Rebels start off fast, then grind out 35-27 win over Tulsa
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or a gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”
— Christopher McDougall
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Jr., must be familiar with that line from the contemporary American author.
When the Rebels’ football team starts a game this season, the team is running.
(Click here for box score.)
Saturday, Ole Miss opened its 35-17 win over Tulsa with a six-play, 75-yard drive that only took 1:39 off the clock to start the game. On that drive, 64 of the yards came via the ground game and culminated in a 20-yard scoring run by Zach Evans.
Zach Evans takes it to the house on a 20-yard TD run! Ole Miss leads Tulsa 7-0 with 13:21 left in the first quarter. #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/642fgwPxew
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) September 24, 2022
But the early success of the Rebels’ rushing attack is nothing new.
Last week, Ole Miss opened its 42-0 win at Georgia Tech with a five-play, 74-yard scoring drive that took just 1:21. That just added to the fast-starting trend for the Rebels.
In the last three games, the Ole Miss opening drives – all resulting in touchdowns – averaged just 5.7 plays, 73 yards and only took 1:42 to get on the scoreboard. That gives the team an early lead and puts the opponent on its heels.
The pattern repeated throughout the first half Saturday. Only three Rebels’ ran the ball, but each had success in the opening two periods. Quinshon Judkins totaled 87 yards, Jaxson Dart 69, and Zach Evans 41. Each player also had a run of at least 20 yards in the first half.
True freshman Quinshon Judkins scores his second TD! Rebels lead 28-14. #PartyInTheSip pic.twitter.com/t2ALmp2wut
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) September 24, 2022
Saturday, it was a good thing Ole Miss got off to that quick start. After outscoring Tulsa 35-17 in the first half, the Rebels were held scoreless after the break and only ran for an additional 97 yards.
Ole Miss did have a pair of 100-yard rushers in the game. Judkins had his second century-mark game of his young career with 140 yards and Dart had his first career 100-yard game with 116.
As a team, the Rebels ran for a six-yard per carry average.
(Feature image credit: Dan Anderson, The Rebel Walk)
Steve Barnes
Steve Barnes joins The Rebel Walk staff as a senior writer and brings a trifecta of journalistic experience. As a writer, he has covered college sports for Rivals.com, Football.com and SaturdayDownSouth.com as well as served as a beat writer for various traditional newspapers.
He has been a broadcaster for arena football and several national tournament events for the National Junior College Athletic Association as well as hosting various shows on radio.
A former sports information director at Albany (Ga.) State University and an assistant at Troy and West Florida, he has helped host many NCAA conference, regional and national events, including serving five years on the media committee of the NCAA Division II World Series.
Barnes, a native of Pensacola, Fla., attended Ole Miss in 1983-84, where his first journalism teacher was David Kellum. The duo has come a long way since that time.
He will bring a proven journalistic track record, along with a knack for finding the out-of-the-ordinary story angles to The Rebel Walk.
Barnes continues to reside in Pensacola a mere ten minutes from the beach because he does have taste and a brain.
