To be in Oxford, Mississippi for a college football weekend is like going to an exquisite spa. After your visit, you leave one of the small-town jewels of the South refreshed, rejuvenated and admiring the wonders of life.
Oh, by the way, a pivotal SEC game took place Saturday afternoon. Fourth-ranked LSU came to town. Not only is the Magnolia Bowl rivalry intense, but Ole Miss wanted to get the bad taste of their never-behind-until-the-final-gun, overtime loss to the Bayou Bengals in 2024.
Mission accomplished after a very slow start by the Rebels. LSU totally shut down the Rebels on the first two drives and quickly took a 7-0 lead. Then, Lane Kiffin opened up the playbook and let wonderkind, Ferris State supersub, Trinidad Chambliss, loose. Nice adjustment, coach!
Ole Miss took aver the game, having a 480-254 edge in yardage. Those offense stats did not tell the “hold” story. Ole Miss committed so many holding penalties that the last time the Odyssey saw so much holding, we must have been watching a “Dancing With The Stars” segment. LSU chipped in as one Old Miss TD drive was largely comprised of 3 major penalties on the Tigers.
The LSU offense remains an issue – a surprising develop given all the pre-season hype over QB Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier was just OK and was the second best QB on the field. A pre-season Heisman Trophy candidate outplayed by the pride of Big Rapids, Michigan?? Only in college football!
Clinging to a 24-19 lead with under 2 minutes to play, Ole Miss had a 4th and 2 in LSU territory. The swashbucking Kiffin dials up a pass. Ballgame!
A great week for Lane Kiffin! The SEC Network rolls out a sympathetic hour piece on Kiffin and now his team is 3-0 in the brutal SEC. The Odyssey hopes he does not leave for another college gig. Ole Miss’ last SEC championship was during the Johnny Vaught salad days in segregated 1963. Is this the year?