Ole Miss vs. LSU: Score and Twitter Reaction
Spurred on by a heroic performance from their defense, the No. 24-ranked LSU Tigers defeated the No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels 10-7 in yet another upset fraught with implications for the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Trailing the majority of a highlight-starved game, LSU went ahead 10-7 on a three-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Jennings to Logan Stokes with just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Ole Miss would get a late chance to win the game, but LSU defensive back Ronald Martin intercepted Bo Wallace's short-armed pass on his own 2-yard line to end the game.
Here is the quarter-by-quarter score from the game:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Ole Miss | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| LSU | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
Turnovers and the field-position battle defined this plodding contest. Ole Miss punted the ball eight times in the game, but it did well to pin the Tigers back in their own territory for much of the game. LSU turned the ball over four times, including two interceptions from Jennings, yet managed to pull off the win.
The Tigers' swarming defense gave Wallace fits all evening long and kept them in the game when their own offense sputtered, which was quite often.
LSU freshman running back Leonard Fournette, who finished with 154 all-purpose yards, was a menace throughout the game but botched an early Tigers drive by fumbling just one yard away from paydirt. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler was impressed with his showing despite the fumble:
Ole Miss took an early 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter when Wallace hit wideout Cody Core in the flat for a 15-yard touchdown. Hugh Kellenberger of The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger was impressed by the well-executed play:
LSU went run heavy in the first half with Jennings out of rhythm. Fournette, still struggling to carry those lofty preseason expectations, traded off carries with Terrence Magee and Kenny Hilliard throughout the contest.
Magee fumbled to start the second quarter, but the Tigers would put together a monstrous 17-play, 90-yard drive that somehow ended in a Colby Delahoussaye field goal instead of a touchdown.
The Tigers' long drive dominated the second quarter and left Ole Miss little time to do anything of note.
Both teams traded punts throughout the second half, with Jennings breaking up the monotony by throwing his first interception in the third quarter. ESPN's Peter Burns gave his thoughts on both quarterbacks' shortcomings:
There was a scary moment in the second half when Fournette got his facemask ripped clean off by an Ole Miss defender. Bleacher Report provided a look at the play:
With neither offense able to put together a cohesive drive, it looked like Ole Miss might somehow hold on for the win.
LSU finally broke through in the fourth quarter after so many squandered possessions. Starting from their own 5-yard line, the Tigers wound down the clock with a steady supply of runs from Fournette, Hilliard and Melvin Jones.
Thirteen plays, 95 yards and the only pass capped off the drive. Jennings hit Stokes in the flat and he took the ball into the end zone, unleashing pandemonium at Tiger Stadium.
The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre was in awe of the drive:
Ole Miss failed to convert on a 4th-and-1 on its next drive, but the Rebels defense ensured the road team would have one more chance by forcing an LSU punt with just under two minutes to go.
The Tigers thought they won the game when Wallace floated an under-thrown pass into the hands of an LSU defender, but a penalty erased the play. SportsCenter provided a recap:
Wallace scrambled on second down for eight yards to put the Rebels in field-goal range. However, a delay of game penalty knocked them further back and Wallace's last-ditch throw was picked off just in front of the end zone with two seconds left on the clock, securing the shocking win for LSU.
College Football Today's Spencer Tillman felt Wallace choked:
ESPN Stats & Info tweeted out this stunning nugget of information:
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze talked about the loss via The Associated Press (h/t The Columbus Dispatch):
"We've been on the good side of these for seven in a row now. This league is brutal. Give LSU a ton of credit. ... That's the best offensive line we've played and the running backs are very, very good. And, defensively, they're coming into their own.
"
The SEC West falls further into chaos with the Rebels' loss. Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State all won on Saturday, and they all should end up ahead of Ole Miss in the Week 9 rankings. It's almost a foregone conclusion that one of these teams will make the College Football Playoff, but at this point it's anyone's guess as to who will survive.
Alabama still has to play Auburn and Mississippi State this season in what should be two very exciting contests.
It's a signature win for LSU head coach Les Miles, who made good on his penchant of pulling off late victories. The Tigers now have a bit of life in the SEC as well, but it's unlikely they can catch some of the other top teams in the conference.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
