The Rebels reach 6-0 and make their case for No. 1 in the country.
In a game between the SEC's top defense and the SEC's top offense, defense reigned supreme. The Ole Miss Rebels dominated the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station Saturday, frequently shutting down Kevin Sumlin's prolific offense en route to a 35-20 victory. Combined with last week's win against Alabama, it is the first time in school history Ole Miss has won back-to-back games against AP Top 25 opponents, according to ESPN.
While Ole Miss limited Kenny Hill and Texas A&M on offense, Bo Wallace went to work for the Rebels. The quarterback completed 9 of his 13 pass attempts in the first quarter for 126, running for the first two touchdowns of the game. The third? This 75-yard pick-six from Cody Prewitt at the start of the second quarter.
via ESPN
The Aggies were finally able to put together their first successful drive of the game in the third quarter, taking advantage of favorable field position to bring the game within two scores. Taking over on their own 42, they were able to score thanks to two big running plays -- Tra Carson's fourth down conversion at midfield and Trey Williams's 3-yard touchdown run to put Texas A&M on the board. The 14-play, 58-yard drive was the Aggies' longest of the day up to that point.
Texas A&M ended up scoring twice more in the fourth quarter, driving 87 yards in less than two minutes with the kind of quick-strike explosiveness we've come to expect from their offense, but it was way too late for any sort of meaningful comeback. The Aggies scored again on the game's final play.
Three things we learned
1. Ole Miss is capable of finding the offense it needs. Everyone knows the Rebel defense is up there as one of the top units in the country, but their ability to score against SEC defenses has been questionable. Texas A&M may not have even an average SEC defense, but the Rebels were able to put together a pair of impressive drives in the first quarter, scoring touchdowns on series of 69 and 99 yards, respectively. They put together another long drive in the third quarter en route to their third offensive touchdown, driving 65 plays in nine yards for a score.
Bo Wallace was the center of the offensive production, putting together one of his best performances yet as a Rebel. He completed 13 of 19 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, and led the team with 50 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
2. This defense can stop anybody. Alabama and new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin have had troubles this season, so holding the Tide to 17 points isn't exactly awe-inspiring (that's three more than they scored against Arkansas. But Texas A&M? They came into this contest second in the nation in scoring, averaging 47.8 points per game.
The Rebels didn't just stop the Aggies -- they made plays on defense as well. Prewitt's 75-yard interception return broke the game open in the second, and Keith Lewis's 21-yard fumble return for a touchdown closed it down in the fourth.
Texas A&M's yardage numbers looked better as the game went on, as Ole Miss's coverage softened, but make no mistake: the Rebels dominated on that side of the ball. Kenny Hill averaged 7.6 yards per attempt, with two interceptions against two touchdowns, and the Aggies averaged just 1.5 yards per rush.
3. Texas A&M may have a rough end to the season. The talent on offense is undeniable, but their defensive woes coupled with the trouble they've had against solid SEC defenses these past three weeks suggest games against Alabama, Auburn and Missouri may not go exactly as planned for the Aggies. This is a talented group that will continue to grow over the next few years (especially if they continue to dominate recruiting in the state), but it's still an incomplete team that will likely struggle against the SEC elite.