Dottery forced Razorback wideout Jalen Brown to fumble. Rebel safety Wydett Williams Jr. recovered the ball, and after the offense moved the chains, the contest was wrapped in red and blue.
“I thought our guys finished the game really well,” Kiffin said. “It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t pretty a lot of times defensively.”
Kiffin turned to Chambliss, a transfer from Division II Ferris State, to lead the offense after starting Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons suffered an ankle injury in last week’s battle at Kentucky. Chambliss, in his first start at the Division I level, led a strong debut, completing 72% of his passes for 353 yards and a touchdown. He also had 62 rushing yards and two scores on 15 carries. He also led the Rebels into scoring territory on seven of his 10 drives in the game.
Chambliss had four passes resulting in 35 or more yards. His deepest bomb of the night was a 64-yarder to tight end Dae’Quan Wright in the second quarter. Tre Wallace III was the top weapon in the air with 92 yards and a score. Along with Chambliss, Kewan Lacy anchored the ground game with 44 yards and a score.
“It’s a dream come true. You dream of moments like this,” Chambliss, after admitting that he was nervous when taking his first snap, said. “Coming from a DII, I’m very grateful and appreciative of the opportunity that arose today. I’m going to soak it all in, interact with the fans, all the fans, because that was me when I was little.”
Simmons’ name was called in the second half after Chambliss’ throwing hand was struck and lacerated by an opponent’s helmet. The left-handed hurler used his legs and a banged-up left ankle to move the chains on third down. He concluded his time in the game with a four-yard touchdown pass to Wallace. According to Kiffin, Simmons, who was in noticeable pain on the sidelines, re-aggravated his injured ankle.
A shootout of a first half manufactured 634 total yards of offense, 59 points scored, and nine out of 10 total offensive possessions ending with scores. Arkansas’ opening drive, which ended with a missed 51-yard field goal, was the exception.
The second half was more friendly to the defenses and the Rebels’ fortune. After both teams opened the third quarter by trading punts, Ole Miss later became the benefactor of another missed field goal by Arkansas kicker Scott Starzyk, as well as the late fumble.
Green was the star of Arkansas’ show in his team’s unsuccessful campaign. The dual-threat field general finished the night with 305 passing yards, 111 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns. His top target in the air was O’Mega Blake, who logged 81 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Razorback running back Mike Washington had 65 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Suntarine Perkins had his first eye-popping stat line of the young season as he led Pete Golding’s battle-tested defense with nine total tackles, one of which was for a loss, and a quarterback hurry. Dottery’s forced fumble and Williams’ recovery were the most impactful defensive sequence of the game, especially given how Ole Miss dropped three balls that should have been interceptions.
For Arkansas, linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. had a team-best nine tackles. Defensive back Julian Neal had a solid showing in the secondary, amassing two pass breakups and six total tackles to complement the deflections.
A moment of shock underscored the contest when Razorback defensive back Kani Walker suffered an injury to the back of his neck at the start of the fourth quarter. Walker had to be carted off the field on a stretcher, but signaled a “thumbs up” to his teammates. After the game, Pittman confirmed to Kiffin that the defensive back was moving and seemingly okay.
Scoring Summary
Ole Miss capitalized on an early Arkansas miscue with a 13-play, 67-yard drive that ended with Kewan Lacy moving into the endzone to take a 7-0 lead. Razorback signal caller Taylen Green, after moving the chains in late-yardage plays in his second drive, found himself facing 3rd and 16. The veteran proved clutch with a 30-yard touchdown pass to neutralize the scoreboard.
A 62-yard gain courtesy of a pass from Trinidad Chambliss to a wide-open Cayden Lee ended the first quarter with Ole Miss deep in Arkansas territory. Later in the Rebels’ second drive, Chambliss trotted into the endzone from two yards out to take a 14-7 lead. An ensuing 47-yard touchdown run by Mike Washington tied the ballgame 14-14.
Another explosive play by the Rebels, a 64-yard gain from a Chambliss pass to Dae’Quan Wright, moved Ole Miss downfield once more. The DII transfer quarterback punched the ball in for a one-yard score, giving the Rebels a 21-14 edge. Arkansas leaned on a few chunk plays to work its way to Ole Miss’ side of the field. A three-yard score from running back Braylen Russell knotted up the scoreboard again.
Ole Miss, on its fourth offensive drive of the night, moved the ball downfield by way of penalty. A pass interference committed against Cayden Lee on 3rd and long moved chains, with a later facemask giving the Rebels another first down. After Chambliss exited the field with an apparent hand injury, Austin Simmons checked into the game and used a hurt foot to extend the drive. Simmons later found Lacy in the end zone to take a 28-21 lead with
Green, in the waning minutes of the first half, scored on a five-yard keeper to tie things up, but Arkansas ultimately left too much time on the clock. With 1:18 to work with, Ole Miss methodically moved the ball down the field. A successful 36-yard kick from Lucas Carneiro gave the Rebels a 31-28 lead at the half.
An exchange of punts began the third quarter. Ole Miss struck first blood in the half on a six-yard touchdown grab, giving the Rebels their largest advantage of the night. That lead was expanded early in the fourth quarter. A 35-yard bomb from Chambliss to Deuce Alexander, followed by a 17-yard keeper from the quarterback, set Carneiro up for a 23-yard field goal, putting the Rebels up 41-28 with just under 11 minutes on the clock.
Arkansas, facing its largest deficit of the game, still had a lot of fight left. A six-minute drive found Washington in the endzone for a second time, marking a 41-35 score with 4:58 remaining in regulation. Though the lead had been cut to one score, the Razorbacks were unable to march back from behind.
Coach’s Comments
Lane Kiffin had high praise for Trinidad Chambliss stepping up to the occasion and commandeering the offense with Austin Simmons nursing an injury. Kiffin referred to Chambliss as a player with the “it” factor, and said it didn’t surprise him that the quarterback was a shining star.
“Trinidad’s day didn’t surprise me. Anytime we’ve gone into the [Vaught-Hemingway Stadium] for scrimmages, or his play in the last two games, he’s done a fabulous job,” Kiffin said. “He has the ‘it’ [factor]. That’s why we brought him here.”
Kiffin commended his team for closing out a tight contest on a winning note, despite not putting the opponent away when Ole Miss had a chance late in the fourth quarter. The sixth-year Rebel frontman was optimistic that the nail-biting victory will be beneficial in this group’s growth as the season progresses.
“It’s really big for them to go through this adversity — if you win. It’s not good when you lose,” Kiffin said. “There are still a lot of things to work on.”
Next Up
Ole Miss will remain at home for a Saturday, Sept. 20, matchup against Tulane. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN along with participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
