Ole Miss left Nashville with a 41-38 win over Louisville on Sunday night, and the story of the night was simple: the Rebels had to survive a messy first half, weather a wave of injuries, and then lean on Trinidad Chambliss and Deuce Alexander when the game turned into a shootout.
The Rebels’ offense never really got rolling early. Chambliss was held to 75 passing yards and threw an interception in the first half, while the team as a whole struggled to move the ball with any consistency.
But once the second half opened up, Ole Miss found its rhythm in a hurry. Chambliss finished with 290 total yards and four touchdowns, taking over the game and powering the Rebels past the No. 24 team in the country.
Alexander was the biggest spark in that comeback push. Wearing No. 1, he looked every bit like the Rebels’ top wideout, catching five passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Ole Miss needed that kind of explosion because the rest of the receiving group had a hard time separating from Louisville’s defense.
The ground game never fully settled in either, and injuries were a major reason why. Running back Kewan Lacy, one of Ole Miss’ best offensive playmakers, was hurt and sat out nearly the entire second half.
He briefly returned, but the setback clearly affected the Rebels’ running game. The team is hoping to have him back next week in Oxford.
Ole Miss also lost linebacker Keaton Thomas, which forced Cal transfer Luke Ferrelli into the middle linebacker spot. On the defensive side, the first half looked promising, but things unraveled after halftime. The Rebels gave up 307 passing yards, and busted coverages in the second half opened the door for Louisville’s big plays and long touchdowns.
Jay Crawford was the bright spot in the secondary, but it was rough going everywhere else. Safety Edwin Joseph, one of the key transfers Pete Golding had praised all offseason, struggled along with several other newcomers. Golding did pick up his first regular season win as Ole Miss head coach, but the defense that looked sharp early was nowhere near as steady once the game sped up.
There were also issues up front. Brycen Sanders, a returning starter, had trouble getting the snaps down cleanly, and one early snap sailed over Chambliss’ head, killing a drive and forcing a punt. With Lacy limited and the offensive line not in sync, the Rebels had to fight through more than one self-inflicted problem before finally pulling away.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Fans ESPN Moment Became A Much Bigger Story Than Expected
The season opener against Louisville gave Ole Miss plenty of drama on the field, but one fans reaction wound up getting nearly as much attention as the game itself. During ESPNs coverage, Sara M. Smith was shown looking understandably stressed after a Louisville touchdown, and the brief moment quickly took on a life of its own once it hit social media.
Smiths anxious expression spread fast enough to turn her into an unintended viral figure, prompting a flood of attention and forcing her to temporarily lock down her Instagram profile. It was a strange little subplot to a wild night in Oxford, where the Rebels eventually finished the job with a 41-38 win on a walk-off field goal. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Win Comes With One Deuce Alexander Debate
Deuce Alexander turned in the kind of breakout day Ole Miss fans will remember from a wild 41-38 win over Louisville, hauling in two 62-yard touchdown receptions to help fuel the Rebels offense. He finished with five catches for 159 yards and two scores, giving the passing game a huge lift in a game that stayed tight deep into the afternoon.
Alexanders second touchdown also left behind a small bit of sideline debate, thanks to a celebration that came immediately after he crossed the stripe. On the play, he flipped the ball behind him and may have let it go before fully reaching the goal line, but the officials did not stop to review it, allowing the score to stand and Ole Miss to keep control of a game it could not afford to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Answered Ole Miss Biggest Week 1 Question
The most important thing Ole Miss needed to learn in Week 1 was whether Trinidad Chambliss could steady a game that might have gotten away early, and he answered it in a big way against Louisville. After a shaky start that included turnovers, Chambliss settled in and kept the Rebels on course in a back-and-forth matchup, piling up 386 passing yards and accounting for four touchdowns while helping Ole Miss survive a 41-38 finish.
What stood out most was how the game tightened around him late, when every possession mattered and the Rebels needed someone to handle the pressure instead of adding to it. In a weekend when a lot of SEC teams cruised through lopsided openers, Ole Miss got a real test, and Chambliss final drive gave the Rebels a much clearer idea of what they have under center as the season moves into a tougher stretch. [Read more 🡒]