Ole Miss rolls past Tulane in CFP debut after Lane Kiffin's departure
Pete Golding guides the Rebels to a 41-10 win in the first CFP game under a new head coach; Tulane's Jake Retzlaff shines but can't overcome Ole Miss.
Ole Miss rolled to a 41-10 victory over Tulane in the first-round College Football Playoff on Saturday, delivering a win in the Rebels’ CFP debut after Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU was finalized earlier in the week. The program promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach for the postseason, and the Rebels carried the momentum into a convincing win at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss’s quarterback, received concussion treatment late in the second quarter and was sidelined for the Rebels’ final first-half series, but he was cleared and returned to start Ole Miss’ first drive of the third quarter. He finished with one passing touchdown and two rushing scores, helping the offense maintain a steady rhythm after the halftime break. Tulane’s Jake Retzlaff answered with a productive night, throwing for 306 yards and a touchdown, but the Green Wave could not keep pace with the Rebels.
Tulane entered the game with a resilient plan but could not sustain drives against Ole Miss’s defense, and the Rebels extended their early-season win over Tulane with a result that echoed their September matchup, a 45-10 Ole Miss victory. The loss left non-Power Five teams at 0-3 in this year’s CFP, with James Madison remaining the lone non-Power Five program still alive in the playoff field.
Lane Kiffin had sought to coach Ole Miss through the postseason while continuing to be associated with LSU, but Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter denied the request. Golding, promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach, led the Rebels into the postseason with a clear message that Ole Miss would move forward with a plan for the rest of the season. Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, who was retained to coach the Green Wave in this CFP game, is set to replace Billy Napier at Florida, a development that underscored the shifting coaching landscape across the SEC and the broader college football world.
Ole Miss advances to the quarterfinals and will meet Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, setting up a marquee early-2026 matchup. The result gave the Rebels a chance to cap a turbulent week with a signature win, while Tulane’s hopes of a historic playoff run ended in Oxford.
