Notes and Notables from the Rebels’ 29-19 win over A&M

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss earned a key SEC West win over Texas A&M Saturday, defeating the Aggies, 29-19, at Vaught-Hemingway. Here are some of the notes and notables from the Rebel’s huge victory. 

Series Notes

• Today’s victory marked the first win on the field for the Rebels over the Aggies since 2016.
• This is the ninth time the Rebels and Aggies have squared off since Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
• Today marked the first time that Ole Miss and A&M faced each other as ranked teams since 2015.

General Game Notes

• Attendance for tonight’s game was a sellout of 64,425, the seventh largest crowd ever at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
• With the win, Ole Miss improved to 8-2, its best record through 10 games since starting the season 8-2 in 2014.
• The Rebels improved to 6-0 at home this season.
• It’s the second win over a ranked team this season for the Rebels as Ole Miss defeated No. 13 Arkansas 52-51 on Oct. 9.

Offensive Notables

• The Rebels’ 257 rushing yards were the most allowed by Texas A&M this season. The Aggies came into the game ranked No. 29 nationally, allowing just 123.1 rushing yards per game. A&M hadn’t allowed more than 90 yards rushing in its last three games.
• It’s just the second time all season that an Aggie opponent has surpassed the 500-yard mark in total offense. A&M was only giving up 397.6 total yards per game coming into the contest.
• Ole Miss scored on its opening drive for the sixth time this season in 10 games (4 TDs, 2 FGs)
• QB Matt Corral finished the game 24-of-37 for 247 yards and one touchdown.
• Corral has thrown a touchdown pass in 21 of his last 22 games.
• Corral ranks No. 3 in career passing yards with 7,712 yards … Corral is only the third Ole Miss QB to surpass 7,000 yards.
• Corral has now thrown 54 career passing TDs, No. 3 in program history.
• Corral remains No. 4 in Ole Miss career record book in completions (558) … He is just the fifth Rebel QB to surpass 500 career completions.
• Corral moved up two spots to No. 5 in Ole Miss history in career passing attempts (835).
• Corral is No. 3 in career total offense with 8,959 total yards.
• RB Jerrion Ealy led Ole Miss in rushing for the second straight game with a career high in both rushing yards (152) and attempts (24)
• Ealy moved to No. 8 on Ole Miss’ career rushing charts and is now at 2,055 career rushing yards … He becomes just the eighth Rebel to surpass the 2,000-yard plateau in career rushing yardage.
• RB Snoop Conner finished the game with 55 yards rushing and one TD.
• Conner is now tied for eighth in program history with 11 rushing touchdowns on the season.
• WR Dontario Drummond added to his team-leading receiving TD total and now sits at seven TDs on the season.

Defensive Notables

• Ole Miss has now forced at least one turnover in 19 of the 20 games in the Kiffin era.
• It was the second straight game and third time overall this year that the Ole Miss defense has held its opponent scoreless in the first half.
• Ole Miss has forced two safeties in the same season (Austin Peay [9/11] & Texas A&M [11/13]) for the first time since 2003.
• The Rebels limited the Aggies to 4-of-13 on third down conversions.
• DB AJ Finley recorded his first career touchdown with a 52-yard interception return for a TD in the fourth quarter.
• It’s the first interception returned for a TD since 2018 (Vernon Dasher vs. Southern Illinois).
• DB Deane Leonard led the Ole Miss defense with a career-best nine total tackles and three pass breakups … Five of Leonard’s nine tackles were solo stops.
• LB Ashanti Cistrunk registered his first career interception.

Special Teams Notables

• K Caden Costa was a perfect 2-for-2 on field goal attempts
• Costa’s 13 field goals on the season are the most by a true freshman since 2006, when Joshua Shene connected on 14 successful attempts.
• P Mac Brown punted a season-high six times … Four of Brown’s six punts were downed inside the 20.

Notes and Notables compiled by Ole Miss Football.

(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy)