Corral, Ole Miss knock off Indiana
TAMPA, Fla. — Even before Mississippi took the field for the Outback Bowl, the Rebels felt good about the direction they’re headed.
Coach Lane Kiffin was rewarded with a new contract despite having only been at the school one season. There also was no guarantee one of the nation’s lowest- ranked defenses would be able to slow down No. 7 Indiana enough to ensure the team’s first non- losing record since 2017.
“It’s really only up from here,“quarterback Matt Corral said Saturday after throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns to pace a 26- 20 victory that ruined the finish to surprising Indiana’s breakout season.
Corral’s 3- yard pass to Dontario Drummond put the Rebels ( 5- 5) ahead for good with 4: 12 remaining.
The Ole Miss defense, which allowed 535.7 yards and 40.3 points per game during the regular season, came through with one more stop to clinch the school’s first bowl win since beating Oklahoma State in the 2016 Sugar Bowl.
“We talked about it all week. We’re going to need that,” Kiffin said. “We were not going to go score 60 points. … We knew it was going to be a struggle, and it was great to see the defense play like they did.”
Drummond finished with six catches for 110 yards. Corral completed 30 of 44 passes without an interception, including a 5- yard TD throw to Casey Kelly that put Ole Miss up 13- 3 midway through the second quarter.
Jack Tuttle was 26 of 45 for 201 yards in his second start in place Michael Penix Jr. for Indiana ( 6- 2), which lost its star quarterback to a season- ending knee injury in late November.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kentucky’s postgame locker room provided a scene players and coaches might never forget. They celebrated a third consecutive bowl victory while dedicating it to two guys who couldn’t be there.
This one was for late offensive line coach John Schlarman and rehabbing linebacker Chris Oats, who has been battling a significant medical condition since May.
A. J. Rose ran for a career- high 148 yards, Chris Rodriguez added 84 yards and two scores and the Wildcats held off No. 24 North Carolina State 23- 21 on Saturday in a chippy TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Christopher Dunn missed two field goals for the Wolfpack ( 8- 4), who trailed 16- 14 late when Bailey Hockman threw his third interception of the game. Rodriguez scored on the ensuing play, going nearly untouched for 26 yards.
FIESTA BOWL
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Breece Hall ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns, Brock Purdy accounted for two scores and No. 12 Iowa State grinded out a 34- 17 victory over No. Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.
The Cyclones ( 9- 3, CFP 10) used their ball- control offense to dominate the time of possession and keep Oregon’s offense off the field for long stretches to win their first New Year’s Six bowl.
Hall, an AP All- American, had 34 carries and his ninth 100- yard game this season. Purdy, who went to high school in nearby Gilbert, threw for 156 yards and a touchdown on 20of- 29 passing, adding a touchdown on the ground.
Iowa State had a time of possession advantage of more than 25 minutes.