Earlier this week, the Ole Miss Rebels were given the No. 10 ranking by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Ole Miss needs to win out and bank on a loss or two by Alabama to win the SEC West title and clinch a spot in the Conference Championship Game. One team standing in their way was the Texas A&M Aggies.
In the third quarter, Ole Miss was up 21-14 over Texas A&M. The frustration set in for the Aggies, especially for defensive lineman Shemar Turner. Rebels offensive lineman Micah Pettus shoved Turner to the turf while finishing a block. The defensive lineman wasn't happy about it and decided to punch Pettus in the groin and then in the face.
It was a page out of Ric Flair's playbook if you watched any of his wrestling matches during his decades-long career.
Texas A&M's Shemar Turner ejected for hitting Ole Miss' Micah Pettus with a low blow
It doesn't get any more blatant than that, even for the officials. Turner was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for striking Pettus and was subsequently ejected for the remainder of the game. Yeah, there's no arguing about that.
One play after Turner's ejection, Ole Miss extended their lead to 28-14 on a six-yard touchdown pass from Jaxson Dart to Quinshon Judkins.
Despite trailing, Texas A&M put Ole Miss on upset alert. On their next three drives, they scored touchdowns, putting them up 35-31. Those touchdowns arrived on a 28-yard pass from quarterback Max Johnson to tight end Jake Johnson, a one-yard run by the signal caller, and a one-yard run by Amari Daniels.
Ole Miss took a 38-35 lead on a one-yard touchdown run by Judkins, but Texas A&M had one more shot to tie things up. On the 11th play of the ensuing drive, kicker Randy Bond attempted a 47-yarder with two seconds left in regulation to force overtime. However, his kick was blocked by Ole Miss cornerback Deantre Prince, giving the Rebels the win.
The game was an exciting one, especially in the second half. However, what fans will likely remember most is Turner's punches to Pettus that earned him an ejection.