Ole Miss stuns Georgia: Late field goal in Sugar Bowl lifts Rebels to CFP semifinals appearance

Georgia made a stunning decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 from its own 33-yard line with 9:37 remaining. Facing just a 27-24 deficit and with three timeouts remaining, Georgia had plenty of time to punt and get the football back. But perhaps due to waning trust in his defense, UGA coach Kirby Smart opted to gamble.

It backfired in a stunning way, as Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins broke through for a strip sack on Gunner Stockton. Instead of a mere turnover on downs, the fumble actually resulted in Ole Miss getting the football at Georgia's 23-yard line. Two plays later, Trinidad Chambliss hit Harrison Wallace III for a 13-yard touchdown to put the Rebels ahead 34-24.

Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy entered with 299 touches on the season without a lost fumble. Georgia entered without a defensive touchdown. Then, in a fateful moment during the second quarter, both those things changed.

With Ole Miss nearing midfield and trailing 14-12 with under three minutes left in the first half, Lacy coughed up the football. Daylen Everette scooped it up and ran it back 46 yards for a score that put Georgia ahead 21-12.

But Lacy made up for it in the second half with a pair of touchdown runs as he built his school-record to 23 rushing scores. The first one brought the Rebels within 21-19 and the second one put them ahead 27-24. Lacy finished with 98 yards on the ground and helped bring critical balance to the Ole Miss offense.

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss produced a three-play sequence for the Ole Miss history books to begin the fourth quarter. With the Rebels trailing 24-19, the Division II transfer turned into a magician. His first act was to evade a huge loss with a no-look shovel pass to Kewan Lacy. 

Next came a Houdini act on a third-and-7 play in Ole Miss territory. He retreated, changed directions, evaded defenders and found Lacy for a 7-yard gain. Chambliss promptly followed up with another circus play that resulted in a 44-yard downfield strike to Harrison Wallace III. Lacy finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game, and the Rebels converted a 2-point play to go ahead 27-24.

Chambliss came through in a number of key situations with a number of highlight-reel plays, but no sequence embodied his performance better than those three plays to begin the fourth.

Final: Ole Miss 39, Georgia 34

Ole Miss wrote the most significant chapter yet in its storybook season on Thursday as the No. 6 seed Rebels climbed back from a 9-point halftime deficit to upset No. 3 seed Georgia 39-34 in a thrilling cap to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. 

Trinidad Chambliss keyed the charge with a memorable second half performance. The Rebels' quarterback maneuvered Ole Miss into field goal range in the final minute, setting up Lucas Carneiro for a go-ahead 47-yarder that cleared the uprights with six seconds remaining.

Chambliss found De'Zhaun Stribling for a 40-yard gain on a third-and-5 play with 32 seconds remaining to establish Ole Miss at the Georgia 30-yard line. Three plays later, Carneiro put the Rebels ahead. Ole Miss subsequently added two more points on a safety as Georgia attempted a desperation trick play on the ensuing kickoff.

The kick capped a memorable performance for the junior kicker, who established new career-longs with makes from 55 and 56 yards during the first quarter. Ole Miss will advance to play No. 10 seed Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8.

Taking down Georgia avenged the only loss of the season for Ole Miss, which is now 13-1 and 2-0 since the departure of coach Lane Kiffin for LSU. Chambliss finished 30 of 46 passing for 362 yards and two touchdowns. Star running back Kewan Lacy added 98 yards rushing and two scores on the ground.

0:55 4Q: Ole Miss 34, Georgia 34

Georgia took advantage of the obvious missed facemask call that led to an Ole Miss punt and marched down the field for a game-tying field goal. Peyton Woodring converted from 24 yards out to cap the 12-play drive that ate nearly five minutes. Bad news for Georgia is that Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss will get the football back with 55 seconds remaining. The Rebels have no timeouts after using them to preserve clock ahead of what seemed like an inevitable Georgia score.

The officials just missed an incredibly obvious facemask call, bailing out Georgia's defense and returning the football to the Bulldogs. A UGA defender clearly had Kewan Lacy by the facemask, and it impacted Lacy's ability to wrangle free. But there was no call. After an incompletion on the following play, Ole Miss was forced to punt it back to Georgia, which has the football with a chance to take the lead.

7:03 4Q: Ole Miss 34, Georgia 31

With its back suddenly against the wall, Georgia responded with a six-play touchdown drive that took just 1:59 off the clock. Zachariah Branch capped it off with an 18-yard touchdown reception as Gunner Stockton's track record for stellar fourth quarter play continues. The big play on that drive was a 20-yard strike from Stockton to Sacovie White-Helton, a reserve receiver who was wide open over the middle for his eighth grab of the season.

9:31 4Q: Ole Miss 34, Georgia 24

Georgia just made a stunning decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 from its own 33-yard line, and it backfired in a stunning way. The Ole Miss pass rush feasted and strip-sacked Gunner Stockton. Two plays later, Trinidad Chambliss found Harrison Wallace III for a 13-yard touchdown to put the Rebels ahead 34-24. Ole Miss has outscored Georgia 22-3 in the second half.

