Lane Kiffin and Trinidad Chambliss both spent Week 1 making the same point in different uniforms: they don’t need each other to win.
Kiffin opened his LSU tenure with a demolition job, as the Tigers rolled Clemson 51-10 on Saturday night. The margin was so lopsided that even Kiffin admitted he didn’t see it coming quite that way.
“I thought it’d be like 35-7, 35-10,” Kiffin said after the game. “I didn’t know they’d be that dysfunctional on offense.”
I caught Lane Kiffin on the field after press conferences and asked if he was surprised: "I thought it'd be like 35-7, 35-10" he said but "I didn't know they'd be that dysfunctional on offense." Noted that LSU scout team scored more on their defense than Clemson did.
- 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) September 6, 2026
A day later, Chambliss delivered his own statement for Ole Miss. The quarterback steered the Rebels to a 41-38 win over Louisville on Sunday night, capping the night with a game-winning drive. He finished with 336 passing yards, three touchdown throws and one interception, while also adding 60 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky came away convinced Chambliss can keep Ole Miss rolling even without Kiffin on the sideline.
“He can keep Ole Miss in every game even without Lane Kiffin,” Orlovsky said on Monday. “The second half was amazing.
The first half, he did not look like the player we saw last year. In the second half, it was absolute fireworks.
These are beautiful throws. Crossing routes, go routes, seam balls.
Just the way that he threw the football in the second half was about as good as it can get.”
“[Trinidad Chambliss] can keep Ole Miss in every game even without Lane Kiffin.” @danorlovsky7 discusses what Chambliss proved on Sunday ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/sGqfeRhRgP
- Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 7, 2026
Orlovsky’s take lines up with what Chambliss showed once Pete Golding took over as head coach in the College Football Playoff. Chambliss helped push the Rebels all the way to the CFP semifinals before they fell to the Miami Hurricanes.
Now the timing sets up a compelling reunion. Kiffin is headed back to Oxford on Sept. 19, and the matchup will put coach and quarterback on opposite sides after a Week 1 that made both look perfectly capable of thriving apart.
In Other News...
Louisville Is Letting A Huge Opening Slip Against Ole Miss
Louisville had plenty to like in the opening half at Nissan Stadium, especially on defense. The Cardinals forced two turnovers, held Ole Miss to 148 yards and got on the board first with a field goal, but the offense could not turn those takeaways into enough points as the Rebels still carried a 10-6 lead into halftime.
The frustrating part for Louisville was how many chances were there to swing the game before the break. The Cardinals had drives stall at the wrong moments and missed opportunities that left points on the field, while Ole Miss made just enough of its own opening to seize control of the scoreline despite Louisvilles early pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Just Found A Quarterback Fans Can Dream On
Louisville walked out of Week 1 with a 41-38 loss to Ole Miss, but the bigger takeaway was what its new quarterback looked like in the process. Lincoln Kienholz, the 4-star transfer from Ohio State making his first start, gave the Cardinals a jolt right away by pushing the ball downfield and keeping the offense on schedule against a ranked opponent.
Kienholz finished with 307 passing yards and added 69 more on the ground with a touchdown, a mix of arm talent and mobility that immediately changes the conversation around Louisvilles ceiling. It was the kind of debut that can stick with a fan base even in defeat, especially when it comes against a quality team and leaves open the question of just how high this offense can climb once the Cardinals settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Kienholz Gave Louisville One Huge Reason For Hope
Louisville did not get the result it wanted against Ole Miss, falling 41-38 on a last-second 48-yard field goal, but the Cardinals may have walked away with something nearly as valuable. In his Louisville debut, Lincoln Kienholz, the Ohio State transfer, spent most of the afternoon shaking off a slow start before settling in and giving the offense the kind of spark it had been searching for.
Kienholz completed 18 of 29 passes for 307 yards and added 69 rushing yards while accounting for three total touchdowns, the sort of all-around effort that kept Louisville in striking distance throughout the game. Even more encouraging for the Cardinals was the way he helped fuel a fourth-quarter surge to erase a 14-point deficit and tie things up before Ole Miss finally answered at the end. [Read more 🡒]