Tag: Mississippi

Mississippi's quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) throws the ball during the Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024.

Jaxson Dart, No. 14 Ole Miss fends off Miss. State in Egg Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jaxson Dart broke Eli Manning’s school passing record, Ulysses Bentley IV had the SEC’s longest run this season and No. 14 Ole Miss beat visiting Mississippi State 26-14 in Friday’s 121st annual Egg Bowl in Oxford, Miss.

In eclipsing Manning’s mark of 10,119 yards set from 2000-03, Dart was 14 of 24 for 143 yards and a touchdown as the three-TD favorite Rebels (9-3, 5-3) struggled through the air.

Dart now has 10,213 yards and moved into 10th all-time in SEC passing yards. He also rushed for 77 yards on 13 attempts.

Bentley, who was healthy but did not play in last Saturday’s 24-17 loss at Florida, had a game-high 136 yards on 20 carries and a TD.

Ole Miss leads the all-time series at 66-46-6.

The Bulldogs’ Michael Van Buren rushed for a TD and was 17-of-32 passing for 280 yards and a touchdown pass to Kevin Coleman Jr. (six catches, 118 yards). Van Buren also threw two interceptions.

Mississippi State (2-10, 0-8) went winless in conference play for the first time since 2002 and lost its 12th straight SEC game.

On the first series, the Rebels’ Chris Paul Jr. stepped in and picked off Van Buren for his first career interception. Caden Davis soon drilled a 39-yard field for a 3-0 lead.

After converting a fake punt, the Bulldogs went for it again on fourth-and-7 at the Ole Miss 34. Van Buren hit Coleman on a shallow cross for a 7-3 Bulldogs lead at 7:54.

In the offensive backfield on third-and-1, defensive tackle JJ Pegues rumbled five yards for his seventh touchdown of the season at 2:16 to cap a 13-play, 75-yard drive. Then on the quarter’s last play, Van Buren scampered in on a keeper from six yards.

Bentley ripped off the Rebels’ longest play of the season when he burst through the middle and sprinted 89 yards for a score and a 17-14 halftime lead.

After missing a 54-yard kick to end the half, Davis drilled one from 43 yards in the third following a muffed punt return by Coleman that was recovered by Suntarine Perkins.

In the fourth quarter, Caden Prieskorn made a juggling 19-yard TD catch at 9:56 to end an 87-yard drive. The TD put Ole Miss up two scores before its goal-line stand with 5:46 left.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) makes a catch for a touchdown over Florida Gators defensive back Bryce Thornton (18) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida owns second half to upend No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17

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Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed for the tiebreaking touchdown and Bryce Thornton made two huge interceptions in the final 1:32 to help Florida post a 24-17 victory over No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon in Southeastern Conference play at Gainesville, Fla.

Johnson rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries as the Gators (6-5, 4-4 SEC) defeated a ranked team for the second straight week. Florida beat then-No. 21 LSU last week.

The setback was painful for Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3) as the third loss figures to stomp out their College Football Playoff aspirations.

Jaxson Dart completed 24 of 42 passes for 323 yards, two touchdowns and the two costly interceptions for the Rebels. Caden Lee and Tre Harris caught scoring passes for Ole Miss.

DJ Lagway was 10-of-17 passing for 180 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for Florida. Elijhah Badger and Jadan Baugh had scoring receptions, Thornton racked up 14 tackles and Caleb Banks had 2.5 sacks for the Gators.

The Gators moved 67 yards on four plays for the go-ahead score with Johnson capping the drive with a 9-yard scamper with 7:40 left in the contest.

One Rebels chance to tie blew up when Dart threw deep into triple coverage on first-and-10 from the Florida 39-yard line. Thornton easily made the pick in the end zone with 1:32 left.

Ole Miss forced a three-and-out and got another chance. Dart appeared to be picked off by Dijon Johnson with 24 seconds left but a video review showed the ball hit the ground.

Two plays later, Dart made another ill-advised throw and Thornton intercepted it at the Florida 22 with 17 seconds remaining to finish off the upset.

