It’s déjà vu from 1959 in runback
BATON ROUGE, La. — Despite not having some of its best players on the punt coverage team because of depth issues, Ole Miss had not allowed a punt return for a touchdown this season.
Until the worst possible time on Saturday in a play in a place that brings back the worst possible memories for longtime Ole Miss fans.
With LSU trailing the Rebels 35-28 in the fourth quarter, Tigers’ returner Odell Beckham fielded a punt on the fly at the LSU 11 near the left hash, got some blocking around left end, cut back across the field, picked up a wall of blockers in front of the Ole Miss bench and coasted in for a game-changing 89yard TD return.
“Everyone had their block, everyone had their man and everyone covered their assignments,” Beckham said. “I saw a crease, hit it, ended up getting to the wall and I saw (teammate) Jarvis (Landry) wave me in.”
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze was stunned.
“They (LSU) have great athletes, but they didn’t have a return on for that play,” Freeze said. “They had a punt block on. Our punter (Jim Broadway) kicked a great punt. We had three chances to make tackles and we didn’t.”
The déjà vu for Ole Miss fans? On Halloween night 1959 in Tiger Stadium with LSU trailing Ole Miss 3-0 in fourth quarter, eventual Heisman Trophy-winning running back Billy Cannon fielded a punt on one high bounce at the LSU 11 from Ole Miss’ Jake Gibbs near the right hashmark, shook off tacklers and ran down the sideline past the Ole Miss bench 89 yards to the end zone and immortality.
Like Cannon’s 1959 return, Beckham’s return on Saturday started at the south end of the field and ended in the north end zone.
SACKED ON VICTORY’S DOORSTEP
With Saturday’s game tied 35-35, Ole Miss had first and 10 at the LSU 16 after Randall Mackey’s 37-yard reception of a Bo Wallace pass.
After the Rebels lost two yards on a first down rush, Wallace was sacked for an 11-yard loss on second down by LSU’s Anthony Johnson and for 7 yards by on third down by the Tigers’ Lavar Edwards.
“On the first sack, I tried to get rid of it, but in my head thought about the Arkansas game where I threw a pass late and it almost got picked,” said Wallace, who accounted for 364 yards total offense and four TDs vs. the Tigers.
On fourth down, Ole Miss’ Bryson Rose missed a 53-yard field goal wide right with 4:18 left, giving LSU back the ball at its 36 to start a final game-winning drive.
Ole Miss offensive coordinator Dan Werner said he had talked to Wallace prior to drive and told him he couldn’t take sacks.
“Bo knew was supposed to get rid of the ball quick,” Werner said. “We wanted a short field for a field goal. But we wanted to take some shots downfield. That’s Coach Freeze’s mentality.
“We did put up 35 points and our guys battled. If you would have told me before the game we’d put up 35 on LSU, I’d take it.”
ONE LAST SHOT
The Rebels’ last chance at win No. 6 and bowl eligibility comes Saturday in Oxford vs. in-state rival Mississippi State in annual Battle for the Golden Egg.
Though the Rebels have sustained two physically and emotionally draining fourth quarter losses the last two weeks, they vow they’ll be ready for the 8-3 Bulldogs.
“This game gives us that p’d off edge,” Ole Miss linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche said. “I feel like me and my teammates will be ready for State.