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OXFORD, Miss. -- Listed astatine 6-foot-even, Ole Miss backmost Trinidad Chambliss didn't person immoderate Division I scholarships retired of Forest Hills Northern High School successful Grand Rapids, Mich. He transferred to Ole Miss successful May from Division II Ferris State, wherever helium typically played successful beforehand of astir 5,000 people.
On Saturday, successful beforehand of 67,737 radical -- the fourth-largest assemblage successful Vaught-Hemingway Stadium -- Chambliss led the Rebels to a 24-19 win against No. 4 LSU, pushing undefeated Ole Miss (5-0) into the College Football Playoff contention and making a lawsuit to beryllium the Rebels' full-time starter.
Playing successful spot of injured starter Austin Simmons, Chambliss outplayed LSU elder backmost Garrett Nussmeier, who entered the play arsenic a projected first-round NFL draught pick. He completed 23-of-39 passing yards for 314 yards and 1 touchdown, and helium ran 14 times for 71 yards.
"This is simply a truly chill story," Ole Miss manager Lane Kiffin said. "I similar bully stories. Here's a little, abbreviated kid from Division II, going against Nussmeier and the mighty Tigers with Ole Miss. It was truly cool."
Chambliss became the archetypal SEC subordinate with 300 walk yards and 50 unreserved yards successful 3 consecutive games implicit the past 30 years. He's played truthful good during that span, that Kiffin didn't regularisation retired the anticipation of Chambliss earning the starting job.
"We've got a bye week coming up," Kiffin said "It's a bully occupation to have. I don't person that reply close now, and I don't request to person it close now. We person 2 truly bully quarterbacks. That's a truly bully happening to have. You spot astir the country, radical usually erstwhile they suffer their quarterback, their squad changes a lot. And Austin got hurt, and we're inactive capable to play the mode that we played."
It wasn't a flawless show for Ole Miss, which racked up a full of 14 penalties for 109 yards -- 10 of which came successful the archetypal half, the astir successful the Kiffin era. The Rebels, though, exposed LSU's inept offense, which was held to conscionable 57 rushing yards and was 2-of-11 connected third-down conversions.
"We wanted it more," information Wydett Williams Jr. said of the defense, "simple arsenic that."
Nussmeier was held to 197 passing yards, a career-low arsenic the Tigers' starter. He was often off-target, and made respective atrocious decisions, including successful the 2nd quarter, erstwhile helium threw an interception into postulation that Williams snagged for an interception.
Chambliss, though, was playing down an violative enactment that didn't let 1 sack, and gave him ample clip to throw. He led a radical that racked up 480 full yards against a defence that was 1 of the champion successful the SEC.
"It's similar a imagination travel true," Chambliss said. " ... It's an astonishing accomplishment. Gotta convey God for that one, he's been with maine the full time. I've got to convey manager Kiffin, the full unit present astatine Ole Miss for giving maine the accidental to travel present and showcase my accomplishment set, showcase what I tin do. Great athletes, conscionable an astonishing enactment staff. It's a imagination travel true."
At Ferris, Chambliss the Bulldogs to their 3rd nationalist rubric successful 4 years past season, but the quality successful resources was stark. He said helium was utilized to practicing successful the snow, due to the fact that determination was nary indoor facility. There person been a fewer upgrades with his move, including players astir him similar receiver Cayden Lee, who led the Rebels with 4 catches for 70 yards, and moving backmost Kewan Lacy, who had 87 yards and a touchdown connected 23 carries.
"I consciousness similar Trinidad has conscionable done a truly astonishing job," Lee said, "the mode he's handled the offense, the meetings he's had with america personally, conscionable getting america acceptable for the defense, having america dialed successful the movie studies, and that's truly showing connected the field."
Chambliss and Simmons hugged aft the game, and those wrong the programme said Simmons has handled his wounded betterment and the concern well.
"Austin's been a stud, battling his mode backmost from injury," Kiffin said. "That's not easy. You've been waiting to ...
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