For the first time in program history, No. 8 Ole Miss traveled to Norman, Okla., to take on No. 13 Oklahoma in SEC play. The Rebels won 34-26 to improve to 7-1 on the season.
Everyone got involved
The offense totaled 431 yards and 34 points. Several pass catchers produced, with true freshman Winston Watkins leading the pack with 111 yards on four receptions.
De’Zhaun Stribling, who led the Rebels with three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown a week ago against Georgia, had a quiet day with only three catches for 32 yards. But his teammates carried the load: Harrison Wallace III had five catches for 64 yards, and Cayden Lee added three receptions for 60 yards. Tight end Trace Bruckler caught his third reception all year and his first touchdown of the season.
Perhaps most importantly, the running game was once again a factor. Running back Kewan Lacy rushed 27 times for 78 yards and scored two touchdowns. Lacy is now only five rushing scores away from breaking the program running back record for most touchdowns in a season.
The running game helped Ole Miss control the pace of play. The Rebels ran 87 offensive plays to the Sooners’ 60; Ole Miss’ time of possession was 35:36 and Oklahoma’s was 24:24.
The defense stood its ground
After surrendering 43 points to the Bulldogs last week, the Rebel defense came to its senses against Oklahoma. Ole Miss held the Sooners to 14 first downs, compared to the 34 that the Rebel defense allowed against Georgia. The Sooners managed a solid 359 yards, but that is much better than the 510 allowed against the Bulldogs.
Outside of Oklahoma’s two big-play touchdowns — one a 76-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Mateer to wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III, the other a 65-yard touchdown run by running back Xavier Robinson — the Ole Miss defense allowed only 218 yards and one touchdown. Last week, the Bulldogs scored on every possession.
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s unit also demonstrated its toughness down the stretch. In the fourth quarter, the Sooners did not score at all.
Throughout the game, the defensive line pressured Mateer and held him to a 45.1 QBR. Defensive end Princewell Umanmielen led the charge with 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss. He and Will Echoles combined for a tackle for loss in the Sooner end zone, forcing a safety. Kam Franklin finished the game with a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Statement win amidst rumors
Prior to Saturday’s game, Ole Miss Football head coach Lane Kiffin was 0-6 on the road versus AP ranked opponents. The win gives Kiffin and the Rebels their second Top 15 win of the season. Oklahoma’s defense is one of the best in the country — entering this game, the Sooners had given up only five touchdowns all season, and the Rebels scored three in this game alone.
All the noise surrounding Kiffin’s departure did not seem to affect the Rebels, which marks a change from previous years. The last time Kiffin was rumored to leave Ole Miss, the previously 7-0 Rebels finished out their season 8-5. Early indications suggest that Kiffin will not allow that to happen again.
With only four games left on the schedule, three of which will be played in Oxford, the Rebels are poised for what could be their first College Football Playoff appearance ever.
What’s next?
The Rebels return home to take on the 3-5 South Carolina Gamecocks in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. Coverage of the game will be on ESPN.