The Gators scored on the first play of the second quarter when Lagway tossed an 8-yard scoring to Badger. Ole Miss tied it when Harris beat double coverage to haul in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Dart with 12:01 left in the half.

The Rebels took the lead less than three minutes later when Dart connected on a 22-yard scoring pass to Lee. Florida tied the score at 14 when Baugh caught a screen pass from Lagway and navigated 25 yards down the right sideline with 6:52 remaining.

Harris went over 1,000 yards with his TD catch but was injured with just over five minutes in the half when he fell to the ground grabbing his hip and groin areas. He didn’t return.

The Gators’ Trey Smack kicked a 53-yard field goal with 10:57 left in the third period. Ole Miss tied the score at 17-all on Caden Davis’ 42-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining in the quarter.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

No. 9 Ole Miss floats into The Swamp with playoffs mindset

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Four two-loss Southeastern Conference teams are packed into a five-team logjam in the latest College Football Playoff projections released Tuesday.

No. 9 Ole Miss is one of those teams and Rebels coach Lane Kiffin is among the coaches that have figured this part out: It’s better to not be part of the SEC title game than lose in it and miss the 12-team playoff field.

But first, Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2 SEC) attempts to bolster its positioning when it visits Florida (5-5, 3-4) on Saturday in Gainesville, Fla.

A Rebels’ victory keeps the team in the SEC championship game mix. Also entering the weekend with two losses are SEC foes No. 7 Alabama, No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Tennessee. No. 3 Texas has lost just once.

The winner of the SEC title game gets a first-round bye. But that’s not the part that concerns Kiffin.

“You know, the reward to get a bye versus the risk to get knocked out completely, I mean, that’s a really big risk just to get a bye,” Kiffin said. “So I think it’s ended up being a very unique situation of all postseason sports. The way that system is set up there and how you could go to (the SEC championship game) and get knocked out (of the CFP race). If you don’t go, you’re in.”

Ole Miss has won three straight games, including a solid 28-10 home victory over Georgia on Nov. 9. The Rebels had a bye last weekend.

Rebels star quarterback Jaxson Dart has thrown for 3,409 yards, 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season. He’s also expected to have top target Tre Harris back in the fold.

Harris missed the past three games due to a back injury. He has accumulated 59 receptions for 987 yards and six scores.

“Really excited to get the best receiver in the country back,” Kiffin said of Harris.

Jordan Watkins, who has caught a team-best seven touchdown passes, says every contest is in a playoff game for the Rebels.

“If we lose, we’re not in playoff contention, so knowing that, we have to win in every game from here on out,” Watkins said. “You can see that as far as how well we’re playing.”

The Rebels close the regular season at home against Mississippi State on Nov. 29.

Florida is coming off a 27-16 home upset of then-No. 21 LSU.

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway returned from a one-game absence due to a hamstring injury and passed for 226 yards and one touchdown. He then proclaimed the Gators are about to return to their former championship-level past under coaches such as Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer.

“Just having the guys rally behind that and truly like we’re going to change this,” Lagway said. “And that’s the whole vibe in the locker room, that we’re going to change this place and we’re going to make it what it used to be.”

Grand ambitions or not, Florida faces a stern test with the Rebels.

“Ole Miss has got playmakers on offense, obviously a veteran quarterback, and then defensively, they’ve got some disruptive players up front,” Gators coach Billy Napier said. “… They’re in position to (make the playoffs). They’ve had a good year. So I think this is a good football team, a ranked opponent, and we’re excited about the challenge.”

Florida will look to pressure Dart and it feels better about the prospects after recording seven sacks against LSU. Linebacker Shemar James had two.

Then-No. 3 Ole Miss didn’t fare well in its last visit to Gainesville, getting routed 38-10 in 2015.

The last overall meeting was in 2020 when Florida prevailed 51-35 at Oxford, Miss.

