Ole Miss got the kind of win that settles a whole offseason of noise. On Saturday night at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, the Rebels beat LSU 32-24 in a game built up for months, then backed it up with enough big plays and late-game nerve to send Ole Miss to No. 4 in the AP Top 25.
That ranking is the Rebels’ highest since they finished last season No. 3 after a College Football Playoff semifinal run, and it comes with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss surging into the center of the national conversation. Fan Duel Sports Book now lists Chambliss as the Heisman Trophy favorite at +300, just ahead of Miami QB Darian Mensah at +400.
Chambliss delivered the kind of stat line that gets attention fast: 33-of-48 passing for 363 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, plus a 14-yard touchdown run against the previously undefeated Tigers.
Still, the postgame tone inside the Ole Miss locker room was less about celebration and more about relief. Rebels defensive tackle Will Echoles called it “It’s a breath of fresh air, honestly,” and added, “just to get it over with.”
Chambliss framed the win as something bigger than beating Lane Kiffin on the other sideline.
“When they compare LSU and Ole Miss, they always say LSU has more money, the nicer facilities, a bigger fanbase, bigger stadium,” Chambliss said. “There’s more to it than just Kiffin being on the other side of the ball.
I’m happy we got this one for our fans and the people who support Ole Miss. Happy for our team as well for putting in the work.”
Pete Golding wasn’t about to let the moment turn into a victory lap. Even with Ole Miss looking like one of the hottest teams in the country, he kept the focus on what comes next.
“It wasn’t the Super Bowl, and we didn’t make it to be the Super Bowl,” Golding said. “I don’t think anybody came here to beat LSU.
Is it sweet? Absolutely, and we’ll enjoy it tonight for sure, but we’ve got to come back and work hard.
We’ve got a really, really good Florida team next week.”
Florida, in fact, is on the rise too. The Gators moved into the Top 25 for the first time under new coach Jon Sumrall after a 44-39 win over Auburn, and they’re 3-0 for the first time since 2019.
Georgia continues to sit in a familiar but still slightly under-the-radar spot at No. 2 after handling two overmatched opponents and then opening SEC play with a 45-17 win at Arkansas. Kirby Smart sounded pleased, but not satisfied, with pass blocking and pass rushing still on his mind. The Bulldogs have yet to play a full game with their starters, though quarterback Gunner Stockton played into the early part of the fourth quarter and more than doubled his season snap count, going from 50 through two games to 103 through three.
At No. 1, Texas held firm after a 30-6 win over UTSA in Austin.
Arch Manning went 17-of-33 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, but the defensive story was louder: Will Muschamp’s group snapped the Roadrunners’ streak of 74 straight games scoring a touchdown, a run that had dated back to a 2020 loss to Florida Atlantic. Steve Sarkisian didn’t hide his appreciation afterward.
“Our defense just kicked their (butt),” Coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I’m excited about that, and we should be excited about that, that our defense is playing the way they’re playing.”
Kentucky may still be waiting on its AP Top 25 return, but the Wildcats made the biggest statement of their own by going to Texas A&M and knocking off the then-No. 9 Aggies 31-21. New coach Will Stein’s team was a 17-point underdog and still scored four straight touchdowns to build a 28-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Tennessee also climbed after a 42-9 win over Kennesaw State. The Vols are 3-0 and up to No. 14, with freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon continuing to build momentum. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown and added 47 rushing yards and another score on 11 carries.
Mississippi State is back in the AP Top 25 for the first time since the end of the 2022 season, when it finished No. 20 under Mike Leach. Kamario Taylor keeps giving the Bulldogs a lift, and he led them to back-to-back road wins for the first time 2014 with a comeback from 16 down to beat South Carolina 41-34.
Texas A&M’s day went the other direction. Coach Mike Elko was caught on a hot mic giving Stein a blunt postgame nod: “you guys kicked out (butts), good job,” after the Aggies gave up 408 total yards. Two turnovers didn’t help, and the defense never forced Kentucky into one.
LSU’s loss brought its own frustration. Kiffin dropped to 13-26 in his career against Top 25 teams, and after the game he sounded worn down by the emotion of it all.
“I know that sometimes I don’t act like it, but I’m a human, too, you know.”
The Tigers trailed 24-7 at halftime, clawed all the way back to tie it at 24-24 with a fourth-quarter field goal, then watched Ole Miss answer with 6:14 left. LSU got one last chance, driving to the Rebels’ 6-yard-line in the final minute, but Sam Leavitt’s fourth-down interception in the end zone ended it.
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