“Stay Ready So You Don’t Have to Get Ready!” This was the message that was heard loud and clear from Ole Miss as they defeated No. 11 Indiana in Saturday’s matchup in Tampa Bay. As Ole Miss had not won a bowl game since beating Oklahoma State in the 2016 Sugar Bowl in the era of Laquan Treadwell, Laremy Tunsil, and Robert Nkemdiche, this year’s Outback Bowl win tasted that much more savory.
Ole Miss would be handed any easy task in the fresh bowl game appearance. Ahead of the matchup, the Rebels would lose first team AP All-American wide receiver Elijah Moore and senior tight end Kenny Yeboah who both opted out ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. In addition, Ole Miss would lose offensive playmakers Jerrion Ealy and Braylon Sanders due to ankle injuries.
With all four players accounting for 60% of total yards and 50% of touchdowns this season, the odds were stacked against Ole Miss as they faced a top-ranked Indiana lineup practically at full capacity.
Indiana came into the meeting with only one lone loss (that of No. 3 Ohio State) to their name this season and were not planning to introduce another one. The Hoosiers offered a will-powered defense, punching in 17 interceptions this season alone, in stark contrast to the Rebel defense that had been struggling all 2020.
An interesting meeting between coaches was also expected as first-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin would be facing Indiana’s Marshall and the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Tom Allen.
Good news for Kiffin, his day had gotten off to a solid start as Ole Miss had announced a contract extension for the head coach Saturday before the game. He would enter the Tampa Bay stadium all smiles, sporting a pre-game get up of a blue and bright green #14 signed jersey he had recently been sent by the former Rebel, Seattle Seahawk wide receiver D.K Metcalf.
The two teams would be welcomed to a picturesque 80-degree temp in Raymond James Stadium, the newest home of Hall of Famer Tom Brady and the destination of Super Bowl LV.
The Hoosiers would defer first possession, offering the ball into the hands of the Rebs.
Ole Miss would start off with momentum as quarterback Matt Coral threw for a combined 56 yards in two plays. However, after an unsportsmanlike conduct call, the Rebels would be forced to a 26-yard field goal adding the first score of the game at 3.
After a pair of no scores by either team, Indiana would be ready to get on the board and had to use all of six minutes to do it. As QB Jack Tuttle wasn’t able to connect to his receivers, the Hoosiers would be pushed to a field goal decision from the 50-yard line. The sophomore, Charles Campbell’s kick was good.
After a quick two-minute drive and three too many pass incompletions from Coral, the Rebels would mirror that score with their second field goal of the game, making the score 6-3.
The Ole Miss landshark defense would make their presence known, forcing a three and out to give possession back to their colleagues.
A determined Rebel offense would receive the baton and run with it all the way into the end zone in a lengthy 76—yard touchdown drive. As Corral’s regular threats were missing from play, the Ole Miss offense presented a band of brothers’ performance coming together as a collective of fresh wide receivers and running backs, some of whom had barely seen the turf all season!
Matt Coral would complete the drive using the play-action play to lob one to freshman tight end Casey Kelly right into the end zone! Luke Logan would knock it clean through the bars to put Ole Miss up 13-3, placing a period to scoring in the first half.
Although that would initiate the end of the scoring, it would certainly not quiet any storm the Landshark defense had brewing. Feeling the pressure, QB Tuttle would release a deficient pass, and defensive back Otis Reese would come up with the takeaway!
A once lack-luster Ole Miss defense seemed to be emerging from the shadows of that by the name of 2020.
As Ole Miss had been the most dominant of the teams in the first half, Indiana would simply look forward to the opportunity to open the second half with possession.
Would Indiana start with possession? Yes. Would it result in a TD? Short answer, no. The landshark defense would force Indiana to settle for the 3. At this point, the Hoosiers were in no position to argue. Campbell would be good from 53, setting up a career-high along with an Indiana Bowl game record.
Unfortunately for Indiana, Ole Miss had much more in the tank. With just under ten to play in the 3rdquarter, running back, Snoop Conner was ready to put in work on the ground.
Conner would emerge from midfield on an explosive 33-yard run taking moving the markers from the 37 to the 4-yard line in one clean sweep! He would be rewarded with the TD as he leaped into the end zone for the needed 4, extending his team’s lead 20-6!
The Landshark defense was then ready for more. They would soon quiet a once-promising drive in their second forced field goal of the game! Junior defensive back Tylan Knight said I don’t think so, after Tuttle had completed a short pass to Whop Philyor. Knight would come with the shark attack, with sophomore defensive back Jalen Jordan finishing off the meal for the recovery.
New year, new defense? The Landsharks seemed to show so.
The Hoosiers, however, still had fight in them. Quarterback Jack Tuttle and running back Stevie Scott III would join as a dynamic duo to claw their way back from a two-touchdown deficit. Tuttle would complete the crucial short passes, while Scott finished the job on foot to close the 3rdquarter.
A Hoosier TD would finally make its entrance into the game at the start of the 4thquarter, after a suspenseful 15 play 80-yard drive. Indiana would again bank in the next score of the game in the form of their second TD, tying the game at 20. However, this would be Indiana’s final taste of scoring.
The Rebels, on the other hand, were not done. Like other Ole Miss offensive players, John Rhys Plumlee, who had only played QB both in high school and his entire two years as a Rebel, had been recently enlisted as a potential receiving target for Coral.
With four minutes left of play, QB Matt Coral would find Plumlee, who would make the catch as if he were metal to a magnet. Plumlee then darted downfield going from the 30, then the 20, the 10, before being run out of bounds at the 5! Plumlee would pick up a total of 44 yards on the play, all but guaranteeing the win for his team.
Senior wide receiver Dontario Drummond would add the finishing touch to the Ole Miss drive to tack on the final touchdown of the game!
With four minutes left on the game clock, the Hoosiers still had faith jumping up and down on the sidelines after Luke Logan missed the extra point for Ole Miss.
The Landshark defense was called on to close out the game, and they did just that. A monstrous QB sack Freshman Cedrick Johnson would be followed by two incomplete passes from the hands of Jack Tuttle to seal the Ole Miss victory 26-20!
For the Ole Miss Rebels in 2021, the Bowl Game drought was over! They were leaving Florida with renewed confidence and some new iridescent hardware along with it.
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