11:29 4Q: Ole Miss 27, Georgia 24

Trinidad Chambliss just turned in a series of highlight-reel plays. First came an improvised shovel pass to avoid a huge loss. Then came a Houdini act on a third-and-7 play in Ole Miss territory. He retreated, changed directions, evaded defenders and found Kewan Lacy for a 7-yard gain. Chambliss promptly followed up with another circus play that resulted in a 44-yard downfield strike to Harrison Wallace III, who is having himself a day. Lacy finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown off the game, and the Rebels converted a 2-point play to make it a 3-point game.

Ole Miss enters the fourth quarter with the football and trailing 24-19 after coming out and playing a solid third quarter. While Georgia's fake punt helped the Bulldogs steal three points, UGA was mostly out of sync offensively in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Trinidad Chambliss got back on track for the Rebels. Something to consider is that we haven't seen Chambliss do much with his legs in this game. He is a capable runner, and it wouldn't be surprising if he takes off in some critical situations during the final quarter.

Late 3Q: Georgia 24, Ole Miss 19

Georgia's Peyton Woodring just converted from 37 yards out to extend UGA's lead. The Bulldogs pulled off a fake punt from their own 29-yard line as Landon Roldan delivered a 16-yard pass to Lawson Luckie. Ole Miss didn't see it coming, and Roldan threw a strike. He's a freshman receiver who logged no significant game action this season, but he just came through in a massive moment to help Georgia salvage three points from a series that looked like it was going to be a three-and-out.

4:51 3Q: Georgia 21, Ole Miss 19

Trinidad Chambliss found Harrison Wallace for a 36-yard pickup on a fourth-and-3 to set Ole Miss up with a first-and-goal. Kewan Lacy finished it off with a 7-yard touchdown around the right side. That was Lacy's 22nd rushing touchdown of the season, and it helps to atone for a fumble that cost the Rebels six points in the first half. Things are getting interesting in the Sugar Bowl.

Mid 3Q: Georgia 21, Ole Miss 12

Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring just came up short from 55 yards out to zap some momentum from the Bulldogs after UGA came up with a big fourth-down stop. The door remains open for Ole Miss, which owes a debt of gratitude to its defense for stepping up against the run. There was a moment in the second quarter when it looked like Georgia's offense might be able to dominate this game on the ground. That hasn't happened to this point.

The Georgia defense just stacked up Kewan Lacy for no gain on a fourth-and-1 play from near midfield. Rasean Dinkins and KJ Bolden were in on the stop for the Bulldogs, who will take over in great field position. Ole Miss got a little too cute with Lacy in a wildcat formation and some motion from a couple of other skill players. But that formation didn't provide enough heft to move the interior of Georgia's line.

Georgia has had success with Gunner Stockton running up the middle in critical situations. But the Rebels weren't fooled on third-and-6 as Stockton took off on a draw. They wrapped him up for a critical three-and-out to start the third quarter.

Ole Miss needs its pass catchers to step up and start making some grabs. There were a few catchable passes that hit the turf in the second quarter as Georgia took command. Between those missed opportunities, the critical Lacy fumble and the Rebels blowing a couple of third-and-longs on defense, it's hard not to play the "what if" game.

For Georgia, the Bulldogs need to establish the run again and start imposing their will on the Ole Miss defense. UGA showed on its first scoring drive that it's capable of doing it. Now the situation calls for it as they close in on a semifinal spot.

Half: Georgia 21, Ole Miss 12

Georgia used a 21-point barrage in the second quarter to seize control in its Sugar Bowl showdown with Ole Miss. The No. 3 seed Bulldogs fell behind 12-7 before converting a couple of third-and-longs on a go-ahead touchdown drive capped by a 1-yard Gunner Stockton touchdown surge. The Bulldogs' quarterback turned in a strong first half, scoring two rushing touchdowns and throwing for 105 yards to key a balanced attack for the Bulldogs. 

UGA's defense made the half's biggest play, however, as Daylen Everette scooped up a Kewan Lacy fumble and ran it back 46 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-12. Lucas Carneiro was the hero of the first quarter for Ole Miss, as the junior kicker set career highs with kicks of 55 and 56 yards to open the scoring. The Rebels tried to get in position for another late Carneiro attempt but were out of timeouts and couldn't get the kicking team onto the field in time.

Trinidad Chambliss had Dae'Quan Wright open over the middle on a third-and-3 play coming out of the two-minute timeout. But he put it just behind Wright, who couldn't make the grab. That led to a Georgia punt, which means the Bulldogs have a chance to go 2-for-1 as they also get the football to start the third quarter.

2:34 2Q: Georgia 21, Ole Miss 12

Georgia's Daylen Everette just made the play of the game so far, taking Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy's fumble and running it back 46 yards for a game-changing touchdown. Elijah Griffin forced the fumble, but Lacy basically just lost control of it while going to the ground, and Everette finished it from there. That one will be tough to survive for Ole Miss, especially since Georgia gets the football to begin the third quarter.

