Since a win over rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl late last month, Ole Miss football has been swallowed by intrigue and speculation surrounding Lane Kiffin’s ultimate departure to rival LSU.
The Rebels emerged from that turmoil looking as good as ever.
Watch Ole Miss vs. Tulane in the CFP live with SlingTV
Behind 318 total yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, No. 6 seed Ole Miss blew past No. 11 seed Tulane 41-10 on Saturday, Dec. 20 in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
The Rebels outscored the Green Wave 24-7 in the second half after taking a 17-3 lead into halftime, building a lead that grew as large as 41-3.
With the win, which came in its first game under newly hired head coach Pete Golding, Ole Miss will face off against No. 3 seed Georgia in the playoff quarterfinals in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
The Rebels didn’t significantly outgain Tulane, with only a 497-421 advantage in total yards, but forced three turnovers off Green Wave quarterback Jake Retzlaff (one interception, two fumbles). Ole Miss converted those three takeaways into 17 points.
Kewan Lacy had 87 rushing yards and a touchdown off 15 carries for the Rebels, but left the game on two separate occasions while holding on to his shoulder.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates from the first-round College Football Playoff game between Ole Miss and Tulane. Here are the highlights.
Tulane vs Ole Miss score
Tulane vs Ole Miss updates
FINAL: Ole Miss 41, Tulane 10
Ole Miss rolls to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, where it will take on No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
Jake Retzlaff pass gets Tulane first TD
Tulane won’t be leaving Oxford without a touchdown, as Jake Retzlaff connects with Justyn Reid for a 28-yard touchdown with four minutes remaining to trim Ole Miss’ lead to 41-10.
Trinidad Chambliss tacks on another TD for Ole Miss
On what may be his final play of the day, Trinidad Chambliss scrambles for an 8-yard touchdown run with 10:45 remaining to put Ole Miss up 41-3.
Chambliss has 318 total yards and three touchdowns.
Logan Diggs TD run puts Ole Miss up 31
The rout continues for Ole Miss, which cashes in on the Retzlaff fumble with an eight-play, 52-yard drive that Logan Diggs punctuates with a 3-yard touchdown run off a direct snap.
The Rebels are up 34-3 over Tulane with 14:55 remaining in regulation.
End of third quarter: Ole Miss 27, Tulane 3
Ole Miss has a first-and-goal at the Tulane 3-yard line as we head into the fourth quarter.
Jake Retzlaff fumble gives Ole Miss ball back
Jake Retzlaff overthrows a wide-open Anthony Brown-Stephens on what would have been a walk-in touchdown for Tulane. On the next play, that mistake is magnified, with Retzlaff having the ball ripped away from him on a run. Ole Miss pounces on it at its own 46-yard line, where the Rebels will take over with 3:31 left in the third quarter.
Ole Miss adds to lead with FG
The Rebels make good on the excellent starting field position, getting a 48-yard field goal from Lucas Carneiro to make its lead 27-3 with 4:57 remaining in the third quarter.
Tulane turns it over on downs
Ole Miss’ defense stands tall when it needs it the most, stopping Tulane quarterback sneaks on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 from the Green Wave 47-yard line.
The Rebels will take over from there with 6:44 left in the third quarter.
Trinidad Chambliss TD pass pushes Ole Miss lead to 21
After some uneasy moments in the second quarter, Ole Miss is once again starting to pull away.
Following the Tulane punt, the Rebels move up the field with little resistance, going 80 yards in seven plays and 2:51 of game clock. Trinidad Chambliss finishes the drive off with a 13-yard pass to De’Zhaun Stribling to extend Ole Miss’ lead to 24-3 with 10:13 remaining in the third quarter.
Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy return for Ole Miss
After forcing a Tulane punt on the opening drive of the second half, Ole Miss got another welcome development.
Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy have returned to the game for the Rebels after suffering injuries on the team’s final drive of the first half.
Ole Miss-Tulane halftime stats
Here’s a look at how Ole Miss and Tulane measure up statistically at halftime:
- Total yards: Ole Miss 264, Tulane 206
- Passing yards: Ole Miss 192, Tulane 125
- Rushing yards: Tulane 81, Ole Miss 72
- Yards per play: Ole Miss 8, Tulane 5.7
- First downs: Ole Miss 15, Tulane 10
- Penalties: Tulane 2-30, Ole Miss 1-5
- Turnovers: Tulane 1, Ole Miss 1
Halftime: Ole Miss 17, Tulane 3
Tulane strip sack ends Ole Miss drive
Ole Miss was in position to build on its 14-point lead, but coughs up the ball. Austin Simmons, in for an injured Trinidad Chambliss, is sacked by Tulane’s Harvey Dyson III at the Tulane 15-yard line, with the Green Wave falling on the ball with 15 seconds remaining in the half.
The Rebels head into halftime with a 17-3 lead, with Tulane getting the ball to start the second half.
Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy injured for Ole Miss
Ole Miss’ final drive of the first half has been one of attrition, with arguably the two best and most important offensive players going down with injuries. Kewan Lacy left the game for the Rebels after a 7-yard catch from Trinidad Chambliss with 1:40 remaining. Lacy had been grabbing his shoulder on the turf and as he was leaving the field. Lacy was later shown by cameras heading to his team’s locker room.
Three plays later, Chambliss leaves the game after an 11-yard run down to the Tulane 32-yard line. The player who tackled Chambliss, Tulane defensive standout Chris Rodgers, also left the game with an injury. Austin Simmons, Ole Miss’ starter early in the season, replaces Chambliss, who was shown grabbing at his head after being brought down to the field.
Ole Miss FG pushes lead back to 14
The Rebels answer Tulane’s field goal with one of their own, getting a 42-yard Lucas Carneiro field goal to go up 17-3 with 3:38 remaining in the first half.
The scoring play was made possible by a successful conversion on fourth-and-3 from the Tulane 48-yard line earlier in the drive.
Tulane gets on board with FG
At the very least, there won’t be a shutout in Oxford today.
Tulane responds to the Chambliss touchdown effectively, with Patrick Durkin nailing a 39-yard field goal to punctuate a five-play, 61-yard drive and get the Green Wave within 11, 14-3, with 14:06 remaining in the second quarter.
The kick was made possible largely by a 57-yard pass from Jake Retzlaff to Shazz Preston that got Tulane to the Ole Miss 25-yard line.
End of first quarter: Ole Miss 14, Tulane 0
Ole Miss takes a 14-0 lead into the second quarter after a dominant opening 15 minutes, but Tulane’s moving the ball, with a second-and-2 at the Rebels’ 17-yard line.
Tulane turns it over on downs
Tulane, already facing a 14-0 deficit vs. Ole Miss, elects to go for it facing fourth-and-2 from the Rebels’ 37-yard line. Retzlaff appears to connect with receiver Omari Hayes beyond the line to gain, but he drops it, giving the Rebels the ball back.
Trinidad Chambliss TD doubles Ole Miss lead to 14-0
It’s only halfway through the first quarter and Ole Miss is already threatening to make this a blowout.
After forcing the Retzlaff interception, the Rebels’ offense again moves the ball effortlessly up the field, going 60 yards in just four plays, the first two of which went for a combined 56 yards. Trinidad Chambliss finishes it off with a 4-yard touchdown run, doubling Ole Miss’ lead to 14-0 with 7:26 remaining in the first quarter.
Jake Retzlaff INT ends Tulane scoring threat
For a moment, Tulane looked as though it would respond to Ole Miss’ opening-drive touchdown with one of its own, but those dreams are dashed in an instant, with Jake Retzlaff throwing an interception on a second-and-4 from the Rebels’ 23-yard line.
Ole Miss will take over from its own 40 after the Green Wave were whistled for a horse-collar tackle on the interception return.
Kewan Lacy TD gets Ole Miss on the board
Ole Miss didn’t waste much time offering some reassurance it will be fine without Lane Kiffin — 59 seconds, to be exact.
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Rebels move right up the field, going 75 yards in just three plays, each of which went for at least 20 yards. It’s capped off by Kewan Lacy running right through the middle of the Tulane defense for a 20-yard touchdown, putting Ole Miss up 7-0.
Tulane vs Ole Miss last game
Saturday’s first-round College Football Playoff matchup between Tulane and Ole Miss will be the second time the two sides have faced off this season.
The Green Wave and Rebels previously played on Sept. 20, in what was Trinidad Chambliss’ second start of the season for Ole Miss. The Rebels had their way with Tulane, earning a 45-10 victory in which they outgained the Green Wave by a 548-282 margin.
Here are highlights from that game:
What channel is TNT on DIRECTV?
TNT, which is airing Saturday’s CFP matchup between Ole Miss and Tulane, is channel 245 on DIRECTV.
What time does Tulane vs Ole Miss start?
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 20
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET ∣ 2:30 p.m. CT
- Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, Miss.)
Tulane vs. Ole Miss in the first round of the College Football Playoff will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. CT) on Saturday, Dec. 20 from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
What TV channel is Tulane vs Ole Miss on today?
- TV channel: TNT | truTV
- Livestream: HBO Max, Sling TV
The first-round College Football Playoff game between Tulane and Ole Miss will be broadcast on TNT and truTV. Streaming options for the game include HBO Max and Sling TV, the latter of which carries TNT and truTV.
Tulane vs Ole Miss predictions
Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Sports: Ole Miss 37, Tulane 30
The Rebels are the bigger, deeper, more talented and more physically dominant team, as their 35-point win back in September showed. But given all the turmoil Ole Miss has been through over the past two months, and with Kiffin no longer on the sideline, something tells me the rematch will be much tighter. The Rebels will still pull out the win, but they’ll have to sweat it out a bit.