The New Mexico State game was exactly what the Ole Miss Rebels football team needed. They had been in a slump after upsetting the no. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, struggling against Vanderbilt and losing 38-10 to the then 25th ranked Florida Gators. Against the Aggies, Ole Miss was able to get back to basics and look a little more like the team we saw in the first three games of the season.
The Rebels still had their fair share of struggles, turning over the ball three times, but they were able to overcome them and pickup the 52-3 victory.
On the Rebels first drive the offense stalled in the red zone and settled for a 21-yard Gary Wunderlich field goal, and New Mexico State was able to march down and retaliate with a field goal of their own. After that, however, Ole Miss came alive and shut out the Aggies for the remainder of the game and went on a scoring spree on offense.
On the next offensive drive for the Rebels, Jordan Wilkins used his bruising running style to churn out some tough yards and capped of the 65-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown. After the defense forced a quick three-and-out, the Ole Miss offense had another short field and moved down quickly to set up a 3-yard rushing touchdown for junior Akeem Judd.
The few minutes were troublesome for the Rebels as quarterback Chad Kelly was intercepted by Terrill Hanks. New Mexico State was unable to score of the turnover, but on the ensuing punt the ball bounced off of a Rebel player and was recovered by New Mexico State. The Aggies had good field positioning but ultimately missed a field goal.
The missed field goal proved costly as just two plays later Kelly threw a 66-yard strike to sophomore receiver Markell Pack for a touchdown, giving the Rebels a 24-3 lead. Kelly finished the day with 24 of his 33 passes completed for 384 yards and three touchdowns.
The Ole Miss defense came up big the next possession as safety Trae Elston made his fourth interception of the season. The offense was then able to move 74 yards down the field exclusively through the air, but then scoring the touchdown on a four yard run by Kelly, who finished the day with three carries for 32 yards.
Neither team came out very strong after halftime, with three straights punts and another Ole Miss fumble when returner Carlos Davis lost the ball on a return. The Rebels defense was able to force the Aggies into another missed field goal, and the Ole Miss offense came out strong and scored on a 20-yard touchdown from Kelly to junior Laquon Treadwell.
Things didn’t improve for the Aggies as they were once again intercepted, this time by senior Mike Hilton in his first game starting at the Husky position since his freshman year. The offense came back and went to Treadwell again, scoring on a 37-yard touchdown from Kelly in what can only be described as a highlight reel one-handed catch. Treadwell had a huge game, finishing with eight catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
The game was well out of hand at that point, but Eugene Brazely scored the final touchdown for the Rebels when he broke off a 78-yard for the score, making him the Rebels leading rusher with six carries for 98 yards and making the final score 52-3, Ole Miss.
