Trinidad Chambliss started as Ole Miss’ QB for the fourth straight time, hosting the Washington State Cougars at Oxford in a non-conference matchup. It was supposed to be a cakewalk for the Rebels before they got back into conference games. However, Chambliss struggled in the first half, with inaccurate throws and fumbling into sacks, resulting in a slow start. In the meantime, the Cougars took the lead (7-0), until Lucas Carneiro’s 40-yard field goal and Chambliss’ 2-yard passing touchdown to Dae’Quan Wright saved Ole Miss by the end of the first half (10-7). This made Lane Kiffin give Chambliss a reality check.

Going into the locker room at halftime, Lane Kiffin was asked what he told Trinidad after the first touchdown drive. To which the coach said, “Let’s get to play like he did in that series. Let’s not go back to that Division II stuff.” Before being transferred to the University of Mississippi, Chambliss played for the Ferris State Bulldogs in a Division II conference (GLIAC) for four years. This is his first season in the Power 4 conference, and his first bad half of this season so far.

Although the game went neck-to-neck in the second half, the 50-year-old’s advice had an immediate impact on Chambliss. He rushed 17 yards for a touchdown at the end of the third quarter and passed 35 yards for a touchdown to Cayden Lee in the second half of the fourth quarter. This helped Ole Miss defeat Washington by 24-21 to remain undefeated with a 6-0 record. Trinidad finished 20 of 29 passes for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns, and rushed 15 yards for 1 touchdown.

Lane Kiffin was not pleased with Ole Miss’s performance today, especially with the red zone offense. This made the coach compare them to the student section. “I think our red zone offense showed up about like our student section today,” Lane Kiffin said at the post-game press conference. Although the Rebels won, a field goal or a touchdown from the Cougars would have caused them an upset, leading to their first loss. Losing to an unranked non-Power 4 conference team would have affected their AP poll rankings.

But has managing a win by a slim margin put Chambliss in trouble? Let’s find out.

Trinidad Chambliss’ starting QB position is not yet secure

Lane Kiffin announced Austin Simmons as the starting QB of the Ole Miss Rebels to start the 2025 regular season. However, he was sidelined due to an ankle injury and is not fully cleared. This made Trinidad Chambliss step up as the starting QB for the Rebels, which is his first time in the FBS Division I game. In the absence of Simmons, Chambliss stood impressive, completing 1,033 passing yards with an average of 10.2 yards per attempt and 5 touchdowns. He also has 221 rushing yards with 5.3 yards per attempt and 2 touchdowns. 

Although he proved to be promising, it seems like Lane Kiffin is still looking for Austin Simmons as a starting QB for the Rebels. According to The Rebel Walk’s report, before the game against Washington State, Lane Kiffin addressed the media on Chambliss’ status, saying, “I don’t even know if he’s starting Saturday.”

It seems like Simmons is close to 100% recovery, and he might take over his starting QB position sooner, although Chambliss is impressive. However, Simmons has put up decent numbers so far. He completed 33 of 55 passes for 576 yards for 3 TDs, and 4 interceptions. He also rushed 61 yards for 1 TD. That is nowhere near Chambliss’ numbers so far. But only time will tell how things will unfold.