Morning, y’all!
We talked Tuesday about how Georgia has had its struggles against Ole Miss.
One reason for that, especially in last year’s Sugar Bowl loss, was the stellar play of quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns in that game.
Georgia gets another shot at Chambliss in Oxford Saturday, so let’s hear from coach Kirby Smart on the challenges this guy presents:
Smart has seen enough of Chambliss to know his Georgia defense has a problem on its hands.
The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs travel to play Chambliss and the Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, where Chambliss is 12-0 as the starter.
Smart says Chambliss is “probably the best quarterback in the country” and it’s easy to understand why.
Chambliss tore up Georgia’s defense the first time he laid eyes on them for three quarters at Sanford Stadium, leading five consecutive touchdown drives as the Rebels staked out to a 35-26 lead entering the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs rallied for a 43-35 win by shutting down Chambliss in the fourth quarter, as the talented signal-caller went suddenly cold, 1-of-10 passing for one yard in the fourth quarter.
Chambliss delivered payback in the CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal, rallying Ole Miss from 21-12 down in the third quarter to a 39-34 win that saw him drive the Rebels for three consecutive touchdowns and then the game-winning field goal over the final 23 and a half minutes of play.
“He had some ‘wow’ plays against us last year, really in both games, but especially the second,” Smart said of the nimble Chambliss, whose breathtaking escapes from pressure and highlight throws kept fans on the edge of their seats. “But it’s the down-in, down-out decision-making that he’s really elite at, the accuracy that he’s elite at. The release, the decision. He’s just pinpoint. He has an anticipation of windows that’s probably unmatched.”
In other words, there are times where Chambliss simply seems unstoppable.
Georgia defensive tackle Elijah Griffin said the Bulldogs’ defensive front will do all it can to limit Chambliss’ ability to scramble out of the pocket and extend plays.
“We just have to keep him in the trap, we can’t let him escape, he’s a great escape artist, he’s capable of doing anything,” Griffin said on Tuesday. “Ultimately, as a defensive line, we have to keep him in the trap and push the pocket, and if we do that everything will take care of itself.”
Smart noted that even if UGA keeps Chambliss trapped in the pocket, the Ole Miss quarterback can still make plays.
“He knows how to navigate a pocket … this guy’s not just a take off and run guy,” Smart said. “He steps up in the pocket. He goes through the pocket. He’s made some of his best wow plays working through the pocket.”
Smart’s defense will throw a variety of looks at Chambliss and mix pressure packages with heavy coverage schemes in an attempt to keep him off-balance.
But there again, Smart notes how Chambliss’ experience gives him the ability to adjust on the fly.
“I can’t get inside his head and say what he’s doing pre-snap, post-snap, he’s elite at both in my opinion,” Smart said. “He surveys the field. He knows what he’s going to do. He’s been in this offense long enough that he knows what he’s basing his decisions on. After the play is snapped, he goes through his progressions and does a great job.”
Read Mike Griffith’s full story here.
Trivia time
In that Sugar Bowl loss, by what margin did Ole Miss outscore Georgia in the fourth quarter?
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How two key pieces help UGA after missing last season’s loss to Rebels
It certainly seems like Ole Miss won’t have one of its most important players in running back Kewan Lacy.
He picked up a shoulder injury in the Rebels’ loss to Texas and didn’t play against Auburn last week.
“He’s still grinding through it,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said on Monday. “It’s a work in progress, but we’re not expecting to have him this week.”
Lacy ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns in the 39-34 win for Ole Miss the last time these two teams met. Simply put, Lacy was a problem for Georgia.
The Bulldogs hope that two players who didn’t play in that loss last season can give Ole Miss similar headaches.
On the defensive side of the ball, Georgia clearly missed Gabe Harris. He suffered a toe injury in Georgia’s win over Alabama in the SEC championship game.
Harris was recently named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for his play against Florida. Harris already has three sacks, more than he had all of last season.
“He’s a great, great player, don’t get me wrong,” Elijah Griffin said of Harris. “I feel like, for him, coming back and ultimately playing against Ole Miss, which he wasn’t able to because of an injury last year, I mean, I feel like it means something to him. I’m pretty sure he’s going to dominate like he always will.”
With Harris back and healthy, the Georgia pass rush has been noticeably improved this year. The Bulldogs already have more sacks through eight games this season, 26, than they did all of last season.
Georgia had four sacks against Florida and rank tied for seventh nationally in sacks.
In two games against Chambliss last year though, Georgia didn’t sack him once.
“He has played a lot of football and experience helps,” Smart said of the Ole Miss quarterback. “You throw all that in, and you’ve got a tremendous athlete. He goes forwards, backwards as fast as he goes sideways. He’s just a great athlete that is a great quarterback.”
On offense, the Bulldogs will have Drew Bobo at center. He suffered a foot injury in Georgia’s win over Georgia Tech that ended his 2025 season.
Against Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, Bobo’s backup mistakenly snapped the ball on a key fourth down, which ultimately gave Ole Miss a short field in the fourth quarter.
Bobo has played in every game for the Bulldogs this season. Georgia has been very fortunate from a health standpoint, as it has had the same starting offensive line in every game.
That’s been key, especially with freshman Zykie Helton starting next to Bobo.
“He helps us bring more leadership and experience to the line because we have a few young players that still need help understanding the offense a little bit,” offensive lineman Juan Gaston said of Bobo. “And he just brings more leadership.”
Ole Miss defensive lineman Will Echoles is its best player other than Chambliss. He occupies a lot of space in the middle of the Ole Miss defense.
But despite the standout defensive lineman’s best efforts, the Rebels have not been great against the run this season. Ole Miss ranks 13th in the SEC in run defense.
Trivia answer
20-10
