The Ole Miss vs Kentucky clash made headlines at Lexington, not just because of the fluctuating scoreboard, which eventually culminated in the Rebels’ 30-23 win. Neither did it just grab eyeballs for Ole Miss’ revenge for last campaign’s defeat to the Wildcats, 17-20. But rather about Rebels’ star quarterback Austin Simmons. The game kicked off on a poor note for the Rebels. The Wildcats dominated the first quarter 7-0, with Austin Simmons throwing two interceptions; it was a sloppy start. But moving into the second quarter, Simmons made a comeback.
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Heading into the second quarter, he went 159 yards through the air, attempting 9-for-16 passing attempts to overcome the 10-0 deficit. Followed by two picks, he went 120 yards to gain a 17-13 lead, spilling into the halftime.
But the Rebels fans hollered for Simmons, who headed towards the sidelines in the fourth quarter. With less than eight minutes to spill to the fourth quarter, on third down, the redshirt-sophomore appeared to have his leg rolled up in a rushing two-yard run, owing to an awkward tackle. He stayed down on the field after the play and was sent to the injury tent as the Punt team took over after his departure.
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Stop. Running. Austin. Simmons.
— Everything Ole Miss (@EverythingRebs) September 6, 2025
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Kicker Lucas Carneiro punted the ball, and Ole Miss’ offense returned to the field, regaining possession, with Trinidad Chambliss taking over the QB1 gig. But as ESPN’s Molly McGrath reported, Simmons did not suffer a lone injury during the fourth quarter. Earlier in the game, he had gotten treatment on his left ankle. “You saw Austin Simmons couldn’t put any weight on that left leg,” McGrath said on the broadcast. “He was in visible pain when he went into the injury tent. But he came out with his left ankle heavily taped, threw the football, and looked determined to return,” she added.
Lane Kiffin’s response? “Austin Simmons was OK to go back in,” the head coach said, as D Journal Now’s Michael Katz wrote on X. Kiffin further said. “We’ve got a lot of people up there to help his position because it’s really important that position, a lot to do with how you win when you’re in that position. So we pour a lot of resources in that position to get them to play really well, and Austin’s been doing that so far,” he said.
But apparently, Simmons hadn’t called it a day and was hungry for more action. She continued.“He even sniffed some smelling salts [and] told trainers he’s good to go. So he’s itching to get back out on the field.”
Fans give up on Lane Kiffin as ‘worst play calling’
Although Ole Miss clinched the victory, 30-23, with Chambliss concluding the play, fans expressed their discontent over Lane Kiffin’s Austin Simmons saga, calling it the ‘worst play calling’. “@Lane_Kiffin, the goal is to try to win the game. Not sure what these two possessions in the fourth are trying to accomplish,” wrote a Rebels fan. “@Lane_Kiffin absolutely ignorant a– play calling on 3rd down. WTF?!?!?” commented another fan, pouring out his frustration bluntly.
The discontent peaked in the fourth quarter when Ole Miss held a slim one-score lead, but the coaching staff opted for six straight run plays instead of mixing in passes to exploit the passing game. Another individual shared his exasperation on social media, “Coach@Lane_Kiffin got some explaining to do for that last drive 😡.” Another person vented out, “Stop. Running. Austin. Simmons.”
Although fans raised their concerns regarding Kiffin’s play calling, the Rebels won 30-23, settling last campaign’s 17-20 loss. With that, they have won over four of the five games against the Kentucky Wildcats. Next, they will face off against Arkansas.
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Edited by
Rajdeep Paul