Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford was already loaded with personal drama, but with 24 seconds left and the score tied 24-24, it turned into a nightmare for both sidelines. Both teams entered Week 3 looking like SEC heavyweights, but losing primary weapons in the fourth quarter has put their early playoff hopes on thin ice.

On the Rebels’ side, head coach Pete Golding watched his game plan take a hit when his best second-best weapon and starter, Kewan Lacy (RB), went down.

This isn’t the first time Pete Golding has watched his backfield take a hit this month. Lacy suffered a thigh injury in the season opener against Louisville, and seeing him walk off again leaves Ole Miss dangerously thin. Losing their main runner completely broke the offense’s rhythm, leaving quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to carry the load alone.

Losing Lacy completely changed the vibe of the Ole Miss offense just when they needed to protect their lead. Before getting hurt, he was their ultimate hammer, using his power-running attack to pick up 43 yards and 1 touchdown on 9 carries to keep the opposing defense honest.

Once he was out of the equation, the Rebels’ ground game choked up, gaining just 55 total yards as a team and forcing quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to do everything through the air and his feet.

“He banged up his shoulder,” HC Pete Golding said after the game was over. “They went in and X-rayed it. It was negative on the X-ray. They padded him up. He was going to try to fight through it, but at that point JT (Lindsey) was playing really well. … I know we’ll get some more information tomorrow.”

LSU also felt the impact just as hard when star tight end Trey’Dez Green went down in the second half. Taking a brutal hit directly to his right knee after pulling down a 19-yard catch, the 6-foot-7 target was in visible pain on the turf and had to be carted straight to the locker room.

Green was having a monster night with 4 catches for 60 yards before leaving, serving as quarterback Sam Leavitt’s main safety valve over the middle. According to Wilson Alexander of On3, the Tigers’ starter and best weapon’s return is uncertain.

“Trey’Dez Green is doubtful to return with a right leg injury, per LSU radio,” he tweeted. Losing his top red-zone threat, the 6-foot-7, 242-pound Trey’Dez Green, stripped LSU of its biggest third-down mismatch, forcing Kiffin to completely rewrite his fourth-quarter passing scripts on the fly.

Green had been having an incredible season, entering the matchup with 10 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown through the first two weeks. Losing Green is a massive roadblock for former Ole Miss coach-turned-LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, because Green has been their best catcher tonight.

The silver lining in this brutal fourth-quarter grind has been the heroic effort of Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. The senior transfer and former Division II National Champion put on an absolute clinic in the face of adversity, tearing up the LSU secondary for 363 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.

Despite throwing a costly interception and being sacked twice, his composure under pressure is the only reason the Rebels are still alive as they attempted to lean on backup running back JT Lindsey to pick up the slack.

LSU just pulled even off a clutch 23-yard chip-shot field goal after their drive stalled inside the 5-yard line without Green. With the clock ticking down in the final frame, the game turned into a pure test of depth and willpower for both programs.

But in the end, the Tigers fell short. Leavitt was able to march his offense all the way to the goal line, thanks to a pass interference call as well. But the LSU QB ended up throwing an interception to Rebels cornerback Jaylon Braxton near the goal line which basically ended any hopes for Kiffin to pull away from Oxford with a win.

“I’m glad it’s over. This was an emotional game for a lot of reasons,” Kiffin said accepting defeat with whatever humility he could muster. “A lot of life-changing experiences here. A lot of really good people that helped me through some really hard times… Sometimes I don’t act like it, but I’m a human, too,” Kiffin added. “Congrats to those guys. They played really well. They deserved to win.”

As for Chambliss and Pete Golding, this victory was redemption for choosing to stay loyal to the program at Ole Miss and not follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

“This one meant a lot more than other games. The coaches that were here, now at LSU, some players as well,” the Rebels QB said. “I wanted this one bad and our team did, too.”

Ole Miss has now beaten LSU in successive years. Last year Kiffin was on the winning sideline, and this time, he was on the other side looking in. There are a lot of questions for the LSU team as they head back to Baton Rouge to prepare for the rest of the SEC gauntlet that lies ahead. Their next opponent is an angry Aggies team that just got humiliated by Kentucky at home. This will not be easy.

As for Golding, the euphoria will be short lived as well. They go on to face Florida, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Texas. But for this week at least, those Rebels players and coaching staff must feel that they are at the top of the world.