SI

Ole Miss Needed Just 59 Seconds to Score on First CFP Drive Without Lane Kiffin

The Rebels’ post-Kiffin era got off to a very fast start.

Tim Capurso

Kewan Lacy wasted no time in getting the post-Lane Kiffin era started at Ole Miss.
Kewan Lacy wasted no time in getting the post-Lane Kiffin era started at Ole Miss. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
In this story:

Ole Miss wasted zero time in getting the post-Lane Kiffin era started in its first round College Football Playoff game against Tulane on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. After receiving the ball on the game’s opening kickoff, it was time for the Rebels’ offense to operate without its chief architect in Kiffin, who left for SEC rival LSU in November after a weeks-long courtship between the two parties.

Well, the Rebels needed just three plays to quiet any concerns about its capabilities without Kiffin. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss came out firing on the first play from scrimmage, completing a 30-yard pass to wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, then finding tight end Dae’Quan Wright for another 25 yards. Rebels running back Kewan Lacy, on his first touch of the game, evaded a pair of Tulane defenders at the line of scrimmage, then burst through a hole paved by the Ole Miss offensive line for a 20-yard touchdown scamper.

All told, it took the Rebels just 59 seconds to find pay dirt. And they weren't done.

More: Three Reasons Why Ole Miss Can Still Win a National Championship Without Lane Kiffin

Tulane put together a nice offensive drive of its own, moving inside the Rebels’ 30-yard line before the Ole Miss defense came up with a huge play. Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff, under duress by the Rebels, was intercepted by Ole Miss cornerback Jaylon Braxton who returned the ball 15 yards to the Rebels 25-yard line.

A 30-yard run by Lacy, and a 26-yard completion from Chambliss set the Rebels up at the goal line, where Chambliss punched in the second touchdown of the game for Ole Miss. This time, the Rebels needed just one minute and 21 seconds to find the end zone.

Get SI's College Football Newsletter. dark. FREE. SI College Football Newsletter

Ole Miss continuity at the play-calling spot paying dividends in College Football Playoff

Kiffin had hoped to coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff but was informed that he would not be allowed to do so. Kiffin took six assistants from his Rebels coaching staff with him, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. But in a positive development for the Rebels, Kiffin allowed Weis Jr. to head back to Oxford, Miss. and coach Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff.

“With the playoff committee releasing updated rankings tonight, I wanted it to be known that after conversations with LSU, we are allowing Charlie to return to Ole Miss to coach the team during the playoffs," Kiffin said in a statement at the time. "I've already made the committee aware of this and I'm hopeful this decision will allow Ole Miss to receive the highest ranking possible because these great players are very deserving of that. I'm excited that Charlie will be back to help coach the greatest team in the history of Ole Miss.”

Weis's presence, along with former defensive coordinator and interim coach Pete Golding, appears to be serving the Rebels well against Tulane.

More College Football on Sports Illustrated

Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.

feed

Published
Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

Home/College Football