4:05 2Q: Georgia 14, Ole Miss 12

Ole Miss got Georgia into a third-and-12 and a third-and-13 but couldn't get off the field on either play. The first was a 15-yard pickup for Zachariah Branch after Ole Miss had just picked up a ton of momentum with a sack that put the Bulldogs in a bad position. But Branch broke a tackle on a basic swing pass and then used his field to wreak havoc in the open field. The next one was all Gunner Stockton, as he eluded pressure and found Cash Jones for a 26-yard gain. Stockton finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown plunge on the next play.

10:33 2Q: Ole Miss 12, Georgia 7

Ole Miss didn't shy away after getting punched in the mouth by Georgia's running game. The Rebels struck back with a scoring drive of their own as Trinidad Chambliss found Luke Hasz in for a 3-yard touchdown connection on a third-and-goal. The Rebels went for two to try and make it 14-7 but failed. Trinidad Chambliss threw a perfect go route to De'Zhaun Stribling down the left sideline for a gain of 39 to spark the drive.

Early 2Q: Georgia 7, Ole Miss 6

Georgia finally turned to its running game on its third possession, and that decision paid significant dividends. The Bulldogs ran over, around and through Ole Miss with Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens before Gunner Stockton finished it off by surging up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown run of his own. UGA was strangely reliant on the pass early. No longer.

Start 2Q: Ole Miss 6, Georgia 0

Georgia is on the move to begin the second quarter after a frustrating first quarter. The Bulldogs quickly reached Rebels territory on the game's opening possession before stalling out. Then, UGA went three-and-out on its second possession after a batted ball on a third-and-2. Defensively, the Bulldogs played fine, forcing the Rebels into a couple of fourth-down situations in no-man's land. But the Rebels turned to Lucas Carneiro both times, and the star kicker set career-highs with kicks of 55 and 56 yards to give Ole Miss a 6-0 lead entering the second quarter.

Late 1Q: Ole Miss 6, Georgia 0 

Ole Miss just trotted Lucas Carneiro out for another long field goal attempt from nearly the exact same spot on the field. He drilled it again to put Ole Miss ahead 6-0. Both of his kicks have marked new career highs, with this one coming from 56 yards. Both would have been good from much longer.

Ole Miss linebacker Tahj Chambers came blitzing up the middle on third-and-2 and raised his arms just in time to deflect a Gunner Stockton pass that was headed toward a wide open receiver over the middle. Deep in their own territory, the Bulldogs elected to punt. That 3-and-out will build some confidence for the Rebels, who were shredded by this Georgia offense in the first meeting.

5:47 1Q: Ole Miss 3, Georgia 0

Faced with a fourth-and-9 from Georgia's 37, Pete Golding opted to try a field goal. Lucas Carneiro absolutely drilled it from 55 yards out to notch a new career-long. That was an impressive series for the Rebels, who started pinned against their own goal line. Kewan Lacy bit off a few big chunks, and then Logan Diggs entered and picked up 8 yards on a route out of the backfield. Trinidad Chambliss did his part with a 14-yard pass to Harrison Wallace, which got the Rebels into Georgia territory.

Georgia did a good job of scheming up a couple of quick-hit throws for Gunner Stockton as the Bulldogs came out biting off chunks of yardage to quickly reach Ole Miss territory. But UGA got a bit greedy with the pass -- never once handing the football to a back on its first series -- and the drive stalled out at the Ole Miss 45-yard line. Brett Thorson dropped a great punt onto the 2-yard line to pin the Rebels deep. These teams were engaged in a never-ending battle of alternating scoring possessions through three quarters in the first meeting. But both punted on their first possessions tonight.

Ole Miss picked up a quick first down with Kewan Lacy fighting for some tough yardage up the gut. But the Rebels' passing game looked a bit out of rhythm on that series, which stalled out at the Ole Miss 36-yard line. The Bulldogs will take over at their own 27 after a 12-yard punt return from speedster Zachariah Branch. The Georgia defense is already off to a better start than in the first meeting.

Last year, Gunner Stockton was making his first career start in a quarterfinal matchup against a nasty Notre Dame defense. He played respectably, but the No. 2 seed Bulldogs fell 23-10 for reasons that went beyond his inexperience.

One year later, No. 3 seed Georgia is again coming off a first-round bye with Stockton at quarterback -- only now he's a seasoned veteran who has earned the program's trust by delivering a series of big wins, carrying himself with the humble confidence of a Georgia farm boy.

Georgia doubled down on Gunner Stockton after last year's CFP quarterfinal, now he's ready to kick in the door

David Cobb

Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy will play. However, he's got a brace on his left shoulder after injuring it during the Rebels' first round College Football Playoff win over Tulane. His effectiveness will be a significant plot. With 1,366 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, Lacy is a focal point of the offense.