–Field Level Media

Choctaw County wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, photographed in Ridgeland, Miss., Aug. 10, 2024, is a member of the 2024 Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen.

Ole Miss flips 5-star WR Caleb Cunningham from Bama

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Ole Miss secured a commitment on Wednesday from 5-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, who had previously pledged to Alabama.

The significant 2025 recruiting class flip came four days after Cunningham visited his home-state Rebels during their victory against then-No. 3 Georgia.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Cunningham, from Choctaw County High in Ackerman, Miss., is ranked as the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 16 overall prospect in the class by the 247Sports composite.

Cunningham committed to the Crimson Tide on July 13, choosing coach Kalen DeBoer’s program over Mississippi, Mississippi State, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee.

As a junior in 2023, Cunningham caught 48 passes for 1,138 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s recruiting class also includes four four-star prospects, per 247Sports: RB Shekai Mills-Knight, S Ladarian Clardy, CB Cortez Thomas and DL Andrew Maddox.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Ulysses Bentley IV (24) runs the ball for a touchdown as Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Dan Jackson (17) and defensive back KJ Bolden (4) attempt to make the tackle during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

No. 16 Ole Miss’ defense shines in upset of No. 3 Georgia

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Behind Jaxson Dart, Caden Davis and an impressive defense, No. 16 Ole Miss upset No. 3 Georgia 28-10 in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, denting the Bulldogs’ national title hopes in the process.

Dart completed 13 of 22 passes for 199 yards, a touchdown and an interception and ran for a team-high 50 yards. while Davis made all five of his field goal attempts as the Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) won their third straight game.

Carson Beck was 20-of-31 passing for 185 yards but threw an interception and fumbled twice for the Bulldogs (7-2, 5-2), who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Nate Frazier ran for 47 yards and a touchdown for Georgia, which was outgained 395-244.

Trailing 16-7, Beck found Cash Jones for 29 yards on Georgia’s opening drive of the second half, advancing to Ole Miss’ 10-yard line. From there, Georgia had to settle for Peyton Woodring’s 23-yard field goal at the 9:47 mark of the third quarter.

Ole Miss answered on the following drive as Dart connected with Cayden Lee for gains of 23 and 26, before finding Antwane Wells on a 10-yard scoring pass with 6:10 left in the third. Dart’s two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, and the Rebels led 22-10.

Georgia turned the ball over on its next two drives. Frazier fumbled at Ole Miss’ 29-yard line with 3:26 left in the third, before Beck was picked off by John Saunders Jr. at the Rebels’ 15-yard line at the 7:22 mark of the fourth.

Davis tacked on another field goal with 3:22 left, extending Ole Miss’ lead to 25-10. Two plays into Georgia’s next drive, Beck was strip-sacked by Princely Umanmielen, and Suntarine Perkins recovered the ball on Georgia’s 19-yard line. Davis capped the scoring on a 32-yard field goal with 1:11 left.

On Ole Miss’ third play of the game, Dart was picked off by Dan Jackson, giving Georgia the ball at Ole Miss’ 21. Seven plays later, Frazier’s 2-yard touchdown run with 10:32 left in the first quarter put the visitors ahead 7-0.

The Rebels answered with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped with Ulysses Bentley IV’s 9-yard run at the 6:53 mark. After a Georgia punt, Davis’ 23-yard field goal gave Ole Miss its first lead at 10-7 with three minutes left in the opening quarter.

The Rebels followed two more Georgia punts with a pair of Davis field goals from 43 and 53 yards, respectively, as Ole Miss held a 16-7 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) passes as LSU Tigers defensive end Paris Shand (0) defends during the second quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

No. 19 Ole Miss braces for Arkansas

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In the always dangerous Southeastern Conference — where seemingly easier, unranked matchups on paper become 60-minute battles on the field — coach Lane Kiffin and No. 19 Ole Miss understand what can happen one state to the west.

Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2) will face one of those situations Saturday afternoon when it meets Arkansas (5-3, 3-2) in Fayetteville, Ark.

