Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, left, runs for a first down while pursued by LSU cornerback PJ Woodland during the first half in Oxford, Miss., on Sept. 27. (AP file photo)

OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin loves a great story, especially when it involves quarterback Trinidad Chambliss — as long as it doesn’t stray too far from the truth.

“I don’t like to kill the story, but you do know he’s not from an island,” Kiffin said when asked about flags of the quarterback’s namesake island nation, Trinidad and Tobago, popping up around Oxford.

“He’s from Michigan and he’s been to one island in his life on a field trip when he was little — to Mackinac Island, Michigan,” Kiffin continued.

Chambliss, a breakout transfer player from Division II Ferris State, has been a pivotal figure for the No. 4 Rebels (5-0).

His emergence has been no surprise to Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers, whose Cougars make the cross-country trek to face Ole Miss on Saturday.

“We were able to watch him at Ferris State,” said Rogers, who guided South Dakota State to an FCS national title before moving to Washington State (3-2) this season. “It’s fun to watch him get better and better.”

Stepping in after Austin Simmons was injured in Ole Miss’ SEC opener at Kentucky, Chambliss is slated to make his fourth consecutive start. He has passed for more than 1,000 yards and helped the Rebels score 110 points in three victories.

“It’s funny; the flags are everywhere,” Kiffin said. “I dropped (son) Knox off at his buddy’s house and they have a big Trinidad flag in the house. Now they’ve got songs about the island and everything. So, it’s really awesome.”

Chambliss is quick to remind interviewers he hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and that his father is from South Bend, Indiana. Chambliss led Ferris State — located in Big Rapids, Michigan — to a Division II national championship before joining the Rebels.

“So, he’s never even been around blue water, let alone sand and an island,” Kiffin said, smiling. “In the South, there is a saying: ‘Don’t let the facts and details get in the way of a good story.’ So, maybe we will just run with this one.”

Quarterback legacies

Historically, both programs have showcased elite quarterbacks.

Drew Bledsoe, Gardner Minshew and Ryan Leaf hold most Washington State records.

Ole Miss has a deep list including Archie and Eli Manning, along with the late Charlie Conerly and New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Washington State quarterback Zevi Eckhaus went 16-of-28 passing for 189 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s win over Colorado State. Chambliss accounted for 385 yards of total offense in a 24-19 win over then-No. 4 LSU.

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