Ole Miss secured a 39-34 victory over Georgia in a College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinal game, advancing to the CFP semifinals. The decisive points came from a 47-yard field goal by Lucas Carneiro in the final seconds of the game, followed by a safety. The No. 6-seeded Ole Miss overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat the No. 3-seeded Georgia.
Game Overview
The game concluded with Ole Miss leading by five points after a 47-yard field goal by kicker Lucas Carneiro with six seconds remaining, giving Ole Miss a 37-34 lead. An ensuing safety on the kickoff extended the lead to 39-34. Earlier in the first quarter, Carneiro made field goals from 55 and 56 yards, establishing new career-long distances. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss played a significant role in Ole Miss's second-half performance. With 32 seconds left, Chambliss completed a 40-yard pass to wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling on a third-and-five play, advancing Ole Miss to the Georgia 30-yard line, which set up Carneiro's game-winning field goal three plays later.
Individual Performances
Trinidad Chambliss, the Ole Miss quarterback, was named the Sugar Bowl's offensive MVP. He completed 30 of 46 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns during the game. Running back Kewan Lacy contributed 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Ole Miss.
Team Context
Ole Miss
With this victory, Ole Miss's season record advanced to 13-1. This marked the team's first appearance in the 12-team CFP. The win was Ole Miss's first against Georgia this season, following an earlier loss to Georgia on October 18. Ole Miss had an 11-1 regular season record before former coach Lane Kiffin departed for LSU on November 30. Pete Golding, who replaced Kiffin as head coach, holds a 2-0 record, having made his head coaching debut with a 41-10 win over Tulane in the CFP's first round.
Georgia
Georgia concluded its season with a 12-2 record. This loss resulted in Georgia, a team with a first-round bye, being eliminated in its initial CFP game of the season. Only the No. 1 seed, Indiana, advanced to the semifinals after securing a bye.
Upcoming Semifinal Matchup
Ole Miss will advance to play the 12-2 Miami Hurricanes in a CFP semifinal. This game is scheduled for January 8 at the Fiesta Bowl. Miami, the No. 10 seed in the playoff, secured its semifinal spot with a victory over the No. 2 seed Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve, marking its second CFP win this season. Miami has recorded six consecutive wins since a 26-20 loss at SMU on November 1. This loss represented Miami's second in three games after a 5-0 start to the season, which had resulted in the team's highest AP ranking (No. 2) since 2017. Following the Ole Miss victory, DraftKings established Miami as a 2.5-point favorite for the upcoming semifinal.