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Ole Miss Opens Freeze Era With 49-27 Win Over UCA
Rebels outscore Central Arkansas 35-7 in second half to earn victory
OXFORD, Miss. –
Sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace went 20-24 for 264 yards and two
touchdowns, and the Ole Miss football team (1-0) opened the Hugh Freeze
era by coming back from a six-point halftime deficit to defeat Central
Arkansas 49-27 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss.
Playing in front of 50,554 fans on a gorgeous Saturday evening, the Ole
Miss Rebels fought off a resilient Central Arkansas team by outscoring
the Bears 35-7 in the second half.
“We’re thrilled to get a win,” Freeze said. “Wins are important, no
matter who they’re against or when they occur. We’ve been in this long
enough to know that, and the joy that’s in that locker room right now
is special. The kids are having a blast in there, and it’s been a long
while since they’ve been able to rejoice so I’m very excited for them.”
The Ole Miss offense clipped along at an efficient rate for much of the
game against the UCA defense, punting just three times all game.
Ole Miss’ opening possession of the season nearly resulted in a punt,
but Freeze made the gutsy call and went for it on fourth-and-inches
from Ole Miss’ own 31-yard line. After a QB sneak from Wallace for the
first down, the Rebels’ offense shifted into overdrive.
On the very next play, with no passing options open, Wallace showed his
mobility by scampering for 13 yards. An end-around to senior Randall
Mackey followed for another first down before Wallace again showed his
wheels with a quarterback keeper up the middle for 25 yards and a
touchdown three plays later.
Wallace, a junior college transfer from Pulaski, Tenn., entered
Saturday night’s contest entrenched in a position battle with junior
quarterback Barry Brunetti. After Wallace passed for 268 yards and
rushed for a team-high 82 yards, including a touchdown, Freeze said
Wallace would be the Rebels’ starting quarterback against UTEP on Sept.
8, but declined to say the competition between the two was over.
“Barry did some real nice things too, but certainly Bo had a great game, and I’ve always known that he’s a gamer,” Freeze said.
Central Arkansas entered the halftime break with a 20-14 lead, but Ole
Miss responded in the second half by outscoring the Bears 35-7,
including 35-unanswered, and erasing all doubt in the game’s outcome.
The Rebels began their second half scoring in a rather unconventional
manner. After marching down the field to the UCA six-yard line, Wallace
rushed up the middle and attempted to dive into the end zone but the
ball was popped free. Flying through the air, the ball eventually
landed in the back half of the endzone where junior wide receiver
Ja-Mes Logan was on the spot and recovered the ball for the touchdown.
After a Bryson Rose extra point, the lead was Ole Miss’ once again,
21-20, and the Rebels would never look back.
“(Defensive coordinator) Dave (Wommack) made a lot of adjustments
defensively,” Freeze said. “We didn’t make a lot offensively. It was
just execution.”
Ole Miss followed up its first touchdown drive of the second half with
another one on the ensuing possession that was capped off by a 53-yard
touchdown throw from Wallace to Donte Moncrief down the middle.
Moncrief finished the game with eight receptions for a game-high 104
yards and a touchdown. It was the first 100-yard receiving game of
Moncrief’s bright, young career.
Ole Miss’ 565 total yards of offense were its most since netting 578
yards against Fresno State two years ago. The Rebels’ 330 passing yards
are their most since throwing for 332 yards against Arkansas in 2009.
Saturday’s game marked Ole Miss and Central Arkansas’ first-ever
meeting in football. The Rebels’ next game Sept. 8 against UTEP is
schedule for a 6:00 p.m. CT kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
“We have got a long way to go, and we look forward to getting back to
work next week for UTEP,” Freeze said. “I’m very, very happy for our
young men and our coaches and the Rebel Nation that we can start the
season 1-0.”
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