Matt Corral, No.13 Ole Miss Generate SEC History in Striking 61-21 Win Over Tulane

Not even a two-hour weather delay due to lightning and rain could slow up the Rebel energy, with head coach Lane Kiffin and quarterback Matt Corral leading at the helm in Ole Miss’ dynamic 61-21 win over the Tulane Green Wave. The lightning almost seemed to serve as a courtesy warning to the Green Wave of just how strong the Rebels were about to strike. Matt Corral was about to become the first player in SEC history to earn 3 passing touchdowns and 4 rushing touchdowns in a single game. 

As game play kicked off at nearly 9:00 p.m. with the backdrop of a midnight black Oxford, MS sky, you’d think it was a west coast Saturday night football showing. Nevertheless, fired up students decked out in red riddled throughout Vaught Hemingway Stadium. They seemed to know the Rebels after dark would prove to be something electric. 

The red and white offense would be enlisted first. In 3:33 seconds, a sweet 17-yard pass to receiver Jonathan Mingo, and a combination of rushes by running backs Jerrion Ealy and Henry Parrish Jr. would add the game’s first 7 and the ignition of the Rebel offense. 

7 would soon be a sweet number for the Rebs as in all but one drive [that resulted in a fumble aiding the Green Wave in their first TD] of the immediately following drives, the Rebels would begin collecting TDs like trading cards. Touchdown here, touchdown there. 

The next two touchdown drives would offer similar sequences of Ealy, Parrish and Snoop Conner run plays, sprinkled with a combination of dozen + yard receptions from Mingo and senior wide receiver Dontario Drummond. The ending of both drives however would be sealed by the feet of Corral to tack on to the team’s touchdown tales. 

Heading into the second quarter, Corral was ready to dedicate drives to his other two limbs, his arms. On a 3^rd& 15 play, he’d release a picturesque 36-yard dime to Mingo taking his team from their own 47 into the red zone! After Corral would pick up 5 more himself, Drummond would receive a perfect pitch and finish the rest, making the score 26-7. The Rebels scored 4 touchdowns in just a quarter and half!

In Tulane’s next possession, an invigorated 32-yard punt return by senior wide receiver Jaetavian Toles would lead to the Green Wave’s second touchdown of the night, but would be quickly overshadowed by more of Corral’s arm magic. 

An onside kick by Casey Glover would become Tulane’s worst nightmare as Ole Miss recovered the ball at the 50-yard line. Remember that Corral arm magic I mentioned? It would be showcased front stage and center as Corral dropped back before releasing a striking 50-yard bullet into the chest of one of his favorite targets Mingo, who would then glide right into the end zone! Using only 9 seconds, the play couldn’t have been executed more perfectly!

Talk about a hyped-up crowd, the Landshark defense was no exception. On the Green Waves first play, senior linebacker Chance Campbell swallowed QB Michael Pratt whole. The Green Waves had no chance of staying afloat as the landsharks would quickly force a 3 and out, putting the ball back into the hands of their field marshal, Matt Corral. 

What happens next goes without saying. Conversely, the Rebel’s next drive would lend more to the ground game. Ealy would run for a 20-yard pickup to open the drive. Following the way, the Landshark defense had handled the Green Wave offense, however, Tulane’s defenders weren’t going to let any score come easy. 

With just under 4 minutes to play in the half, the Rebels would find themselves at 4^thand 4. After receiving the green light from head coach Lane Kiffin, the offense was on ready, set, go. A handoff to Conner would keep the drive alive. It would ultimately be Drummond for the TD, bringing the score to 40-14! He and Corral were tied at two rushing touchdowns a piece with a whole other half still left to play!

Electrified and excited, the Rebel offense would enter the sidelines to greet their head coach with nothing but shoulder squeezes and smiles. 

Tulane hadn’t given up yet as Jackson would again return for a solid 24-yard pickup. Although taking another Landshark sack, this one by defensive lineman Sam Williams, Pratt was still ready to put up points. The Green Wave would take the final timeout before Pratt would pass for a combined 40 yards to tight end Tyrick James to pick up Tulane’s third and ultimately final touchdown of the game. 

The ultimate showcase had come from the Rebel offense. In just one half, Corral was 18-for24, with 279 yards and 4 total TDs. Even Mingo alone had already 136 yards, and a TD. Half time for the red and white was sure to be feeling something sweet. 

Right at 11:00 p.m. to START the second half, one might think scoring would probably take a slight backseat for the Rebels, and one might be wrong. 

With first possession, despite pressure from the Landshark defense, Tulane would bravely go for it, but quickly be denied. 

Consecutive runs from Ealy and Corral would be all it took for another 7 to be added to the Rebs side of the scoreboard. Corral, would finish his third rushing TD of the game blowing a kiss to the fans that peered on above in the stands as if to say, “I know it’s late but thanks for sticking around for the show!”

A recovery from defensive back Miles Battle, as a result from a disaster fumble from Tulane at the 37-yard line, would set the Rebels up for back to back touchdowns. When the call was made, Corral answered. After releasing a beautiful 25-yard pass to Parrish, Corral would run for 12 into the end zone for his sixth total touchdown of the game!

The landshark defense would again lend their services forcing yet another 3 and out, setting up another scoring opportunity for their counterparts. 

In less than a minute, using only four plays Corral would enlist veteran wide receiver Braylon Sanders for yet another touchdown, marking Corral’s seventh of the game to make the score 61-21. This surpassed three-time Ole Miss letter winner Showboat Boykin for the most TDs in a game in school history, a record that has stood since John Vaught’s coaching days in 1951! Matt Corral was simply having fun at this point. 

With eight minutes left in the third quarter alone, Ole Miss had already dished out 601 total yards of offense and would finish the game with a school record of over 40 first downs in a single game. By the end of the third quarter, Corral alone had showcased record- breaking numbers with 403 total yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, AND 3 passing touchdowns. 

Thanks to a Corral led offense, it would be the top of the fourth quarter before PK Mac Brown would even get his second punt opportunity of the game, a punt he’d send to the Tulane 2! 

Corral would become the first player in SEC history with 3 passing touchdowns and 4 rushing touchdowns in a single game! 

The way the Lane Kiffin-led Rebels ended the 2020 season topping No. 7 Indiana in their Outback Bowl win clearly was just a taste of what their competitors would face in the 2021 season. 

Its next competitor will be against college football’s long standing champions Alabama with legendary coach Nick Saban at the helm. As Ole Miss is the only team to beat Alabama in back to back seasons in recent history, this will be one matchup to watch. 

As for the Ole Miss Rebels, who are swiftly ascending on the Top 25 chart, going from No. 17 to No. 13 in Saturday’s matchup, the Kiffin/Corral coalition appear to be full speed ahead.

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