Instant Takeaways: Ole Miss Football Falls to Georgia Bulldogs 43-35 in Top-10 Battle

Lane Kiffin and Co. play flawless football across three quarters, unable to make it happen down the stretch in Athens.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

No. 5 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 SEC) suffered the program's first loss of the season on Saturday in Athens after falling to Kirby Smart's Georgia Bulldogs 40-35.

Lane Kiffin and Co. pieced together a near flawless first three quarters of football, but once the fourth quarter came around in Sanford Stadium, the Bulldogs answered the call.

The Rebels entered the final frame with a 35-26 lead with the program unable to get over the hump own the stretch where the Bulldogs clicked on all cylinders.

The Instant Takeaways: Week 8 Edition

No. 1: Flawless Offense Through Three Quarters

Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense went a perfect 5-for-5 through three quarters after scoring a handful of touchdowns and going into the final frame with a 35-26 lead.

From Chambliss lighting it up through the air to Kewan Lacy doing the dirty work on the ground, it was a flawless start for the Rebels leading into the fourth quarter.

Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the third quarter of the game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Through three quarters, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss went 18-for-26 through the air with 262 yards passing along with 42 yards on the ground. He logged three scores to keep the Rebels in front at Sanford Stadium.

For Lacy, the Rebels' star running back remained with a foot on the gas after tallying a pair of touchdowns of his own after punching it in on goal line situations.

But the Bulldogs stayed within striking distance after getting in the end-zone quickly in the fourth quarter to make it 35-33 with 12:56 remaining.

From there, No. 5 Ole Miss went three-and-out with a punt on the first possession of the fourth quarter with the crowd in Athens erupting. The wheels fell off.

No. 2: Ole Miss Defense Unable to Slow Down the Dawgs

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton deserves his flowers. The redshirt-junior signal-caller made it happen down the stretch in Sanford Stadium to lead his program to a top-five win in Athens.

Stockton ended the night on 26-for-31 passing with 289 yards and four touchdowns through the air to go with 59 rushing yards on 10 attempts with an additional score.

The Bulldogs' quarterback was sensational with the Ole Miss defense unable to find the correct recipe to slow him down in the Top-10 matchup on Saturday.

Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (14) looks to pass against the Mississippi Rebels during the first half of the game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

For the Ole Miss defense, the unit as a whole struggled after giving up 43 points on the road in the Peach State. Georgia totaled 513 yards of total offense, 6.7 yards per play, and went a perfect 5-for-5 in the red-zone. It was a day to forget for coordinator Pete Golding's group.

No. 3: Critical Crunch Time Errors

Ole Miss started the game off with five consecutive touchdown drives, but following the fifth score, went silent.

The Georgia defense forced a pair of punts and a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter with the Rebels unable to make it happen in crunch time.

From a flawless three-quarter stretch to a tough final frame, Kiffin and Co. were unable to find the right recipe on either side of the ball in the fourth.

The Bulldogs outscored the Rebels 17-0 down the stretch to take down No. 5 Ole Miss and earn a statement win at home.

Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) passes against the Georgia Bulldogs during the third quarter of the game at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels will return to action in Week 9 at Oklahoma with the Sooners up next on the docket.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Football, Oklahoma Sooners and Ohio State Buckeyes Headline CFP Projections

The Early Betting Lines: Ole Miss Football vs. Georgia Bulldogs in Week 8 Matchup

Ole Miss Football vs. Georgia Bulldogs: ESPN College GameDay Heading to Athens

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