OXFORD, Miss. (Interstat) — Trinidad Chambliss completed 23 of 26 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns to lead Ole Miss past Charlotte 41-9 in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels improved to 2-0, while the 49ers fell to 0-2. A crowd of 68,134 watched. Ole Miss scored 20 points in the first quarter, added seven before halftime and 14 in the third. Charlotte scored six in the second quarter and three in the third. The Rebels never trailed.

Chambliss, a 6-foot-1, 176-pound quarterback from Grand Rapids, Michigan, controlled the offense with quick decisions and accurate throws. He also carried three times for 2 yards. His touchdown passes went to Johntay Cook II and Horatio Fields. Cook, a 6-foot, 186-pound receiver from Desoto, Texas, caught two passes for 12 yards and one score. Fields, a 6-foot-3, 202-pound receiver from Douglasville, Georgia, had four receptions for 66 yards and one touchdown. Deuce Alexander led the Rebels with eight catches for 76 yards. Caleb Cunningham added six receptions for 65 yards. Traylon Ray caught two passes for 26 yards and returned one kickoff for 26 yards. Dillon Alfred had one catch for 34 yards. Darrell Gill Jr., a 6-foot-3, 169-pound receiver from Atascocita, Texas, caught one pass for 9 yards, and tight end Luke Hasz, a 6-foot-3, 242-pound tight end from Bixby, Oklahoma, had two receptions for 6 yards.

Ole Miss also received a strong game from Kewan Lacy, who rushed 13 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns. He added one reception for minus-1 yard. Deuce Knight, a 6-foot-4, 217-pound quarterback from Lucedale, Mississippi, completed 4 of 8 passes for 68 yards and rushed four times for 27 yards and one touchdown. Makhi Frazier, a 5-foot-10, 214-pound running back from McKinney, Texas, carried twice for 11 yards. JT Lindsey, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back from Alexandria, Louisiana, had one rush for 3 yards. The Rebels’ balance kept Charlotte’s defense off balance throughout the afternoon.

Charlotte used two quarterbacks. Cole Gonzales, a 6-foot, 190-pound quarterback from Ocala, Florida, completed 14 of 21 passes for 128 yards and rushed five times for 6 yards. Conner Harrell, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound quarterback from Alabaster, Alabama, completed 5 of 6 passes for 50 yards. Cam Pedro, a 5-foot-11, 176-pound receiver from Suwanee, Georgia, caught three passes for 7 yards. The 49ers moved the ball at times but could not reach the end zone. Their points came on three field goals by I. Kelly. Kelly made attempts from 28, 24 and 28 yards. His 44-yard try in the first quarter was blocked by Jehiem Oatis.

Ole Miss opened the scoring in the first quarter when Lacy rushed 9 yards for a touchdown. Charlotte’s first scoring chance ended with Oatis blocking Kelly’s 44-yard field goal. The Rebels extended their lead in the second quarter on Chambliss’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Cook, Lacy’s 2-yard touchdown run and Carneiro’s 57-yard field goal. Charlotte got on the board with Kelly field goals. Chambliss later found Fields for a 9-yard touchdown, and Knight rushed 7 yards for a touchdown. Carneiro made his extra-point attempts.

Ole Miss defenders limited Charlotte throughout. Nick Cull, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound safety from Donalsonville, Georgia, recorded three tackles and one interception. Tah’j Butler and Luke Ferrelli each made six tackles. Ferrelli, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound linebacker from Carlsbad, California, helped control the middle. Keaton Thomas, a 6-foot-2, 224-pound linebacker from Jacksonville, Florida; Jonathan Maldonado, a 6-foot-6, 213-pound linebacker from Monrovia, California; Dante Core; Edwin Joseph, a 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back from Tamarac, Florida; and Suntarine Perkins, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker from Raleigh, Mississippi, each had four tackles. Maldonado and Perkins each added one quarterback hurry. Jordan Renaud recorded one tackle and one sack. Jaylon Braxton, a 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back from Frisco, Texas; Ladarian Clardy, a 6-foot, 175-pound safety from Pensacola, Florida; and Andy Jaffe each made three tackles. Landon Barnes, Jamarious Brown, Will Echoles, Gerald Lacy Jr. and Jalyn Crawford had two tackles apiece. Dorian Barney, Carmelow Reed, Cedrick Beavers, MJ Preston, Michai Boireau, Jarcoby Hopson, Blake Purchase, Joenel Aguero, Andrew Maddox and Jehiem Oatis each had one tackle. Oatis also blocked a field goal.

Charlotte’s defense got four tackles from Jonathan Patterson. Jerry Wall III and Cornell Allen, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound defensive back from Richmond, Virginia, each had three tackles. DJ Burgess, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive end from Oxford, Mississippi, made two tackles. CJ Clinkscales Jr., a 5-foot-7, 173-pound defensive back from Buford, Georgia, also had two tackles. The 49ers forced Ole Miss into a few long situations but could not generate a turnover that changed the game.

On special teams, Oscar Bird, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound punter from Sydney, Canada, punted twice for 97 yards for Ole Miss. Traylon Ray returned one kickoff 26 yards. Lucas Carneiro, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound kicker from Cornelius, North Carolina, handled kicking duties and made a 57-yard field goal and his extra points. Charlotte’s Kelly made three field goals, while Oatis blocked a 44-yard attempt. The Rebels controlled field position for much of the afternoon.

The game was part of the NCAA Football Bowl Division schedule. Charlotte previously lost to Citadel 43-41 on Sept. 5. Ole Miss previously defeated Louisville 41-38 on Sept. 6. Charlotte will travel to Appalachian State on Sept. 19. Ole Miss will host LSU on Sept. 19. Charlotte then hosts Louisiana on Sept. 26, Memphis on Oct. 3, and later faces North Texas, Temple, Tulane, UAB, East Carolina, Tulsa and Navy. Ole Miss will play Florida, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Texas, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, Wofford and Mississippi State after LSU.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ole Miss 42, Charlotte 22. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ole Miss with a 99.9 percent probability to win. Charlotte had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-45.5. The total score of 50 went over the over/under line of 59.5.