Week 3 shook up the college football conversation in a hurry, and the biggest flashpoint came in Oxford, where Ole Miss knocked off LSU 32-24 on Saturday night. Trinidad Chambliss was the headline act, giving the Rebels the edge and turning enough heads to get Heisman voters and NFL scouts paying close attention. For LSU, and for former head coach Lane Kiffin, it was a damaging night.
Kiffin’s return was impossible to miss. He drew loud boos as soon as he stepped into the stadium, and the tension around the matchup never really let up. Ole Miss handled the moment, and the result gave the Rebels the last laugh in one of the weekend’s most anticipated games.
Texas A&M also took a hit at home, falling 31-21 to unranked Kentucky. That loss makes the Aggies’ path to the College Football Playoff look much tougher from here.
Alabama, meanwhile, escaped with a 50-36 win over Florida State after a rough start that saw the Noles lead 21-6 in the third quarter. The comeback victory only added to the pressure around Mike Novell.
The wildest finish of the week came from North Carolina State, which somehow found a way to lose to Vanderbilt on the final play. A fumble in the end zone produced the sort of ending that can stop a whole Saturday in its tracks, and the loss went down as one of the most stunning in recent memory.
Around the rest of the country, USC edged past an 0-2 Rutgers team 42-35, Louisville beat SMU 41-31 in ACC play, and Texas Tech handled Houston 28-26 on Friday night.
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In Other News...
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Terry Bussey Concern It Feared
Terry Busseys night took an immediate turn in the opening moments against Kentucky, and Texas A&M was forced to absorb a blow it did not need. On the kickoff, Bussey fumbled and Kentucky recovered, then he was hurt on the same play and had to leave the field on a cart after being unable to put pressure on his right leg.
The timing made it worse for the Aggies, who were already dealing with another top receiver being out for the game. Busseys absence only sharpens the concern about Texas A&Ms offensive depth, leaving the staff to piece together more of the passing game than it planned to this early in the contest. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Now Has A Response Problem Fans Wont Ignore
Texas A&Ms latest setback came with a familiar sting, as Kentucky walked into College Station and left with a 31-21 win that looked like more than just an early-season upset. The Wildcats rolled up 409 yards of offense and got big plays from quarterback Kenny Minchey, who threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, while CJ Baxter added 87 rushing yards and two more scores to keep the Aggies on their heels.
For a Texas A&M team trying to settle into SEC play, the bigger concern is how often opponents have been able to answer every push with one of their own. Kentucky also forced two interceptions and improved to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play, leaving the Aggies to sort through a loss that exposed just how much work still remains on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Marcel Reed Problem Before LSU
Texas A&M walked out of the Kentucky game with more questions than answers, and most of them trace back to a night that never really settled in for the Aggies. Injuries complicated the picture, but the bigger issue was how uneven the team looked on both sides of the ball, especially after halftime when drives kept ending without points and the defense was asked to absorb far too much pressure.
Marcel Reed was part of that broader offensive unevenness, and it leaves Texas A&M heading into LSU with real uncertainty at the most important position. The loss did more than dent the record. It exposed how fragile the Aggies can look when the offense stalls and the defense is forced to spend too much time on the field, which is not the kind of backdrop you want before a marquee SEC test. [Read more 🡒]