No. 12 Mississippi absolutely smoked Auburn 45-15 on Saturday, but it was quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’s three-touchdown performance and the Rebels’ insane 13-for-16 third-down conversion rate that really drove the dagger home. This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement that Ole Miss is far from a trap game victim, even with big matchups looming.
Chambliss Channels Dual-Threat Energy, Mills-Knight Emerges
Trinidad Chambliss was straight-up electric, throwing for 263 yards and two touchdowns, plus rumbling for another score on the ground. He went 22 of 34 through the air and added 65 rushing yards on seven carries. The game was tight early, with Ole Miss holding onto a slim 17-15 lead, but Chambliss blew it open late in the third quarter with a huge 26-yard touchdown run, pushing their lead to nine. He kept the pedal down in the fourth, firing a 6-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Cunningham and a 28-yarder to Horatio Fields, cementing a 21-point explosion in that final quarter. Even backup QB Deuce Knight got in on the action with a 17-yard touchdown run.
Talk about finding a spark! With star running back Kewan Lacy sidelined by a separated shoulder, sophomore Shekai Mills-Knight stepped up huge for the Rebels. The kid had just 42 yards all season before this game, but he exploded for 71 yards on 16 carries, including a critical 1-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter that helped Ole Miss take a 14-9 halftime lead. What a turnaround, right?
Auburn Can’t Catch a Break, Ole Miss Handles Business
For Auburn, this one’s gotta sting. It’s their second straight loss after that stunning 27-24 upset over then-No. 1 Georgia earlier in the month. Quarterback Byrum Brown finished 25 of 38 for 195 yards and a touchdown passing, but Auburn just couldn’t get out of its own way. An early blocked extra point kept them from tying the game at seven in the second quarter, and then Brown’s fumble led directly to an 86-yard touchdown drive for Ole Miss, capped by Mills-Knight. Those kinds of errors kill momentum and games, especially when you’re already struggling.
This was exactly the kind of “workmanlike performance” No. 12 Mississippi needed. Everyone was calling this a potential trap game, sandwiched between matchups with Texas and Georgia, but the Rebels just put their heads down and delivered.
So, what’s next? Auburn will try to get back on track when they host Arkansas this Saturday. As for Ole Miss, they’ve got another massive test waiting, hosting Georgia this Saturday. You know the Rebels will be fired up to prove they’re legit.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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