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An All-Time Classic Ole Miss-Georgia Sugar Bowl Ended in the Most Awkward Fashion

“An excruciating ending to a classic game.”

Tom Dierberger

Pete Golding has led Ole Miss to two College Football Playoff wins since taking over the program from the departed Lane Kiffin.
Pete Golding has led Ole Miss to two College Football Playoff wins since taking over the program from the departed Lane Kiffin. / Jamie Squire/Getty Images
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One of the best games in the brief history of the 12-team College Football Playoff ended in rather strange fashion.

No. 6 Ole Miss punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff semifinals on Thursday night with a thrilling 39–34 victory over No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome, fighting back from a 21–12 deficit at halftime.

But the Rebels’ postgame celebration had to wait. And then wait some more. And then just a bit more.

The 2025 Sugar Bowl’s awkward finish

When Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro’s 47-yard field goal sailed through the uprights for a 37–34 Rebels lead, six seconds remained in regulation. But the game was far from over.

On the ensuing kickoff, Carneiro’s kick was caught by Georgia receiver Landon Roldan, who ran up to his own 5-yard line and attempted to hurl a lateral pass to a teammate across the field. But he slipped as he threw the ball, and it skipped toward the sideline and hit the pylon on the other side of the end zone for a safety. The scoreboard read Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34.

“The game is over!” ESPN play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough said on the broadcast. “... Ole Miss is on to the College Football Playoff semifinals!”

Ole Miss started celebrating on the field, and Rebels coach Pete Golding received a congratulatory hug from Georgia coach Kirby Smart.

Even those two head coaches did not know the game was not quite over.

Officials ruled that there was still one second remaining. Ole Miss, after securing a safety on the kickoff, would receive a free kick from Georgia. The Rebels wisely didn’t touch the football on the kick, and it was touched down by a Georgia player. But that gave the Bulldogs the football and one last chance to somehow find the end zone.

The Sugar Bowl staffers at Caesars Superdome, who had already wheeled out the stage for the postgame festivities once after the safety, dragged it out to the field again only to learn that there was still one second remaining in the game.

It was pure chaos.

After things got sorted out by the officials and coaches, and both teams trotted out 11 players on the field, Georgia ran a desperation lateral play that ended up losing 11 yards. Finally, the final second ticked off the scoreboard and those Rebels fans in Oxford could officially celebrate.

McDonough summed it up best: “An excruciating ending to a classic game.”

No. 6 Ole Miss now advances to the Fiesta Bowl to battle No. 10 Miami on Jan. 8.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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