Before Ole Miss takes on LSU this weekend, we look back at one of the great games of this rivalry.
The annual “Magnolia Bowl” happens this weekend when the Ole Miss Rebels head to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers. The Rebels are unranked while the Tigers are fifth in the country. The way this year’s game shapes up may remind fans of what took place in 2013.
Five years ago, both of these programs looked very different. Les Miles was still at the height of his power and Hugh Freeze was just starting to build Ole Miss back up. Both teams also had loads of NFL talent.
Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry were future perinatal pro bowlers and LSU was led by senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger. They also had a strong running game led by Jeremy Hill. Ole Miss had two dominant receivers of their own in Laquon Treadwell and Donte Moncrief, who you can see now playing on Sundays. Quarterback Bo Wallace was in his junior season and showed he was capable of competing against the best the SEC had to offer.
LSU began the season ranked at No. 12 and started 4-0, climbing the polls to No. 6. A loss to No. 9 Georgia dropped them to tenth but back-to-back wins had them sitting at 6-1 heading into the Ole Miss game.
Ole Miss started 3-0 but then lost three straight. After finding their way into polls at 25th, the Rebels were ousted after a loss to unranked Auburn followed by a close loss to Texas A&M. LSU was heavily favored going into this game.
However, the game started the exact opposite way LSU wanted. Mettenberger threw three interceptions through the first three quarters and Ole Miss took advantage, grabbing a 17-0 lead. LSU stormed back after several Rebel mistakes. A blocked field goal gave the Tigers a chance late in the fourth quarter.
With just over three minutes left, Mettenberger hit Landry for a touchdown to tie it at 24. The game was now in the hands of Wallace and Ole Miss. Instead of playing conservative, Wallace led a drive that included two third down conversions down to LSU’s 24-yard line. Kicker Andrew Ritter had a chance to seal the upset and with two seconds left, drilled a 41-yard field goal. It was Ole Miss’ first win over LSU since 2009.
The upset proved to be the spark Ole Miss needed for the rest of their season. They won four of their last six games to finish 8-5 including a win over Georgia Tech in the Music City Bowl.
The loss dropped LSU to 13th, but the team won three of their last four to finish the regular season 9-3. The Tigers then defeated Iowa 21-14 in the Outback Bowl and finished ranked No. 14 in the last AP and Coaches polls.
With LSU ranked and Ole Miss once again unranked heading into the Magnolia Bowl will history repeat itself? Ed Orgeron would love nothing more than to win back-to-back over his old team.