Trinidad Chambliss threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, but Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was far from pleased after the No. 4 Rebels escaped with a 24-21 win over Washington State on Saturday.
Ole Miss (6-0) rallied from a 14-10 deficit late in the third quarter, when Chambliss scrambled for a 17-yard touchdown to put the Rebels ahead. He later connected with Cayden Lee on a 35-yard strike that made it 24-14 with 6:51 remaining.
“I just told our players that we did get to 1-0 today and that’s the most important thing, but that was about the only good thing,” Kiffin said. “That performance was definitely not to our standard."
Kiffin’s frustration extended beyond the field. He called out Ole Miss fans for inconsistent support, urging them to bring the same energy every week that they did during the Rebels’ home win over LSU.
“I challenge our fans to show up,” Kiffin said. “Last Saturday was electric here in the stadium and before on the walk. I understand a lot of it is because they hate LSU. But why not show up like that every week?”
Washington State (3-3) kept it close, cutting the lead to three with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Zevi Eckhaus to Tony Freeman late in the fourth quarter. The Cougars had one final possession but failed to move into the red zone.
“Nobody can question our effort,” Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers said. “There’s no moral victories. You win or you lose in competitive sports.”
Chambliss completed 20 of 29 passes for 253 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown to Dae’Quan Wright. Running back Kewan Lacy rushed for 142 yards on 24 carries as the Rebels totaled 439 yards of offense.
Despite the win, Kiffin’s message was clear. “We all read our press clippings about being No. 4,” he said. “But we looked like we were No. 84 today.”
Ole Miss visits No. 10 Georgia next weekend.
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