Since Lane Kiffin arrived for the 2020 season, Ole Miss has been known as an offense that racks up tons of yards and puts points on the scoreboard. Even with Kiffin gone, that narrative is not changing as Ole Miss returns to potential Heisman front-runners in quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (waiver pending) and running back Kewan Lacy. The Ole Miss defense struggled at times with blown coverages and a lack of depth along the defensive line, and even though the unit improved throughout the season, the offense still overshadowed the defense. Pete Golding and staff emphasized improving the defense through the transfer portal, and I think that is being overlooked.

The Rebel defense had draft picks on it in the 2025 season, but there were obvious holes in the unit. For example, defensive linemen Will Echoles and Zxavian Harris played too many snaps per game this past season. The DL was good and really came on strong late in the season, but the lack of depth was the difference in their semifinal exit and a chance at the championship. Ole Miss retained Will Echoles, Kam Franklin, and Jamarious Brown, and when you mix them with the incoming acquisitions from the portal, this could potentially be one of the better DL rooms in the SEC.

The 2026 linebacker room has been completely rebuilt. Last season, Ole Miss struggled with depth at linebacker. TJ Dottery played all 91 defensive snaps for the Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl, and between injured and undersized linebackers, the unit struggled to provide support in the running game. Ole Miss added ACC Rookie of the Year Luke Ferrelli, Keaton Thomas, and Tah’j Butler to its roster while retaining Suntarine Perkins and Raymond Collins. This will be the deepest linebacker room the Rebels have fielded in quite a while.

The secondary has been overhauled, too, and this may be the most important unit of all. Pete Golding was stuck playing mostly zone coverage in 2025. The Rebels really struggled with man coverage, and even when they played zone, they busted coverages from time to time. The additions of Jay Crawford, Sharif Denson, Edwin Joseph, and Joenel Aguero add speed and experience to use a mix of coverages next season. The Rebels also return Jaylon Braxton and Antonio Kite, who were the best secondary players for the Rebels last season.

The restructuring of the defense is important because with the SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule, the grind of a long season is where the added depth will prove critical. It will also help the offense in four-minute situations, allowing them to run the football and trust the defense to finish the game. The offense does not always have to chase points. Ole Miss will face LSU, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia; as tough as that sounds, that is only half of the conference schedule. Ole Miss will need to be better than a 40th-ranked defense to run through the SEC gauntlet. This may not be a top 5 defense, but I expect it to be a much-improved unit, which is what Ole Miss needs right now.

For more information on transfer portal news, check out the links below.

https://haireraidradio.blog/2026/01/04/portal-news-rebels-look-to-retain-reload-for-2026/

https://haireraidradio.blog/2026/01/16/rebels-finishing-the-portal-window-strong-on-defense/

The Ole Miss Rebels had an early start in Lexington, Kentucky, due to the winter storm that is currently covering thousands of miles across America with snow and ice. The story coming into the matchup with the Wildcats is that Coach Beard was looking for better effort and more production from his Bigs. Malik Dia, James Scott, and Augusto Cassia combined for 2 points and 3 rebounds in a game in which Ole Miss was dominated by Auburn.

Ole Miss answered the call for more effort in the first half. The defense was active, turning Kentucky over seven times and keeping rebounding even throughout.

The issue that led Ole Miss into the locker room at halftime with a six-point deficit was its inability to create good offensive looks. Ole Miss shot 25% from the field and was 1-10 from behind the arc. The Rebels have struggled at times with consistency in shooting the three, but the looks they tried to create were contested throughout. The Rebels were unable to capitalize on the opportunities they created, scoring 1 point on turnovers they forced and 2 points in transition opportunities. The shining spot for the Rebels was that Malik Dia flashed in moments, and AJ Storr hit tough shots and created space with his step-back game.

Ilias Kamardine kept the offense moving to start the second half, steadying the game and keeping Ole Miss within five around the 15-minute mark. The three started falling for Ole Miss in the second half as Augusto Cassia hit one and Patton Pinkins hit two shots to get the Rebels within two with 11:55 left in the game.

