For the first 30 minutes Saturday night, Ole Miss looked a lot like the team that got run out of Gainesville a month ago.
For the next 15 minutes, the Rebels looked more like the team that had dominated Vanderbilt and Missouri in back-to-back weeks.
And the final 15 minutes? Well, that was a little bit of both.
Unfortunately for Ole Miss, the good wasn’t enough to make up for the bad in Saturday night’s 34-27 loss to Texas.
The first half was particularly rough.
Trinidad Chambliss threw two interceptions, the offense averaged just 3.9 yards per play and converted only one third down. Two trips inside the red zone produced a grand total of three points.
Things weren’t much better on the other side of the ball.
Texas piled up 258 yards of offense, averaged 4.6 yards per rush and 6.8 yards per play. Arch Manning had just six incompletions, and the Longhorns only had to punt twice.
It was starting to look a lot like that afternoon in Gainesville.
Then, of all people, Oscar Bird gave the Rebels something to feel good about.
The Australian punter improvised a fake punt, taking off for a 17-yard gain and a first down with about four minutes remaining in the second quarter.
OSCAR BIRD 🤯#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/7W9GTTB62O
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 25, 2026
The drive didn’t produce any points, but it was one of the few times in the first half that Ole Miss had managed to get something going.
And when the Rebels came out of the locker room, they looked like a completely different team.
Blake Purchase sacked Manning and forced a fumble that Kam Franklin recovered in the end zone, cutting Texas’ lead to 24-10.
Defense answered the call ☎️🦈@KamarionFrankl1 x @BlakePurchase pic.twitter.com/YtqwSgCpLB
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 25, 2026
Chambliss and the offense started finding their rhythm, too. The Rebels put together a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive and eventually erased the halftime deficit.
Meanwhile, the defense was getting stops, including a punt that quickly turned into another Ole Miss touchdown.
Suddenly, the Rebels had tied the game, and Texas fans were probably starting to wonder whether they were about to watch another second-half collapse.
SHOWTIMEEEE 🍿@HoratioFields x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/4aolSStgqm
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 25, 2026
The Longhorns had already blown leads against Oklahoma and Florida in consecutive losses. For a while, it looked like Ole Miss might be next on that list.
But then the fourth quarter arrived.
After getting very little going on the ground to start the second half, Texas rediscovered its running game. And the Ole Miss defense started looking a little too much like the one that had struggled against Florida.
The Longhorns rushed for 120 yards in the second half, including every single yard of an 80-yard touchdown drive that put them back in front midway through the fourth quarter.
That was probably the most frustrating part of the night for Ole Miss. After seeing so much improvement against Vanderbilt and Missouri, the Rebels once again struggled to stop an opponent that was determined to run the football.
And it wasn’t just the defense that took a step backward.
The offense had an opportunity to answer Texas’ go-ahead touchdown but couldn’t get it done. By the time the Longhorns added a field goal to stretch their lead to 10, there wasn’t enough left in the tank for another comeback.
Not even after kicking a field goal with less than two minutes to go. Not after recovering a miracle onside kick after the field goal that gave the Rebels a chance at game-tying touchdown (and, maybe, a game-winning two-point conversion).
There will be plenty to discuss in tomorrow’s “what went wrong” column, but Saturday wasn’t entirely bad for Ole Miss.
The pass rush was effective for much of the night. Manning faced consistent pressure, including on a play that directly contributed to Jalyn Crawford’s second interception.
Chambliss settled down considerably after halftime, throwing the ball more accurately and avoiding the mistakes that hurt the Rebels early.
Deuce Alexander made some plays after the catch, while Caleb Odom came up with several important receptions to keep drives alive late in the game.
Those were all encouraging signs.
But ultimately, Ole Miss couldn’t put together four quarters of the kind of football it played during its two previous wins.
The Rebels showed they were capable of climbing out of the hole they dug in the first half.
They just couldn’t keep themselves from falling back into it.
