Ole Miss made their first appearance in the Sugar Bowl in 46 years on Friday night. Like the team 46 years ago, the Rebels walked off the field victorious defeating Oklahoma State 48-20.
Oklahoma State took an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter going 59 yards and connecting on a 26 yard field goal.
Ole Miss dominated the game starting in the later portion of the first quarter. Junior running back Akeem Judd popped two runs for 32 yards putting the Rebels into Cowboy territory and allowing the Rebels to tie the game up when Gary Wunderlich drilled a 34 yard field goal attempt.
The Rebels would force a three out the next possession. Three plays later, junior quarterback Chad Kelly connected with senior wide receiver Cody Core on a 31-yard touchdown to give the Rebels the lead.
The Rebels would dominate the first half after that, outscoring Oklahoma State 24-3 in the second quarter. The Rebels faced a first and goal with five seconds remaining in the half. Head coach Hugh Freeze decided to go for seven points instead of the safe three.
Chad Kelly took the snap and rolled right. He threw back left to……Laremy Tunsil, who took it in for a touchdown to give Ole Miss the 34-6 lead at the half.
“You study film and play the percentages,” Freeze said. “Thought that could be somewhat of a dagger to end the first half. You just have a gut feel every now and then.”
The second half was somewhat dull with each team scoring fourteen points. The Rebels put an emphasis on running the ball and the clock In the second half.
Junior quarterback Chad Kelly finished 21-33 for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Kelly was named most outstanding player of the 2016 All State Sugar Bowl
“This win means everything,” Kelly said. “ To have players like this and coaches like this, I mean these guys are my best friends and my brothers and I am so glad they’re my teammates”
Junior wide receiver Laquon Treadwell broke Shay Hodge’s record for most receiving yards in a season on a second half completion. Treadwell would finish with six receptions for 71 yards and three touchdowns.
The Rebels were more prepared and focused for this year’s New Year’s Six Bowl than that of 2015 when they were defeated soundly by TCU. The Rebels credited that to preparation and the importance that Freeze put on this game.
“He got on us day one and let us know it was going to be different this year,” Treadwell said. “He was going to hold us accountable and make sure everybody came to play. It showed tonight.”
The Rebels capped off the 2015 season with ten wins, the first ten win season since Eli Manning was in school.
“To end the year with winning the Magnolia Bowl, the Egg Bowl, and now the Sugar Bowl, which was a bucket list for me, it’s really surreal,” Freeze said.
