Ole Miss Handles Troy, 51-21

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OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI Sports/Ole Miss Athletics) – The Ole Miss offense accumulated a program-record 751 yards of total offense Saturday in a 51-21 victory over Troy at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The balanced Rebels offense was on point throughout the game as it accumulated 31 first downs via 382 yards rushing and 369 yards passing. The Rebels’ 751 yards of total offense is the fifth-highest total in Southeastern Conference history. The Ole Miss defense did its part as well, allowing the Trojans to convert on just 4-of-13 third-down attempts and -13 yards rushing.

“That’s always good and means you’re doing something right,” said Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze of breaking the school total yardage record. “We broke it in the third quarter, so it was a good day. We finished today, as far as our 1’s and 2’s, and now it’s time to move on to the next one.”

Junior quarterback Bo Wallace finished the game with 272 yards passing and three touchdowns, and a team-high 66 yards rushing, including one rushing touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Laquon Treadwell had four receptions for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Treadwell is now the Ole Miss freshman record holder for catches (53), receiving yards (477) and receiving touchdowns (5) in a season.

Junior linebacker Serderius Bryant and freshman defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche each recorded one sack and two tackles for loss. In addition, Bryant had a forced fumble Saturday while Nkemdiche’s sack was the first of his collegiate career, and his four solo tackles tied his season high. Sophomore defensive back Carlos Davis led the Rebels with a career-high six total tackles, including five solo stops.

Treadwell got the scoring started for Ole Miss (7-3, 3-3 SEC) when he caught a short pass by Wallace, shed five tackles and beat a sixth defender by diving to the left pylon for a 25-yard touchdown.

“I think he broke four or five tackles,” Wallace said. “He is just a physical kid and if you get him the ball he can do a lot with it.”

Following a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jaylen Walton, Treadwell scored his second touchdown of the first quarter, a 23-yard reception, with 39 seconds remaining.

Wallace closed out the scoring in the first half with his legs as opposed to his arm. The junior signal caller kept it on a read option and scampered untouched to the right for a season-long 29 yards to give Ole Miss a 27-7 lead at the break.

Taking over on its own 5-yard line to begin its second drive of the third quarter, the Ole Miss offense drove 95 yards on just six plays, capped off by a beautiful 43-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Barry Brunetti to Walton.

Ole Miss made history with 4:39 to go in the third quarter on Wallace’s 24-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo. Wallace’s touchdown pass, his third of the game, gave the Rebels 644 yards of total offense, which broke the Rebels’ 62-year-old program record for total yardage in a game set in 1951.

Ole Miss will now turn its attention to the SEC East-leading No. 8 Missouri Tigers (9-1, 5-1 SEC). The Rebels host the Tigers on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6:45 p.m. on ESPN. It will be Ole Miss’ first matchup against Missouri since 2007, and the first with the Tigers as an SEC member.

“The speed off their edge is tremendous,” Freeze said. “They are very sound and athletic on the backend. Their front is as good as we’ve faced athletically, particularly on the end.”