This article was first published for Penn State CommRadio on October 14, 2025.
When No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 9 Georgia met in Oxford last November, it was Lane Kiffin’s squad that was able to scrape out a win as a lower-ranked home team. This season, the Bulldogs will look to get revenge on the Rebels in Athens, which is sure to be no easy task.
“We need the best atmosphere we’ve ever had in Sanford Stadium,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart in a press conference on Monday.
While ESPN Bet has the Dawgs as a 7.5-point favorite, Ole Miss has already shown their ability to pull off an upset this season. Just two weeks ago, the Rebels took down then No. 4 LSU on the heels of a 314-yard performance from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
Chambliss has been one of college football’s biggest breakout stars this year. The senior quarterback was a two-time Division 2 player of the year at Ferris State before transferring to Ole Miss for his final season of college eligibility.
The Rebels began the season with sophomore Austin Simmons under center, though he would go down in Week 2 with an ankle injury. Simmons would then re-aggravate the injury in the next game, thrusting Chambliss into the starting role. While Kiffin hasn’t named a starter for Saturday’s matchup, all signs suggest that Chambliss will remain in the position against Georgia.
So far this year, Chambliss has thrown for 1,286 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception through his four games as the Rebels’ QB1. His surprising performances have garnered high praise from voices around the college football community, including Kirby Smart himself.
“They should get the greatest award there is for finding this guy,” Smart said.
Georgia isn’t lacking in the quarterback department either. Junior Gunner Stockton has been nearly as impressive, putting up eerily similar numbers to Chambliss, albeit in an extra game as his team’s starter. The homegrown gunslinger has thrown for 1,264 yards, six touchdowns and an interception.
Kiffin and Smart are very familiar with each other. In their current jobs, they’ve matched up twice, splitting the series 1-1. They were both assistant coaches under Nick Saban at Alabama, with their paths crossing in 2014 and 2015.
“I think Kirby basically is Coach Saban,” Kiffin said, “in almost every area. How he is, how he coaches, how he models his team, everything. And it’s worked. They basically have repeated the program and the success.”
While Kiffin has coined him as Saban-esque, Smart struggled this season against his former employer. Georgia fell to the then No. 17 Crimson Tide three weeks ago, losing 24-21.
The Bulldogs have passed harder tests, however. Georgia took down then No. 15 Tennessee in their third game of the year, with Stockton throwing for 304 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Ole Miss has a clear advantage on the ground, as starting running back Kewan Lacy has been a star to this point in the season. He has rushed for 587 yards and eight touchdowns, which rank top-15 and top-five in the nation, respectively.
Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier have effectively split carries for the Bulldogs, each getting 60 carries so far. Bowens has turned his touches into 315 yards, while Frazier has produced 277. The pair has also accounted for six touchdowns between them.
The biggest defensive star in this top-ten matchup will be Georgia linebacker CJ Allen, who is expected to hear his name called on the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Allen has been a force for the Bulldogs’ defense, recording 46 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
The aforementioned previous matchup between the teams took place on November 9th of last year. While the Rebels took that matchup 28-10, Georgia has dominated the series historically. The Bulldogs hold a 33-11-1 record over Ole Miss.
Chambliss has been on fire, but his beginner’s luck will run out in the matchup with the Bulldogs. Allen and the rest of Georgia’s strong defense will stifle the Rebels and put the Bulldogs on track for a 27-10 win.
Elliott Inscho is a first-year student majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact him, email eli5026@psu.edu