Ole Miss Football took down the LSU Tigers, 32-24, in former head coach Lane Kiffin’s highly anticipated return to Oxford this past Saturday. Here are the grades for players, position groups and coaches.
Trinidad Chambliss — A
Chambliss added serious hype to his Heisman campaign against the Tigers. He threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns, scrambled throughout the night and added a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter which proved to be the game-winning score.
With 20 seconds remaining in the first half, the Rebels were marching down the field, leading 17-7. Chambliss evaded pressure in the pocket on third-and-3 from the LSU 20-yard line, stepped up and fired a touchdown pass to wide receiver Deuce Alexander. His placement was exceptional: He fit the pass into a tiny window where only Alexander could reach it. The touchdown gave the Rebels a 24-7 lead going into the half.
This play embodies what Chambliss brings to the field. He does not panic under pressure; instead, he improvises and makes plays.
The only blemish in Chambliss’s performance was an interception at the beginning of the third quarter. The pocket collapsed, and he threw a lob that landed in the hands of an LSU defensive back. The Tigers took advantage of that blunder with a touchdown on the following drive.
Other than the interception, Chambliss put together a fantastic performance. He dissected the LSU defense with his arm and legs and, in so doing, boosted his resume for the Heisman Trophy — in fact, he is now the Heisman favorite.
Traylon Ray — A
After two mediocre performances to start the year, Ray exploded against LSU. He racked up 115 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions.
Ray transferred to Ole Miss from West Virginia ahead of the 2025-26 season. Ray played wide receiver for the Mountaineers, but head coach Pete Golding switched Ray to cornerback last season to add depth to the position. Though Ray had the team’s best interest in mind, Golding said that Ray preferred to play his original position.
“(Ray told me,) ‘Coach, I would love to stay (with Ole Miss), but I hate corner,’” Golding said in a postgame press conference.
Offensive coordinator John David Baker was impressed with Ray’s athleticism and switched him back to receiver.
Ray showed off this athleticism on Saturday with a tremendous circus catch in the first quarter for a 36-yard gain. He contorted his body in mid-air to evade two LSU defenders and brought in the ball with his back to the quarterback despite contact.
While Alexander is still the No. 1 receiving option in this offense, Ray’s performance proved that other pass-catchers are capable of stepping up when Alexander has quiet performances.
JT Lindsey — A
As running back Kewan Lacy continues to deal with injuries, the Ole Miss offense has turned to Lindsey. The LSU transfer only had four carries in his revenge game, but he made every yard count. He converted on a huge fourth down on the game-winning drive and then capped off that same drive with the 2-point conversion that put the Rebels up by eight points, 32-24.
If Lacy remains inactive, Lindsey is going to have a larger role in the offense. His performance should be very reassuring for Ole Miss fans: A backup running back who can step up in big moments is a valuable tool regardless of Lacy’s health.
Additionally, Golding’s faith in Lindsey on one of the biggest offensive plays of the game speaks to the running back’s skill.
In the postgame press conference, Golding stated that Lindsey’s solid performance allowed Lacy to remain on the bench —the Rebel coaches did not want to push Lacy if they did not need to.
Defensive line — B
The Ole Miss defensive line had its hands full on Saturday with the fiery LSU rushing attack. It was not a picture-perfect performance from the Rebel defense, particularly in the second half, but the unit did enough to secure the win.
Defensive tackle Will Echoles led the charge with five solo tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. LSU’s interior offense line has struggled so far this season, and Echoles took full advantage of its deficiencies.
Edge rusher Blake Purchase also had a good showing in his first taste of SEC play. He secured a sack, a quarterback hit and a solo tackle.
However, the unit struggled to stop the run. In total, the defense allowed 172 rushing yards. Tiger running back Dilin Jones had 23 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Sam Leavitt had 17 rushes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Leavitt’s scrambling was a major issue for the defense. Whenever he escaped the pocket, it seemed good things happened for LSU.
Last season, the defensive line had average performances in several games, yet the team still managed to win two playoff games. Ole Miss could be even more successful with consistent solid play in the front seven.
Secondary — B
The Rebel secondary received a lot of criticism from the media after the Louisville and Charlotte games. On Saturday, the unit had its best performance of the season.
Safety Sharif Denson excelled in his Ole Miss debut. The Florida transfer recorded eight tackles, including one tackle for loss. His presence made a huge difference in the shell; he also helped linebackers Keaton Thomas and Luke Ferrelli with run support.
Defensive back Jaylon Braxton made the play of the game, securing the win for Ole Miss with a late fourth quarter interception on fourth and goal.
While some of the improvements in secondary play could be attributed to Leavitt’s inadequacy in the passing game, this performance should instill some confidence into the unit going into the Florida game.