Both teams are part of a glut of two-loss SEC teams, as the Rebels and Razorbacks join No. 14 Alabama and No. 25 Missouri as programs that cannot afford a third defeat if the College Football Playoffs remain the end goal.

Like Arkansas, Vanderbilt (5-3, 2-2), one of the season’s best stories, and Florida (4-3, 2-2) have two SEC setbacks. Their third losses overall — non-conference ones — are practically an eliminator when it comes to at-large CFP consideration, however.

Favored Ole Miss should be wary of the Razorbacks on Saturday, and Kiffin need look no further than the plight of one of the schools he coached, Tennessee.

Ranked No. 4, the Vols cruised down to Fayetteville and lost 19-14 on Oct. 5, destroying their top-five position nearly as soon as they achieved it.

Kiffin and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman have been in wild games against each other, including a 52-51 Ole Miss home win in 2021, when the Razorbacks missed a potential game-winning, two-point conversion on the final play.

The home coach has won all four meetings between Kiffin and Pittman.

“We’ve had a lot of really tough matchups over time with them since we’ve been here,” the Rebels’ coach said Monday.

Arkansas has eclipsed last season’s four-win total by winning every other week since opening conference play with a 24-14 win at Auburn in Week 4.

In its 58-25 blowout of host Mississippi State last Saturday, Arkansas was dazzling behind quarterback Taylen Green, who passed for five scores, ran for one TD and led an offense that gained 675 yards.

Green has 2,451 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns — 11 passing, five rushing — and has ignited the offense following the departure of three-year starter KJ Jefferson to UCF.

The Razorbacks rank seventh nationally in total offense — with an average of 482.5 yards per game — while Ole Miss grids second (538.1).

Pittman said these Rebels are different from the past: The defense might be better than the offense. Former Razorbacks linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr. has a team-high 58 tackles.

“I just thought he was physical and played so hard,” Kiffin said of why he added Paul in the offseason. “He got hurt in our game against them a year ago. It was just different when he was in there, a difference-maker. He’s been great for us.”

The difference in Ole Miss’ defense is noticeable.

“They’ve always played well on defense, but you’re looking at the No. 1 rush defense in the country and No. 1 in points allowed,” Pittman said. “Their front is deep, and they’re very good at every defensive position. (Paul) is their leading tackler. He’s playing extremely well. They’re just really good defensively.

“You think about Ole Miss, you (usually) think about offense.”

Pittman said top running back Ja’Quinden Jackson and defensive back Jaylon Braxton are doubtful for Saturday’s game because of injuries, while running back Rodney Hill is probable.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) scrambles as Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Caiden Woullard (90) makes the tackle during the second half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Jaxson Dart, No. 18 Ole Miss surge past Oklahoma

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Jaxson Dart threw for 311 yards and a touchdown, heating up in the second half as No. 18 Ole Miss beat Oklahoma 26-14 on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

The Rebels (6-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) struggled offensively for large stretches of the first half before coming alive after halftime. The defense shut out the Sooners in the second half.

Ole Miss took the lead for good on their first drive of the second half, with Dart capping the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Caden Prieskorn. Dart finished 22 of 30 (73 percent) for the game.

The Rebels’ defense also turned it on in the second half, holding Oklahoma to just 94 yards after allowing 235 before the break.

Ole Miss outgained the Sooners 380-329, with 218 of the Rebels’ yards coming in the second half.

After going 7 of 9 on third down in the first half, the Sooners (4-4, 1-4) were just 1 of 9 in the second half.

Ole Miss came into the game leading FBS in fewest rushing yards allowed per game at 66.7, while the Sooners were near the bottom in rushing themselves, averaging just 112.1 yards on the ground.

But with quarterback Jackson Arnold returning to the starting lineup after being benched earlier in the season and Joe Jon Finley taking over play-calling duties after the firing of offensive coordinator Seth Littrell last weekend, Oklahoma’s running game — and its offense as a whole — finally showed some life.

