Ole Miss Opens Season in Style Behind Simmons’ 3 TDs, Lacy’s Career Night, and Wallace’s Big Plays

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss capped off a dominant 63-7 victory over the Georgia State Panthers Saturday night in the Rebels’ season opener.

While the Ole Miss defense was unbreakable for all four quarters, the offense got rolling after the first quarter, working their way up and down the field all night.

Things started quickly with Austin Simmons completing three straight passes, with the third going for a 38-yard touchdown to tight end Dae’Quan Wright to open the scoring at 7-0.

The Wright Way.@austnsimmons ➡️ @DaequanWright pic.twitter.com/cwaYsgvwxf

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 31, 2025

However, the offense would cool off just as quickly with back-to-back drives ending in an interception, including Simmons’ underthrow of Wright in the end zone as the young signal-caller looked for another long touchdown pass to the Rebels’ tight end.

On the following drive, the Ole Miss offense drove the field yet again, but a third-down incompletion led to a 42-yard field goal which Lucas Carneiro drilled to extend the lead to 10-0.

However, after that drive Carnerio did not see many opportunities to showcase his range as the Rebels scored four touchdowns before they would attempt another field goal.

Trinidad Chambliss took over QB duties in the fourth quarter. He finished 4-6 for 59 yards and one touchdown.

Simmons finished his first collegiate start with a final stat line of 341 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, going 20-for-31 to notch a 64.5% completion percentage. He recorded 17 yards rushing on seven attempts.

Simmons was not alone in finding points for Ole Miss as another new face in the Rebels’ offense, running back Kewan Lacy, went off for a career day. Lacy only saw 23 carries in his lone season at Mizzou, but he made the most of his opportunities against Georgia State.

Lacy punched in his first three collegiate touchdowns of his career, while going for 108 yards on 16 attempts, averaging just under 7 yards a carry. His first two touchdown carries came from the one and two-yard lines, but in the third quarter Lacy found a hole, breaking off a 42-yard touchdown run.

Have a night Kewan 👏#HottyToddy https://t.co/vBRdJ7R6Zg pic.twitter.com/MfvD6pBmEs

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 31, 2025

Lacy and Simmons were joined by other Ole Miss weapons who put on a show in the opener, but, wide receiver Harrison Wallace was quite the X-factor in Saturday’s win.

Give him 6️⃣ 👏#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/ATy3w36JNp

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 31, 2025

Penn State transfer Wallace finished the night with 5 receptions going for 130 yards and a touchdown, while also showing his versatility in the special teams as well, serving as the Rebels’ punt returner Saturday and racking up 69 yards on four returns. He broke off a couple of huge returns. Some were called back for penalties, but there’s no question he was a problem all over the field.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin spoke on Wallace’s performance post game.

Lane Kiffin on Harrison Wallace

Six players found the end zone for the Rebels, including Lacy, Wright, Caleb Odom, Izaiah Hartrup, and Logan Diggs, with Lacy and Odom scoring their first collegiate touchdowns.

“Really pleased with the offensive balance, in a game with only two returning starters on offense,” Coach Kiffin said in his evaluation of the game.

Simmons and Lacy spoke after Kiffin on Saturday night and both of them preached a similar mentality of “going 1-0 every single day,” especially as they prepare for the upcoming week with an early-season conference matchup against Kentucky.

Next Up

Ole Miss will travel to Lexington to take on the Kentucky Wildcats next Saturday as the Rebels look to avenge last year’s loss in Oxford.