Mississippi players and head coach Hugh Freeze prepare to take the field before an NCAA college football game against Louisiana-Lafayette in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 13, 2014. (DM Photo | Cady Herring)
Oxford, MS- Ole Miss secured its third blowout victory of the season when they took on Louisiana-Lafayette. Fresh off its victories against Boise State and Vanderbilt, the Rebels grabbed ahold of the lead early against the Ragin’ Cajuns and did not let go, winning 56-15.
The Rebels running backs had what was probably their best game as a unit, with a couple of big plays really setting the tone of the game early on. Junior I’Tavius Mathers broke off a 56-yard touchdown run five minutes into the first quarter to give the Rebels their first score of the game. The next drive, junior running back Jaylen Walton found the end zone, running a wheel route for a 40-yard touchdown catch. Walton scored later in the game after breaking through the defense for a 71-yard touchdown run.
Meanwhile, quarterback Bo Wallace was able to continue his recent stretch of excellent play with another huge game. On the next possession after throwing a touchdown to Jaylen Walton, Wallace found senior wide receiver Vince Sanders for a 14-yard touchdown. Wallace and Sanders were clearly on the same page tonight, as Wallace hit Sanders in the end zone again two plays later, adding on to a stellar game for Sanders in which he amassed 8 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
Louisiana Lafayette struggled on both sides of the ball for most of the game, but after Sanders second touchdown, the Ragin’ Cajuns were able to muster up a little offense and get their kicker, Hunter Stover, two field goals. They also intercepted Bo Wallace on a pass intended to Cody Core.
What really stopped Louisiana Lafayette’s offense was the amount of turnovers generated by the ball-hawking Ole Miss defense. Junior safety Trae Elston forced and recovered a fumble on the same play, stopping a Louisiana Lafayette offense that was dangerously close to scoring. The Rebel defense also got three interceptions on the day. Senior cornerback Senquez Golson was responsible for two of the picks, the latter of the two he took back 59 yards for the touchdown. Fellow corner Mike Hilton also got an interception after senior safety Cody Prewitt tipped a pass into the air.
Many of the Rebel starters were pulled midway through the third quarter, with Wallace being pulled after completing 23 of his 28 passes for 316 yards and throwing four touchdowns with one interception. Backup quarterbacks Devonte Kincaid and Ryan Buchanan played after that, with Buchanan completing one of his two passes for four yards before Kincaid entered the game. Kincaid was able to complete five of his six passes for 20 yards and also add 15 yards rushing on three carries. Also seeing time at quarterback was sophomore Jeremy Liggins, who entered on short yardage situations and scored his first career touchdown on a two-yard carry late in the game.
