Ole Miss wide receiver Cody Core scores a touchdown past Vanderbilt safety Andrew Williamson during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014.(Photo/Thomas Graning)
Nashville, Tenn.- The 15th ranked Rebels picked up their first Southeastern Conference win of the season against Vanderbilt in dominating fashion with the 41-3 win at LP Field.
The victory was the largest margin of victory in an SEC game since Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State in 2008.
If you like scoring, this was the game for you, as Ole Miss poured on the points early and often. The defense continued their swarming play, giving up only 16 points in their first two games of the season, both resulting in wins.
The MVP of the game was starting quarterback Bo Wallace, who threw for 320 yards by completing 23 of 30 passes and one touchdown. Up 34-0 in the middle of the third quarter, Wallace was replaced by redshirt freshman Ryan Buchanan, something that Rebel fans are not used to seeing.
The Rebels onslaught on offense started early, as they scored on seven of their first eight possessions of the game.
The Rebels scored on the first drive of the game, going 11 plays for 72 yards in under five minutes. The drive was capped off by a 20-yard touchdown run by junior running back Jaylen Walton. First year senior kicker Andrew Fletcher added on a 31-yard field goal with just over three minutes left in the first quarter to give Ole Miss the 10-0 lead.
Fletcher would add another field goal to make it 13-0 early in the second quarter. Wallace would then lead the Rebels on a seven play, 73-yard touchdown scoring drive that lasted just over two minutes. Wallace would throw a 20-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Cody Core to make it 20-0 Rebels going into halftime.
The third quarter would be the last quarter where the Rebels would score, if you can believe that or not.
Vanderbilt started with the ball in the second half, but was quickly taken away as senior defensive back Cliff Coleman intercepted Vanderbilt starting quarterback Stephen Rivers and returned it 39 yards for the touchdown. Coleman’s first interception of his career made the score 27-0.
Junior running back I’Tavius Mathers ran for a two-yard touchdown run with 9:28 left in the third quarter to make it 34-0.
Wallace was replaced by Buchanan in the middle of third quarter. Redshirt freshman DeVante Kincade also took snaps at quarterback, and that would pay off.
Both quarterbacks would lead a 13-play, 68-yard drive, which ended in a 2-yard touchdown run by Kincade to make it 41-0 Rebels that ended the third quarter.
It looked like Vanderbilt would not get on the board at all, but after a Kincade fumble inside Ole Miss territory, Vanderbilt kicked a 26-yard field goal to make it 41-3 Ole Miss.
The game would end with the score being 41-3 in favor of the Rebels.
The Rebel defense was stifling, holding the Commodore offense to 167 total yards, 60 yards passing, and only nine first downs. Despite only forcing one turnover, the defense played lights out and look to build on this in the near future.