Halfway through the second half, the Rebels found themselves in a one-point game (46-45) after a step-back three from AJ Storr. Ole Miss held Kentucky scoreless from the field, but both teams exchanged fouls and free throws. Storr broke out in the open court after a steal for a vicious dunk, and it remained a one-point contest (50-49) at the media timeout with 7:55 remaining.

An egregious whistle and sloppy play dominated the next eight minutes of the game. Ole Miss trailed 62-60 with 2:18 left. Ole Miss rushed some shots that ended up in empty possessions, and unfortunately, did not get rebounds when they needed them. Ole Miss played a foul game to stop the clock, and when you mix that with not making shots, Ole Miss would drop this one 70-63.

Ole Miss falls to 11-9 and 3-4 in the SEC. The Rebels’ effort was better today, but the story of this one was their inability to create good looks and make shots. Ole Miss was able to close the gap on the boards, and honestly, no one expects Ole Miss to win on the glass, but that statistic usually points to where it goes wrong for the Rebels. The story here is that Kentucky made 28 free throws while Ole Miss scored six points on ten turnovers.

Malik Dia and AJ Storr scored 36 of the Rebels’ 63 points, and Patton Pinkins had 9. The Rebel trio of Bigs combined for 23 points and 15 rebounds. Ole Miss had its chances in this contest, but every time it had an opportunity to press the issue, the offense felt flat and did not make the buckets when it absolutely needed them.

After a week off, Ole Miss hosts Vanderbilt on Jan. 31st at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

College football is still in the early stages of its new era, but it is stuck following a model that does not make sense as of July 2021. The sport faces major challenges, unclear guardrails around NIL, transfer portal chaos, and a calendar that forces programs to secure next year’s roster during a current championship run. Fixing these issues would protect universities and their fans, as well as ensure what is most important for the athletes, their education. Unfortunately, those problems will not be solved anytime soon; instead, the sport is focused on deciding whether to expand the playoffs and how many teams will participate. Today, we will get some clarification on what is next for the College Football Playoff, but someone will not be happy.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey wants to expand the playoff to 16 teams, and I understand his perspective. The league has moved to a nine-game conference schedule for 2026. That is eight extra losses guaranteed to its institutions. This past season, fans saw a 10-2 Vanderbilt team that suffered two road losses in conference play and was left out of the playoff. Sankey would love a 16-team playoff to get more SEC teams in and avoid a deserving constituent left on the bubble. Commissioner Sankey has gained support for this expansion from the ACC and Big 12 commissioners as well.

Big 10 Commissioner Tony Petitti favors a 24-team playoff format. Yes, 24 teams, it is absurd to think that an 8-4 team is going to make its way through a playoff and win a championship, but the NCAA and its tournaments throughout all major sports love a Cinderella story. Petitti favors a model that guarantees four automatic bids for all power conferences. That would grant a team in the 9-3 range a spot in the playoffs, like USC and Michigan, who were left out for it this past season.

The Big 10 and the SEC are the two conferences with the most power at play, and if there is no agreement between the two, then nothing will change for next season. Honestly, I would be perfectly fine with no expansion. Let me explain.

In my opinion, twelve is the right number, and I, as commissioner, could fit the tournament into a window that fixes the calendar, which solves two problems in one sweep. There is no reason to believe that any team ranked 13th and lower could realistically win a national championship; there may not be a case for the 12th-ranked team to win one either. I will say, though, that you cannot go back now, but you can improve what you have.

I would support a 12-team playoff that has ZERO automatic bids. I do not care to see Tulane play Ohio State. I do not care to see Vanderbilt, BYU, Notre Dame, or anyone else left out because of a Group Six program that lost to average Power Four opponents in the regular season, get a spot due to automatic qualifiers. Just give me the twelve best teams matched up for a chance to go after the championship trophy.

I also believe that if a twelve-team playoff were scheduled correctly, we could fix a majority of the issues that the calendar provides. For example, in 2026, move week one up to the weekend of August 29th and play the season out. Now, at season’s end, roll straight into the playoffs the weekend after the Conference Championship weekend, the quarter-final round rolls on the very next weekend, and so on and so on. That gives us a week off for media and also allows us to play the championship game on New Year’s Day.

