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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Falls at Vanderbilt in SEC Opener
9/15/2007 | Football
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Despite two touchdown catches by Mike Wallace, Ole Miss could not hold off a balanced Vanderbilt offense in a 31-17 road loss in the Rebels' SEC opener. Wallace posted his second straight 100-yard receiving game with 139, including 54 yards on a fourth-quarter scoring toss from Brent Schaeffer.
Chris Nickson threw for 200 yards and ran for 78 more and a touchdown to lead Vanderbilt. Cassen Jackson-Garrison had three touchdowns and 127 yards rushing, and the Commodores (2-1) improved to 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference, while the Rebels (1-2) dropped their league opener for the fourth consecutive year. Ole Miss fell to 46-34-2 against Vanderbilt.
Schaeffer relieved Seth Adams in the fourth quarter, and threw the touchdown pass to Wallace on his first attempt to narrow the score to 24-17. Schaeffer failed to complete a pass on the following possession, and Jackson-Garrison scored for the Commodores on a short field to put the game out of reach.
Nickson, hampered all week by a sore hamstring, completed his first 10 passes to pace a Commodores offense that gained a season-high 183 rushing yards.
Adams threw for 154 yards on 10-for-17 passing, including a 36-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace that narrowed the Rebels' deficit to 14-10. But he threw a late interception to D.J. Moore, and four plays later Vanderbilt took a 24-10 lead.
Two-time All-SEC receiver Earl Bennett caught 11 passes for 100 yards, his ninth career game with at least 100 yards receiving at Vanderbilt.
The Commodores' defense gave up 262 yards but forced six sacks.
Bryan Hahnfeldt kicked a 24-yard field goal for Vanderbilt, and might have had another. Mackenzie Adams botched the snap on his second attempt.
Joshua Shene kicked a 34-yard field goal to narrow the gap to 7-3, but missed another.
