In a Nutshell: Ole Miss defeats Arkansas, 41-35, in a wild one at Vaught-Hemingway
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss was able to hang on to a 41-35 victory over Arkansas at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The win makes the Rebels 3-0 on the year and, more importantly, 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play.
Here is a recap in a nutshell:
THE POSITIVE:It was not the prettiest body of work, but it was a win. Ole Miss was able to make the plays when it needed to and that was the key to the win. That will come in handy the rest of the season.
THE NEGATIVE:The rush defense must improve for the Rebels. Ole Miss allowed Razorback quarterback Taylen Green to run for 111 yards, but more to the point he averaged 8.5 yards per carry.
Moreover, Mike Washington ran for 65 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while Braylen Russell ran for 37 bruising yards and a touchdown.
THE KEY POSSESSION:In the third quarter, Ole Miss mounted a drive that started late in the third quarter and spilled into the fourth. The Rebels were able to take 4:24 off the clock and kick a field goal. The points were important, but milking the clock was crucial.
THE KEY PLAY:Late in the game, Arkansas seemed to be destined to drive for a game-winning score. But the Rebels’ defense had other ideas. Facing a second down in Ole Miss territory, Green completed a pass to Jalen Brown for a minimal gain, but T.J. Dottery ripped the ball loose and Wydett Williams, Jr., pounced on it to give the Rebels possession with less than two minutes to go in the game.
GIVE THE BALL TO THE REBS !!!!!#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/RxTNkGgQrV
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 14, 2025
Ole Miss was able to run out the clock from there.
THE KEY UNIT:The quarterback room. Chambliss started in place of the injured Austin Simmons. All he did was go 21-for-29 for 353 yards and one touchdown through the air — and run for 62 more and score two TDs on the ground to lead the team to the win.
But it gets better.
Chambliss suffered a cut to his thumb on his throwing hand, so Simmons was forced back in on an injured ankle. He rushed one time for 8 yards on a noticeably hurt ankle and threw one pass for a 4-yard touchdown to Cayden Lee before Chambliss was able to return.
WHAT THIS MEANS GOING FORWARD:It means Ole Miss is 2-0 in the SEC. But what it really means will not be determined for a bit. Simmons has a bum ankle. Chambliss has a bad thumb. Even Kewan Lacy has a nicked up shoulder. Next week against Tulane, it will be important to have each of them available.
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
