National Sports

No. 9 Ole Miss rolls past Charlotte 41-9 behind Trinidad Chambliss' 2 TD passes

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

By CHRIS BURROWS Associated Press

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) -- Trinidad Chambliss threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns and guided five first half scoring drives as No. 9 Mississippi beat Charlotte 41-9 on Saturday night.

Ole Miss (2-0) was never seriously threatened as Chambliss was 23-of-26 passing, including scoring passes of 14 and 9 yards to Johntay Cook and Horatio Fields respectively.

"Two touchdown passes and five scores in six drives. That sounds like Trinidad doesn't it?" Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said. "That sounds like a normal Saturday. He does it and competes every play."

Chambliss connected with nine receivers, led by Deuce Alexander with eight receptions for 76 yards.

"We played solid. But there's still a lot I can improve on and we can improve on," Chambliss said. "The receivers are great and make explosive plays and Deuce is sweet. He's a freak athlete."

The Rebels built a 27-0 halftime lead, scoring on five of six first-half possessions, including Kewan Lacy touchdown runs of 9 and 2 yards. Lacy finished with 87 yards on 13 carries before resting most of the second half.

Lucas Carneiro added field goals of 57 and 42 yards while Cam Franklin batted down a 44-yard field goal attempt by Charlotte's Ian Kelly to complete the first-half surge.

The reserves got extended playing time in the second half, including quarterback Deuce Knight with a 7-yard touchdown run. Defensively, 25 Rebels recorded at least one tackle.

"We were hard on them (defense) this week in preparation, a tough week," Golding said. "It was great to have Charlotte on a goose egg at halftime and was proud of our effort."

The win sets up the much-anticipated Saturday night visit from No. 8 LSU, coached by former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. Golding was promoted and led the Rebels to two wins in last season's College Football Playoff after Kiffin took over at LSU.

Cole Gonzales led Charlotte (0-2) with 128 passing yards, completing 14 of 21 passes. Kelly added field goals of 28, 24 and 28 yards in the second half.

Media requests ramp up

The early requests for media credentials for Saturday's No. 8 LSU vs. No. 9 Ole Miss have been extensive. Ole Miss athletics spokesperson Brad Sheffield confirmed "more than 300 already" with more requests anticipated in the next 48 hours. By comparison, approximately 120 media credentials were issued for the opening game.

"It's going to be a crazy week in Oxford," Chambliss said. "But for the players, it's all about football. That's our focus."

The takeaway

Charlotte: Tim Albin's 49ers were competitive in the second half, lending hopes to breaking out of the American Conference cellar in his second season of a massive rebuilding job.

Ole Miss: After an uneven performance in a 41-38 win over No. 24 Louisville, the Rebels cleaned up opening game busted assignments on defense. Ole Miss, at No. 9, is the fourth highest-ranked team of nine SEC entries in the AP Top 25.

Up next

Charlotte The 49ers visit Appalachian State next Saturday.

Ole Miss: The No. 9 Rebels host No. 8 LSU on Saturday in the SEC opener for both schools.

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