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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Plays Comeback Card Again
6/21/1999 | Football
October 3, 1998
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Deuce McAllister scored on a 5-yard run with 2:48 left and Mississippi held on to defeat South Carolina 30-28 Saturday after the Gamecocks missed a 52-yard field goal.
For the second week in a row, Ole Miss (4-1) came from behind to win in the fourth quarter.
After Romaro Miller connected with Rufus French on a 26-yard pass, McAllister had two carries from the 9 to score what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. But a missed extra point gave South Carolina (1-4) a chance to win with a field goal.
Anthony Wright, who threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns, hit Ben Fleming for a 42-yard play to the Ole Miss 31. But South Carolina then lost 4 yards in three plays before Courtney Leavitt was wide left on a 52-yard field goal attempt with 1:22 left.
Wright hit 26-of-40 passes, including 11 straight completions at one point.
South Carolina took a 21-16 lead just before halftime when Wright completed seven straight passes, the last to Jermale Kelly, who jumped up with his right arm fully extended to make a spectacular 9-yard TD catch.
After halftime, Wright hit four more passes - and apparently a fifth when Zola Davis caught a 9-yard pass in the end zone. But the touchdown was nullified by a holding call and a questionable celebration penalty against Davis.
Instead of a touchdown, the Gamecocks were pushed back to the 40. They punted two plays later and never fully recovered from the mistake.
Ole Miss, which overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat SMU in overtime last week, went ahead when Miller hit Grant Heard, who broke free for a 48-yard TD after a block from fellow receiver Cory Peterson.
South Carolina went ahead 28-24 when Wright scored on a 13-yard keeper with 5:40 left, but Ole Miss came back again.
Unlike last week, South Carolina did respond after failing behind quickly.
Ole Miss needed just three plays to take a 7-0 lead, Joe Gunn scoring on a 10-yard run after Ken Lucas gained 68 yards on a reverse handoff from Gunn. But the Gamecocks drove 72 yards in 10 plays on their opening drive, Troy Hambrick scoring from a yard out.
After the two teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter - Wright throwing 16 yards to Davis and McAllister scoring on a 1-yard run - Ole Miss went ahead with a safety by tackling Hambrick in the end zone.
South Carolina had taken over at its own 1 after stopping McAllister on two straight plays.