This would be a success for college football for several reasons: the portal is open after the season, not during it, and the season will end without competing head-to-head with the NFL playoffs. Coaches would not have to leave jobs before the season’s conclusion because they would not have to worry about rebuilding their new team while coaching their current one, and I have never understood dragging the season out and competing with the king of all sports. The NFL rules the ratings, and there is no reason to push the college season to the day after the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The college game is an afterthought at that point, so why drag it out? There is no reason to, and it feels right for the season to end on New Year’s Day. Jan. 1 has always been the day for the crown jewel big-time bowl games. Let that day highlight the biggest game in the sport instead of a random Monday night in January.

Now this seems too simple for everyone to agree on and move forward, so it will not happen. I know that today’s world is run by TV networks and sports partners. I just believe if you moved some dates around and put the best product on the field, that the sport would grow and possibly have a chance at some normalcy.

Ole Miss falls 78-66 to the Auburn Tigers on Tuesday night. The story of the game for me was that Ole Miss was unable to get paint touches that converted into buckets or free-throw opportunities. Ole Miss finished the night with 14 points in the paint; Auburn, on the other hand, finished with 38 points in the paint and 32 made free throws. Pinkins, Storr, and Perry finished with double-digit scoring nights for the Rebels, but Ole Miss only got two points from its star, Malik Dia.

The story of the first half of the game was survival. Ole Miss was dominated on the boards, turned the ball over, and struggled to get into the paint, but Ilias Kamardine’s two three-pointers and solid minutes from Travis Perry kept the Rebels within one at the end of the first half.

Ole Miss was outrebounded 26-13, and 8 of the Auburn rebounds were on the offensive end. The Tigers played like a faster and more physical team for most of the first half by denying the ball in the paint and forcing Ole Miss turnovers.

Most of the first half, it felt like Ole Miss was settling for shots. The Tiger defense kept Ole Miss out of the paint, which limited second-chance points and free throws. Ole Miss was 100 percent from the line, but they only shot three free throws.

Ole Miss was able to turn it around after a fast break and one by AJ Storr that turned the momentum back towards the Rebels. The key to weathering the storm was points off turnovers and solid minutes from Travis Perry. Ole Miss was able to turn Auburn over three times and score seven points. Travis Perry’s fade-away three near the end of the first half was another momentum swing for the Rebs.

The second half was much of the same story. Struggling with ball movement, which made it difficult to maintain possession and get open looks, Ole Miss did not score their first points of the second half until the 17:27 mark. Auburn went on a 6-0 run during Ole Miss’s drought, but Storr and Perry were able to keep the Rebels within nine. Auburn lived in the paint, and the Rebels’ smaller lineup struggled to get stops.

Auburn was able to extend the lead to 13 around the 6:24 mark, but the Ole Miss combination of Storr, Perry, and Pinkins continued to keep the Rebels in the game. Storr had two assists that led to three-point shots for the Rebels, and a made bucket himself brought the Rebels back within seven.

After an Auburn turnover, Pinkins was fouled and made both free throws of the one-and-one to cut the Tigers’ lead to three. Ole Miss struggled down the stretch and fizzled out offensively. Ole Miss was held scoreless over the last minute and twenty-three seconds, and Auburn would go on to win the game.

Ole Miss finished 36% on 22-61 from the field, 10-28 from 3, and only shot 15 free throws in the game. Auburn’s 2-17 performance from three kept Ole Miss in the game, but it never felt like it was in doubt for the Tigers. For much of the night, Auburn was the bigger, faster, and more aggressive team. They bullied Ole Miss down low, and that has been a problem for the Rebels all season.

Ole Miss is now 11-8 and 3-3 in the SEC and will travel to Lexington this Saturday to face the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena.

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Ole Miss looks wrap up this year’s transfer portal window with a top-five signing class. The Rebel coaching staff has placed an emphasis on retaining as many offensive players as possible, and rebuild the defense through the portal.