After the Rebels took an early lead, the Sooners took advantage of a pair of critical Ole Miss penalties on a 60-yard touchdown drive, capped by Arnold’s 11-yard scoring pass to Bauer Sharp late in the first quarter to close to 7-6.

Late in the first half, Oklahoma reeled off a 13-play, 92-yard touchdown drive to take a 14-10 lead into the break.

Jacob Jordan — who hadn’t recorded a reception until last week’s loss to South Carolina — caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Arnold to put the Sooners ahead.

Oklahoma rushed for 125 yards in the first half — more than the Rebels had allowed in all but one game entering the day.

Arnold finished 22 of 31 for 182 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked nine times.

–Field Level Media

Tigers cornerback Zy Alexander 14 breaks up a pass intended for Antwane Wells 3 as the LSU Tigers take on the Ole Miss Rebels at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024.

No. 13 LSU clips No. 9 Ole Miss in OT thriller

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Garrett Nussmeier threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Lacy on the second possession of overtime to give No. 13 LSU a 29-26 victory over No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La.

Nussmeier, who passed for 337 yards, threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Anderson with 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

The Rebels (5-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) committed two penalties on the first possession of overtime before Caden Davis kicked a 57-yard field goal, giving the Tigers (5-1, 2-0) an opportunity to take their first lead of the game.

Jaxson Dart passed for 284 yards, a touchdown and a pick, Tre Harris caught seven passes for 102 yards and a score and Cayden Lee had nine catches for 132 yards for Ole Miss.

Nussmeier converted a fourth-and-6 from the Tigers 29 with a 14-yard completion to Mason Taylor with two minutes remaining in regulation. Nussmeier and Taylor connected again for completions of 19 and 10 yards before the game-tying touchdown.

Davis’ 35-yard field goal with 4:41 to go in the third quarter pushed the Rebels’ lead to 20-13 before Damian Ramos made a 41-yarder to get LSU within 20-16 by the end of the period. A 37-yard field goal by Davis increased the Ole Miss lead to 23-16 with 3:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Davis made a 49-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to give Ole Miss a 3-0 lead.

On the Rebels’ next possession, it was fourth-and-1 at midfield when Ulysses Bentley IV raced 50 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

The Tigers responded right away, as Nussmeier completed 4 of 5 passes for 78 yards, with the final 12 coming on a scoring strike to Trey’Dez Green that trimmed LSU’s deficit to 10-7.

Dart threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Harris to increase Ole Miss’ lead to 17-7 before Ramos kicked a 33-yard field goal. Ramos later added a 45-yarder that got the Tigers within 17-13 by halftime.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin gives direction during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Coming off rough loss, No. 12 Ole Miss not overlooking resurgent South Carolina

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An early-season setback has put No. 12 Ole Miss in a precarious position here in Week 6.

Following a loss last weekend to open Southeastern Conference play, the Rebels will face South Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.

After a weak nonconference schedule that included just one Power Four opponent (Wake Forest), the Rebels (4-1, 0-1 SEC) know that serious business is ahead — starting SEC play with two losses would hinder their chances at a postseason berth.

Things went poorly for them last Saturday on their home field against Kentucky, which entered its first road matchup of the season at 2-2 with the most memorable moment being a one-point loss, 13-12, to then-No. 1 Georgia.

The Ole Miss defense could not get off the field against the Wildcats, who shortened the game by holding a 39:43-20:17 advantage in time of possession.

Making matters worse, the home side had the game in hand until Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff converted a fourth-and-7 from his own 20 with 4:02 left, lobbing a 63-yard pass to Barion Brown for the Wildcats’ longest play this season.

A fluke Kentucky touchdown on a fumble, and Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis’ miss of a potential game-tying 48-yard field goal in the final minute, left the Rebels with a 20-17 loss.

Despite being favored by more than two touchdowns, Mississippi lost at home to Kentucky for the first time since 1978.

On Monday, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin said South Carolina presents a different defensive structure than the one Wildcats coach Mark Stoops fielded.

