On a picture-perfect morning for football, the 4th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels would welcome the Washington State Cougars to Vaught Hemingway for the final tuneup before heading south next Saturday to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Ole Miss came into the game looking to avoid a situation they faced last season, where they lost an inferior Kentucky team and all but screwed up their College Football Playoff chances with one of the most talented rosters in school history. 

The Rebels came into the game with Washington State with a perfect 5-0 record and a number four ranking after a win over LSU two weeks ago. 

Ole Miss would see their opening drive stall out on 4th and goal, setting up Washington State to put together a long touchdown drive to take a 7-0 lead over the Rebels at the end of the first. A fumble by Trinidad Chambliss on 3rd down early in the second quarter would give Washington State the ball back with decent field position. The landshark Ole Miss defense would deliver, setting up for a missed 54-yard Washington State field goal, keeping the Cougars’ lead to 7-0 with 10:10 in the half. The Ole Miss offense would see another drive stall out before settling for a 40-yard field goal to cut into the Washington State lead, making it 7-3 Cougars with 6:19 on the first half clock. After the Ole Miss defense forced a punt, the Rebels would take over with 3:05 on the first-half clock, looking to flip the script on the first half. Ole Miss put together a ten-play touchdown drive to make it 10-7 Rebels with 31 seconds remaining in the half. The Ole Miss defense would turn up the pressure to end the half, taking the 10-7 lead over Washington State to the break. 

Washington State would open the second half with a five-minute touchdown drive to retake a 14-10 lead over the Rebels. Trinidad Chambliss would put the Ole Miss offense on his back with a quarterback keeper for a 17-yard touchdown to retake the lead for the Rebels 17-14 with 32 seconds in the third. At the end of the third, it was Ole Miss 17 and Washington State 14. 

Washington State would open the 4th with a stalled drive that ended with a change in positions after a forced punt by the Ole Miss defense. Ole Miss and Washington State would trade touchdowns in the 4th, but it was the Rebels who came out on top 24-21 to improve to 6-0 on the season. 

Ole Miss will hit the road next Saturday as they travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Photo Credits- Ole Miss football on X