Why Ole Miss’s upset was bigger than a revenge game
No. 8 Ole Miss beat No. 7 LSU 32-24 on Saturday night in Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 363 yards and two touchdowns, then scored the fourth-quarter tiebreaker as Ole Miss defeated Kiffin’s new team.[2] The Rebels built a 24-7 first-half lead, surrendered a tying rally and then regained the advantage on Chambliss’s 14-yard run before stopping…
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 363 yards and two touchdowns, then scored the fourth-quarter tiebreaker as Ole Miss defeated Kiffin’s new team.[2] The Rebels built a 24-7 first-half lead, surrendered a tying rally and then regained the advantage on Chambliss’s 14-yard run before stopping LSU near the goal line late.[4]
Why it matters: The result converted a coaching-departure storyline into a significant win between top-10 teams, with Chambliss—the quarterback Kiffin recruited from Division II to Ole Miss—beating the coach who helped launch his rise.[2]
Key insights: Kiffin’s move to LSU was announced on Nov. 30, 2025, making this matchup a focal point in Oxford well before the season.[4] | Ole Miss scored both on the ground through Kewan Lacy and through two first-half touchdown passes from Chambliss.[4] | After the win, the stadium played “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” and Ole Miss reposted LSU’s final-score message with a video targeting LSU and Kiffin.[4]
Cheatsheet facts: What changed: Ole Miss secured a 32-24 win over a higher-ranked LSU team after breaking a fourth-quarter tie.[2][4] | Why now: The first meeting since Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU placed his successor-era team, former quarterback project and new program in the same ranked matchup.[2][4] | Watch next: Watch the teams’ subsequent rankings and results after No. 8 Ole Miss defeated No. 7 LSU in their early-season meeting.[2]
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 363 yards and two touchdowns, then scored the fourth-quarter tiebreaker as Ole Miss defeated Kiffin’s new team.[2] The Rebels built a 24-7 first-half lead, surrendered a tying rally and then regained the advantage on Chambliss’s 14-yard run before stopping LSU near the goal line late.[4]
Why it matters: The result converted a coaching-departure storyline into a significant win between top-10 teams, with Chambliss—the quarterback Kiffin recruited from Division II to Ole Miss—beating the coach who helped launch his rise.[2]
Key insights: Kiffin’s move to LSU was announced on Nov. 30, 2025, making this matchup a focal point in Oxford well before the season.[4] | Ole Miss scored both on the ground through Kewan Lacy and through two first-half touchdown passes from Chambliss.[4] | After the win, the stadium played “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” and Ole Miss reposted LSU’s final-score message with a video targeting LSU and Kiffin.[4]
Cheatsheet facts: What changed: Ole Miss secured a 32-24 win over a higher-ranked LSU team after breaking a fourth-quarter tie.[2][4] | Why now: The first meeting since Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU placed his successor-era team, former quarterback project and new program in the same ranked matchup.[2][4] | Watch next: Watch the teams’ subsequent rankings and results after No. 8 Ole Miss defeated No. 7 LSU in their early-season meeting.[2]