“Very different player types than last week. Polar opposites and very different schemes,” Kiffin said. “Kentucky is ultra sound, keeping things in front of you with really big bodies. … These guys (the Gamecocks) are built on speed and twitch. Both present problems.”

For South Carolina (3-1, 1-1), it expects the return of quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has battled an ankle injury suffered in a 36-33 loss to then-No. 16 LSU on Sept. 14.

Sellers, a redshirt freshman, completed 9 of 16 passes for 113 yards with an interception against the Tigers. He also rushed 10 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yard scoring scamper for the program’s longest TD run ever by a quarterback.

However, Sellers left the game in the second quarter, and LSU outscored the Gamecocks 20-9 in the second half.

Picked to finish 13th in the 16-team SEC, South Carolina rebounded with a 50-7 nonconference win over Akron behind a three-TD showing by Sellers’ backup, Robby Ashford.

Top running back Raheim Sanders left the Akron game with a foot injury, but he and Sellers should be fine for Saturday.

“These guys have good weapons and present a challenge with the ability to escape,” Kiffin said of Ashford and Sellers. “Robby is an elite runner and issues that come with that. So it is going to be a really big challenge for us.”

Ashford passed for 243 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a game-best 133 yards and one score against Akron.

“Been through a lot of ups and downs in my career,” said Ashford, who played two seasons at Auburn. “It’s taught me a lot and I wouldn’t change (it) for anything. … The road’s been tricky, but at the end of the day, it shaped me into who I am today.”

Ole Miss leads the all-time series with South Carolina 9-8. The teams’ last meeting resulted in a 59-42 Rebels win in 2020.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) passes the ball for a touchdown as Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Zxavian Harris (51) pursues during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Kentucky knocks off No. 6 Ole Miss

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Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff completed a 63-yard pass on fourth down, Josh Kattus scored the game-winner on a fumble recovery, and the Wildcats shocked No. 6 Ole Miss 20-17 in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss.

With Kentucky trailing 17-13 with 3:51 left and backed up at its own 20, Vandagriff heaved a 63-yarder to Barion Brown.

Gavin Wimsatt then fumbled on a keeper and tight end Kattus caught the ball and fell two yards for the winning TD with 2:25 left.

Ole Miss kicker Caden Davis hooked a 48-yard field goal with 48 seconds left that would have forced overtime.

In their first road game this season, the 17-point underdog Wildcats (3-2, 1-2 SEC) won for the first time in Oxford since 1978 but had to rally.

Vandagriff was 18 of 28 for a career-high 243 yards with a touchdown. Dane Key caught eight passes for 105 yards and a score.

The FBS’ top-scoring squad at 55 points per game, Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1) saw Jaxson Dart go 18 of 27 for 261 yards and a TD, with receiver Tre Harris notching 176 yards and a score on 11 receptions.

Mississippi’s high-powered offense struck right away on an 83-yard drive that Dart set up with a 39-yard catch-and-run to Harris to the 1. Parrish then tallied his eighth rushing TD just 2:09 in.

Kentucky answered impressively, traveling 66 yards in 15 plays as Alex Raynor connected with 5:13 left on a 27-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

The visitors took a 10-7 lead on Vandagriff’s 5-yard scoring pass to Key with 27 seconds left to end a penalty-aided drive.

Like it did against then-No. 1 Georgia two weeks ago at home, the Wildcats’ defense frustrated Dart and the offensive unit and held a 21:39-8:21 time of possession edge in the half.

The 10-7 deficit marked only the second time fifth-year coach Lane Kiffin trailed at halftime at Ole Miss, the other occurring in his Rebels’ debut against Florida in 2020.

After Davis’ 31-yard field tied it at 10 early in the second half, Raynor stretched his consecutive field goal streak to 14 by nailing one from 48 yards with 6:31 left in the third quarter.

With seconds remaining in the quarter, Kiffin gambled on fourth-and-7 at midfield and hit Harris on a slant. The received then dashed 48 yards for a 17-13 lead.

–Field Level Media