OXFORD – Consider the Pete Golding Era off to a historic start.
Ole Miss senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for 282 yards and had three total touchdowns as the sixth-seeded Rebels defeated 11th-seeded Tulane 41-10 in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in front of a record crowd of 68,251. The victory is Ole Miss’ 12th of the season, which sets a new program record. Ole Miss now advances to the Sugar Bowl where it will face No. 3 Georgia on Jan. 1 in the CFP quarterfinals.
The Rebels (12-1) finish the 2025 season with a perfect 9-0 record at home.
“When you have a group of guys that we have, that actually enjoy playing together, and that they don’t want it to end. And we talked about, ‘What’s the legacy that you want to create for this team?’” Golding said. “And that’s what I told them last night, this is going to be the last opportunity this team – this team right now – gets to play in Vaught-Hemingway. It’s the last time. And those are memories they’re going to remember for the rest of their life. And they’re going to come back as that playoff team that went undefeated at home in 2025, which is really special in its own sense.
“… We wanted them to go out there and create one more opportunity for us to play together but, more importantly, their last memory in the Vaught is a W. And it was.”
Ole Miss’ debut in the College Football Playoff marked also Golding’s first game as the Rebels’ head coach. Golding was elevated from defensive coordinator on Nov. 30 following Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU. While admittedly one not to dwell on his new title, Golding did say he had a few instances on the field Saturday where he was able to appreciate the gravity of the moment.
“It’s our team, but yeah, obviously the ability to make some decisions where before – do you want to go for it, do you want to punt, do you want to take the points and all those things, things that you’ve been talking through for years – to finally be able to be the last voice, it kind of hit me some,” Golding said.
As was the case when the teams met three months ago to the day, the Rebels held strong on fourth down throughout the game, holding the Green Wave to zero conversions on their four attempts. Ole Miss also forced three turnovers that directly led to 14 points.
A 20-yard touchdown run from sophomore Kewan Lacy capped off a three-play, 75-yard opening drive that took just under a minute; it marked the fastest score in CFP history. Sophomore cornerback Jaylon Braxton intercepted Jake Retzlaff at the Rebels’ 10-yard line on Tulane’s first possession, and Ole Miss found itself in the end zone four plays later by way of a 4-yard Chambliss touchdown run.
A 57-yard catch and run from Shazz Preston set up a Tulane field goal early in the second quarter, and the Rebels responded with a field goal of their own with just under four minutes left in the half. Already up 14, Ole Miss got the ball back one last time with just under two minutes remaining but lost both Lacy and Chambliss to injuries on a drive that ultimately resulted in a lost fumble. Both Lacy and Chambliss returned to the game to start the second half, though Lacy left the game again late in the third quarter with a bruised shoulder and did not return. He finished with a game-high 87 rushing yards.
Chambliss threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to senior De’Zhaun Stribling on the Rebels’ first drive of the second half to make it a three-score game. Retzlaff’s fourth-down sneak try on the next drive was stonewalled by Ole Miss’ defense, which led to a 48-yard field goal from junior Lucas Carneiro. Retzlaff fumbled on the next drive, and the Rebels took advantage with a 3-yard touchdown run from senior Logan Diggs on the first play of the fourth quarter. Chambliss’ second rushing score of the day – this one from 8 yards – was the icing on the cake.
Chambliss, who was playing at Division II Ferris State this time a year ago, finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting despite starting the season as the backup to redshirt sophomore Austin Simmons.
“It’s a surreal moment. If you would have said this before the season, that I’d be the starting quarterback and I’d get Ole Miss their first playoff victory, I’d be like, ‘You’re crazy.’ But it’s amazing,” Chambliss said. “I just have to give thanks to God, because without him none of this is possible. And just also have to give thanks to Ole Miss and my team to be honest, too. We’ve been through a lot. A lot of adversity, and glad that we got the win.”
Ole Miss will play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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