They were like two staggering boxers with two minutes left in the game. Both teams were cramping and heaving and bleeding and surviving on nothing but willpower on this steamy night.
Ole Miss led 41-35 but visiting Arkansas — those dreaded Hogs, who seem to pack a trunk of stubborn every time they come to Oxford — was driving with ease at the Rebels’ 26-yard line. Which of the 22 on the field would somehow manage to deliver the knockout punch and keep his team undefeated three games into the season? Sixty-five thousand fans pleaded last Saturday night for someone in powder blue to find a way.
And someone did.
T.J. Dottery, a 6-foot-2, 230 pound junior linebacker who leads the team in tackles, began the play lined up in the middle, six yards off the ball. His first move was forward to the line of scrimmage because of a fake handoff. But when he saw quarterback Taylen Green fire a wide receiver screen left, he sprinted nearly to the numbers. He hit the receiver, Jalen Brown, and at the same time reached for the football. With a violent tug of his right hand, Dottery ripped the ball free. Senior defensive back Wydett Williams, who played his first two seasons at Delta State, recovered.
Dottery, who was second in tackles on last season’s brilliant defense, had been suffering with hamstring cramps just a bit earlier.
Ole Miss gained a first down and ran out the clock.
No way to know, but Dottery’s play may be looked back on as one of the turning points in this season. For now, it certainly deserved highlighting.
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So many heroes to mention from that victory, but I had settled on these:
Defensive lineman Zxavian Harris —
Yes, even on a night when the defense’s overall performance was sub-par, Harris remained a force in the middle. He made six tackles, one for a four-yard loss. The 6-7, 335-pound senior finally collapsed from exhaustion in the final minutes.
During a preseason conversation I had with him, Harris said one of his individual goals was to break the SEC record for blocked kicks. He has six and needs one more.
“Blocked kicks can decide a game,” he said.
And throughout this grueling contest, Harris was leaping as high as possible on every field goal and extra-point try. One wonders if Harris’ presence made even the tiniest difference in the Hogs’ freshman kicker missing both field goal attempts.
Linebacker Suntarine Perkins: Yes, another defensive player. But remember, the Rebels only allowed seven points in the second half. Perkins made a team-high nine tackles, one more than Dottery, and late in the game he was blanketing tight ends and running backs on downfield pass routes, which isn’t easy.
Running back Kewan Lacy: It wasn’t his best game statistically, but it made have been his best overall. Arkansas filled the box to prevent the run, so Lacy found other ways to help his team. The sophomore passed blocked like he enjoys it. He caught four passes for 40 yards. He ran for 44 and a score and continued his knack for gaining yards when it appears he has nowhere to go. This is one tough dude at 5-11, 215 pounds. What a vital pick up in the transfer portal out of Missouri.
The offensive line — There was plenty of concern after the first two games. But it seems this group is getting better with time. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said postgame that the Hogs did everything possible in the first half to pressure the quarterback, without much success. He said they backed off the second half because the plan wasn’t working.
A friend pointed out to me that this year’s line appears much more athletic than a year ago. I agree. It’ll be interesting to see how much more it progresses throughout the fall.
Punter Oscar Bird and placekicker kicker Lucas Carneiro — Playing in the third college football game he’s ever attended, Australian Oscar Bird only punted twice. But he averaged 55 yards. He’s catching on to this American football thing quite nicely.
If you didn’t know better, you might think Lucas Carneiro is an AI-generated robot. His only miss in eight field goal tries this season hit the upright at Kentucky. But he’s perfect on 12 extra-point tries and his kicks are usually dead down the center. His 11 points against Arkansas were crucial.
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr. — This had to be one of the best games he’s ever called at Ole Miss. Yes, part of that is because the players executed the plays. But things just seemed smoother vs. the Hogs. Props to Weis.
Head coach Lane Kiffin — I can’t praise the offensive coordinator without praising Kiffin. Never forget, Kiffin holds the baton and all others are playing in his symphony.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss — No, I haven’t forgotten about him. First of all, what a great name for a quarterback. Everyone, including the scientists in Deadhorse, Alaska, knows Chambliss’ story by now. He led tiny Ferris State to a Division II national championship last season and the Rebels’ scouting department found him in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He shocked the coaches in preseason practices, and he had to step in when starter Austin Simmons suffered a lower leg injury the week before and couldn’t practice much leading up to Arkansas. Yes, Chambliss had to make his first start at Ole Miss n an SEC game, which was broadcast during prime time on ESPN.
He said postgame that he was nervous early on but it sure didn’t show. He threw for 353 yards and one touchdown, ran for 62 yards and two scores. He did not commit a turnover.
As my friend pointed out, there is now tape of him out there. Defensive coordinators will be devouring it.
The other side of that is that Chambliss put enough on tape to scare the daylights out of defensive coordinators. He was cool in the pocket, protected the ball, made great decisions, showed a burst when scrambling and completed short throws, intermediate ones and deep balls. He even played through a cut on his right thumb that trainers glued together.
Quarterback Austin Simmons: On what had to be a tough night watching from the sideline, Simmons shined when Chambliss had to come out of the game briefly late in the second quarter. On third and eight from the Hogs’ 12-yard line, Simmons did the unthinkable on his second play in the game — he checked to a keeper off left tackle and earned a first down at the 4-yard line.
When he was tackled, it aggravated his leg injury. But he stayed in for two more plays. Noticeably limping, he handed off to Lacy for no gain, then tossed a spot-on 4-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Wallace. Never doubt Simmons’ grit.
Longtime fans have seen that play before, where the flow is going right, and a receiver runs left, all the way across the field in the end zone for an easy TD. Arkansas has burned Ole Miss with that play countless times for 20 years.
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