Defensive Line

The Rebels finished the 2025 season with a 13-2 record and a win in the Sugar Bowl. Every team has a weakness, even the great ones, and Ole Miss clearly had a problem with depth at the line of scrimmage and a vulnerable secondary. Miami had 91 offensive snaps in the Fiesta Bowl, and Ole Miss defensive lineman Will Echoles played 81 snaps. Kam Franklin and Zxavian Harris played 67 and 63 snaps, respectively. There is just not a ton of depth, and if you plan on making plays late in games, you need to have some juice left in the tank. The secondary ranked 35th nationally in defending the pass and found themselves fairly one-dimensional. Ole Miss played a lot of zone coverage, and at times blew coverages and struggled with tackling on the edge. Pete Golding seems to have a plan in place to add depth to the defensive front and completely rehaul the secondary.

Additions in the portal

4 Star Edge Jordan Renaud

Renaud found his role late in the season for his former team, Alabama, racking up 16 total tackles and 6 solo tackles. Known for his physicality and strength, Renaud is still developing, and Ole Miss hopes to get him to the next level of his craft.

4 Star Edge Blake Purchase

Purchase tallied 39 total tackles, 18 solo, and 3.5 sacks in his time as an Oregon Duck. He has a wide range of pass-rush moves to be effective, along with the length and speed to close and finish tackles. He is experienced and could be a potential replacement for Princewell Umanmielen.

3 Star Edge Jonathan Maldonado

Maldonado finished the 2025 season with 38 total tackles, 20 solo, and 5 sacks for the Wolfpack. He grades really high as a pass rusher and could be a solid piece for the Rebels in 2026.

4 Star DL Michai Boireau

Transferring from Florida, Boireau has 35 total tackles, 14 solo, and 2 sacks in his career. A big guy in the middle at 6’5 325 lbs. he has proven SEC experience. Boireau has proven to play gap responsibility and eat blocks in the running game.

3 Star DL Jehiem Oatis

The Mississippi native has a career stat line of 66 total tackles, 24 solo tackles, and 1.5 sacks. Ole Miss retained most of its defensive line from the 2025 season, so I expect him to be one of the added depth pieces. At 6’5 325 lbs., Oatis is a one technique in a four-man front or a nose guard in a three-man look. Ole Miss could be more multiple on defense next season.

Linebacker

3 Star LB Tah’j Butler

Butler had 34 total tackles, 18 solo, and 1 interception in 2025. The Georgia Tech transfer may find a big role for the Rebels in 2026. TJ Dottery, Jaden Yates, and Andrew Jones are not returning for 2026, so the Ole Miss linebacking core is depleted, and Butler is a proven choice on the power 4 level.

3 Star LB Keaton Thomas

Thomas had 99 total tackles, 62 solo, and 1 sack in 2025. The Baylor transfer is expected to be the leader of the unit and was the first linebacker Pete Golding signed out of the portal. He will likely be the direct replacement for TJ Dottery and assume helmet communication duties.

Defensive Back

4 Star CB Jay Crawford

The Auburn transfer tallied 30 total tackles, 24 solo tackles, and 1 interception in two seasons for the Tigers. He is the No. 2-ranked CB in the portal class and should play opposite of Antonio Kite, who is expected to return next season.

3 Star CB Sharif Denson

In three seasons with the Gators, Denson recorded 63 solo tackles, 3 passes defended, and 1 interception. Again, Pete Golding recruited proven SEC talent and Denson has great speed to cover and make tackles in space.

4 Star S Edwin Joseph

Over the last two seasons, Joseph racked up 50 total tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 4 interceptions for the Seminoles. Joseph is the no. 4-ranked safety in the portal and is known for making plays when the ball is in the air. With two seasons of experience at the Power 4 level, He should become a playmaker in the secondary for the Rebels.

3 Star S Joenel Aguero

Over the last two seasons, Aguero tallied 65 total tackles, 40 solo, and 1 interception for the Georgia Bulldogs. Playing for Kirby Smart, you would expect Aguero to be a player who recognizes routes and makes plays on the ball when it is thrown. Another proven SEC-caliber player added to the Pete Golding defense.

