Ole Miss not only collected a much-needed and expected win but had players break records in the game against Vanderbilt on Saturday.
In the first quarter, Matt Corral broke the program record for most consecutive completions with 19, dethroning the old record which was held by Eli Manning.
Corral also threw six touchdowns, which ties a program record that also belongs to Manning. It took Manning seven overtime periods to do this, but it took Corral less than three quarters.
“I’m not thinking about the record broken; I’m thinking about getting to work next week,” Corral said in a post-game conference. “I know we have a bye week, but we do have a big game coming up, and just getting a jump on South Carolina having an extra week to prepare is big for us.”
Part of Corral’s record-breaking performance can be attributed to Elijah Moore, who had his own record-breaking day on Saturday. The junior wideout caught 14 passes for 238 yards and three touchdowns, breaking one and tying two previous program records.
Moore is now the new Ole Miss-record holder for single-game receiving yards as he dethrones current Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown, who broke the record in 2017. Moore also tied the record for receptions with 14.
His three touchdown receptions make him the tenth player in school history to do so.
“I try not to focus on that, because that’s not the overall goal — that’s the stuff you hear after the game and it’s good to hear,” Moore said. “It’s a blessing. I thank God, but I just want to win. That’s the best feeling right now is that we won.”
Moore and Brown were teammates in 2018 when Moore was a freshman, and Moore said their relationship has continued today with a competitive dynamic.
“I didn’t look at my phone yet, but I already know (Brown) is going to call me,” he said.
The only place in which Ole Miss struggled was on special teams, where kicker Luke Logan missed a field goal and an extra point.
In the post-game press conference, Kiffin did not deny Logan’s responsibility.
“Special teams, we weren’t very good,” Kiffin said. “And what we should change is we should make the kick. I don’t think that involves a lot of people besides the kicker.”
In addition to broken records, sophomore John Rhys Plumlee got extended action in the game and scored his first touchdown of the season on a 37-yard pass for Braylon Sanders. In his limited play, he completed one pass and rushed for 22 yards.
The Rebels will head back to Oxford for a bye week as they gear up to take on South Carolina on Nov. 14 in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
