Bo Wallace had a heck of a night against Vanderbilt. (Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports)
Jeff Scott raced down the left sideline for a 75-yard touchdown with 67 seconds remaining, and Ole Miss rallied for a dramatic 39-35 win over Vanderbilt on Thursday in Nashville, Tenn., in the season opener and Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
Austyn Carta-Samuels hit a wide-open Steven Scheu for a 34-yard touchdown with 1:30 to go, giving the Commodores a 35-32 lead. On the previous play, Carta-Samuels completed a 42-yard pass to Jordan Matthews to convert on fourth-and-19.
The 80-yard drive took seven plays and appeared to give Vanderbilt the win, until Scott flipped the script with his burst around left end.
The Commodores had one last chance in the final minute, as a long kickoff return and facemask penalty set them up at midfield. However, Cody Prewitt intercepted a Carta-Samuels pass with 26 seconds to go, sealing the Rebels’ victory.
Vanderbilt saw its seven-game winning streak end, a span that included a Music City Bowl win over North Carolina State and a 27-26 victory over Ole Miss on Nov. 10. Jordan Rodgers threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Chris Boyd with 52 seconds left in Oxford, Miss.
Ole Miss won its third game in a row, including a BBVA Compass Bowl victory over Pitt.
The Rebels led heading into the final minutes on the strength of two short second-half touchdown runs by quarterback Bo Wallace, who finished with 18 carries for 48 yards. Wallace completed 31 of 47 passes for 283 yards. Scott ran 12 times for 138 yards.
Carta-Samuels finished 21-for-36 for 300 yards, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions. Matthews made 10 receptions for 178 yards, while Vanderbilt running back Wesley Tate had 17 carries for 39 yards and two touchdowns.
Ole Miss freshman receiver Laquon Treadwell made an impressive debut, catching nine passes for 82 yards. Rebels defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, rated by some as the top recruit in the nation, also appeared in his first college game.
