Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy in Egg Bowl bad timing for struggling Mississippi State run defense
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STARKVILLE — All the preseason talk for Ole Miss football’s offense was about Austin Simmons.
The Rebels quarterback was taking the reins as the starter after Jaxson Dart was picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. But Simmons has only started two games this season after an injury.
That’s because of the emergence of Trinidad Chambliss, a transfer from Division II Ferris State. He’s only lost one game as the starter and has No. 6 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) in need of one more win against Mississippi State (5-6, 1-6) in the Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 28 (11 a.m., ABC) to solidify a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“The guy just makes a ton of timely plays,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said on Nov. 23. “He can extend, he can create. He does things in the run game that make it hard for you, and then the way he’s been able to throw the football around and make the plays when he’s needed to is impressive for a guy that got there so late and has never played inside this league.
“He belongs. He’s been a big-time player and has given them the ability to have the season that they are having.”
Chambliss has 2,657 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns and three interceptions with a 65.2 completion percentage. The 6-foot, 200-pound Chambliss has 444 yards and six rushing touchdowns.
The Rebels have rallied around Chambliss, and so have the fans, bringing Trinidad and Tobago flags to games and tailgates.
“He’s kind of small but he can move and he’s quick and he’s twitchy so he’s kind of hard to find sometimes,” MSU linebacker Nic Mitchell said. “He can run the ball well in the QB run game, so he’s a great playmaker and makes a lot of plays for that Ole Miss offense.”
Kewan Lacy could also be a headache for Mississippi State
If it’s not Chambliss making plays in the Ole Miss offense, it’s certainly Kewan Lacy, one of the top running backs in the country.
The Missouri transfer is second in the SEC and sixth nationally with 1,136 rushing yards. His 19 rushing touchdowns are also tied for the nation’s lead. He just had his best game of the season with 224 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Florida.
Defending the run has been a struggle for the Bulldogs, especially lately. They have the SEC’s worst run defense and have allowed 289.3 rushing yards per game in the last three games. Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy gashed MSU for 300 yards and three rushing touchdowns in Week 12.
“Their run game right now is as good as it’s been all year long,” Lebby said of Lacy. “The back is a guy who can create a ton of explosives with great top-end speed. The QB being involved in the run game makes it tougher. For us, I talked about this a little last week, too. We have to tackle really well. When we get in one-on-one situations, we got to find ways to get guys on the ground. We got to get 11 hats to the football.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jeff Lebby on facing Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy in Egg Bowl
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