By Blessing Nweke
Trinidad Chambliss threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns, and Lucas Carneiro drilled his third field goal of the night with six seconds remaining to propel No. 6 Mississippi to a dramatic 39-34 win over third-ranked Georgia in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl on Thursday night.
The Rebels sealed it in bizarre fashion. After Carneiro’s 47-yard kick put Ole Miss ahead, Georgia’s return unit attempted a desperation cross-field lateral on the final kickoff. The ball struck the pylon, resulting in a safety for Mississippi. Georgia still recovered an onside kick and ran one last multi-lateral play, but it fizzled, sending Ole Miss (13-1, CFP No. 6 seed) into the semifinals against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl next Thursday.
Following two lopsided CFP quarterfinals earlier in the week, the Sugar Bowl delivered nonstop drama. Georgia (12-2, CFP No. 3 seed) erased a 21-12 halftime deficit and later rallied from 34-24 down to tie the game on Gunner Stockton’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Zachariah Branch and Peyton Woodring’s tying field goal with 55 seconds left.
Chambliss answered calmly, converting a pivotal third-and-long with a 40-yard strike to De’Zhaun Stribling to set up the winning kick. Carneiro, who earlier shattered Sugar Bowl records with field goals of 55 and 56 yards, sprinted toward the Ole Miss sideline as teammates swarmed him.
Harrison Wallace III caught nine passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, Stribling added seven receptions for 122 yards, and Kewan Lacy rushed for 98 yards and two scores as Ole Miss outgained Georgia 473-343. Stockton passed for 203 yards, ran for two touchdowns and absorbed several heavy hits while extending plays.
The victory marked another milestone for the Rebels under first-year head coach Pete Golding, who improved to 2-0 in CFP games. Georgia, meanwhile, fell in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal for the second straight year despite earning a first-round bye.
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