OXFORD – Lucas Carneiro had a lot of text messages to get to on New Year’s Night. But he tried his darndest to get back to everyone who reached out following his memorable evening in New Orleans.
Carneiro, Ole Miss’ senior kicker and Lou Groza Award contender, was as dependable as they come in his first year with the Rebels. The Western Kentucky transfer hit 31 of 35 field goals on the season and was second nationally with 2.07 made field goals per game. Despite earning All-SEC honors, Carneiro wasn’t necessarily a household name.
That all changed in the Sugar Bowl.
The No. 6 seed Rebels defeated No. 3 seed Georgia 39-34 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Caesars Superdome. While quarterback Trinidad Chambliss introduced himself to the nation at large with his fourth-quarter heroics, Carneiro hit the game-winning 47-yard field goal – his third make of the game, the first two setting Sugar Bowl records at 55 and 56 yards, respectively.
“It was probably like close to 300 texts and a bunch of calls. And (I) tried answering everyone I could,” Carneiro said with a smile Tuesday. “A lot of family reached out, which meant a lot to me because they’re supporting from all over. Like, my dad’s from Brazil, so his family’s over there. And just to have them reach out to me meant a lot.”
Carneiro would have been a hot commodity in the transfer portal had he entered or if he had put his name into the NFL Draft. He ultimately opted to remain at Ole Miss for his final college campaign. The North Carolina native finished his first season at Ole Miss 5 of 7 on field goals of 50 or more yards, which included a 58-yarder against Miami in the CFP semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl.
“I love it here. And I just felt after that game, I was like, ‘Why would I want to go anywhere else?’” Carneiro said. “Just continue to build a legacy here and be with the people that I love to be around every single day, and just continuing to grow as well.”
Carneiro said his performance against the Bulldogs on Jan. 1 was a confidence booster, though it also made him realize something rather simple: he’s expected to deliver on all his kicks, regardless of the stakes. Overall in his three seasons as a starting FBS kicker at Western Kentucky and Ole Miss, Carneiro is 58 of 66 on field goals and has made all 144 of his extra-point tries.
“At the end of the day, that’s what I’m supposed to do every game,” Carneiro said. “And, obviously, the game winner kind of puts a bigger picture on it. But I feel like I did that all year. And obviously there were some kicks I wish I had back, but that’s part of it. We’re human, we make mistakes. And it’s just being able to bounce off that.”
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