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The Ole Miss Rebels secured a convincing 45-15 victory over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, breaking open a close game with a dominant second-half performance. Despite Auburn keeping pace early, the Rebels took control after halftime and never looked back.
Entering the contest, Ole Miss possessed the lowest average time of possession in the SEC. On this occasion, however, the offense maintained the ball for 32 minutes, systematically advancing down the field and exhausting Auburn's defense.
What follows is a position-by-position evaluation of the Rebels' performance in the win.
Quarterback
Trinidad Chambliss, who had an uneven outing the previous week, delivered a strong response against Auburn. After a quiet first half, the quarterback came alive after the break, completing 22 of 34 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed 65 rushing yards and a 26-yard scoring run. Fans had been clamoring for Chambliss to use his legs more, and his mobility opened up the offense. Although he threw an interception, the pass deflected off the hands of Deuce Alexander. Overall, Chambliss turned in an excellent performance, guiding his team to victory. Deuce Knight also saw action and added a 17-yard rushing touchdown.
Grade: A
Running Back
Makhi Frazier drew the start but found little running room, finishing with 17 carries for 56 yards. Instead, freshman Shekai Mills-Knight emerged as the most effective back, rushing 16 times for 71 yards and a touchdown. With Kewan Lacy unavailable, Ole Miss needed someone to step up, and Mills-Knight answered the call.
Grade: B+
Wide Receivers
Alexander made a couple of critical mistakes, dropping a potential touchdown pass from Traylon Ray in the first quarter and later letting a pass slip through his hands that resulted in an interception. He was targeted 10 times, catching five passes for 59 yards. However, the rest of the receiving corps excelled. Horatio Fields hauled in six receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown against his former team, while Caleb Cunningham added six catches for 55 yards and an impressive score. Alexander will have better days, but it was encouraging to see other players step up.
Grade: B
Tight End
Caleb Odom made a spectacular one-handed catch for 34 yards, and Luke Hasz chipped in with two receptions for 28 yards.
Grade: B-
Offensive Line
The offensive line welcomed back left tackle Terez Davis and provided clean protection for Chambliss. They did not allow a sack, and the Rebels rushed for 224 yards as a team.
Defensive Line
Ole Miss did an excellent job containing Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, holding him to five rushing yards and preventing the Tigers from establishing a ground game. Will Echoles provided a highlight with a one-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Linebackers
The Rebels' linebackers were outstanding, also playing a key role in limiting Brown's rushing ability. Keaton Thomas led the team with eight tackles and recorded a tackle for loss and a pass deflection. Tah'j Butler and Suntarine Perkins combined for four sacks, consistently pressuring Auburn's offense and shutting down the Tigers in the second half.
Grade: A+
Secondary
Antonio Kite performed well against his former team. Auburn's passing attack failed to seriously test Ole Miss' secondary, though the Rebels allowed three receptions of 20 or more yards. Anthony Robinson III forced a fumble in the fourth quarter.
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Zion Trammell graduated from TCU with a degree in sports broadcasting and journalism. He joined SI in 2022 and covers Ole Miss in addition to serving as a play-by-play announcer and writing for MLB on SI. Follow him at zion_trammell.