Sugar Bowl Showdown: Ole Miss Seeks Redemption Against Georgia in CFP Quarterfinal Rematch
When No. 6 Ole Miss takes the field against No.
3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, it won’t just be a College Football Playoff quarterfinal-it’ll be a shot at redemption. These two teams have danced before, and the last time around, Georgia walked away with a 43-35 win after a fourth-quarter surge that left Ole Miss stunned.
That Week 8 matchup was a tale of two games. For three quarters, Ole Miss had Georgia on the ropes.
The Rebels led 35-26 heading into the final 15 minutes, but the Bulldogs flipped the script with a 17-0 run in the fourth. Now, the Rebels are hoping the sequel ends differently.
“We’re not the same team,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said on December 22. “They’re not the same team either. Everyone evolves this time of year, and you throw in some new wrinkles.”
One of the biggest changes for Ole Miss? The man at the helm.
Pete Golding, previously the Rebels’ defensive coordinator, is now leading the program after Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU. And while the transition was sudden, Golding has wasted no time zeroing in on what needs to change if Ole Miss wants to flip the result this time around.
Fixing the Finish
Golding was blunt about the issues that cost Ole Miss the first matchup.
“You’ve got to contest every play,” he said. “We can’t give them free things-missed tackles, blown coverages, lack of communication. When you’re playing a team with elite players and elite coaching, those mistakes get magnified.”
Georgia’s fourth-quarter dominance in the first game was a direct result of Ole Miss faltering in the fundamentals. The Rebels couldn’t get off the field on third down, didn’t force turnovers, and allowed the Bulldogs to dictate the tempo late. That’s the formula Golding knows has to change.
The defense will need to be sharper, more disciplined, and opportunistic. Creating takeaways and limiting Georgia’s explosive plays-especially in crunch time-will be essential if Ole Miss wants to keep its playoff run alive.
Offensive Firepower, Ground Game Questions
Offensively, Ole Miss showed plenty of life in the first go-round. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss turned in a gritty performance, going 19-for-36 for 263 yards and a touchdown through the air, while adding 42 yards and two scores on the ground. His dual-threat ability kept Georgia’s defense honest for most of the game.
But as Golding noted, the run game wasn’t nearly where it needed to be. The Rebels managed just 88 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. That’s not going to cut it against a Georgia front that thrives when it can pin its ears back and rush the passer.
“You’ve got to be able to run the football effectively, especially when you need to,” Golding said. “We’re talented on the perimeter, and I think our quarterback’s playing at a high level. But if you want to beat a team like Georgia, you’ve got to be balanced.”
That responsibility likely falls on Kewan Lacy, who had 12 carries for 31 yards and two touchdowns in the first matchup. But Lacy exited the Rebels’ CFP-opening win over Tulane with a shoulder injury in the third quarter, and as of December 22, there’s no update on his status. If he’s limited or unavailable, Ole Miss will need to find answers quickly in the backfield.
Legends in the Building
One thing that’s not lacking in Oxford right now? Support from the program’s royalty. Since Golding took over, he’s had the full backing of two of the most iconic names in Ole Miss history-Archie and Eli Manning.
Archie addressed the team after practice on December 19, ahead of the Rebels’ 41-10 win over Tulane in the CFP opener. Eli was on the field pregame, chatting with Golding and taking in the moment as his alma mater made its playoff debut.
“It’s been awesome,” Golding said. “They’re a huge part of the history here, and the legacy they’ve built speaks for itself. For Archie to come back and talk to the team, the message he gave them-it had a huge impact.”
The Mannings’ presence isn’t just ceremonial. It’s a reminder of what Ole Miss football means to its past, and what this current team is trying to build toward. A win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl would be a defining moment-not just for this season, but for the trajectory of the program under Golding’s leadership.
What’s at Stake
This Sugar Bowl isn’t just a rematch. It’s a measuring stick.
Ole Miss has shown it can hang with Georgia. Now, the question is whether it can finish.
With a trip to the CFP semifinals on the line, the Rebels will need to play their most complete game of the season. That means getting stops on third down, establishing the run, and-most importantly-closing out the fourth quarter.
Georgia has been here before. Ole Miss is trying to prove it belongs.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on January 1 in New Orleans. And if the Rebels can flip the script, it’ll mark a new chapter in Ole Miss football-one written with toughness, resilience, and maybe a little bit of revenge.