Ole Miss vs Arkansas: Highlights, score and recap

Rawleigh Williams III and the No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks upset the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night in Fayetteville.

The No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks earned their third consecutive win over the No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels in a 34-30 upset on Friday night in what’s become one of the most entertaining annual matchups in the nation.

Both defenses came out fired up, as a sack by Ole Miss linebacker DeMarquis Gates quickly ended Arkansas’ first drive, while Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly fired three incompletions to begin the game. The defensive struggle didn’t last long, as the Razorbacks quickly figured things out, with Austin Allen finding Dominique Reed on a 51-yard play action touchdown pass to go up 7-0 less than five minutes in.

Not to be outdone, Kelly marched the Rebels down the field in just over three minutes and found star tight end Evan Engram on a 13-yard touchdown, although Gary Wunderlich would miss the extra point. Rawleigh Williams III popped off a 53-yard run on Arkansas’ next play to set up another Allen score, as things got crazy well before the end of the first.

After a Razorbacks field goal, Kelly did some damage on the ground on another quick Ole Miss touchdown drive capped off by a two yard Akeem Judd run to cut the lead to 17-13. With Kelly in rhythm, the tempo of the Rebels offense really bothered Arkansas throughout the first half.

Arkansas then went on one of its trademark 13-play, 73 yard trudges, but again could only settle for a field goal. Starting deep in its own territory with just over two minutes to go until half, Kelly completed three straight long passes and ran it in himself from eight yards out to tie things at 20.

The five-play, 90-yard drive that took less than a minute was a microcosm of Arkansas’ inability to handle the pace in the first half. Despite scoring on four straight drives, the Razorbacks were unable to gain a halftime lead due to their struggles in the red zone.

Arkansas defense finally made a play to begin the second half with an impressive leaping one-handed interception by Henre’ Toliver. A botched snap stalled the Razorbacks’ ensuing drive in Ole Miss territory, keeping things tied at 20.

A rare Ole Miss three-and-out gave the Razorbacks plus field position, and Williams III scored from two yards out to put Arkansas back up 27-20. Kelly responded with a long drive that led to a field goal ten seconds into the fourth, aided by a crucial Arkansas offside that wiped out an interception.

After the teams traded punts, Ole Miss edge rusher Marquis Haynes made a critical defensive play with an interception near midfield. Kelly scampered in from 17 yards to give Ole Miss its first lead of the game.

Again, the teams exchanged stalled drives before Austin found Keon Hatcher on a key fourth down in Ole Miss territory. The Razorbacks then took the lead with 2:20 on a sweep to wide reciever Jared Cornelius.

Next: SEC Programs Ranked By Statistical Greatness

Arkansas is now on the board in SEC play, while the any shot the Rebels had at the West is now gone. The Razorbacks played their style of game to perfection by holding the ball for over 40 minutes and racking up over 200 yards on the ground.

Three Stars

3. Dan Skipper, LT, Arkansas. Massive left tackled paved the way for the Razorbacks rushing attack while also providing good protection for Allen against an ultra-athletic defense

2. Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss. Continued brilliant season with 253 passing yards, 89 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.

1. Rawleigh Williams III, RB, Arkansas. Took over the top spot on the SEC rushing leaderboard with 27 carries for 180 yards and a receiving touchdown.

Full highlights

Up Next

Ole Miss gets another tough road test with a night game in Death Valley. Arkansas travels to Auburn for what should be an interesting matchup between ranked teams.