Ole Miss fans are on island time with Trinidad Chambliss as No. 4 Rebels ready for Washington State

OXFORD, lack. — mississippi river train Lane Kiffin loves a outstanding story, especially when it involves field general Trinidad Chambliss — as long as it doesn't stray too far from the truth.

“I don’t like to kill the story, but you do know he’s not from an island,” Kiffin said when asked about flags of the quarterback's namesake island nation, Trinidad and Tobago, popping up around Oxford.

“He’s from Michigan and he’s been to one island in his life on a field trip when he was little — to Mackinac Island, Michigan,” Kiffin continued.

Chambliss, a breakout transfer player from Division II Ferris State, has been a pivotal figure for the No. 4 Rebels .

His emergence has been no surprise to Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers, whose Cougars make the cross-country trek to face Ole Miss on Saturday.

“We were able to watch him at Ferris State,” said Rogers, who guided South Dakota State to an FCS national title before moving to Washington State this season. “It’s fun to watch him get better and better.”

Stepping in after Austin Simmons was injured in Ole Miss' SEC opener at Kentucky, Chambliss is slated to make his fourth consecutive start. He has passed for more than 1,000 yards and helped the Rebels score 110 points in three victories.

“It’s funny; the flags are everywhere,” Kiffin said. “I dropped Knox off at his buddy’s house and they have a big Trinidad flag in the house. Now they’ve got songs about the island and everything. So, it’s really awesome.”

Chambliss is quick to remind interviewers he hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and that his father is from South Bend, Indiana. Chambliss led Ferris State — located in Big Rapids, Michigan — to a Division II national championship before joining the Rebels.

“So, he’s never even been around blue water, let alone sand and an island," Kiffin said, smiling. “In the South, there is a saying: ‘Don’t let the facts and details get in the way of a good story.’ So, maybe we will just run with this one.”

Like Ole Miss, Washington State enjoyed an open date coming off a 20-3 road win over Colorado State, a future permanent opponent in a revamped Pac-12 Conference in 2026.

Washington State will play a home-and-home doubleheader with Oregon State in November to determine the Pac-12 champion.

Washington State was able to fill a void on Ole Miss' home schedule this season after Wake Forest, which lost 40-6 at home to the Rebels last season, canceled a trip to Oxford this year.

“As a coach, this is the pinnacle of our sport,” Rogers said. “You’re playing the No. 4 team in the country with a really great program and a great coach with a lineage of success. Obviously, our players know who they’re playing and playing in front of that type of atmosphere.”

Despite uneven performances in the early season, each defense has been prominent in getting their clubs victories in recent weeks.

Washington State has allowed just 26 points in its three wins, highlighted by pressure generated from the defensive line. Isaac Terrell has three sacks and 11 quarterback hurries.

“He’s got a great work ethic and he’s explosive and strong,” Rogers said. “He has relentless pursuit to the ball, but really, that’s how he lives his life.”

After a shaky start, Ole Miss has limited opponents to 36 points in the past 10 quarters, aided by 10 tackles for loss and 24 quarterback hurries.

“We’ve worked to fix everything each week,” said defensive tackle William Echoles, who has 24 tackles and two sacks. “We had a lot of that we’ve cleaned up in the last few games.”

Historically, both programs have showcased elite quarterbacks.

Drew Bledsoe, Gardner Minshew and Ryan Leaf hold most Washington State records.

Ole Miss has a deep list including Archie and Eli Manning, along with the late Charlie Conerly and New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Washington State quarterback Zevi Eckhaus went 16-of-28 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s win over Colorado State. Chambliss accounted for 385 yards of total offense in a 24-19 win over then-No. 4 LSU.

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