Ole Miss welcomed the Arkansas Razorbacks to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in a battle of undefeated teams. The Rebels came out with a high-scoring 41-35 win.
Rebel backup quarterback and Division II Ferris State transfer Trinidad Chambliss got the start over Austin Simmons due to Simmons’ ankle injury and led Ole Miss to its third victory of the season.
First half
Arkansas had an explosive 34-yard pass to begin the game that got the Razorbacks into Rebel territory, but Ole Miss held firm to force a field goal try that went wide.
After three straight run plays that got Ole Miss a first down, Chambliss threw two short check downs to get to the 30-yard line.
Chambliss was effective on the ground in his first drive as a Rebel starter. He went 3-3 for 22 yards in the air and three carries for 22 yards in his first drive. Ole Miss ran the ball 10 times for 37 yards. Without Simmons, the plan for Ole Miss was to make short throws and run the ball.
The Rebels were able to contain Arkansas running back Mike Washington early, but quarterback Taylen Green found success on the ground.
O’Mega Blake reached the end zone on a pass in the middle of the field and the extra point evened the score. A slow, methodical drive by the Hogs left 10 seconds in the first. The visitors wore down the Rebel defense and found their footing in the run game.
On Chambliss’ first big pass attempt, he found wide receiver Cayden Lee for a 62-yarder to put Ole Miss on the 13-yard line. Then he rushed for a touchdown to put Ole Miss back on top. The Rebels’ second touchdown took just four plays.
Both teams were efficient on third downs, with Green and Chambliss showing the ability to extend drives.
A personal foul penalty on a late hit put Arkansas across the 50 yard line and two plays later Washington rushed for a 47-yard touchdown. Despite Ole Miss’ ability to stop the run early, the Hogs adjusted and averaged 7.9 yards per run through their first three drives.
Ole Miss and Arkansas landed big punches and their offensives were clicking.
Rebel tight end Dae’Quan Wright had a 64-yard reception to set up Chambliss’ second rushing touchdown. The third drive was four plays over a minute and 51 seconds.
The Rebel offensive line was good in the first half, but the third drive was their weakest. They allowed pressure on Chambliss that almost stalled the drive.
Ole Miss had a hard time stopping the dynamic Green in the air and on the ground.
Rebels fans thought they had a pick in the end zone, but it was called back due to holding. Arkansas capitalized with a rushing touchdown and evened the score.
Ole Miss showed poise in the red zone; however, the penalty shrunk their chances of making a stop.
Chambliss took a hard hit and stayed in the game for a few plays, but Lane Kiffin subbed in Simmons for his first snaps of the game. On his second snap, he rushed for eight yards to get the first down.
Despite visibly limping, Simmons threw a touchdown pass to Harrison Wallace III to retake the lead.
The visitors had another explosive play to knock on the door again, this time a 35-yard pass. Green scored a five-yard rushing touchdown and the extra point tied the game.
Chambliss returned to the game with a minute and 18 seconds left and marched the Rebels down the field. Lucas Carneiro hit a 36-yard field goal to give the Rebels a 31-28 advantage going into the half.
One of the biggest issues for the Ole Miss defense was the over-commitment of the read option. There was plenty of drama as both Chambliss and Simmons appeared injured at one point, which could have forced redshirt freshman quarterback AJ Maddox into the game.
Green was just eight of 16 passes in the first but passed for 166 and ran for 92. Chambliss was effective with 13 completions on 17 attempts and 231 yards — his longest was a 64-yard pass.
“I was a little nervous. I’d be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t,” Chambliss said in his postgame interview. “But God’s got me. My Lord and savior Jesus Christ was with me the whole time.”
Washington averaged 8.7 yards on the ground and totaled 56 yards, while Kewan Lacy averaged 2.9 for 23; however, he had 59 yards after the catch.
Neither defense was relevant. Arkansas had one sack and Ole Miss put good pressure on Green but was unable to come up with a sack.
Second half
The Rebels deferred the ball in the first, so they received it to begin the second.
After consecutive punts, Ole Miss found momentum with a 40-yard pass to Wallace. Two flags cost Ole Miss touchdowns, but De’Zhaun Stribling hauled in a six-yard reception to extend the Rebel lead. The point after attempt was successful. Ole Miss held a 38-28 lead with less than five minutes in the third.
After Arkansas’ attempted a field goal from 49 yards, Ole Miss’ defense made key adjustments and stopped the potent Arkansas defense.
Defensive tackle Zxavian Harris had two big plays to put the Hogs at third and 14, while Nickelback Nick Cull broke up a touchdown pass to force the field goal try.
Ole Miss got the ball back to begin the fourth with a 10-point advantage. Wide receiver Deuce Alexander caught a long ball for a 34-yard gain. Chambliss’ throw was a bit underthrown, but the sophomore made an amazing catch.
Ole Miss drove down to the five-yard line but settled for a field goal to extend the lead to 41-28.
Arkansas put together another good drive. This time, the Ole Miss defensive line could not put pressure on Green. The Hogs punched a three-yard rushing touchdown in to make it 41-35 with four minutes and 56 seconds to go.
The Rebels had a hard time containing Green. They made good adjustments at the half, but Arkansas found a way to keep it close.
Arkansas marched down to the 27-yard line and threatened to take the lead. After the two minute timeout, linebacker TJ Dottery forced a fumble and safety Wydett Williams Jr. recovered it to give Ole Miss the ball. All the offense had to do was get a first down and run out the clock to secure the win.
“Our guys finished the game really well,” head coach Lane Kiffin said in his postgame press conference. “(It) wasn’t perfect, wasn’t pretty a lot of times defensively, but, on the 72nd defensive play, we made the first turnover.”
Chambliss led Ole Miss to the victory in his first DI start. He was 21 of 29 passes for 353 yards. As a team, Ole Miss had 357 passing yards and 118 rushing yards. The Rebels were out gained 522 to 475.
“Trinidad’s day didn’t surprise me. Anytime we’ve gone in the stadium in scrimmages or in his play the last two games, he’s done a fabulous job,” Kiffin said.
What’s next?
The Rebels host Tulane on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN.
