NEW ORLEANS (WBTV) – A young man from Mecklenburg County sent Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinal with a game-winning field goal on New Year’s Day.
The Rebels’ kicker, Lucas Carnerio, nailed a 47-yarder with just seconds left in a classic Sugar Bowl showdown against Georgia in New Orleans on Thursday, Jan. 1.
Mississippi kicker Lucas Carneiro celebrates his go-ahead field goal in the second half of the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football playoff quarterfinal game against Georgia in New Orleans, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)(Gerald Herbert | AP)About Carnerio
A native of Cornelius, Carnerio was a three-year letterwinner at the Community School of Davidson, where he earned Player of the Year honors as both a junior and senior.
Before transferring to Ole Miss, Carnerio played at Western Kentucky, where he boasted an 87.1% field-goal percentage and was a perfect 47-for-47 on PATs.
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