Ole Miss Falls To Wyoming 24-14 in Home Opener

Sept. 24, 2005

Final Stats | Quotes | Notes

Mico McSwain rushed for 114 yards on seven carries, highlighted by a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but it wasn't enough to propel the Rebels to victory as Wyoming (3-1, 1-0 MWC) defeated Ole Miss (1-2, 0-1 SEC) 24-14 in Oxford on Saturday.

McSwain's 114 yards led all Rebel rushers and was the first 100-yard performance of his career. Freshman Antonio Turner made a solid showing in the first half, tallying 29 yards on eight carries in his first action of the season.

Micheal Spurlock, who broke his finger against Vanderbilt and did not start, entered the game in place of starter Robert Lane late in the third quarter. Spurlock finished the night with 83 yards passing and a touchdown as he went 5-for-14 with one interception. Lane was 7-for-15 for 37 yards and two interceptions on the night.

Kelvin Robinson led the Rebel defense with 10 tackles and an interception return for 10 yards. McKinley Boykin and Corvelli Haynes both recorded sacks on the night.

Running back Wyndel Seldon led all rushers with 124 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown to propel the Cowboys to the win. Quarterback Corey Bramlett went 17-of-33 for 220 yards, with one interception and two touchdowns on the night. Seldon was also the top receiving target for Bramlett, catching four passes for 78 yards.

"We obviously have a lot of work to do," said Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron. "We came back in the second half and made some adjustments. That worked for the most part on defense. In the second half we played on a short field a lot, and we still held them to only eight points. Defensively, we couldn't manufacture anything."

The Rebels opened the game strong, scoring on a 77-yard drive in four plays, capped by McSwain's 60-yard run that gave the Rebels a 7-0 lead at the 7:15 mark. Ole Miss would then be held scoreless until the fourth quarter, while Wyoming would come to life.

Wyoming tied the game late in the second quarter, scoring at the 4:35 mark on a five-yard run from Seldon to even the score at seven. The Cowboys got the ball back after the defense held the Rebels, and Wyoming started the second scoring drive of the quarter at its own 29-yard line. The Cowboys then drove 71 yards to score their second touchdown of the night on a 29-yard pass to Jovon Bouknight to take the lead with 50 seconds left in the half. The PAT attempt failed and Wyoming held a 13-7 edge at the break.

The scoring continued for Wyoming in the second half as the Cowboys' Deric Yaussi connected on a 53-yard field goal to extend the lead to 16-7 two minutes into the second half.

Wyoming capped its scoring with :06 seconds left in the third quarter as Bramlett found Wade Betschart in the end zone for a four-yard pass to give Wyoming the 24-7 lead.

The Rebels mounted a rally in the fourth quarter, driving to the Wyoming one-yard line where Spurlock was stopped just short of a touchdown on fourth and goal from the three. Ole Miss held the Cowboys on the next possession and cut into the lead with a 41-yard pass to Espy at the 1:33 mark in the game for the final 24-14 margin.

Ole Miss will return to action Oct. 1,when the Rebels travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on the 10th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Kick-off is set for 11:30 p.m. CST with coverage on Jefferson Pilot Sports.

RebelsCalendar

Next Event

Team Stats

The University of Mississippi Athletics