How Austin Simmons' injury opened doors for Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss

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Trinidad Chambliss put Mississippi football on his shoulders in the second half of the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinals against Georgia.

The former Division II Ferris State quarterback made a pair of impressive throws on the run to avoid sacks and led the Rebels to four second-half scoring drives to pull off the upset over the Bulldogs. He also broke Tim Tebow's Sugar Bowl record with 13 consecutive completions, which lasted from the end of the second quarter through the 6:19 mark of the fourth quarter.

For that performance, the Rebels are two wins away from winning their first CFP title, which No. 6 Ole Miss can advance to play for with a win over No. 10 Miami in the CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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He enters the CFP Fiesta Bowl with 3,660 passing yards with 21 touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Chambliss' Sugar Bowl performance and surge to being one of the top players in the CFP puts the spotlight on the path on how he got to being under center for the Rebels, a path that started with his number being called off the bench in Week 2 after Austin Simmons went down with an injury.

Here's a look back at Simmons' injury and how it allowed Chambliss to take over the Rebels' offense:

Austin Simmons injury: Look back at Week 2 injury vs Kentucky

Simmons beat out Chambliss for the starting quarterback job out of Ole Miss' training camp. The 6-foot-4 quarterback, however, did not last long in the role, as he sustained an injury in Week 2 against Kentucky.

Since that injury, Simmons has appeared in four games but mostly in either special play packages or in relief of Chambliss in blowouts, like Ole Miss' 49-0 win over The Citadel in Week 11.

Simmons entered the transfer portal on Friday, Jan. 2, and officially committed to Missouri on Tuesday, Jan. 6. He is expected to remain with the Rebels through the end of their CFP run.

Trinidad Chambliss takes over for Ole Miss

Chambliss made his first career start at Ole Miss on Saturday, Sept. 13 against Arkansas, where he completed 21-of-29 passes for 353 yards and finished with three combined touchdowns.

"Trinidad’s day didn’t surprise me," Kiffin said on Sunday, Sept. 14 of Chambliss' start against Arkansas. "Anytime we've gone in (Vaught-Hemingway) Stadium for scrimmages, or in his play the last two games, he’s done a fabulous job. I think he has the ‘it.’ That’s why we brought him here."

It's been Chambliss' offense ever since then, where he's become one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. He finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting with 23 points and two first-place votes.

Chambliss is now two wins away from finishing a Hollywood Movie script by going from a Division II national championship quarterback to a Division I national championship quarterback. He was a diamond-in-the-rough find for Kiffin and his former Ole Miss staff as well, making his story and type of season even more impressive. He was the No. 843-ranked player and No. 60 quarterback in the transfer portal according to 247Sports' Composite rankings.

Trinidad Chambliss record at Ole Miss

Chambliss enters the CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal with an 11-1 record as the starting quarterback at Ole Miss. The only loss that Chambliss has had as the Rebels' starting quarterback came back in Week 8 when Ole Miss lost its fourth-quarter lead on the road at Georgia.

In the Rebels' CFP first-round win over No. 11 Tulane on Saturday, Dec. 20, Chambliss became the first Ole Miss quarterback to win a CFP game.

"It's a surreal moment. If you would have said this before the season that I would be the starting quarterback and I would get Ole Miss their first playoff victory, I would be like, 'You're crazy,'" Chambliss said following Ole Miss' CFP first-round win over Tulane on Dec. 20. "But it's amazing. I just got to give thanks to God, because without him, I mean, none of this is possible. Just also, got to give thanks to Ole Miss and my team, to be honest, too. We've been through a lot, a lot of adversity. Glad that we got the win."

Trinidad Chambliss stats at Ole Miss

Here's a look at Chambliss' stats this season at Ole Miss:

Passing: 271-of-408 passing (66.4%) for 3,660 yards with 21 touchdowns and three interceptions
Rushing: 520 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 128 carries

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Austin Simmons injury: How Trinidad Chambliss became Ole Miss' starting QB

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