AUSTIN, Texas – For as poorly as things started for No. 7 Ole Miss on Saturday night, the Rebels had their chance at a late miracle-come-true.
Their wish came up about 30 yards short.
Ole Miss overcame a 21-point halftime deficit against No. 19 Texas on the road, tying the game at 24-24 early in the fourth quarter on a perfectly placed touchdown pass from sixth-year quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to fifth-year receiver Horatio Fields. Texas quarterback Arch Manning put the Longhorns back in front with a short touchdown run midway through the quarter, and a 33-yard Gianni Spetic field goal with 2:25 put the Longhorns up by 10. Ole Miss kicked a late field goal and recovered an onside kick with 1:20 to play, but Chambliss’ last-second heave to the end zone from 29 yards out was intercepted as the Longhorns defeated the Rebels 34-27 at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium.
“Obviously disappointed,” Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding said. “I think you have to look back and (ask), did you do everything that you needed to do to give yourself your best shot as players and coaches? And I think all of us are going to look back, we’ll rewatch the tape and wish we’d have done a couple things differently. But there wasn’t this, ‘Woe’s me, life’s over.’ They know. I told them … ‘We control our own destiny.’”
Ole Miss (5-2, 3-2 SEC) was outgained by Texas (5-2, 2-2) 419-364. Chambliss completed 25 of 52 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. It was the first multi-interception game of Chambliss’ Rebels career.
“I played terrible tonight. And I can’t do that,” Chambliss said. “ … I don’t want to feel this feeling again. I feel like I let my team down tonight, and it’s the worst feeling ever.”
It was a rocky start for both quarterbacks, who at one point threw interceptions on consecutive plays in the first quarter. The Rebels went three-and-out on their opening drive and watched Texas march 69 yards on their first possession down to the 5-yard line. Senior linebacker Suntarine Perkins broke up Manning’s third-down throw in the end zone, though, forcing the Longhorns to settle for a short field goal. A 36-yard completion to senior receiver Deuce Alexander jumpstarted Ole Miss’ second possession and resulted in a 46-yard field goal from fifth-year kicker Lucas Carneiro.
A 43-yard catch-and-run from Texas’ Ryan Wingo set up a 2-yard touchdown run from Manning with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter. Manning threw a 50-yard touchdown to Wingo early in the second quarter that put the Rebels in a 17-3 hole.
A pair of Ole Miss personal fouls and a pass interference in the end zone set Texas up at the 2-yard line, and Michael Terry III’s short touchdown gave the Longhorns a three touchdown advantage less than six minutes into the second quarter. Ole Miss ran a fake punt with junior punter Oscar Bird deep in their own territory, and Bird picked up 17 yards and a much-needed first down. The Rebels got down to Texas 2-yard line, but Chambliss was intercepted on fourth down with 1:37 left in the first half.
“Having three points in the first half is unacceptable, and I take full responsibility for that,” Chambliss said. “There’s no excuse for that.”
The Rebels’ first touchdown of the day came via the defense, as senior defensive end Blake Purchase sacked Manning and caused a fumble that junior end Kam Franklin recovered in the end zone less than two minutes into the third quarter. A roughing the passer and pass interference by Texas on Ole Miss’ next drive offensive possession led to a 6-yard touchdown catch from Fields that made it a seven-point game with 6:46 to play in the third.
Fields tied the game at 24 with a 27-yard touchdown reception with just under 14 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Manning threw his second interception of the night to Crawford on a deep-ball try on the next possession, though the Rebels came up empty on their ensuing drive. Texas running back Raleek Brown broke free for a 47-yard gain that led to Manning’s eventual go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run. The Longhorns ran for 120 yards in the second half.
“Just communication, from a communication standpoint and execution,” Franklin said. “That’s pretty much what it was, and just not being together on one court.”
Carneiro’s 58-yard field-goal try was blocked with 6:21 to play, and another long run from Brown set up a Texas field goal that put the Rebels in a two-score deficit with less than three minutes remaining. Carneiro kicked a 39-yarder with 1:22 to play to make it a one-score game and set up an onside kick attempt, which was recovered by junior Andy Jaffe.
Ole Miss drove down inside the Texas 30, but Chambliss’ pass as time expired was intercepted in the end zone by Jelani McDonald.
“I told them there’s a lot of good things we’re going to take from this, and there’s a lot of things that we put on tape that you can’t do versus good football teams, regardless of whether you’re on the road or at home,” Golding said. “Love this group. Think they’re talented, think they’re a good football team. But we have to play better for 60 minutes.”
Ole Miss hosts Auburn at 11:45 a.m. Saturday.
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