The No. 19 Ole Miss Rebels just took a brutal 24-17 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday, a defeat that likely torpedoed their College Football Playoff hopes after already dropping one to Georgia. This wasn’t just any loss either. It was a chaotic mess from start to finish, kicked off by an unprecedented FAA decision.
Pre-Game Turbulence: The FAA Grounding and a “Not Fair” Call
This whole matchup was weird before it even began, thanks to the FAA grounding all flights on Friday. Think about that for a second: a federal aviation decision impacting a college football game. It completely screwed up Ole Miss’ travel plans for Saturday’s game in Norman, forcing the Southeastern Conference to announce a full-day delay Saturday morning. Ole Miss swore they did everything possible to avoid a postponement, but Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny wasn’t having it, calling the whole situation “isn’t fair” to the Sooners. You gotta wonder how much that played into the locker room talk before kickoff.
Mateer Stays Turnover-Free as Oklahoma Puts the Clamps On
Despite all the pre-game drama, it felt like the delay ended up favoring Oklahoma on the field. Sooners quarterback John Mateer was absolutely dialed in, notching his fourth consecutive game without a turnover. That’s clutch when everything else is up in the air! He wasn’t just protecting the ball, he was getting it done. Mateer went 10/19 for 111 yards passing, and added 70 yards and a crucial rushing touchdown on 16 carries.
Oklahoma wasted no time, taking an early lead and never letting Ole Miss claw their way back. After the Rebels went three-and-out to start, Mateer orchestrated a monster 13-play, 74-yard drive that ended with his own eight-yard rushing score, making it 7-0. Then, after another Ole Miss punt, Isaiah Sategna III blew the game open with a 75-yard touchdown return. Oklahoma was in control. They played keep-away in the second half, too. They opened the third quarter with a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive that chewed up over six minutes, and then had another 14-play drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock, even if it ended in a missed 39-yard field goal from kicker Tate Sandell. Those long drives are soul-crushing for an opposing defense.
Ole Miss Fights Back, But Runs Out of Time
For Ole Miss, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss tried to rally the troops. He finished 14/27 for 127 yards and a touchdown, plus 84 rushing yards on 11 carries. He led an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive that running back Joshua Dye capped off with a 19-yard rushing touchdown. Later, Chambliss found Caleb Odom for a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, cutting Oklahoma’s lead to just one score.
But Sandell, who had missed two kicks in the fourth quarter, actually extended the Sooners’ lead with a 41-yard field goal. Ole Miss got another field goal to get it back to a one-score game and even recovered an onside kick in the final minute! They clawed their way for 26 yards in six plays, but time just ran out. Chambliss’ final heave into the end zone fell incomplete, and that was it. The Rebels’ fight was admirable, but it wasn’t enough. Oklahoma improved to 6-4 (4-3 SEC), while Ole Miss dropped to 6-4 (4-4 SEC), leaving their College Football Playoff dreams in tatters.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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