No pedigree, no problem for Mississippi's Trinidad Chambliss vs. LSU and Garrett Nussmeier

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OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — LSU senior Garrett Nussmeier stood with his back to a concrete support post near the visitor's locker room at Mississippi's Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, answering questions about why the Tigers' offense has lacked the punch that was expected of it this season.

In an adjacent building that houses Ole Miss' football headquarters, Trinidad Chambliss tried to explain how it feels to go from Division II football last season to gaining 385 yards from scrimmage in a victory over their fourth-ranked historical rivals from neighboring Louisiana.

“It's an amazing accomplishment,” Chambliss said after a 24-19 victory over LSU Saturday, thanking Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and his staff “for giving me the opportunity to come here, showcase my skill set, showcase what I can do. It’s been amazing, a dream come true. Just great.”

Entering this season, Nussmeier — whose father, Doug, is a long-time NFL assistant coach who also played professionally — was widely seen as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. He threw for 4,052 yards last season and had elected to eschew the 2025 NFL Draft and instead return for his senior year to a team with a highly regarded receiver corps.

LSU coach Brian Kelly has said that Nussmeier had to work his way through nagging knee and torso injuries that limited his practice snaps during August camp. But Kelly also said after the loss at Mississippi that Nussmeier “has got to play better.”

When pressed about how he was feeling physically, Nussmeier said only, “I’m not going to answer anything involving my health. Sorry.”

Nussmeier acknowledged being “frustrated” after completing 62% of his passes for 197 yards, one TD and one interception. But he was not inclined to try to explain why the Tigers' offense has been unable to connect on long passes or gain much yardage on the ground (just 57 yards rushing against the Rebels).

“Nobody’s really pointing fingers," Nussmeier said. “We've got to get back and watch the tape and see the areas we need to improve.”

Chambliss, who got his first Division I start three weeks ago in place of injured teammate Austin Simmons, finished with 314 yards and a touchdown passing to eclipse the 300-yard mark for the third game in a row. He also rushed for 71 yards, including a first-down scramble that helped the Rebels run out the clock on their final possession.

He sealed the game with a fourth-down completion to tight end Dae'Quan Wright, his second successful fourth-down pass of the game.

“Trinidad has done a really amazing job the way he’s handled the offense,” said receiver Cayden Lee, who caught Chambliss' TD pass to give Ole miss a 17-7 lead just before halftime — moments after Chambliss' earlier fourth-down conversion.

Chambliss said he did not have any Division I opportunities coming out of high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. So he went to nearby Ferris State and wound up leading that program to a Division II national title, which got Kiffin's attention.

“Ferris State really took a chance on me,” Chambliss said.

It paid off, and so has Ole Miss' decision to bring in Chambliss this year.

“It’s just a really cool story,” Kiffin said of the 6-foot, 200-pound senior. “A little short kid from Division II going against Nussmeier and the mighty Tigers of LSU. It was awesome.”

But Chambliss said he’s one of a number of players who don’t blossom into Division I-level players until after they’ve begun their college careers at small programs.

“At Ferris State, we had some dogs over there,” Chambliss said. “We had a lot of guys transfer up.”

The biggest differences in Division I, Chambliss said, is the size, speed and physicality of defensive linemen and linebackers, as well as the environment on game day. During the Rebels' Walk of Champions past bustling tents filling a renowned, tree-shaded tailgate area called the Grove, some fans flew flags from Chambliss' namesake Caribbean Island, Trinidad and Tobago.

While Chambliss is from Michigan, he appreciated the support.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss coaches “have done a good job of preparing me” for everything on the field, he said.

Chambliss' teammate, defensive back Wydett Williams also began his college career in Division II at Delta State before first transferring to Division I Louisiana-Monroe and then Ole Miss.

“We dream for moments like this,” Williams said when asked about his and Chambliss' path to the Southeastern Conference. "We took those steps in our life to be where we want to be. We had to do more than others, but we’re here right now.

“You have to be grateful for everything,” Williams added. “If you put in hard work, something good will come out of it.”

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