Ole Miss is expected to sign more players before the drop/add date for classes is over. I will update the post as information is available. The Rebels clearly had a plan to add depth in the portal, and it looks as if there will be interesting battles for position over the spring and summer.

Ole Miss has proven to recruit, sign, and develop elite talent at the quarterback position. Names like Wallace, Kelly, Corral, and Dart come to mind. Ole Miss struck gold in 2025, finding a quarterback from Ferris State who ended up being the most important player on this year’s team.

Trinidad Chambliss was not expecting to be the full-time starter when he arrived on campus last April. He believed that he was coming to Oxford to have a role in short-yardage situations. Austin Simmons was injured in September, and Chambliss took over as the starter, never looking back. He led the Rebels to their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff and led the team to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in the semifinal round.

In November, Chambliss filed for a sixth year of eligibility, hoping to return to the school for the 2026 season. Last Friday, it was announced that the waiver was denied, and Athletics Director Keith Carter announced that Ole Miss would appeal the decision. Chambliss is seeking a sixth year due to a respiratory illness that caused him to miss the 2022 season. The NCAA grants hardship waivers to student-athletes who sustain an incapacitating injury or illness, and Ole Miss sent documentation of a physician’s note to the NCAA. The issue for Chambliss is that his former school, Ferris State, has documentation that Chambliss redshirted the 2022 season for player development.

At this point, it is unclear if Chambliss will be granted his sixth year, but the argument will shift to earning potential if the situation ends up in court. Ole Miss and Chambliss agreed to a guaranteed deal for him to play in 2026. The deal is believed to be around $5 million. Chambliss also has corporate endorsements, and with the chance of being the favorite for the Heisman trophy next season, more opportunities are all but guaranteed.

If Chambliss decides to move on to the next level, the NFL projections view Chambliss as a day-three pick in this year’s draft. This would put Chambliss making around $1.5 million a year, a substantial amount less than what he would earn in one final season as the Ole Miss quarterback. The NCAA has granted an extra year to student-athletes due to restricting earning potential. This may be the best play for Chambliss’ sixth year of eligibility.

Ole Miss needs to know a final decision soon. The transfer portal closes on January 16th, and there is no spring portal window. Ole Miss did add Deuce Knight, the four-star transfer quarterback from Auburn, but with Austin Simmons transferring out and uncertainty surrounding Trinidad Chambliss, the Rebels may want to add another QB out of the portal.

Team building and chemistry are key factors to the success of college football programs in the transfer portal era. We have seen teams that had high preseason hopes but were unable to maintain elite form throughout the season. Fans have also seen teams that they would not view as the traditional college football powers rise up and make runs throughout the playoffs.

The four teams that made the College Football Playoff Semifinals started veteran quarterbacks.

Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, a transfer from Cal, is 22 years old and has started in 33 games over his college career.

Miami’s Carson Beck, a transfer from Georgia, is 23 years old and has started in 31 games over his career.

Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss, a transfer from Ferris State, is 23 years old and has started in 28 games over his college career.

The college game is getting older. In the 2010s, the trend was to sign a five-star quarterback out of high school and start him as a true freshman. Athletic quarterbacks who could run the up-tempo air raid and zone-read-based offenses took over college football. The transfer portal era has seen a shift in demographics; now, teams are building their offenses around the experienced signal callers. Only 4 teams in all of the power four conferences started a true freshman quarterback in week 1 of the 2025 season. The game has changed.

There are several reasons for this: for one, NIL has changed the game, and more quarterbacks are seeking extra years of eligibility. I believe the most important reason we have seen teams start veteran quarterbacks is the transfer portal. Teams are rebuilt in this era on a year-to-year basis. It may seem like reloading, but this era is all about taking a chance on whether a group of players can come together and build chemistry in a short amount of time.

