It’s over.
Not LSU’s season. Not the national disenchantment with Lane Kiffin leaving a playoff team. Not the Heisman Trophy race.
But the powder keg of emotion burst in Oxford, Ms. on Saturday night. As the red-and-blue-clad fans rushed Vaught-Hemingway’s field to celebrate the second biggest night in Ole Miss’s last 65 years, LSU was left to pick up some pieces. Now everyone can move on from the drama. Ole Miss wears its win. LSU’s shoulders the loss.
After three weeks, it’s my assertion that LSU has just played the toughest game on its schedule. That environment and the Heisman front-runner posed the biggest challenge LSU will face this year.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt made two throws to open pass catchers in the end zone that, if caught, would have set up the Tigers three yards from a potential overtime game despite Ole Miss’s complete domination of the first half.
It was that close.
The first of those two throws was wide of tight end Zach Grace filling in for an injured Trey’Dez Green. The second was ticketed for Roman Mothershed but was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Leavitt was gutty, gritty. He was battered much of the game, running for his life most of the first half. Still, he gave the Tigers a chance to win. So did a running game that produced 172 yards on four yards per carry without one gain over 20 yards. Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. eventually solved Pete Golding’s defense after a 17-0 and 24-7 start. The effort came up a little bit short and/or a little too late.
Leavitt has to be better. He failed to see some open receivers and got happy feet at times. The missed throw to Grace will haunt him, sure. Conversely, he made some exceptional plays and gave the Tigers a chance.
Blake Baker’s defense doesn’t get a passing grade. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for 363 yards and scored on four straight possessions in the first half. Then the Rebels drove 75 yards for the winning score. LSU didn’t get enough stops or the timely stop.
That’s a failing grade. However, the defense did create a turnover with some pressure and held Ole Miss to eight points after halftime to allow the offense to tie the game. Ole Miss had almost no success running the ball.
Chambliss’s mobility produced the game-winning score. I’m not sure it was the reason LSU lost. Marcel Reed’s legs clearly beat LSU in 2024. So did Jalen Milroe’s. Same with Deigo Pavia a season ago. Chambliss did it with his arm on Saturday night.
LSU won’t face a more talented passer the rest of the way.
Much of the national narrative Sunday will be about Kiffin abandoning Ole Miss and the revenge the Rebels exacted Saturday night. That’s fair, but it’s irrelevant in terms of Kiffin’s time at LSU and the rest of the season for this Tiger team.
While the loss narrows LSU’s margin for error moving forward, I’m not sure it exposed fatal flaws. It was obvious a season ago that LSU’s offense was broken. No such conclusion can be made from this effort.
LSU’s last four drives resulted in two touchdowns, a 23-yard field goal and a throw to the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the five. Red zone troubles cropped up against Louisiana Tech and late Saturday, but those can be remedied.
The defense might not be the top unit in the country as the statistics suggested following dominant efforts against an awful Clemson offense and an overmatched Louisiana Tech outfit. But, there’s reason to suggest it’s pretty good without a 24-year-old Heisman contender taking snaps across the line of scrimmage.
Win next week, and LSU turns to a manageable October that includes McNeese, a trip to Kentucky, Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium and an Auburn team that was routed at home on Saturday. Kentucky and Mississippi State showed real promise on the road Saturday, but neither is loaded with NFL talent.
An unblemished September was always unlikely for LSU, and it didn’t come to pass. Now it’s about making sure one loss doesn’t snowball to two.
Last time Texas A&M was in Tiger Stadium, the beating was so bad Brian Kelly lost his job. Ole Miss settled a score on Saturday night.
It’s LSU’s turn in a week.
