Heisman Trophy hopeful Matt Corral shook off a slow start by scoring one of his team’s three rushing touchdowns and throwing for another as No. 12 Ole Miss posted a 31-17 victory over SEC West foe LSU on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.
Questionable to play after a gutsy, 30-carry effort at Tennessee in a 31-26 win last week, Corral led the Rebels (6-1, 3-1 SEC) to three straight scores in the first half and another early in the second.
In winning their third straight contest, the Rebels broke a five-game losing streak versus LSU — all against lame duck head coach Ed Orgeron.
The junior passer finished 18 of 23 for 185 yards without an interception. His TD pass to tight end Casey Kelly extended Corral’s streak of consecutive games with at least one to 19 — three shy of Chad Kelly’s school record.
Corral rushed for 24 yards and a score and caught a 19-yard pass from wideout Dontario Drummond.
Snoop Conner produced a game-high 117 yards on 14 carries, and Jerrion Ealy and Henry Parrish Jr. notched touchdowns.
LSU’s offense — which rushed for 321 yards in a 49-42 home upset of then-No. 20 Florida last week — was held to 77 on 35 carries.
Max Johnson went 13-of-21 passing for 146 yards with an interception, and Tyrion Davis-Price rushed for a TD for the Tigers (4-4, 2-3).
Garrett Nussmeier relieved Johnson and was 7-of-12 passing for 103 yards and a touchdown.
In the first quarter, Johnson took the Tigers 90 yards on nine plays for a 7-0 lead, with Davis-Price — who rushed for a school-record 287 yards against the Gators — capping it with a 1-yard plunge.
Following Tysheem Johnson’s first interception this season, inside the Ole Miss 1, the Rebels went 74 yards over 13 plays, culminating with Cade Costa splitting the uprights from 43 yards with 10:44 left in the second quarter.
Corral found Kelly from 2 yards out for the Rebels’ first lead — diving into the red end zone with MANNING painted on it, honoring former star quarterback Eli Manning.
Corral’s 3-yard TD run pushed the lead to 17-7 late in the half as Ole Miss scored on its last three possessions after its first two drives ended quickly in punts.
Parrish and Ealy both rushed for scores in the third — from 5 yards and 36, respectively — as the Rebels led 31-7.
Cade York’s 47-yard field goal and Nussmeier’s 9-yard strike to Malik Nabers rounded out the scoring.
–Field Level Media