Coaches are on week-to-week contracts in 2026, and they are going to put their eggs in the basket of the player who has proven tape on the college level. Penn State was the first domino to kick off the coaching carousel in 2025, and when the boosters came up with the money to pay the buyout, it set off a firing frenzy. The twelve-team playoff has fans and administrators at the beginning of the season bought into a playoff-or-bust mentality, and a couple of losses early in the season could lead to emotional decisions.

Teams are looking for leaders who can grasp the playbook and then build chemistry with their offensive lines and receivers. There are only so many days on the calendar from January to August to develop relationships and confidence within the scheme. Without the continuity and relationships, it does not matter how many stars the recruits have or how solid the scheme is. This is a team game, and there are examples of super teams not panning out in the past.

Navigating one’s roster being tampered with, tampering with other rosters, and creating a specific game plan each week can be stressful enough. Having a mature quarterback and team is probably the most stable thing coaches can rely on in this new era.

Ole Miss finishes its season with a historic 13-2 record. This team was full of good stories and overcame adversity all throughout the year. They have built a ton of momentum over the last five seasons to make this the standard and take the next step.

The Rebs fought to the very end but were unable to come up with a stop in the final minutes of the game. The defensive line looked to need more time to recover after its physical battle against Georgia. Offensively, the Rebels sputtered early and really struggled in protection. Chambliss struggled with passing early; the Canes’ pass rush got after him. Once the offense clicked, it was just a little too late. They needed touchdowns instead of field goals, but tonight it just was not meant to be.

Miami forced a three-and-out, getting Trinidad Chambliss on the ground on third down. They then opened on offense with a 13-play, 6:59 drive to take a 3-0 lead on a 38-yard Carter Davis field goal. Ole Miss really struggled with tackling. The Rebels’ defense was able to get off blocks and get into position to make tackles, but the Hurricane skill players were not easy to tackle. Finally, on third down and 3, Kam Franklin tackled Malachi Toney for a loss to force the field goal attempt.

The Ole Miss offense struggled in the first quarter. They committed to the running game and the short passing game, and the aggressive Hurricane defense smothered them. Two three-and-outs were the story for Ole Miss, and Miami held Ole Miss to 4 yards of offense in the first quarter.

Ole Miss opened the second quarter with a 73-yard touchdown run by Kewan Lacy to cap off a 2-play 80-yard drive that took 34 seconds to give Ole Miss a 7-3 lead. A great base block from Diego Pounds, and a wash-down double team from LG Delano Townsend and C Brycen Sanders sprung the run. Kewan Lacy left the game with a hamstring injury and did not return in the first half.

Miami went on a 15-play drive covering 75 yards and scored, taking a 10-7 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by ChaMar Brown. The Rebel defense missed critical tackles that allowed the Miami drive to continue. The Miami offense went to a jumbo condensed look and plowed over the Rebel defensive line.

Ole Miss tied the game at 10-10 with 4:38 left to go in the second quarter when Lucas Carneiro drilled a 42-yard field goal. Logan Diggs and Harrison Wallace combined for 27 yards receiving, and a roughing the passer penalty put the Rebels in field goal range.

Miami scored a touchdown on its next possession with a 52-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to Keelan Marion. The 5-play 75-yard drive was a breeze for Beck as he went 4 for 4 passing and was able to take advantage of a blown coverage to burn the Ole Miss defense on the touchdown throw. The Ole Miss safety looked to rob the underneath crossing route and allowed Marion to get behind him for an easy touchdown; the touchdown put Miami up 17-10 with 2:17 left to go in the second quarter.

Ole Miss and Miami both traded empty possessions after the two-minute timeout, and Ole Miss had the final possession of the first half. Ole Miss took advantage of the prevent defense that Miami played to reach field goal range, and Lucas Carneiro booted a 58-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in the first half. Miami took a knee to close the quarter and took a 17-13 lead into the locker room.

Miami received the second-half kick and went right back to work, running right at the Ole Miss defense. A 19-yard screen pass, a 19-yard run, and a 13-yard run made it look like it was going to be an easy scoring drive for the Hurricanes. Miami decided to run a flea flicker, which proved detrimental for the Canes as it resulted in a 12-yard loss due to intentional grounding. The Hurricanes later missed a 51-yard field goal.

