The No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels keep finding ways to finish drives, and that’s a huge part of why they’re 5-1 heading into Saturday’s matchup with No. 19 Texas.
The Rebels are putting up 37.5 points per game, which ranks No. 20 in the country, and their red-zone work has been a big reason the offense keeps piling up points. Once Ole Miss gets inside the 20, it has been about as reliable as any team in college football.
Ole Miss and Iowa State are the only two programs in the nation that have scored every time they’ve reached the red zone. Iowa State has been there 17 times and came away with seven rushing touchdowns, five passing touchdowns and five field goals. Ole Miss has made 23 trips and turned those into 12 rushing touchdowns, eight passing touchdowns and three field goals.
Trinidad Chambliss has been at the center of it all. The quarterback has accounted for 14 of the Rebels’ 20 red-zone touchdowns.
He is the only Ole Miss player to throw a passing touchdown this season, which means all eight of those scores have come from his arm. He has also run for six touchdowns overall, and every one of them has come in the red zone.
The ground game has chipped in elsewhere, too. Backup quarterback Deuce Knight scored a rushing touchdown against Charlotte, and running back Kewan Lacy has five rushing touchdowns, all of them from inside the 20.
The passing game has spread the wealth among several targets. Johntay Cook, Caleb Cunningham and Horatio Fields have each caught one touchdown from Chambliss.
Deuce Alexander has hauled in two, while tight ends Caleb Odom and Michael Smith have each caught one. Defensive lineman Jamarious Brown is also on the list.
Fields’ touchdown came on a 21-yard pass against Missouri.
Lucas Carneiro has handled the kicking side of the equation, and he has accounted for all three of Ole Miss’ red-zone field goals.
That kind of conversion rate speaks for itself. It’s even more impressive considering Ole Miss has dealt with a limited Lacy for much of the season because of lingering injury issues.
After a 31-3 win over No. 22 Missouri that featured Lacy’s most carries since Week 1, the Rebels will try to keep their red-zone streak rolling through the final six games of the regular season.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Got A National Vote Of Confidence Before Texas
Ole Miss is heading into the stretch run with plenty of momentum, and it just picked up a notable endorsement from one of the sports most recognizable voices. On the Pat McAfee show, ESPN analyst Rece Davis said he views the Rebels as a legitimate contender in the 2026 college football season, even putting them in the conversation as the SECs second-best team behind Georgia.
That kind of national confidence matters because the schedule only gets more revealing from here, starting with Texas on deck. Ole Miss already has notable wins over LSU, Missouri and Louisville, and the next few weeks will show whether the Rebels can keep stacking those kinds of results as the second half of the season tightens the margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Has A Real Opening Against Texas If One Unit Holds Up
Ole Miss comes into this week riding the lift of a strong win and looking at a Texas team that suddenly has real urgency attached to it. The Longhorns have dropped two straight, and the Rebels know they are getting a defense that still carries a strong reputation overall, even if the matchup has changed a bit with a key piece now unavailable on the edge.
Colin Simmons being out with a high ankle sprain matters because it can alter how much pressure Texas gets on Trinidad Chambliss, and that is where this game could tilt if Ole Miss protects well enough. Kewan Lacy has battled injuries but remains an important part of the Rebels' offense, and if he gives them a steady presence, Ole Miss has a path to make this more uncomfortable for Texas than the rankings would suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Gets Rare Vote Of Confidence In Massive Texas Test
Ole Miss is heading into one of its biggest measuring-stick games of the season with an unusual bit of outside optimism attached. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy picked the Rebels to beat Texas, pointing to a Longhorns offensive line that has struggled and the possibility that edge rusher Colin Simmons could be limited by injury, while also noting Ole Miss has the kind of offensive line play that can help it handle a physical road test.
The quarterback situation adds another layer to a matchup already thick with stakes. Steve Sarkisian has hinted at a possible change behind center but still expects Arch Manning to start, and McElroy also pointed out that Texas still brings real defensive strength to the table. For Ole Miss, the challenge is clear: take advantage of the openings that have shown up for Texas while surviving the stretches where the Longhorns can still make life difficult. [Read more 🡒]