Pete Golding's postgame thoughts is exactly why Ole Miss pulled the Georgia upset

Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding lifts the trophy after the 2025 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding lifts the trophy after the 2025 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Ole Miss's 39-34 Sugar Bowl win over Georgia is one for the record books.

It was what you call an absolute thriller of a game, especially the fourth quarter that was everything a New Year's game promises to be.

With six seconds left on the clock, and an enraged Ole Miss fanbase holding their breath after two terrible calls, Lucas Carneiro drilled a 47-yard field goal to punch the Rebels' tickets to the Fiesta Bowl.

Pete Golding's mindset is what Ole Miss needs

It is what becomes of a player when they get the attention and praise they deserve, instead of a head coach who likes to steal the spotlight away from them every chance possible.

Pete Golding has always made it clear; the wins are all Ole Miss players, and he has been proudly shouting them from the mountaintops.

"I'm just so excited for our players," Golding said on-field after beating Georgia.

"The adversity they've been through, the resiliency they've shown. To come out, get down and not play well in the first half, I thought they came out and responded in the second half. Didn't play perfect by any means, but their energy, their effort, their body language - just really excited and proud of them."

No wonder the Rebels roster has all the motivation they need to prove themselves in this CFP run, after their head coach brutally abandoned them right before the Playoff.

But all the appreciation and praise coming from Golding's public appearances sure give them a good boost.

While Kiffin made sure to give credit where it was due, he enjoyed the spotlight a little too much.

Golding, on the other hand, takes the duty of putting all the limelight on every player on the Rebels' roster — not just the star players — helping them get into that winning mentality.

At this point in the game, the one who never shies away from beating the drum for them every chance he gets is exactly the type of head coach Ole Miss locker room needs, especially after the Kiffin drama.

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