From Defensive Duel to Offensive Fireworks: #9 Ole Miss Holds Off #24 Louisville’s Rally in Instant Classic

On a blistering hot day in downtown Nashville, powder blue and cardinal red were the colors that filled the busy streets. The energy was palpable for this Labor Day Weekend showdown pitting two of the front runners from the ACC and SEC.

A crowd of 57,390 descended upon Nissan Stadium at sunset and settled in for what would be an instant classic. A defensive battle in the first half would turn into a track meet out of the halftime locker room, with the Rebels squeaking out a 41-38 win.

Lincoln Kienholz scrambles early in the Ole Miss - Louisville game in Nashville. | William Caudill

First Quarter

Ole Miss had some early jitters on the first drive as a snap sailed over quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ head and set the Rebels back 21 yards, leading to a quick three-and-out and setting Louisville up near midfield.

Lincoln Kienholz showed early poise driving the Cards down to the six-yard line behind a 20-yard completion to Jaleel Skinner. Two delay of games killed the redzone momentum and ultimately Carson Hilbert connected on a 25-yard field goal to cap a six-minute drive and give The Ville an early 3-0 lead.

The Rebels’ second drive progressed to Louisville territory behind scrambles of eleven and eight yards for Chambliss. On 4th and 2 Chambliss darted up the middle and had the first down before Clev Lubin delivered a big-hit from the side forcing a fumble recovered by Brycen Scott on the Louisville 40-yard line.

Louisville tried taking a shot on the first play and drew a pass interference that set the Cards up in Rebels’ territory. They couldn’t do anything with it & three players later, a 25-yard Niall Hayes punt pinned the Rebels at the 15.

Chambliss would find Horatio Fields for a 31-yard pitch and catch over the middle late in the quarter. Two Rebs carries for 11 yards would end the first quarter with a 3-0 UofL lead.

The Louisville defense swarms Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy in the first half of Sunday's game in Nashville. | William Caudil

Second Quarter

A 3rd down breakup by Jabari Mack on a Chambliss pass intended for Fields set up a 43-yard field goal by Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro to tie it 3-3.

Louisville would gain sixteen yards on the next possession, missing a huge opportunity as Kienholz sailed Tre Richardson wide-open streaking down the sideline. They faced 4th down from their own 41 & long snapper Ryan Manis would sail Hayes on the snap, who fell on it at the 11-yard line.

The Rebs would feed Kewan Lacy four straight handoffs, who would dash in on a 1-yard scoring run.

The ensuing Louisville possession, Kienholz underthrew intended receiver Lawayne McCoy, Lance Robinson would get called for a false start and Louisville would go three and out.

Three plays later, Stanquan Clark jumped a third down route and intercepted Chambliss. The Cards would once again not muster up anything. Ole Miss would drive 51 yards before Carneiro missed a 46-yard field goal with 1:43 left in the half.

Going into the final drive of the half, the Cards had -21 total yards in the second quarter. Keyjuan Brown would have carries of 13 and 16 yards leading the Cards to field goal range where Hilbert knocked it home from 46 yards and cut the Rebels lead to 10-6 at the half.

At half, Ole Miss had outgained the Cards 148-83 in total yardage. Both defenses were shining and the two forced turnovers for Louisville kept the Ole Miss offense at bay.

Keyjuan Brown dashes around the end to set up a Louisville field goal late in the first half. | William Caudill

Third Quarter

The script was flipped in the second half as the offenses started to get comfortable. The Cards would get the ball and Kienholz would settle in.

A nine-yard completion to Richardson and 27-yard fade to Treyshun Hurry out of the gates would put the Cards in business. Richardson would cap the 77-yard drive, taking a handoff from Kienholz in motion and darting 30 yards around the left side for a touchdown. The Cards would have their first lead at 13-10.

Ole Miss would answer right back on a five play, 75-yard drive where Chambliss found speedy receiver Deuce Alexander down the Louisville sideline for a 62-yard touchdown. Just like that it was 17-13 Rebs.

Keyjuan Brown would lead off the next drive with a dash for 17 yards around the right side, but the Cards would get nothing else. Hayes would boot a punt 47 yards to the Ole Miss 32. The Louisville defense would contain the Rebels, but the drive on a Mack personal foul hitting Chambliss out of bounds. Three plays later the Rebs would punt it back to the Cards.

Kienholz would show his running ability and break a 41-yard up the middle of the field to set up a 45-yard field goal from Hilbert to make it 17-16 Rebels.

The teams would trade 62-yard touchdown strikes in the last 2:22 of the third. Chambliss would find Alexander again down the right side & Kienholz would find Richardson. The teams would go into the fourth deadlocked at 24, but the Cards burned all their second half timeouts in the 3rd.

Louisville had 233 yards in the quarter, 124 of which were through the air. Ole Miss had 157 yards, 151 of those passing.

Tre Richardson scores a touchdown in a back and forth second half. | William Caudill

Fourth Quarter

The fourth quarter started with more fireworks as Chambliss escaped pressure and found Caleb Odom on a whirling pass for 35 yards down the seam to put the Rebs up 31-24, with 12:45 left.

Louisville would find themselves behind the chains after a Johnnie Brown III hold and false start on Jaleel Skinner. On 3rd and 13 Kienholz would be sacked, forcing a 44-yard punt by Hayes to the Ole Miss 46.

The Rebs would move the ball to the Louisville 40, where they faced a 4th and 11 and attempted a 57-yard field goal. The kick by Carneiro was short, but the drive was extended on a roughing the kicker penalty by DJ Waller. With the Rebels set up at the Louisville 25 and Lacy on the sideline with a minor injury, Chambliss would hit Odom for 13 yards. Makhi Frazier would get the Rebs to the five on two carries & Chambliss would scamper in for a five-yard touchdown.

The Cards found themselves down 38-24 with 6:43 and no timeouts. Keyjuan Brown would carry the ball the first two plays for nine yards and Kienholz would find Skinner on 3rd and 1 for eight yards and a first down to the Louisville 42. Two plays later Kienholz would find a streaking McCoy who would gather the ball at the 19-yard line and make several Rebel defenders miss, crossing the pylon and bringing the Cards within seven at 38-31.

Antonio Watts and TJ Capers would stuff Ole Miss run attempts and Chambliss would miss Odom on 3rd down. A 49-yard punt by Oscar Bird of Ole Miss would set the Cards up at their own 23 yard line.

With 3:09 left on the clock, the Cards had a chance to go tie it or take the lead. Kienholz found Skinner over the middle at the 35, and the tight end would drag Ole Miss defenders to the 48 for a 25-yard gain. After a sack would back the Cards up a yard, Kienholz found Richardson on the sideline for 10 yards. On 3rd and 1, Kienholz rumbled up the middle for 4 yards, setting up a first down. Isaac Brown would slide behind the defense as Kienholz scrambled and pull down a 32-yard catch to set The Ville up at the seven. An incompletion was followed by a 7-yard dash around the right side by Kienholz who crossed the goal line with 1:28 left. Louisville elected to kick the extra point and tied it at 38.

With two timeouts and 1:28, Chambliss methodically picked apart the Louisville defense with two well thrown balls over the middle; one to Alexander for 15 yards and one to Odom for 18 yards. After two carries of three and four yards by Chambliss and Frazier, Pete Golding called a time-out to set up the 48-yard game winning field by Carneiro as time expired, making the final score 41-38.

Louisville who falls to 0-1 on the season will be back in action Friday @ 7 pm when they host the Villanova Wildcats. The game can be seen on the ACC Network.

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