BATON ROUGE, La. — After tough losses, clarity often comes in reviewing the game, and Ole Miss football’s 29-26 defeat in overtime against LSU was no exception. The No. 8 Rebels (5-2, 1-2 SEC) led throughout regulation but allowed a last-minute touchdown from LSU (4-2, 1-1), with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier connecting with receiver Aaron Anderson on a crucial fourth-and-5 pass to tie the game with just 27 seconds remaining.
In overtime, Ole Miss managed only a long field goal before LSU clinched the victory instantly. Nussmeier sent a pass down the right sideline to senior receiver Kyren Lacy, who made the catch, igniting the excitement of the packed crowd of over 100,000 fans.
“I’m really disappointed, obviously,” said Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. “We should’ve won that game. We kind of commanded the game for the majority of it. But credit to them for making plays late in the fourth quarter and overtime.”
The Rebels outperformed LSU in total yards, 464 to 421, showcasing a dominant ground game that outpaced LSU 180 to 84 rushing. Ole Miss displayed a level of control for much of the first half and beyond the halfway mark of the second half.
“I don’t understand how we lost,” remarked Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. “They did a few game-plan things. I don’t understand how we lost.”
The Rebels’ second offensive play may have foreshadowed their challenges. Receiver Tre Harris, who had been leading the nation in receiving yards, dropped what could have been an 81-yard touchdown pass from Dart.
Late in the second quarter, with only 26 seconds left on the clock, Ole Miss found itself on the 25-yard line. Dart completed a 5-yard pass to running back Henry Parrish, who lost the ball after being hit, leading to an unexpected field goal opportunity for LSU as time expired.
Additionally, Ole Miss faced a setback on a critical fourth-and-1 situation in the first quarter. Attempting a direct snap to Parrish at the LSU 4-yard line, he was stopped short, resulting in a missed scoring opportunity.
“Those things catch up with you,” Kiffin noted. “You miss a field goal. A fourth-and-1 where we don’t get it cut off so we get no points in the red zone. We hand them three points with the fumble at the end of the half. That’s why I felt like we were outplaying them, and we were the better team for the majority of the game. But you’ve got to close them out.”