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It wasn't pretty at times, but it was enough. Our Ole Miss Rebels beat the rival Arkansas Razorbacks 34-24 today in front of a 60K+ crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to secure bowl eligibility for the second straight year in Hugh Freeze's head coaching tenure.
Arkansas, as predicted, relied heavily on their rushing attack led by Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, who combined for 124 yards on 24 carries. Aside from a fourth quarter push or two, their drives were mostly stalled early, with the Razorbacks only converting on 3-of-11 third down attempts.
The Rebels were also somewhat one dimensional, with the rushing attack struggling more than anticipated against the Arkansas defense. That wasn't a huge issue, however, as the passing game was, outside of a few plays, on point. Bo Wallace connected on 26-of-33 attempts for 407 yards and three touchdowns, with Ja-Mes Logan and Donte Moncrief being the primary beneficiaries of his performance. He did throw two absolutely atrocious interceptions, which made the game seem closer than it was, but other than those moments he was quite impressive.
The Rebel defense, aside from a few drives, was also impressive. They did a good job of limiting big plays, made key stops (especially on short passes and screens, which Arkansas had a tough time executing for some reason or another) and got the Razorback rushing game off of the field quickly on several occasions.
And, hey, we're bowl eligible now! So who cares how lackadaisical the team looked, right? I'm really looking forward to spending my New Years with you fine people in not-Shreveport!
Hotty Toddy. More on this game later as we digest it all and come up with some more coherent thoughts. Enjoy your Saturdays, y'all.