Ole Miss didn’t just beat Auburn. The Rebels controlled the game, pulled away after a slow start and turned a matchup with playoff implications into a 45-15 rout that wiped out the Tigers’ postseason hopes.
Auburn came in with one of the best wins in the country, but also off a blowout home loss, and it still had a path forward with a victory. Instead, Ole Miss kept its home dominance rolling and made the second half look easy after both teams had spent the opening stretches feeling each other out.
The Rebels got on the board first in the second quarter when they punched in a score on the opening play of the period with a handoff to Will Echoles. The big man deserves his flowers here: the future first-rounder on the defensive line was originally recruited as an offensive lineman, and now the fullback label can be added to the list of ways he can be used.
One of the biggest swings came after Deuce Alexander’s second huge drop of the day. Auburn was in position to grab the lead and the momentum, especially with the ball coming out of halftime, but Keaton Thomas forced his first career fumble and Jamarious Brown recovered the first fumble of his career. That turnover flipped the game right back to Ole Miss.
There was also a highlight-reel grab from Caleb Odom, who hauled in an incredible one-handed, diving catch while being dragged down by one defender and with another closing fast. It didn’t end in a touchdown, but it was the kind of play that can light up a team and a crowd.
Then came the connection that keeps showing up. Horatio Fields and Trinidad are building chemistry quickly, and after Fields’ breakout against Texas, he came through again against his former team with a touchdown catch that essentially put the game away in the fourth quarter. Another dot from 6.
Shekai Mills-Knight was one of the day’s most important performers. Makhi Frazier got the start but didn’t do much to separate himself, and with no one being Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss needed a spark alongside Trinidad.
SMK gave it to them, finishing with 16 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown. It was his first score that wasn’t in garbage time, and he averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
Tah’J Butler kept doing what he does. The under-the-radar Rebel finished with seven tackles and two sacks, his first two as a Rebel.
The numbers tell the rest of the story. Lucas Carneiro is now tied for fourth in school history with 43 made field goals.
Ole Miss posted a season-high four sacks. Suntarine Perkins moved into fourth in school history with 22 career sacks.
The Rebels also had four rushing touchdowns from four different players.
Deuce Knight, Shekai Mills-Knight and Caleb Cunningham each scored their second career touchdowns. Ole Miss forced two turnovers for the second straight game, and Jaheim Oatis blocked his second kick of the season.
The drive that ended with Echoles scoring was the longest of the game in both plays and time, going 17 plays and 6:59. Horatio Fields has now scored in three straight games, and Ole Miss matched its longest winning streak against Auburn with a third consecutive victory in the series.
Trinidad Chambliss is now eighth in school history in both passing yards and touchdowns, and he’s on pace to finish fifth in less than two full seasons of play. On defense, eight different Rebels recorded a tackle for loss.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Just Got A Ranking Check Fans Needed To See
Ole Miss handled its business in Week 9, rolling past Auburn 45-15 behind a big day from Trinidad Chambliss, who accounted for three touchdowns. The Rebels needed that kind of response, because the SEC picture around them kept shifting all afternoon as other ranked teams kept stacking wins and protecting their spots in the league pecking order.
No. 3 Georgia stayed firm with a 27-8 win over Florida, leaning on a strong rushing effort, while No. 11 Texas beat Mississippi State behind Arch Mannings efficient day through the air. South Carolina also picked up a road win at Oklahoma, adding another result that could matter when the next set of rankings comes out and Ole Miss sees where its latest surge leaves it. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Got A National Title Endorsement Fans Will Notice
Ole Miss has spent plenty of time trying to prove it belongs in the national conversation, and now it has a notable voice from the sports media side adding to that case. Danny Kanell, the former quarterback turned college football analyst, recently named five teams he believes have quarterbacks good enough to win a national championship, and Ole Miss was on the list alongside Miami, Georgia, USC and Notre Dame.
For Rebels fans, the placement is less about a prediction than a reminder of how high the expectations have climbed around the program. Kanells group of contenders also included names like Darian Mensah, CJ Carr, Gunner Stockton, Trinidad Chambliss and Jayden Maiava, but the takeaway in Oxford is clear enough: Ole Miss is being mentioned in the same breath as some of the sports most recognizable title hopefuls, and that kind of recognition tends to follow a team only when the quarterback situation looks the part. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's Ranking Suddenly Carries More Weight Before A Massive Showdown
Seven AP Top 25 teams went down this week, and the ripple effect is already being felt well beyond the schools involved. The reshuffling has given the rankings a sharper edge heading into a stretch where every spot matters, especially with Ohio States loss to USC changing the look of the College Football Playoff race in the Big Ten and opening the door for movement around the top of the poll.
For Ole Miss, the timing matters because the Rebels are staring at a massive showdown where the opponents standing now carries even more weight. With several teams sliding, others climbing and a few newcomers breaking into the rankings for the first time this season, the margin for error keeps shrinking. The result is a more crowded, more volatile national picture, and one that makes the next high-profile matchup feel even bigger than it already did. [Read more 🡒]