NASHVILLE – It took some free football, but Vanderbilt finally escaped with a momentum-building win on Saturday.
The Commodores scored first in overtime and forced Ole Miss to score a touchdown to extend the game. But quarterback Jordan Ta’amu’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete, sealing a Vanderbilt victory over the Rebels, 36-29.
Here’s how it went down.
WHAT HAPPENED: Ole Miss shot out to a 13-0 lead by the midway point in the second quarter, but Vanderbilt wasn’t ready to give up. A field goal and a safety – the latter off a blocked punt – cut the Rebels’ lead to 13-5. Then Kyle Shurmur hit Kalija Lipscomb with a touchdown pass to slice Ole Miss’ advantage to 13-12 at half. Later, Vanderbilt led 29-26 with 4:23 left in the game, but Ole Miss drilled a field goal to tie things 29-29 and send the game to overtime. After Vanderbilt scored first on a Lipscomb touchdown, Ole Miss’ Ta’amu fell short on a fourth-down pass that clinched the victory for the Commodores.
TURNING POINT: Ole Miss scored a tying touchdown with a Ta’amu pass to A.J. Brown to knot things 36-36 in overtime, but an official review ruled that Brown did not have possession of the ball. That forced a last-ditch, fourth-down attempt from Ta’amu to DaMarkus Lodge. But Joejuan Williams broke up the pass in the corner of the end zone, ending the game in Vanderbilt’s favor.
HELMET STICKERS
QB Kyle Shurmur
The senior completed 22-of-34 passes for 191 yards and three touchdown tosses. He hit Lipscomb for what ultimately became the game-winning score on a five-yard pass in the first overtime.
WR Kalija Lipscomb
Lipscomb caught seven passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns, none more clutch than his scoring grab in overtime. The junior averaged a first down (9.9 yards) on each reception.
CB Joejuan Williams
Williams snagged a fourth-quarter interception that stuffed an Ole Miss drive late. He then stepped up with the game-winning pass breakup on Lodge on the Rebels’ final play of overtime.
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS
127
Rushing yards by Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn. The Mamba ran 25 times for 127 yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Vaughn has now rushed for 481 yards in his last three games.
578
Yards of offense for Ole Miss. The Rebels outgained the Commodores 578 to 387, as Ta’amu passed for 457 yards and two touchdowns. Ole Miss ran 82 plays to Vanderbilt’s 71, but it was not enough.
5-15
Ole Miss’ success rate on third down. Vanderbilt kept the Rebels from converting key third downs late, and Ole Miss finished just 5-of-15 on third down.
WORTH NOTING: With his game-winning touchdown pass in overtime, Shurmur passed former Commodore great Jay Cutler for No. 1 on Vanderbilt’s all-time career touchdown pass list with 60.
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt closes the regular season against Tennessee next Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on SEC Network.
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
