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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Lead South To Victory In Senior Bowl
1/24/2009 | Football
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Ole Miss' Mike Wallace and Peria Jerry each scored touchdowns to help lead the South to a 35-18 win over the North Saturday in the Under Armour Senior Bowl, a showcase game for many of college football's top prospects.
In addition, Rebel Michael Oher started on the South offensive line, while linebacker Ashlee Palmer totaled three tackles.
Local hero Pat White from West Virginia passed for 95 yards and directed two scoring drives, including in the third quarter when he stretched the South's lead with an impressive 39-yard scoring toss to Wallace in the corner of the end zone.
The North narrowed the lead to 28-18 early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Eric Kettani of Navy and a 2-point conversion run by Oregon's Jeremiah Johnson. But any hopes of getting closer were dashed with 8:47 to play when Jerry, an All-American defensive tackle, fell on a fumble in the North end zone for the final South score.
Wallace finished with two receptions for a team-high 41 yards and returned one kickoff 21 yards. Jerry was credited with two solo stops with a sack, a pass break-up and the fumble recovery.
Alabama's John Parker Wilson completed 7-of-13 passes for 56 yards and scoring on a four-yard scamper in the first quarter. He was named offensive player of the game, while Robert Ayers of Tennessee was named the game's outstanding defensive player.
The South led 21-10 at halftime and stretched it to 28-10 with White's scoring pass midway through the third quarter. The South dominated in the first half as three different quarterbacks directed impressive scoring drives.
Wilson started the scoring with a 4-yard run from out of the shotgun formation with 7:28 to play in the first quarter. Wilson's score ended a 16-play, 80-yard drive in which he completed four passes for 37 yards.
The first quarter ended with the South ahead 7-3 after the North got on the board with a 38-yard field goal by Utah's Louie Sakoda.
White showed what he could do early in the second quarter, leading an eight-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown run by Quinn Johnson of LSU. The drive included a 33-yard pass from White to North Carolina State running back Andre Brown.
Then it was Clemson's Cullen Harper's turn behind center and he took the South 59 yards in eight plays, with Brown scoring on a 1-yard run with 3:35 to play in the half. The drive was sparked by a 32-yard pass from Harper to Arizona's Mike Thomas.
The North narrowed the South's lead to 21-10 with 1:02 to play in the half as Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Brown completed a 4-yard pass to Johnson.
Neither team was able to launch much of a running attack. The leading rusher was the South's Rashad Jennings of Liberty College in Virginia, who carried nine times for 41 yards.
The North's Juaquin Iglesias of Oklahoma was the leading receiver with six catches for 90 yards.
