NCAAF

Ole Miss Rebels at South Carolina Gamecocks

· NCAA - Football
5-1, 2-0 Away
Final
27 - 3

325-pound JJ Pegues runs for 2 TDs as No. 12 Ole Miss posts 27-3 win over South Carolina

Highlight: Big Man Mania: Pegues' two TDs help Ole Miss bulldoze South Carolina

Pegues had a pair of short touchdown runs as the 12th-ranked Rebels bounced back from their first loss of the season to beat South Carolina 27-3 on Saturday and give coach Lane Kiffin his 100th career victory.

Dart was devastated a week ago when Mississippi (5-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) fell at home to Kentucky, 20-17. But watching Pegues play offense near the goal line with success brought a big smile to Dart's face.

“He's so awesome,” Dart, the Rebels' third-year starter at quarterback, said. “He's the only defensive tackle who can move like that in the whole country. He could honestly play tight end for us, too. He's a special talent.”

The Rebels (5-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) took advantage of a pair of early gambles by the Gamecocks (3-2, 1-2) to build a quick lead and take control.

Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer — son of Frank Beamer, a coach known for his special teams prowess at Virginia Tech — faked a punt on fourth-and-1 at his own 36 and Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul Jr. stuffed Maurice Brown II short.

Five plays later, Henry Parrish Jr. ran for a 3-yard touchdown to give the Rebels a 7-0 lead.

On South Carolina's next series, it lined up with quarterbacks LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford in the formation. After Ashford slid in, he fumbled the ball and defensive tackle Walter Nolen recovered.

The Rebels' subsequent drive ended with the first of Pegues' two 1-yard rushing scores. The fifth-year senior took the direct snap and pushed through the line for the TD.

“Any time he has the ball in his hands on offense, good things are going to happen,” Dart said.

Right before halftime, Pegues was at it again. This time, he gingerly stepped left to find an open lane into the end zone as Mississippi went up 24-3. It was his fifth career offensive score, four of those coming on the ground this season. He also had a TD catch in 2022.

Kiffin said Pegues, who played some tight end during his time at Auburn before converting to defensive line full-time, is a unique player and they designed the play he scored on before the half specifically for him.

“That says a lot about who he is,” Kiffin said.

Pegues and the defense took care of the rest as South Carolina was held without a touchdown for the first time since losing 34-12 with four field goals at Missouri last October.

Pegues also had two tackles, including one behind the line of scrimmage.

It was a welcome result for Mississippi, which was beaten at home, 20-17, by Kentucky last week. Another loss and the Rebels' chances at the College Football Playoff would have taken a significant hit.

Kiffin, the Ole Miss coach since 2020, reached the career milestone in his 13th season. He also had stints at Tennessee, USC and Florida Atlantic.

Beamer did not expect this result, saying it was “the most disappointed I've ever been as a head football coach in the way we played."

“We were very undisciplined, to say the least, and that starts with me,” Beamer said.

“We had a great week of practice, and I'm shocked at the way that we played.”

The takeaway Mississippi: The Rebels were not their crispest version of themselves with Dart misfiring at times. He finished 14 of 27 for 285 yards and went without a touchdown throw for the first time this season.

South Carolina: Things won't get easier for the Gamecocks, who follow up Ole Miss with trips to No. 1 Alabama and No. 19 Oklahoma before closing October at home against No. 25 Texas A&M. They'll need to find some offense in a hurry to navigate that stretch.

Rebel injuries Mississippi played the Gamecocks without starting defensive end Princely Umanmielen. Right before halftime, leading receiver Tre Harris was helped off the field after getting tackled and went into the medical tent for a time.

Harris did not return. Kiffin stepped around a question about Harris' injury.

Up next Mississippi is at No. 13 LSU next Saturday night.

South Carolina goes to top-ranked Alabama on Saturday.

How To Watch

How can I watch Ole Miss Rebels vs. South Carolina Gamecocks?
  • TV Channel: Rebels at Gamecocks 2021 College Football, week 6, is broadcasted on ESPNEWS.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Gamecocks: 24.8%
Rebels: 75.2%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

MISS TD 1st Period 10:36 Henry Parrish Jr. 3 Yd Run (Caden Davis Kick)
MISS TD 1st Period 5:57 JJ Pegues 1 Yd Run (Caden Davis Kick)
SC FG 2nd Period 10:08 Alex Herrera 40 Yd Field Goal
MISS FG 2nd Period 7:16 Caden Davis 24 Yd Field Goal
MISS TD 2nd Period 0:31 JJ Pegues 1 Yd Run (Caden Davis Kick)
MISS FG 3rd Period 1:56 Caden Davis 44 Yd Field Goal

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/145.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMISS https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2579.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originSC
17 1st Downs 19
3-13 3rd down efficiency 5-16
1-3 4th down efficiency 1-4
425 Total Yards 313
285 Passing 162
14/27 Comp/Att 20/33
10.6 Yards per pass 4.9
140 Rushing 151
41 Rushing Attempts 43
3.4 Yards per rush 3.5
8-65 Penalties 8-80
1 Turnovers 2
1 Fumbles lost 1
0 Interceptions thrown 1
27:22 Possession 32:38

Game Information

Williams-Brice Stadium

Location: Columbia, SC
Attendance: 79,837 · Capacity:
Full Standings

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