Ole Miss walked out of Gainesville with plenty to worry about after the blowout loss to Florida, but Trinidad Chambliss gave the Rebels something to hang onto.
The defense had no answer for the Gators’ ground game. Florida got big production from Heisman hopeful running back Jadan Baugh and backup Duke Clark, and Ole Miss was gashed for more than 300 rushing yards. It was the kind of showing that leaves little room for optimism on that side of the ball.
Even so, the Rebels’ offense produced enough to keep Chambliss at the center of the conversation. Against Florida’s pass rush, he stayed composed, bought time when the pocket collapsed and kept plays alive when things broke down around him.
Chambliss finished 25 of 34 for 298 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also added 44 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, giving him 342 total yards and three touchdowns in the loss.
The offense wasn’t smooth from start to finish, but Chambliss still looked like the kind of quarterback Ole Miss can build around. He was forced to improvise often, especially with Florida’s Jayden Woods spending plenty of time in the backfield and the Gators’ secondary blanketing his receivers. Still, Chambliss found ways to create chunk gains and keep the Rebels moving.
His day wasn’t limited to the stat sheet, either. After the game, Chambliss waited for Florida head coach and former Ole Miss linebacker coach Jon Sumrall to finish his interview before congratulating him.
The loss showed Ole Miss where the problems are. It also showed, again, why Chambliss remains the clearest source of confidence for the Rebels heading into the bye week.
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