Rebels Fall to Vanderbilt Rally, 27-26

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) — Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Bo Wallace passed for a career-high 403 yards, and junior wide receiver Ja-Mes Logan had eight receptions for 160 yards – both career highs – but the Rebels (5-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) couldn’t hold on and fell to Vanderbilt (6-4, 4-3 SEC) 27-26 on Saturday night at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers eludes Rebel defenders in the Commodores’ 27-26 victory in Oxford.

The Rebels were attempting to win their sixth game of the season and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2009, but couldn’t hold on to the lead in the second half.

Defensively, the Rebels were led by sophomore defensive back Cody Prewitt, who had a team-high seven tackles, and two tackles for losses. Mike Marry and Denzel Nkemdiche each had six tackles for the Rebels.

Ole Miss recovered a fumble on the second play of the game, and converted on the turnover seven plays later with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Wallace to Vince Sanders in the back left corner of the end zone. Sanders finished the game with five receptions for a career-high 96 yards.

Senior kicker Bryson Rose was a busy man in the second quarter, knocking in three field goals of 22, 28 and 41 yards. Rose’s three field goals moved him up to fourth on the Rebels’ career field goals made list, and third in career points scored by a kicker.

The Rebels opened the second half strong, scoring on the opening drive with a nine-play, 56-yard drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Wallace, his sixth rushing touchdown of the season. The touchdown gave Ole Miss a 23-6 lead.

Vanderbilt scored 14-unanswered points in the third quarter to cut the Rebels lead to three points. A Rose field goal with 5:28 remaining, his fourth of the game, gave Ole Miss a 26-20 lead. Vanderbilt then won the game with a 26-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jordan Rodgers to Chris Boyd with 1:51 remaining on the clock.