Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss: Score and Reaction for 2016 Sugar Bowl

Laquon Treadwell did a bit of everything to put an exclamation point on the Ole Miss Rebels’ fantastic season, as well as his college career. 

Treadwell, who is projected to be the top receiver taken in the 2016 NFL draft, caught three touchdown passes and even threw for 45 yards as Ole Miss defeated the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 48-20, in the Sugar Bowl on Friday night.

Ole Miss tweeted after the victory:

It had been over four decades since the last time Ole Miss (10-3) played in the Sugar Bowl, when Archie Manning was the quarterback in 1969 and the Rebels beat Arkansas 27-22 in New Orleans.

The quarterback this time around was Chad Kelly, who tied a Sugar Bowl record with four touchdown passes. Three of those went to Treadwell, which also tied a Sugar Bowl record set by former Florida Gators wideout Ike Hilliard.

Kelly finished the night with 302 yards, as his uncle and Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly watched on from the stands in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, per ESPN College Football:

One of those touchdown catches came in the second quarter to help give Ole Miss a 17-3 lead. The SEC Network grabbed a screenshot of the insane grab, which gives you an indication why he’s considered the country's top receiver prospect:

USA Today’s Dan Wolken also commented on Treadwell’s catch, followed with a hearty virtual laugh:

Treadwell’s six-catch, 71-yard showing in the Sugar Bowl also saw him move up the ranks among the best receivers in program history. He became the all-time leader in receptions in school history, passing Chris Collins, and also set a single-season Ole Miss record for receptions, per Hugh Kellenberger of the Clarion-Ledger.

Treadwell still hasn't declared for the NFL draft, but David Brandt of the Associated Press feels some teams should get in his ear and let him know it’s time to go pro:

Indianapolis Colts receiver and former Ole Miss star Donte Moncrief also chimed in on Treadwell’s great game:

Treadwell wasn’t the only projected top pick from Ole Miss to make his mark on this game. Offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, who some predict will go No. 1 overall this spring, got involved in the scoring action at the end of the first half.

With five seconds left, Kelly lateraled to the 305-pound Tunsil, and he essentially walked in for a touchdown to help give Ole Miss a 34-6 halftime lead, which led the SEC Network to tweet accordingly:

After starting the regular season 10-0 and on the verge of representing the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff, Oklahoma State ended the season with three straight losses, all by double digits.

Quarterback Mason Rudolph finished with 179 yards passing, and backup quarterback J.W. Walsh accounted for the first Cowboys touchdown of the game—a two-yard touchdown run with 1:11 left in the third quarter.

This was projected to be one of the highest-scoring bowl games this postseason, but it turned out to be a one-sided Ole Miss win. The Rebels held a good Oklahoma State offense to only 20 points without Robert Nkemdiche, who was suspended for the game.

If this was, truly, the last games for the likes of Tunsil and Treadwell, they went out with a bang in dominant fashion. They both proved they belong in the top five in the NFL draft.

Postgame Reaction

Both of Ole Miss’ stars won’t admit it now. They’re going to take some time before making a decision on the NFL draft.

Although Laquon Treadwell and Laremy Tunsil are projected to go pro and be top-five picks, both have said they’ll talk with their families and come up with a decision at some point next week. Joe Schad of ESPN.com had the Treadwell report:

And Hugh Kellenberger of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger had the Tunsil report:

It’s been a good bowl season for the once-considered weak SEC. The conference, thanks to Ole Miss’ win, is now 6-2 in bowl games with three to play, per SEC communications director Chuck Dunlap. The SEC holds the conference record with seven wins, so the odds are good that its own record will be broken.

"We had a blast," Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze told reporters after the game. "They really prepared well—I was super confident all day."

Ole Miss getting this win wasn’t just a milestone for the SEC. It’s only the second time in 44 years that the Rebels have made it to 10 wins. Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman noted how far Ole Miss has come in a short time:

Meanwhile, it’s been a rough end to the season for the Cowboys, as Wolken will attest to:

The Cowboys’ lackluster performance in the Sugar Bowl puts a merciful cap on the state of Oklahoma in bowl season. The state’s three teams (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Tulsa) allowed an average of 46.7 points per game in those losses, per ESPN’s Brett McMurphy.

"It became kind of a runaway train for us," Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. "I think they're a really, really good football team."

The lack of success Ole Miss has had over the years is appearing to be a thing of the past. Freeze has taken Ole Miss farther than it’s been in years. It looks like this is a new era of Ole Miss football, one that’s prepared to rival SEC powerhouses, such as Alabama and Florida, for the foreseeable future.