Georgia Tech falls to Clemson at home
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi quarterback Chad Kelly faked the handoff and then took off running toward the end zone. A few seconds and 41 yards later, the quarterback had cruised through the middle of the Georgia defense and into the end zone untouched.
It was pretty much that easy for the Rebels all afternoon. Ole Miss finally built a lead it couldn’t give away.
No. 23 Ole Miss rolled to a 45-14 victory over No. 12 Georgia on Saturday, building a 31-0 lead by halftime and a 45-0 advantage by midway through the fourth quarter.
Kelly threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Ole Miss (2-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) broke a 10-game losing streak in the series dating to 1996.
“I can’t think of a time in my lifetime where a team has done that to Georgia,” said Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.
Georgia (3-1, 1-1) lost its first game under new coach Kirby Smart and looked overmatched.
To make matters worse, star running back Nick Chubb sprained an ankle in the second quarter and didn’t return.
It was an impressive win for the Rebels, who have played some of their worst football this season after gaining big leads. Ole Miss led Florida State by 22 points and Alabama by 21 this season before losing both games.
“We’ve certainly had experiences that we should have learned from,” Freeze said.
Kelly was sharp from the opening series, completing 18 of 24 passes and adding the 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that was his last play of the afternoon.
Tight end Evan Engram led the Rebels with six catches for 95 yards.
Ole Miss also ran for a season-high 180 yards. Derrick Jones returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
“When we get in a rhythm, it’s hard for people to stop us,” Engram said.
Brian Herrien led the Bulldogs with 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Freshman quarterback Jacob Eason had a tough day, completing just 16 of 36 passes for 137 yards and an interception.
“There are a lot of mistakes being made out there,” Smart said. “Lot of young guys making bad mistakes. They will have to grow up.”
Chubb had 57 yards rushing on 12 carries before he hurt his ankle. Smart said he wasn’t sure about the severity of Chubb’s injury.
Poll implications
Georgia: The Bulldogs took a tumble in the rankings after being outplayed in pretty much all aspects of the game.
Ole Miss: The Rebels jumped a few spots to break into the Top 20.
Up next
Georgia: The Bulldogs host Tennessee this Saturday in an SEC Eastern Division showdown. Ole Miss: The Rebels host Memphis in a non-conference game.