NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- As the clock struck midnight locally, Ole
Miss would steal away with a victory over Vanderbilt that, seconds
earlier, seemed unlikely.
Vanderbilt had seemingly done enough to
win the game just a few seconds earlier Thursday night. Tight end
Steven Scheu found himself all alone along the left sideline and
strolled in on a 34-yard scoring pass from Commodores quarterback Austyn
Carta-Samuels for a 35-32 lead with just 1:30 to play.
"That should have been the game-winning play," Vanderbilt coach James Franklin said of the go-ahead touchdown.
But
Jeff Scott would break around the left side, delivering a 75-yard
touchdown jaunt with just 67 seconds remaining as the Rebels won 39-35
in a clash of SEC programs looking to take the next step.
Vanderbilt
wants to kick their unprecedented ascent into a third stage of
afterburner after coming off its best season in nearly a century. The
bowl berth of two seasons ago in coach James Franklin's first season
laid the foundation for the nine-win season and ultimate bowl victory
last year.
In nearly the same fashion but a year behind, it had
been much the same for Ole Miss as it entered a second season under
coach Hugh Freeze. He had given the Rebels more than a glimmer of hope
with a winning record and bowl victory in his first season at the helm.
Thursday
night, Ole Miss had the last volley in the wild finish, avenging a
one-point home loss to the Commodores from last season in front of a
raucous and sold-out crowd of 40,350 at Vanderbilt Stadium. It was the
first home-opening sell-out for Vanderbilt since Notre Dame visited to
start the 1996 season.
Ole Miss junior quarterback Bo Wallace
completed 31-of-47 passes for 283 yards and also rushed for two
touchdowns. His counterpart, Vanderbilt senior quarterback Austyn
Carta-Samuels, completed 21-of-36 passes for 300 yards and two
touchdowns, including 10 receptions by senior receiver Jordan Matthews
for 178 yards.
"We just have to finish," said Franklin, whose
team gave up 29 points in the second half. "I think it's a little bit of
immaturity. I think we sensed that the game was over. It wasn't."
After
watching Vanderbilt score 21 unanswered points after staking an early
10-0 lead, Ole Miss came out blazing in the second half. The Rebels'
first drive after intermission stalled after at the Vanderbilt 27 before
an errant field goal attempt, but they made good on their second
possession of the second half, driving 66 yards in only seven plays. The
final three yards came on a keeper from backup quarterback Barry
Brunetti.
But the Commodores answered with a scoring drive of
their own, going 12 plays on 75 yards, with only two of the plays of the
drive coming through the air. Lining up behind center in the shotgun,
running back Wesley Tate plowed the last three yards up the middle to
put Vanderbilt ahead at 28-17.
Not to be outdone, the Rebels came
right back on the next possession and marched 75 yards on 15 plays.
Wallace ran the final three yards on a keeper off the right side for the
touchdown, and then connected with receiver Laquon Treadwell on a
two-point conversion to pull the Rebels within 28-25 late in the third
quarter.
And then the Rebels seemingly took the lead for good on
their next possession, marching 86 yards in 11 plays in less than 3
minutes. Wallace again did the honors to cap the drive, this time
bulling over from 1 yard out to give Ole Miss a 32-28 lead with 9:05
remaining.
"Give all the credit to them," said Franklin, whose
team led 21-10 at halftime. "We didn't win the second half. We win the
second half, we win the game."
On the first possession of the
game, Vanderbilt turned the ball over when Carta-Samuels was intercepted
at the Vanderbilt 31-yard line by Rebels cornerback Tony Conner on a
pass over the middle intended for Commodores tight end Kris Kentera.
Despite getting to the Vanderbilt 13-yard line, Ole Miss had to settle
for a 30-yard field goal by Andrew Ritter for an early 3-0 lead.
After
Vanderbilt went three-and-out on its next possession and got only a
16-yard punt from Taylor Hudson, the Rebels wasted no time in taking a
10-0 lead, driving 42 yards in nine plays. Backup quarterback Barry
Brunetti pushed through up the middle for the final yard from the
shotgun formation.
The Commodores finally got the offense going
early in the second quarter when Carta-Samuels directed a 12-play,
71-yard drive to pull within a field goal at 10-7. The big plays of the
drive was Carta-Samuels hooking up with Matthews on a 28-yard strike
across the middle and an 11-yard gainer down the left sideline. The
final three yards of the drive came on a keeper by senior running back
Wesley Tate out of the shotgun formation.
And after the
Rebels were held on three downs and out on their next possession, the
Commodores were off to the races. Carta-Samuels connected with Matthews
again, this time on a 55-yard scoring strike that saw the star receiver
race down the right sideline to put Vanderbilt up 14-10.
The
Commodores then stretched the lead to 21-10 with the third of three
unanswered touchdowns, this this time going 80 yards in only seven
plays. The drive started with Carta-Samuels hooking up with senior
receiver Jonathan Krause on a 33-yard reception to start the drive, and
it ended with Seymour going the last three yards on a cutback run to the
right side.
