Oct. 14, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss’ offense was too much for Vanderbilt on Saturday.
The Rebels used a big second quarter to take control of the matchup, and they didn’t look back in a 57-35 win over the Commodores at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Here’s how it went down:
WHAT HAPPENED: Facing an early 7-0 deficit, Vanderbilt found its offense and scored two straight touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead at 9:52 in the second quarter. But Ole Miss turned two Commodore turnovers into 14 points as part of a 28-point second quarter to head into halftime with a 35-21 lead. The Rebels continued to impose their will by outscoring the Dores 12-0 in the third period.
TURNING POINT: Vanderbilt received the ball to start the second half trailing Ole Miss, 35-21. But instead of scoring to make it a one-score game, the Dores fumbled into the end zone and recovered for an Ole Miss safety. The Rebels then turned the ensuing possession into a 29-yard touchdown pass from Shea Patterson to A.J. Brown, inflating their lead to 44-21.
HELMET STICKERS
QB Shea Patterson (Ole Miss)
The sophomore quarterback had been the SEC’s most productive passer at the season’s midpoint. He looked the part on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Patterson finished 22-35 passing for 351 yards and four touchdowns, adding a fifth score on the ground.
RB Ralph Webb (Vanderbilt)
Webb finally found his groove against Ole Miss. The senior reeled off a season-high 163 rush yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Webb’s 38-yard touchdown run in the second quarter briefly tied the game, 7-7, and was his longest scamper of the 2017 season.
DE Marquis Haynes (Ole Miss)
Haynes was simply a beast in Ole Miss’ front seven. The defender recorded eight total tackles and led the Rebels’ pass rush with three sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS
7
Sacks recorded by Ole Miss. Vanderbilt had given up just three sacks all season prior to Saturday. Somehow, Ole Miss didn’t get that memo. The Rebels sacked Shurmur seven times, including three from Haynes. As a team, Ole Miss had just four sacks on the season prior to this week.
14
Points off turnovers for Ole Miss. The Rebels made the Commodores pay for their mistakes on Saturday. At 8:35 in the second quarter, Haynes forced a Shurmur fumble that was recovered by Benito Jones and led to a Patterson touchdown run and a 21-14 lead. Later in the quarter, the Rebels turned a Shurmur pick into another touchdown and a 35-14 lead.
247
Vanderbilt’s rushing yards without sack yards. On an otherwise difficult day, the Commodores’ ground game found some life. Webb did the bulk of the work with his 163-yard day, but Donaven Tennyson also chipped in a 48-yard run. Without the 59 yards lost to sack yardage, the Dores ran 39 times for a season-high 247 yards.
WORTH NOTING: Webb’s 163 rushing yards are the most against an SEC opponent in his career. He also passed Alex Collins (Arkansas) and Derrick Henry (Alabama) for sole possession of 14th place on the SEC’s all-time rushing list.
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt has an open date next week before traveling to South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
