Post Game Review: Texas A&M 38, Ole Miss 24
With a dominant second half, Texas A&M overcame a pair of horrific Kellen Mond turnovers and Ole Miss’ explosive passing game to capture a 38-24 Southeastern Conference football victory on Saturday at Kyle Field.
Mond threw three touchdown passes — two to Quartney Davis and another to Camron Buckley. Trayveon Williams rushed for 228 yards and a score. The Aggies’ beleaguered secondary gained some redemption by allowing just one touchdown pass.
Mond threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another. Williams also had a 46-yard clinching touchdown as A&M (6-4, 4-3) bounced back from consecutive losses to Mississippi State and Auburn.
The Aggies failed to convert at critical junctures in those losses. However, they made the big plays when they were needed most to subdue the visiting Rebels (5-5, 1-5).
A&M trailed 21-14 early in the third quarter after Ole Miss’ Zedrick Woods scooped up Mond’s fumble at the Ole Miss 4-yard line and raced 96 yards for the touchdown.
The announced crowd of 102,618 became even more anxious on the following series when Mond threw deep into double coverage for fullback Cullen Gillaspia only to be intercepted by cornerback Ken Webster.
A&M’s defense rose up to prevent further damage and forced a punt.
Mond quickly redeemed himself with a 31-yard connection to Jace Sternberger that set up a tying 11-yard touchdown pass to Davis.
The Aggies regained possession at the Ole Miss 46 early in after another defensive stop. The ensuing drive led to a 46-yard Seth Small field goal that staked A&M to a 24-21 lead with 14:11 remaining.
The Rebels finally regained some traction as Ta’amu completed passes for 34 and 19 yards to lead Ole Miss to the A&M 10-yard line.
But the A&M defense held at the 5 to force a field goal attempt. Luke Logan’s 24-yard try sailed wide right.
A&M quickly capitalized on that break. Mond passed to Sternberger for 20 yards and ran for 16 to start the following series. Williams then had a 27-yard run and a face mask penalty to put the Aggies at the Ole Miss 6.
Two plays later, Mond hit Davis in the back of the red zone for a 31-21 lead.
Ole Miss came back get a field goal and pull within a touchdown with 1:51 left.
But Williams broke loose for a clinching 46-yard touchdown run on the first play after Trevor Wood recovered an onside kick.
RUMBLED: Trayveon Williams exceeded 200 rushing yards for the fourth time in his career, which put him in a tie with Darren Lewis for the most 200-yard rushing performances in A&M history. Williams rushed 31 times for 228 yards and scored a touchdown.
STUMBLED: Cornerback Charles Oliver was benched early in the second quarter after misplaying a short pass that DeMarkus Lodge turned into a 44-yard touchdown. Oliver did play later, but Myles Jones took over at corner for the rest of the game.
UNSUNG HERO: Jhamon Ausbon returned from an injury that sidelined him for more than a month. Ausbon had five catches for 66 yards, which was his most productive output since the season-opening win over Northwestern State. Ausbon had three catches on an eight-play drive for a touchdown that forged a 14-14 lead late in the second quarter.
TURNING POINT: Leading 14-7 with four minutes left in the first half, Ole Miss had second-and-2 at the A&M 15-yard line. The Rebels were threatening to take a two-touchdown lead, which might have been difficult to overcome. Jordan Ta’amu looked to pick up the first down on a quarterback keeper. Instead, defensive end Kingsley Keke stripped the football away from Ta’amu and recovered the fumble to thwart the drive. A&M responded with an 85-yard drive which culminated in a Mond 21-yard touchdown pass to Camron Buckley that forced a 14-14 tie at halftime.
KEY STAT: The A&M defense gave up a quarter-mile of yardage, but almost none on third and fourth down. The dangerous Ole Miss offense converted just once on 11 third down situations. The Rebels also failed on their only fourth down try.
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
A&M: Kellen Mond 1 run (Seth Small kick). Drive: 71 yards, 14 plays, 7:00. Big play: Pass interference on Ole Miss’ Vernon Davis covering Jace Sternberger for 15 yards to the Ole Miss 27-yard line. A&M 7, OM 0
Second quarter
OM: DeMarkus Lodge 44 pass from Jordan Ta’amu (Luke Logan kick). Drive: 75 yards, 5 plays, 1:58. Big play: Octavious Cooley 23 pass on second-and-15 to the A&M 44-yard line. A&M 7, OM 7
OM: Ta’amu 1 run (Logan kick). Drive: 75 yards, 7 plays, 3:02. Big play: A.J. Brown 39 pass from Ta’amu to the A&M 15-yard line. OM 14, A&M 7
A&M: Camron Buckley 21 pass from Mond (Small kick). Drive: 85 yards, 8 plays, 2:48. Big play: Jhamon Ausbon 15 pass from Mond to the Ole Miss 31-yard line. A&M 14, OM 14
Third quarter
OM: Zedrick Woods 96 fumble return (Logan kick). OM 21, A&M 14
A&M: Quartney Davis 10 pass from Mond (Small kick). Drive: 72 yards, 9 plays, 4:09. Big play: Sternberger 31 pass from Mond on third-and-8 to the Ole Miss 20-yard line. A&M 21, OM 21
Fourth quarter
A&M: Small 46 FG. Drive: 18 yards, 7 plays, 2:36. Big play: Sternberger 10 pass from Mond to the Ole Miss 38-yard line. A&M 24, OM 21
A&M: Davis 5 pass from Mond (Small kick). Drive: 80 yards, 6 plays, 2:42. Big play: Trayveon Williams 27 run plus 7-yard face mask penalty to the Ole Miss 6-yard line. A&M 31, OM 21
OM: Logan 24 FG. Drive: 68 yards, 9 plays, 2:45. Big play: Brown 37 pass from Ta’amu to the A&M 11-yard line. A&M 31, OM 24
A&M: Williams 46 run (Small kick). Drive: 46 yards, 1 play, :12. A&M 38, OM 24