By Billy Watkins
We should have seen it coming.
Lane Kiffin punched a lot of folks in the face last November when he left Ole Miss for LSU the way he did, from administrators to student trainers.
He also punched the wrong guy: Trinidad Chambliss, who continues to amaze as the Rebels’ quarterback. It’s now as clear as blue sky that no one took Kiffin’s charades more personal than Chambliss, a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate. Yes, he’s a humble guy but as head coach Pete Golding always says, “He’s a fierce competitor.”
Chambliss was not going to let Ole Miss lose that game, even if he had to outrun LSU safety Ty Benefield — praised by analysts for his second gear of speed — to score what would turn out to be the winning touchdown.
And that was just one of his “wow” plays that few others could’ve made.
It makes sense that no one seemed to get more satisfaction than Chambliss from Saturday night’s 32-24 victory over Kiffin and the Tigers, who were favored on the road by three points.
Even though the following words are in quotes, understand that they are strictly what I imagine Chambliss saying to himself over the past 10 months, with a little help from his reactions during the game and at his postgame press conference:
“So you left us for a school that we have now whipped three of the past four years — two with you, the latest against you. You said you left because LSU is ‘just different’ and it’s easier to win a national championship there. You said you left because they’ve had Heisman Trophy winners, they have a bigger stadium, it’s easier to recruit top prospects there. That’s what you said with a mountain of microphones and TV cameras in front of you. College football has changed. Maybe that was true 10 years ago. But I don’t think so anymore.
“You didn’t just leave, you quit on us as we were beginning preparations for the playoffs. What coach would do that?
“Couldn’t you see what you had coming back in 2026? Kewan Lacy and Deuce Alexander. Kam Franklin and Will Echoles. We had guys ready for the big stage like Traylon Ray and Caleb Odom.
“You left them all. And you left me. We won 11 regular-season games together and earned a home game in the playoffs — despite the rumors during the season of you leaving and the players being asked everywhere we went ‘Is he staying or going?’ It took some of the fun out of a great run.
“You left a community that loved you when you needed it most — after the death of your father — and a community that helped you get your life straightened out. Your words, not mine.
“You left a chancellor and an athletic director who took a huge risk hiring you, a move that angered a lot of generous donors and the first family of Ole Miss — the Mannings.
“We could have had our first spring together. But you chose to leave, sign a deal with LSU and then have the audacity to want to coach us in the playoffs. Who thinks like that?
“You wanted me to go with you. No, sir. Not happening. My parents taught me what loyalty means. I believed in my teammates and what we had built here. We. Not just you.
“We learned in the playoffs that we could win without you. Coach Golding was terrific. He kept us together, kept the portal class together and proved he was ready for the job.
“And as soon as the playoffs were over, we circled Sept. 19. You against us.
“So when I stared over at you Saturday night during the game, I hope you saw me.
“Coach, you should have seen this coming. All of it. Truth is, I think you did.”
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It was interesting to hear what LSU linebacker Whit Weeks — a really good player — say about Saturday night’s atmosphere inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and its record crowd of 70,033.
“It was cool,” he said. “I think they do a great job in the production of the game, keeping the fans interested. Like the light shows and fireworks. It’s pretty cool, you know. Anytime you come up here you know it’s going to be rowdy because they keep the fans engaged with all the extra stuff. I think they do as good of a job as anybody at that, hyping the fans up,. It’s always cool to come play here.”
Weeks was visibly emotional postgame. He was asked how much the hype surrounding the game affected his team.
“It was never about the off the field stuff. We knew we had a football game to play and that’s why this is frustrating. This isn’t about anything their fans said or about their coach coming to us. It’s about football at the end of the day and we knew that going in. We didn’t hear any of the (off the field) noise. That’s why this is even more frustrating. It was about football and we lost.”
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At Kiffin’s press conference Monday, he was asked about the Tigers’ running game that produced 172 yards.
““We ran the ball efficiently, especially in the second half — or anytime Will Echoles was out. That helped.”
Echoles, a preseason All-SEC defensive tackle, continues to be a dominant force, often drawing double teams.
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When running back Kewan Lacy missed the second half due to injury, sophomore JT Lindsey filled in with four carries for 20 yards. Not staggering numbers by any means, but he kept the LSU defense honest and scored a two-point conversion He has a burst and the ability to make the first guy miss. And at 5-11, 190, he isn’t shy about running between the tackles.
A transfer from LSU, he won the Warrick Dunn Award his senior year, given to the best high school player in Louisiana.
Pro Draft Scouting said this about Lindsey during his recruiting process: “In his senior year he tallied 2,361 yards and 33 touchdowns on 302 carries. Might be a little Quinshon Judkins. He will beat you with his power as well as speed. He’s a 4.4 guy and an NFL caliber athlete all day. Got a 10.8 100-meter on his resume. Very powerful lower half. Great frame. Works through contact very naturally, People think he’s a small speed guy. But he’s got power.”
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Saturday’s game at Florida has been marked as a trap game for months, coming just seven says after the high of beating LSU.
But this would be a tough matchup no matter where it fit into the schedule. Under new head coach Jon Sumrall, the Gators are 3-0 and a field goal favorite over the Rebs.
Their hoss is junior running back Jadan Baugh, who leads the nation with 458 yards on 54 carries. He has scored eight touchdowns already and is averaging 8.5 yards a carry.
Ole Miss safety Sharif Denson is Baugh’s former teammate.
“He’s very strong in the weight room, very strong on the field,” Denson said Tuesday. “He’s got good hands , a good pass blocker. There is nothing he can’t do. He breaks tackles and his balance is really good. We’ve got to wrap up and gang tackle him.”
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