Ole Miss Football’s Lucas Carneiro kicked the 47-yard field goal that sealed the Rebels’ victory over No. 3 Georgia in the 2026 Sugar Bowl — one of the most important field goals in program history.
Despite the significance of the kick in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, he approached this field goal attempt the same way he did the two kicks he made earlier in the game. The first, a 55-yarder, broke the existing record for longest kick in Sugar Bowl history; with his second made kick, a 56-yarder, Carneiro broke his own record.
“Every kick, to me, is the same,” Carneiro said. “I go out there and tell myself (I’ve) got this. Each kick just built up more confidence for me to go out there and make the next one.”
Carneiro’s successful kick was the final touch on a revenge game for the Rebels. Their only loss of the season came against then-No. 9 Georgia in October. Though avenging this loss was certainly a motivating factor, Carneiro said the Rebels did not let their emotions control them.
“Obviously, everybody wanted their revenge,” Carneiro said. “I think if we had gotten caught up in the idea of revenge, it would not have gone the way we wanted. We took it as just another game. Our job is to go 1-0, and this is what is in front of us and what we have to handle.”
Carneiro also spoke about some of his favorite plays by his teammates — plays that he believes were just as important as his game-winning kick.
“I thought it was pretty cool when Trinidad (Chambliss) ran around and found Kewan (Lacy), and Kewan (Lacy) got the first down,” Carneiro said.
On that play, quarterback Chambliss ran in a wide arc around the backfield to evade Bulldog pass-rushers. He looped from one side of the field to the other and managed to find running back Lacy for a crucial conversion on third-and-7. The Rebels were trailing 24-19 at the time.
Carneiro also mentioned Chambliss’ deep ball to wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, which set up the kicker’s game-winner.
“The last throw to set up the field goal I had was obviously awesome. The whole stadium erupted, and it was awesome to see,” Carneiro said.
On this play, the Rebels faced a third-and-5 in their own territory. The game was tied at 34 with 32 seconds to play. Rather than play it safe and go for a first down, Chambliss threw a long pass to Stribling for a 40-yard gain.
Although Ole Miss’ season ended in the Fiesta Bowl with their 31-27 loss to No. 10 Miami, Carneiro still looks back on the 2025-26 season with fondness.
“This whole season was surreal. I sat down and thought about how it was a historic run that everyone is going to remember. To be a part of that just means even more,” Carneiro said.
Now, the Rebels are looking ahead to next season. Spring camp is approximately one month away and Carneiro is focused on continuing to improve.
“For this spring, it is about flipping the page onto this season and focusing on getting better every day in the weight room and on the field,” Carneiro said.
