OXFORD, Miss. — No. 6 Ole Miss continued its historic season Saturday with a 49-0 shutout win over The Citadel, improving to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC.
The Rebels’ offensive firepower and defensive precision kept the Bulldogs in check from start to finish.
Most importantly they accomplished the main goal. That was, simply, to not get any key players hurt.
It was the Rebels’ 29th game under Lane Kiffin with more than 600 total yards which is remarkable considering Ole Miss had only 19 such games in its 100-plus-year history before his arrival.
The Rebels have now reached nine wins in their first 10 games for just the eighth time ever and the first since 1962.
“I was really pleased with how the starters played today,” Kiffin said. “These games can be hard to get up for. Our guys came prepared. Thirty-five to five on first downs.
“They really answered the challenge of coming out with the same energy regardless of the time, crowd or network. I wish our backup offense would’ve played better, but the backups defensively played well. Overall, we had a very good day.”
Both quarterbacks, Trinidad Chambliss and Austin Simmons, saw extended playing time as Ole Miss rolled to another high-yardage performance.
Chambliss, a transfer from Ferris State, has emerged as the offensive leader, guiding the Rebels to victories in seven of his eight starts since taking over for an injured Simmons.
“I challenged him to be really efficient today,” Kiffin said. “Not stats-wise, but efficiency-wise. I thought he played really well.
“We continue to want to throw the ball around and not run him as much to work on timing with our receivers.”
Chambliss entered the day third among SEC quarterbacks in rushing yards (435) but lost only a yard on two carries as the offense leaned on the passing game.
Simmons, a sophomore, added 100 passing yards and surpassed 1,000 total yards for his career, while freshman AJ Maddox completed his first college pass.
Lacy ties school record and Odom shines
Sophomore running back Kewan Lacy scored three touchdowns to tie the single-season school record set by Quinshon Judkins in 2022.
His performance capped a balanced day that saw Ole Miss rack up 600-plus yards and maintain control throughout.
“I thought I played well,” Chambliss said. “It was a good bounce-back from last week. I wasn’t efficient at all a week ago and knew this week I wanted to be very technical in my mechanics. It felt good to be better out there today.”
Tight end Caleb Odom stepped up in a major way with Dae’Quan Wright sidelined, setting new career highs with six receptions and 64 yards, including a touchdown from Chambliss.
The former five-star Alabama transfer credited his teammate Wright for mentoring him this season.
“It’s been a great year collectively for the whole tight end room,” Odom said. “Being behind a guy like Dae’Quan, it’s crazy to watch the plays he makes. He’s a great mentor. I learn something new from him every day, whether it’s blocking or receiving. It’s a blessing.”
Kiffin keeps pointing out the depth they’ve piled up on defense. It’s the key ingredient between winning 10 games and 7 on a regular basis.
“We have a lot of depth at tight end,” he said. “It’s a great position to be in, and it’s better than we’ve ever had here. We really haven’t had depth at a position like that, really, ever in general offensively.”
Defense dominates in record-setting shutout
The Rebels’ defense was just as impressive, holding The Citadel to 106 total yards — the fewest allowed by an Ole Miss defense in more than a decade.
The group produced a season-high 13 tackles for loss and recorded its second shutout of the year.
Freshman defensive tackle Anthony Maddox tied for the team lead with seven tackles in his best game to date.
Veteran linebacker and Chucky Mullins Award winner Tyler Banks also stood out with a career-high six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
“We preach spot-the-ball mentality each and every snap,” Banks said. “Just get back on track and refocus and realign what we have to do. That’s all we preach here in the building, so it felt good to do that.”
The Rebels’ back-to-back seasons with shutouts mark the first such streak since 2007–08, highlighting the defensive balance that complements Kiffin’s high-powered offense.
Wide receivers Harrison Wallace and Winston Watkins recorded career-highs in catches with eight and five, respectively.
Freshmen Dillon Alfred and Caleb Cunningham, Mississippi’s top-rated recruit, each caught their first college passes as the Rebels’ young playmakers continue to develop.
Ole Miss will close its home schedule next Saturday against Florida at 6 p.m. on ESPN, looking to maintain its momentum heading into the final stretch of the season.
Key Takeaways
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Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss offense notched another 600-yard performance in a 49-0 rout of The Citadel.
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Kewan Lacy tied the school touchdown record as the Rebels’ depth at skill positions continued to impress.
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Ole Miss’ defense dominated, allowing just 106 yards and posting 13 tackles for loss in its second shutout of the season.
