NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels defeated No. 24 Louisville Cardinals, 41 to 38, in today’s Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff showdown at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. In this second-ever team encounter, the Rebels secured their victory with a 48-yard field goal as time expired by kicker Lucas Carneiro. The game attracted 57,390 fans from across the country to Music City for a premier, primetime college football season opener, broadcast nationally on ABC.
Despite early execution hurdles, including a high snap that pushed the Rebels back 21 yards on their opening possession, Ole Miss regrouped to fight through a tight defensive battle. The Rebels carried a 10–6 advantage into halftime before the matchup transformed into an intense, high-scoring afair. With the game tied at 38 and just 1:28 remaining in regulation, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss took charge of the final drive. On a crucial third-and-6, Chambliss connected on an 18-yard completion to put Ole Miss squarely in field goal range. Kicker Lucas Carneiro capped of the drive, drilling a 48- yard field goal as the clock hit zero to seal the victory and send the Rebels’ bench into a frenzy.
“As their coach, did I know we were gonna beat them? I knew we were talented,” said Pete Golding, Ole Miss Rebels head coach. “The execution and consistency of it, that was something that hasn’t been consistent with our scrimmages. And that’s something we need to improve. Right now, there are too many highs and lows...But that’s our jobs as coaches.”
Louisville opened the scoring with a 25-yard field goal from Carson Hilbert following a 47-yard drive, capitalizing early after an errant shotgun snap over quarterback Trinidad Chambliss derailed Ole Miss' opening possession. Despite this early offensive adversity, the Rebels battled through a tense matchup while attempting to contain Louisville quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, who accumulated 307 passing yards and a team-high 69 rushing yards to propel the Cardinals back into a late fourth-quarter tie.
“Unfortunately, we came up short tonight,” said Jeff Brohm, Louisville Cardinals head coach. “When you play good football teams, it’s not going to be smooth, otherwise you’re gonna blow the team out, so we try to win 51% of our plays out of their 49, and unfortunately, they won 51%.”
The event featured a heartfelt tribute to the late singer and songwriter Dolly Parton, where Louisville and Ole Miss fans alike sang her most notable songs, including “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You.” Additional Labor Day weekend festivities hosted by the Nashville Sports Council included the Music City Kickoff Concert at Ascend Amphitheater and the college volleyball double-header Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena across the river, making for an exciting weekend of sports and entertainment in Music City.
“Today’s game proves once again why Nashville is a premier destination for big-time college football,” said Scott Ramsey, President and CEO of the Nashville Sports Council. “We congratulate Ole Miss on a fantastic victory and extend our appreciation to both programs, our sponsors and the fans who made the inaugural Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff a great success. We can’t wait to build on this energy next year in the new Nissan Stadium.”
To view postgame notes and stats, visit musiccity.statbroadcast.com.
For more information on the Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff game, visit NashvilleSports.com/MusicCityKickoff.
About the Nashville Sports Council, Inc.
The Nashville Sports Council, Inc. is a private, non-profit, membership-based organization of area companies and individual sports enthusiasts. Created in 1992, the Nashville Sports Council’s mission is to positively impact the economy and quality of life of the Greater Nashville Area by attracting and promoting professional and amateur sporting events. The Nashville Sports Council has hosted hundreds of major sporting events, generating more than $1.4 billion in direct economic impact for the region. For more information, call 615-743-3120 or visit NashvilleSports.com. Follow the Nashville Sports Council on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule included three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, two college volleyball events, the premier regular-season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events accounted for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.
Follow ESPN Events on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube pages.
About Liberty Mutual Insurance
At Liberty Mutual, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. For more than 110 years, we have helped people and businesses embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow by providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care.
A Fortune 100 company with more than 40,000 employees in 28 countries and economies, we are the ninth largest global property and casualty insurer and generate more than $50 billion in annual consolidated revenue.
We operate through three strategic business units: US Retail Markets, providing auto, home, renters and other personal and small commercial lines property and casualty insurance to individuals and small businesses countrywide; Global Risk Solutions, delivering a full range of comprehensive commercial and specialty insurance, reinsurance and surety solutions to mid-size and large businesses worldwide; and Liberty Mutual Investments, deploying more than $100 billion of long-term capital globally across its integrated platform to drive economic growth, power innovation and secure Liberty Mutual’s promises.
For more information, visit libertymutualinsurance.com.
###