The Rebels’ first drive of the third quarter started promising when Chambliss completed a 21-yard pass to De’zhaun Stribling right out of the gate. Cayden Lee caught a 12-yard pass on the next play, but three straight incompletions led to a 51-yard field goal attempt by Lucas Carneiro. He would miss it off the left upright, and the score remained 17-13.

Miami went on a long drive again but was once again unable to come away with any points. The Canes were on a 12-play 42-yard drive when Carson Beck dropped back on third down and twelve and threw a pass that was batted in the air and intercepted by Ole Miss safety Kapena Gushiken.

Ole Miss was able to get within one point late in the third quarter with another Lucas Carneiro. Carneiro would again hit one off the left upright, but this time the ball bounced off and through the uprights from 54 yards out.

Ole Miss started its first possession of the fourth quarter from the Ole Miss 10-yard line. The Rebels drove it down the field with a mix of Kewan Lacy rushing and completions to Dae’Quan Wright and Cayden Lee. Miami penalties moved Ole Miss deep into Miami territory with a targeting call on Xavier Lucas and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by David Blay Jr. Ole Miss was unable to get the ball in the endzone, and Ole Miss took the lead 19-17 with 7:00 to play in the game.

Miami scored on the next possession on a 36-yard screen pass to Malachi Toney. Miami regained the lead 24-19 with 5:04 remaining in the game. The Ole Miss secondary did a poor job of attacking downhill after the pass was thrown, and Toney had no trouble finding the endzone.

Ole Miss was able to start the following possession off with a 21-yard pass from Chambliss to Wright. Ole Miss would convert a third down later due to Miami pass interference. Chambliss would scramble for 19 yards on the very next play to set up first and ten at the Miami 26. Two plays later, Chambliss would complete a 24-yard touchdown pass to Wright. Caleb Odom would catch a pass in the back of the endzone to convert a two-point conversion, and Ole Miss regained the lead 27-24 with 3:13 left in the game.

The Miami Hurricanes scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to take a 31-27 lead with 18 seconds left in the game. Their final drive in regulation went 75 yards on 15 plays, and the worn-out Ole Miss defense was unable to get one final stop.

Trinidad Chambliss was able to throw one final heave to the endzone, but it was incomplete. Miami wins the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl 31-27, and will face the winner of Indiana vs Oregon for the national championship on January 19th.

Ole Miss football is one win over the Miami Hurricanes away from competing for the national championship. Ole Miss has never finished number one in the AP poll, but the NCAA recognizes its final championship in 1962. In my lifetime, Ole Miss has had some nice moments, but the Rebels have never had sustained success and a spot on the national stage.

My first real memories of Ole Miss football are Eli Manning leading his team to a January bowl game, the first for Ole Miss since the 1970 Sugar Bowl. They beat Oklahoma State 31-28 in the 2004 Cotton Bowl Classic to cap off a three-year build with Eli as the signal caller. Ole Miss called this the Return to Glory as they finished 10-3 and 7-1 in the SEC.

Ole Miss would undergo a rebuild that never led to anything notable for the next four years. Ole Miss finished with a record of 14-32 and never reached a bowl game. Ed Orgeron took over as the head coach in 2005 and had some nice recruiting classes. He was able to bring in NFL players like Mike Wallace, Peria Jerry, Jamarca Samford, Dexter McCluster, and Greg Hardy, but he was never able to lead them to more than 4 wins in a season. He was let go at the end of the 2007 campaign.

Ole Miss hired Houston Nutt in 2008 to try to revive the program. Ole Miss would go on to have an 18-8 record over the next 2 season and win back-to-back Cotton Bowls over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. There were some incredible moments over those two seasons. A 31-30 win over the eventual national champion Florida Gators in the swamp, and a 45-0 win in a dominating performance over rival Mississippi State in 2008. In 2009, Dexter McCluster set a school record for rushing yards in a game (282) and all-purpose yards in a game (324) vs the Tennessee Volunteers.

