Ole Miss Kicker Lucas Carneiro is Building a Remarkable Clutch Legacy

It wasn't easy, but the Ole Miss Rebels survived a thrilling game against the Louisville Cardinals on Sunday. What started as a defensive battle quickly turned into a second-half shootout as the teams traded big offensive plays.

It came down to who had the ball last, and thankfully, it was Ole Miss. With 1:28 remaining, Trinidad Chambliss drove downfield and made a key 18-yard completion to Caleb Odom, putting the Rebels in field-goal range. It set up a 48-yard field-goal for Lucas Carneiro.

As Carneiro has done so many times, he drilled the game-winner to get Ole Miss to 1-0. He was named the SEC's co-winner for Special Teams Player of the Week.

Carneiro Makes History

Mississippi Rebels kicker Lucas Carneiro kicks a field goal. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Carneiro tallied 11 points on Sunday, moving him into the top-15 for most points in program history. But that isn't the only history he made. Carneiro has now hit three career game-winning field goals of 45 yards or more within the final 15 seconds of regulation. That is more than any FBS kicker in the last 30 years.

That's what Carneiro does. Everyone remembers the game-winning kick against Georgia in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal. He drilled a 47-yard field goal to cap off Ole Miss football's biggest win in program history.

So, the last two Rebel wins have ended courtesy of Carneiro's leg. He had a rare miss of 46 yards early in the game, but Pete Golding's confidence in his kicker never wavered.

"I told him, 'That was a mulligan; I shank my driver too. We're going to need you to end this thing,'" Golding said after the game. "The best thing about the kid was, walking off the field, he's like 'Coach I told you I got you.' Because he felt so bad that he missed it (earlier)."

Carneiro went 31-for-35 on field goals last season, and he didn't miss an extra point. He said he's always ready and can exceed his career-high of 58 yards.

"Hit one from 62 in camp last week, so my biggest thing is being ready whenever," Carneiro said during fall camp. "It's obviously up to Coach Golding, and the offense has their choice to do what they want. But for me, it's whenever I'm called upon, is to go out there and do my job."

Carneiro did his job when it counted on Sunday. It's a luxury to have a reliable kicker, and Ole Miss won its season opener largely because of Carneiro.

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