NORMAN, Okla. — The week began with questions about whether Ole Miss could recover from a gut-punch loss. It ended with a response that said plenty.
The No. 8 Rebels built a double-digit lead, let it slip, and then finished strong Saturday in a 34-26 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma.
A week after letting Georgia rally in Athens, Ole Miss found itself in nearly the same situation — this time refusing to collapse.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss directed an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter, capping it with an 8-yard strike to Trace Bruckler that put the Rebels ahead to stay.
A later field goal by Lucas Carneiro sealed the outcome, and a disciplined defense closed the door on the Sooners’ final chances.
With the win, Ole Miss improved to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Southeastern Conference, keeping every major goal intact.
Learning from a familiar feeling
The echoes from Athens were hard to ignore. A week earlier, Ole Miss had controlled most of the game at Georgia before faltering late.
When Oklahoma rallied from a 12-point deficit to take a one-point lead in the third quarter, the feeling returned, but the outcome did not.
“It says a lot about them,” Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said. “Because when you have had something happen to you previously in a season, let alone seven days ago, and that same feeling comes back again — ‘Here we go again.’ The crowd started coming alive. Then, obviously, much different response by us.”
This time, Chambliss steadied the offense and the Rebels controlled the final quarter. Ole Miss outscored Oklahoma 9-0 down the stretch, leaning on composure rather than panic.
Chambliss keeps it steady
Chambliss’ leadership was evident throughout the fourth-quarter march that shifted momentum back to the visitors.
He found Bruckler open for an 8-yard touchdown that restored the Rebels’ advantage, then guided the offense on a time-consuming drive to set up Carneiro’s insurance kick.
“Just finish the game off strong,” Chambliss said. “Don’t get too high. Don’t get too low. We just didn’t want to feel that way again. We made it that we don’t want to feel that again, and that will never happen again. We just need to finish games.”
Ole Miss finished this one the way it couldn’t the week before with a defense that delivered the stops it needed.
The Rebels forced four punts and a turnover on downs across Oklahoma’s final three possessions, holding the Sooners scoreless over the final quarter.
Defense reverses the script
For a unit criticized after surrendering a fourth-quarter lead at Georgia, the closing stretch in Norman was as meaningful as the score itself.
The Rebels limited Oklahoma’s rhythm and forced hurried throws in the final minutes, preventing another late-game letdown.
“Different story this week,” Kiffin said. “The defense finished the game off.”
The Rebels’ sideline erupted when Oklahoma’s final drive stalled near midfield, knowing the win represented more than just another tally in the standings.
It was a test of maturity that they passed.
Back on course
The victory kept Ole Miss on the trajectory it envisioned entering the season. A road win over a top-15 opponent resets the Rebels’ position in the SEC race and the broader postseason conversation.
If the Rebels were going to make the year a special one, the formula was simple — at least a split in October showdowns with Georgia and Oklahoma.
Though the loss in Athens stung, Saturday’s outcome delivered the other half of that equation.
What remains is a closing stretch that will be played entirely in Mississippi.
Ole Miss will host South Carolina and Florida at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, meet The Citadel in a late-season nonconference game, and finish with Mississippi State in Starkville on Black Friday.
All four matchups are winnable. Three are at home. Kiffin, however, was quick to steer the focus elsewhere.
Process over projections
“That’s not even in our language,” Kiffin said when asked about playoff implications. “Whether it’s right or wrong, I don’t talk to them about that and playoffs and where you’re ranked. Any of that stuff. I just don’t. That’s just my philosophy.
“Actually, I did when I was younger, and it’s been a lot of years now that I don’t talk to them that way. Because it’s just about staying in the process.”
For Kiffin’s team, the message landed.
The lesson learned in Athens turned into the difference in Norman.
Key takeaways
- Ole Miss reversed its late-game fortunes a week after collapsing at Georgia, closing out Oklahoma with poise.
- Trinidad Chambliss guided an 11-play touchdown drive and emphasized composure in the game’s final minutes.
- The Rebels’ defense delivered critical stops, keeping their SEC and playoff hopes intact heading into November.