Unfortunately, Ole Miss and Houston Nutt were never able to replace the talent of those two seasons. The Rebels would finish with a record of 6-18 over the next two seasons, leading to the end of the Houston Nutt era in Oxford.

Ole Miss hired Hugh Freeze in 2011 and was able to bring Ole Miss back to the national spotlight. He signed the 8th-ranked class in the 2013 recruiting cycle. Freeze’s success in Oxford took off in 2014. The Rebels started that season 7-0, and hosted College Gameday on ESPN for the first time in program history. The eyes of the nation were on Ole Miss for a morning leading into their matchup with #3 Alabama. Ole Miss would beat Alabama 23-17, and it was their first win in the series since 2003. The Rebels finished the regular season 9-3 and were invited back to a January bowl game. Ole Miss followed in 2015 with wins over Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and Mississippi State. The Rebels finished 10-3 and capped the season with a 48-20 win over Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl.

Freeze and Ole Miss would not be able to sustain the success due to the NCAA rules violations in recruiting. Ole Miss faced a two-year bowl ban and scholarship restrictions. Freeze would leave the team before the 2017 season and was replaced by Matt Luke. Luke did an incredible job holding the program together, but the loss of scholarships and low fan morale was too much to overcome. Ole Miss finished 15-21 from 2017-2019, and the program looked to make another change.

The new era of college football began on July 1st, 2021, when the NCAA introduced new bylaws for student athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness. Ole Miss was on the cutting edge with the start of their Grove Collective, led by Walker Jones. The NIL era has truly leveled the playing field, along with the NCAA transfer portal. Ole Miss no longer had to compete with bluebloods in high school recruiting. They were able to fill team needs with older players who were looking for a place to be developed into NFL talent. Since 2021, Ole Miss is 52-14. The program has reached new heights with a Peach Bowl win, Sugar Bowl win, and a Fiesta Bowl berth.

For the first time, Ole Miss fans feel like the program will not dip in performance after a coaching change. I do not remember the Tommy Tuberville era; this is the first time I have ever seen a coach leave Ole Miss on their own terms. This is new for me. I do feel like with success on the field, in roster retention, and in the portal, Ole Miss is in great hands with new head coach Pete Golding. Ole Miss feels like it has finally found its place on the national stage.

Ole Miss will face the Miami Hurricanes in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8th at 6:30 on ESPN. The Rebels are a 3.5-point underdog headed into a matchup that I believe is similar to the Sugar Bowl game vs Georgia.

Defense

The Ole Miss defense stepped up in the second half and forced tackles for loss, stops on late downs, and a turnover. They held Georgia to 13 second-half points and improved from their first-half performance. That must continue if the Rebels want to advance to the CFP National Championship.

Early in the game against Georgia, Ole Miss struggled on the edge. Georgia converted two third downs, and one of them was on a now screen that busted on the sideline due to a containment break. Miami will try to do similar things offensively with quick game and screens that hit in the flats. Carson Beck averages 8.3 yards per attempt, and the offense is designed to get the ball out of his hand quickly. They use these plays to stay ahead of the chains and get defenses guessing in the run and play-action passing game.

The Ole Miss defense has to play disciplined football and make tackles on the edge. The key would be to make Miami earn every available yard. The Rebs have played a bend but don’t break defense all season, so I am curious if they try to be more aggressive and force Carson Beck to try to win over the top.

Offense

Miami has forced 41 sacks on defense this season and has an elite pass rush. Ole Miss has to stay ahead of the chains and tempo to try to keep Miami in a base defense. Beyond that, Ole Miss needs to use motions to identify where the pressures are coming from. Identifying where the pressure is coming from allows you to make correct decisions in replacing the defender in the RPO game or running away from where Miami tries to gain numbers with its pressure.

Miami is very aggressive in the secondary. We saw the pick-six on the screen pass against Ohio State. I think Ole Miss has to use Miami’s aggressiveness against them. Double moves have been a big part of Charlie Weis Jr.’s offenses in the past. Can Ole Miss force Miami to trigger the run and complete passes in the RPO game? The Ole Miss offense gets production. They usually figure it out. I expect them to do so on Thursday night.