Ole Miss Unable to Hang On in OT to Vanderbilt

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Ole Miss Athletics) – Ole Miss suffered a heartbreaking loss at Vanderbilt, falling 36-29 in overtime, Saturday night at Vanderbilt Stadium.

The back-and-forth SEC battle went to overtime when Luke Logan connected on a 32-yard field goal to tie the game at 29 in the final minute, part of a perfect 5-for-5 day for the sophomore kicker. The Commodores struck first in OT, and it looked as though the Rebels had a resounding answer. Jordan Ta’amu found A.J. Brown in the corner of the end zone. Brown made what appeared to be a tremendous grab through tight coverage, but the play, originally called a catch, was overturned.

Ta’amu threw for a career-high 457 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Isaiah Woullard, starting for the injured Scottie Phillips, hit 100 yards for the first time in his young career, finishing with 107. Brown amassed 212 yards and a score, while DaMarkus Lodge had a tremendous day as well, totaling 117 and a touchdown through the air, but it wasn’t quite enough on the night.

Ole Miss drove to midfield on its opening drive but was halted on 4th-and-1 as Isaiah Woullard was stopped short. However, the Landshark defense came up with a stop on the other side of the ball, setting up the first Rebel score.

The Rebels put together a strong second drive as Ta’amu totaled 57 yards through the air to four different receivers en route to a 32-yard Luke Logan field goal, giving the Rebels an early 3-0 lead. The Ole Miss defense continued its strong start to the game, holding Vanderbilt to just one first down in its next drive before forcing another punt.

Another lengthy Rebel drive followed when Ole Miss took over on its own six-yard line. A.J. Brown and DaMarkus Lodge combed for 62 receiving yards on the series. It looked as though Lodge had the Rebels’ first touchdown of the day, but after a review, his score was called back as his foot stepped out on the 1-yard line. Ta’amu responded with a scoring strike to Jason Pellerin, but the tight end’s first career reception was overturned, negating the touchdown. The Rebels ended up settling for a field goal to make it a 6-0 game.

A third-consecutive defensive stop by the Rebels followed, and the Ole Miss offense made the most of it. It took Brown just 13 seconds as he hauled in a Ta’amu pass, shook a Commodore defender and darted up the sideline for a touchdown.

Vanderbilt answered, driving into Ole Miss territory, but the Rebel defense limited the damage. A key tackle for a loss by Qaadir Sheppard forced the Commodores to settle for a field goal.

The home team added nine more points shortly thereafter, blocking a Mac Brown punt out of the back of the end zone for a safety. The Commodores made the most of the safety, driving for a touchdown to make it 13-12. It looked as though Vandy might tack on more points before the break, but Ken Webster intercepted a Kyle Shurmur pass at the 3-yard line with six seconds until the break, helping the Rebels retain a halftime lead.

Out of the half, Vanderbilt put together a seven-play, 64-yard scoring drive, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Ke’Shawn Vaughn to claim a 19-13 lead. The Rebels quickly cut the lead down to three. Ta’amu hit Lodge for a 29-yard gain and Brown for a 22-yard gain on the drive. Woullard added a 17-yard rush to set up a 22-yard Logan field goal.

After a quick three-and-out by the Rebel defense, the special teams unit came through in a big way. Ole Miss blasted through the line and was poised for a punt block, prompting the Commodore punter, Parker Thome, to toss an incomplete pass, giving the Rebels possession on the Vanderbilt 26. The Rebels used the opportunity to knot the game at 19 on a 35-yard field goal by Logan.

It looked as though the Rebel defense had a key red-zone stop on the ensuing drive, but the Commodores converted on 4th-and-1, leading to a go-ahead touchdown connection between Shurmur and C.J. Bolar.

Ole Miss strung together another solid drive, highlighted by a huge 36-yard reception in traffic by Dawson Knox to convert on 3rd-and-12. However, three plays later, Ta’amu was picked off by LaDarius Wiley on the 14-yard line, ending the promising drive.

The Ole Miss defense came through with the stop it needed, though, forcing a quick three-and-out. Woullard sparked the ensuing drive with rushes of 12 and 20 yards before Ta’amu hit Moore, Brown and Lodge for four consecutive completions, punctuated by an unbelievable one-handed touchdown grab by Lodge to tie the game at 26.

Vanderbilt reclaimed the lead on its following drive. The Rebel defense held strong in their own territory, using a tackle for loss by Vernon Dasher and a sack by Benito Jones to force a 44-yard field goal by Ryley Guay to make it a 29-26 game.

The Rebels drove into Vanderbilt territory thanks to a key third-and-long connection between Ta’amu and Brown. However, Ta’amu was intercepted two plays later looking for Lodge deep in the end zone.

The Landshark defense came through with another clutch, forcing a three-and-out to give the offense possession at its own 39 with 1:41 on the clock. The Rebels drove down to the Commodore 15, where Logan hit the game-tying field goal from 32 yards out.

Ole Miss won the toss and started the first overtime session on defense. Vanderbilt quickly put points on the board as Shurmur hit Kalija Lipscomb for a 5-yard touchdown. It looked as though the Rebels would tie it up on a terrific touchdown grab by Brown, but the spectacular play was overturned and Ole Miss fell short in extra time.

The Rebels will close their season Thursday when they host Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Egg Bowl on ESPN.