Rebels Top Bulldogs 39-34 in Sugar Bowl Classic Battle/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Ole Miss beat Georgia 39-34 in a back-and-forth Sugar Bowl thriller. QB Trinidad Chambliss and kicker Lucas Carneiro delivered clutch performances. Now 2-0 under interim coach Pete Golding, the Rebels advance to the CFP semifinals.
NEW ORLEANS — In a Sugar Bowl showdown that lived up to the stakes, Ole Miss delivered a statement win without former head coach Lane Kiffin, edging No. 3 Georgia 39-34 in a dramatic College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss led the charge, passing for 362 yards and two touchdownswhile kicker Lucas Carneiro nailed a 47-yard game-winning field goal with just six seconds remainingsecuring a signature victory for the sixth-seeded Rebels (13-1).
Ole Miss now advances to the Fiesta Bowl semifinalwhere they’ll face No. 10 Miamia team riding back-to-back playoff upsets.
Unlike earlier quarterfinal blowouts, this all-SEC clash at the Superdome delivered high drama from start to finish. Georgia (12-2) overcame a 21-12 halftime deficit to take a 34-24 lead midway through the fourth, but Ole Miss stormed back behind Chambliss and Carneiro.
Carneiro, already having hit Sugar Bowl record field goals of 55 and 56 yards earlier in the game, sprinted toward his teammates after nailing the decisive 47-yarder — and was swarmed in celebration.
The game’s wild ending included a rare safety: on the final kickoff, Georgia attempted a lateral that hit the pylon, giving Ole Miss two more points and sealing the win.
Chambliss’ poise under pressure defined the night. His 40-yard third-down strike to De’Zhaun Stribling with under a minute left set up the winning kick. Earlier, he extended scoring drives with creative scrambling and pinpoint accuracy — drawing praise from both coaches.
Chambliss had help. Harrison Wallace III caught 9 passes for 156 yards and a touchdownStribling added 122 yards on 7 catchesand Kewan Lacy rushed for 98 yards and two scores.
Meanwhile, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton kept the Bulldogs in it, throwing for 203 yards and a touchdown, and running for two more. He showed grit, completing passes under heavy pressure, including a fourth-down strike to Zachariah Branch to tie the game late.
But Georgia’s fake punt and trick plays weren’t enough. A failed fourth-down gamble deep in their own territory allowed Chambliss to find Wallace for a back-shoulder TD, giving Ole Miss a 10-point cushion with just over 9 minutes left.
Kiffin, who left for LSU on Nov. 30 after a successful 11-1 regular season, was not permitted by Ole Miss administration to coach through the playoff. But Golding, previously defensive coordinator, has filled the role seamlessly — guiding the Rebels to two playoff wins, including this high-stakes victory near his Louisiana hometown.
For Georgia, this marks the second straight season losing in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal after earning a first-round bye. In 2025, they were eliminated by Notre Dame. The format, expanded to 12 teams last year, hasn’t been kind to top-seeded teams after the extra layoff.
The Bulldogs pulled out all the stops, including a fake punt and a reverse pass to keep drives alive. But turnovers, breakdowns, and an inability to stop Chambliss in the clutch proved costly.
Ole Miss: The Rebels are proving resilient in the post-Kiffin era. With Golding 2-0 as interim head coach and Carneiro emerging as a special teams weapon, they look like legitimate contenders for a national title.
Georgia: Despite talent and pedigree, the Bulldogs again failed to capitalize on their high seeding. Questions about postseason preparation and clock management may linger heading into 2026.
Ole Miss: Faces No. 10 Miami in the CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl.
Georgia: Opens the 2026 season at home vs. Tennessee State on Sept. 5.
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