Rebels Defeated Razorbacks 34-24
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole
Miss offense threw for a season-high 428 yards, including a career-high
416 yards from junior quarterback Bo Wallace, and the Rebels (6-3, 3-3
Southeastern Conference) defeated Arkansas 34-24 Saturday at
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Wallace, who recorded the
second-highest single-game passing total in school history Saturday,
led Ole Miss to its sixth victory of the season, allowing Ole Miss to
gain bowl eligibility for the second straight year under head coach
Hugh Freeze.
"We're very excited to be bowl eligible with three
games remaining," Freeze said. "We knew this would be a tough game for
us. It's good to get guys healed up during an off week, but it seemed
we played a little sluggish. It's a great sign for our program in year
two that we're able to win an SEC football game and not play our best."
Junior
wide receiver Donte Moncrief hauled in a season-high seven receptions
for a season-high 149 yards and one touchdown. Joining Moncrief in the
century club was senior wide receiver Ja-Mes Logan, who had five
catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a career-long
75-yard reception in the third quarter that helped break the game open
for the Rebels. It was the first time Ole Miss had two receivers with
more than 100 yards receiving in a game since 2003.
"I haven't
had receivers to this level at others schools," Freeze said. "I've
followed Ole Miss football for a long time, and our group could
arguably be one of the top receiving corps throughout
history."
After each team exchanged field goals on
their opening drives of the game, Ole Miss took the lead on a 1-yard
run up the middle by senior quarterback Barry Brunetti. Brunetti's
touchdown plunge, his fourth of the season, capped off an impressive
12-play, 82-yard drive for Ole Miss.
Taking over with 2:43 left
in the first half and leading 13-10, Ole Miss marched down the field
quickly to regain a 10-point advantage at 20-10 thanks to a beautiful
14-yard pass from Wallace to freshman wide receiver Laquon Treadwell in
the end zone.
The Razorbacks (3-7, 0-6 SEC) gained momentum
early in the third quarter. Following an interception of Wallace on the
Rebels' opening drive, Arkansas drove 46 yards in 2:35 to pull within
three at 17-20.
Perhaps the defensive play of the game came on
the Razorbacks' next offensive drive. With Arkansas already down to the
Ole Miss 39-yard line, the Rebels' Landshark defense sniffed out a
potential halfback pass by Arkansas and tackled the Razorbacks for a
9-yard loss, eventually forcing Arkansas to punt.
"Obviously,
Jonathan Williams, who we know can throw the football, threw a couple
to the same side and a sweep play," Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema
said. "We wanted to throw a throwback to Brandon (Allen) and obviously
it didn't break or execute as clean as we wanted."
Ole Miss
regained whatever momentum it had previously lost in a 3:06 stretch in
which Wallace found Logan for a 75-yard touchdown, and then Moncrief
for a 52-yard touchdown, giving the Rebels a 34-17 lead.
"To be
bowl eligible each of the first two years, we are ahead of schedule,"
Freeze said. "I did expect to be bowl eligible this year after last
year, but my plan when I first came in was to get to a bowl in year
three."
|