Ole Miss didn’t just start the post-Lane Kiffin era - they kicked the door down.
"YOU CANNOT START BETTER THAN THAT!" 😤
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) December 20, 2025
Kewan Lacy in for the TD on his first touch of the game! Tune in NOW on TNT & HBO Max 📺pic.twitter.com/gCRyq2a5Bj
In their first-round College Football Playoff matchup against Tulane, the Rebels wasted no time proving they’re still a force to be reckoned with, even without their former head coach at the helm. From the opening kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, it was clear this team came ready to make a statement.
On the very first play from scrimmage, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss let it rip, connecting with wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling for 30 yards. One play later, he found tight end Dae’Quan Wright for another chunk - 25 yards this time.
Trinidad Chambliss TD in his CFP debut 😤 pic.twitter.com/Yl1i2m1V8n
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 20, 2025
Then came Kewan Lacy, the Rebels’ dynamic running back, who took his first carry of the game, shook off a couple of defenders at the line, and darted through a perfectly executed lane for a 20-yard touchdown. Just like that, Ole Miss was on the board.
Three plays, 59 seconds, and any questions about how this team would look without Kiffin were already starting to fade.
And they weren’t done.
Tulane responded with a solid drive of its own, pushing the ball inside the Ole Miss 30. But just when it looked like the Green Wave might answer, the Rebels defense stepped up. Cornerback Jaylon Braxton jumped a pass from Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff, picked it off, and returned it 15 yards to give Ole Miss the ball back at their own 25.
That turnover lit another spark. Lacy broke off a 30-yard run, Chambliss followed with a 26-yard strike, and before Tulane could catch its breath, the Rebels were knocking on the goal line.
Chambliss capped it off himself, punching in the second touchdown of the game. This drive took just 1:21 - not much longer than the first - and Ole Miss suddenly had full control of the game’s momentum.
The backdrop to all of this, of course, is the departure of Lane Kiffin, who left for LSU in November after a drawn-out courtship. Kiffin had hoped to coach the Rebels through the playoff, but that wasn’t in the cards.
He also took six assistants with him, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. But in a move that’s clearly paying dividends, Weis Jr. was allowed to return to Oxford to coach the team during the postseason.
Kiffin himself acknowledged the decision at the time, saying he hoped it would help Ole Miss receive the highest possible playoff ranking. And while the rankings are out of their control now, the Rebels are doing everything in their power to prove they belong.
Weis Jr.’s return, paired with interim head coach and former defensive coordinator Pete Golding, appears to be stabilizing this team at exactly the right time. The offense is humming.
The defense is opportunistic. And most importantly, Ole Miss is playing with the kind of edge and urgency you need in December.
The post-Kiffin era isn’t just underway - it’s making noise.