4 Takeaways From Ole Miss’ 32-24 Win Over LSU, Spoiling Lane Kiffin’s Return

There was so much build up, hype and emotion surrounding Lane Kiffin’s much-anticipated return to Ole Miss. The LSU head coach has a nose for the headlines and managed to stay firmly on top of them ever since he left Oxford for Baton Rouge ahead of last year’s College Football Playoff.

The hostility and resentment has remained ever since amongst Rebels fans who were angry at how the Kiffin era ended.

Perhaps all is forgiven now (or not) — because Ole Miss came out and beat LSU, 32-24, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night in the most electric college football scene we’ve seen so far this season. 

Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss shined in prime time, and his defense made a goal-line stand to seal the victory with less than a minute to play.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, you could see it on everybody’s faces. Justice for Ole Miss, disappointment for Kiffin and LSU. 

“Our team is resilient, and I love them so much,” Chambliss said on the broadcast post-game. “I’m speechless.

“Hotty f****** Toddy!”

Here are takeaways from this Week 3 showdown:

1. An Epic Night For Trinidad Chambliss…

In the first half, Chambliss was in complete control. He was calm under pressure, poised in the pocket, sharp with his passes and firmly in command of the offense. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns by halftime, leading Ole Miss to a comfortable 24-7 lead. 

The sixth-year quarterback looked every bit like a potential top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Then he made a costly error by throwing an interception on the Rebels’ first drive of the third quarter, which swung momentum toward LSU and the Tigers went on to tie the game, 24-24, early in the fourth.

But a little adversity didn’t bother Chambliss. He looked more like himself in the fourth quarter when he capped a 13-play touchdown drive with a 14-yard run into the end zone. 

Then the Rebels had the guts to go for two, and after drawing LSU offsides twice, running back JT Lindsey ran in for the conversion.

2. …And The Ole Miss Defense, Too

With about six minutes remaining, LSU’s offense would have to score a touchdown and go for two to win. 

Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt marched his team down the field but ultimately failed to convert from inside the 10 on four tries. In the end, defensive end Kam Franklin tipped Leavitt’s final pass, which was then intercepted by cornerback Jaylon Braxton to all but end the game.

“We’ve worked our butts off this week and this whole year,” said Chambliss, who ended up completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, plus one rushing score. “We don’t quit.”

The Rebels’ defense kept Leavitt in check in the first half. The Arizona State transfer quarterback managed just 51 passing yards and looked rattled. And aside from the third quarter — where LSU had two touchdown drives and tied the game — they held the nation’s No. 3 offense to just 330 total yards by the end of the night and made the play of the game when it mattered.

3. Lane Kiffin’s Return Was Nearly Legendary

The pregame scenes were exactly what we thought they’d be. Cameras caught Kiffin moments before leading his team out of the tunnel, escorted by multiple security officers. He was stone-faced, ready for whatever sights and sounds might greet him while his LSU players behind him were clapping and getting hyped.

The Tigers ran out onto the field at the same time as the Rebels, and while the stadium was roaring with cheers for the home team, they weren’t loud enough to mask the boos directed at Kiffin.

During warmups, Kiffin and Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, who are close friends, hugged and dapped each other up on the field. The bad blood was not between them — if anything, Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU helped Golding get his first head coaching job. 

Of course, there was chirping elsewhere. On his way off the field following warmups, Kiffin threw a football into the recruiting section.

Then, former Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith, who followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge, had some things to say to Rebels fans:

Throughout the game, shrewd chants directed at Kiffin were heard on the broadcast.

They say drama like this goes away if you do one thing: win. LSU failed to do that, despite Kiffin’s second-half adjustments that nearly brought the Tigers back.

But don’t worry, Kiffin will most likely find a way to stay on top of the news cycle. And worst case, thanks to the new nine-game SEC schedule, the Tigers and Rebels will meet again next season in Baton Rouge.

4. It Only Gets Tougher From Here

This Week 3 battle was considered one of the most highly anticipated games of this season as soon as Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU before last year’s playoff. 

Now that it’s over, and both teams are past all the hoopla, well, the tests only get harder.

LSU will go home and immediately begin preparing to host No. 9 Texas A&M. Both teams are coming off a loss, desperate not to lose another SEC game in order to keep their CFP hopes intact. The Tigers’ slate in October is somewhat manageable with matchups against Kentucky, Mississippi State and Auburn, but then a challenging November awaits with Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Arkansas coming in consecutive Saturdays.

There are really no breaks for Ole Miss, either. Once they get into mid-October, the Rebels play Missouri, Texas, Auburn, Georgia and Oklahoma in straight weekends. And they hope to get star running back Kewan Lacy back after he left Saturday’s game in the second half with an upper body injury.

The SEC could get anywhere from four to six teams into the CFP, and there are plenty of landmines down the stretch for both of these teams even after getting through this one.