On the heels of leading Ole Miss to a third straight win and an upset over LSU on Sept. 27, Trinidad Chambliss didn't get off to the start that he or coach Lane Kiffin had hoped on Saturday against Washington State. Chambliss, 3–0 since taking over for the injured Austin Simmons as Rebels starting quarterback, looked a bit shaky on Ole Miss's first few drives, which ended in a turnover on downs in the red zone, a missed field goal and a lost fumble by Chambliss himself, respectively.
However, Chambliss turned things around, beginning with a 10-play, 87-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a two-yard pass from the senior QB to tight end Dae'Quan Wright in the end zone.
But not before Chambliss heard a blunt message from Kiffin.
Speaking during a halftime interview with ESPN, Kiffin shared what he told Chambliss
"Let's not go back to that Division II stuff"
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 11, 2025
Lane Kiffin was very honest with Trinidad Chambliss after his first few drives of the game 😅 pic.twitter.com/9KmW7UvaMl
Chambliss, who received zero Division I scholarships coming out of high school, transferred from Division II Ferris State to Ole Miss back in April 2025, coming aboard to be the Rebels' backup.
But when an ankle injury sidelined Simmons in Week 2, Chambliss was there to take the reins. He threw for 300-plus yards in each of his first three starts and was avoiding his "Division II" mistakes, as Kifin would call them, until Saturday's game against the Cougars.
But after settling in, Chambliss was able to lead the Rebels to a 24–21 victory, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns and adding a third score on the ground.
It just took a little tough love from Kiffin to help him get there.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lane Kiffin Had Brutally Honest Message for QB Trinidad Chambliss After Slow Start.
