Chambliss accounts for four touchdowns as Ole Miss beats Vanderbilt 52-17

Trinidad Chambliss threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score as No. 9 Ole Miss defeated Vanderbilt 52-17 Saturday in Nashville. The Rebels forced four turnovers and took a 42-3 halftime lead, with two Vanderbilt fumbles near the break turning an already lopsided game into a decisive result.

Chambliss completed 20 of 30 passes for 213 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. His 10-yard touchdown run opened the scoring, and Kewan Lacy’s two-yard run gave Ole Miss a 14-3 lead before the first quarter ended. Vanderbilt’s initial answer was Brock Taylor’s 45-yard field goal.

The Rebels then added an unusual scoring connection. Chambliss found defensive lineman Jamarious Brown for a two-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, completing a 15-play, 63-yard possession. Brown’s appearance in the passing game put Ole Miss ahead 21-3 and demonstrated how thoroughly the Rebels could sustain a drive before their defense supplied shorter scoring opportunities.

Deuce Alexander caught a 39-yard touchdown pass with 4:41 remaining in the half. Alexander finished with five receptions for 74 yards, leading an Ole Miss receiving group that distributed the ball among nine players. The Rebels’ lead was 28-3 when Vanderbilt’s final possessions of the half fell apart.

Blake Purchase sacked Jared Curtis near the Commodores’ goal line, forcing a fumble that Suntarine Perkins recovered and returned five yards for a touchdown with 43 seconds left. Vanderbilt then lost a fumble on the kickoff. Chambliss’ four-yard touchdown pass to Michael Smith followed with 23 seconds remaining, creating the 42-3 halftime score.

HottyToddy’s independent report emphasized those consecutive mistakes as the sequence that settled the contest. Ole Miss’ official account confirmed four takeaways, while the final statistics showed two interceptions and two lost fumbles for Vanderbilt. The Commodores also committed 11 penalties for 92 yards, adding repeated setbacks to their difficulty protecting the ball.

Vanderbilt produced a better start after halftime. Curtis found Ja’Cory Thomas for a 13-yard touchdown to finish a 12-play, 75-yard drive that consumed more than seven minutes. Curtis finished 19 of 32 for 222 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Thomas caught three passes for 60 yards, and Junior Sherrill had five receptions for 55.

Ole Miss added Lucas Carneiro’s 42-yard field goal and Shekai Mills-Knight’s 35-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Jamezell Lassiter scored Vanderbilt’s final touchdown from one yard out with 42 seconds remaining.

Lacy returned to action and finished with 39 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. Makhi Frazier led Ole Miss with 73 rushing yards, while Mills-Knight added 42. The Rebels finished with 196 rushing yards and 409 total yards; Vanderbilt had 343 yards, including 103 rushing yards.

The Rebels improved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC, while Vanderbilt fell to 3-3 and 0-3. Ole Miss hosts Missouri next Saturday. Vanderbilt stays home to face Arkansas, with turnover control a clear priority after a game in which consecutive mistakes erased any chance of a competitive second half.