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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Finish Strong In 45-14 Win At Memphis
9/6/2009 | Football
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Jevan Snead sure knows how to finish.
The Ole Miss quarterback recovered from a slow start to throw two late touchdowns and Dexter McCluster scored twice to lead the No. 8 Rebels to a 45-14 win over Memphis on Sunday. Snead hit 4 of 5 passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, breaking open a close game.
''Another thing you have to love about Jevan is that when things don't go just right, he doesn't put his head down,'' Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. ''You don't have to be concerned about that. He's a winner, and the guy really came back and played well.''
Those who having been watching Snead at Ole Miss will start to notice a trend. Snead got off to a slow start last season before rallying the Rebels to six straight wins. He did just the same in microcosm in the team's seventh consecutive victory.
Snead was the focus of preseason hype and mentioned as a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy. But when the spotlight first hit him in 2009, he struggled. He completed just 8 of 17 passes for 102 yards with two interceptions through three quarters, missing badly at times.
As a whole, the offense struggled in the first half when the team turned the ball over three times, punted three others and gained 144 yards.
It took a big play by Fon Ingram to wipe away those troubles.
It looked like Memphis might take the lead late in the second quarter. The Tigers trailed 10-7 and appeared to have an opportunity to take the lead with a solid drive when Ingram stepped in front of Arkelon Hall's pass and returned it 38 yards for a 17-7 halftime lead.
''It was just being in the right place at the right time,'' Ingram said. ''He threw it right to me, and when I caught it I knew it was six.''
That gave Ole Miss confidence going into the second half and Snead completed his personal comeback with a couple of rapid-fire touchdowns of 18 yards to Markeith Summers and 17 yards to McCluster in the fourth.
His counterpart had a much more difficult time in the face of pressure from Ole Miss' defensive line.
Hall completed 15 of 30 passes with two interceptions for 110 yards. He had 37 yards in the first half and limited the Tigers' effectiveness with several poor passes well off the mark.
The Tigers had 284 total yards, three turnovers and were 0 for 2 on fourth-down conversions and 4 for 16 on third down.
''You've got to give our defense a lot of credit,'' Snead said.
The defense's early stand was repaid as the offense gained strength. Brandon Bolden rushed for 71 yards on nine carries, scored one touchdown and set up McCluster's 1-yard plunge in the third quarter with a 28-yard run.
McCluster had 50 yards rushing as both the Wild Rebel quarterback and an I-formation tailback and 65 yards receiving, too. Enrique Davis finished off the game with a 29-yard scoring run.
Memphis coach Tommy West stocked up on transfers the last two years in an attempt to improve the talent on his roster and it appeared to work for a while, especially on defense and in the running game. Curtis Steele had 90 yards and two touchdowns, including one that cut it to 24-14. Wisconsin transfer Lance Smith added 63 yards rushing.
The team couldn't overcome the performance by Hall, though, and West acknowledged it might be time to look more closely at the position.
''I don't want to create a quarterback deal, but then again we have to play better than we did today,'' West said. ''I think we all know that. That is not a secret to anyone that watched the game. We can't continue to make errors and give up touchdowns.''
IN-GAME UPDATES
Ole Miss 45, Memphis 14, 4Q, 0:06: Enrique Davis puts the exclamation point on the season-opening victory for the Rebels with a 29-yard TD run up the middle.
Ole Miss 38, Memphis 14, 4Q, 5:20: After a fumble recovery by Greg Hardy, Snead hurls another TD throw for the second time in just over a minute, firing a bullet to McCluster from 17 yards away.
Ole Miss 31, Memphis 14, 4Q, 6:14: Snead tosses his first TD of the game, completing an 18-yard scoring toss to Markeith Summers, who was open at the 1-yard line and dove into the endzone. After a slow start, Snead is now 11-of-21 for 158 yards.
Ole Miss 24, Memphis 14, 4Q, 9:09: Memphis answers back with its longest drive of the day, going 80 yards in 8 plays and ending with a 5-yard scoring run by Curtis Steele. It is his second TD of the day.
Ole Miss 24, Memphis 7, 4Q, 12:43: Ole Miss extends its lead with a 1-yard TD run by Dexter McCluster, who took the direct snap.
Ole Miss 17, Memphis 7, 3Q: Defense continues to be the story, as neither team cracked the scoreboard in the third stanza. Memphis starts the fourth with the ball at the Rebel 43-yardline. Check out images from today in the photo gallery link to the right.
Ole Miss 17, Memphis 7, HALFTIME: Both offenses have struggled with Ole Miss holding a narrow 144-123 advantage over Memphis in total yards. Jevan Snead is just 5-of-12 for 74 yards and two interceptions. Dexter McCluster has 4 catches for 41 yards and 5 rushes for 26. Brandon Bolden has 5 carries for 34 yards, including the Rebels' lone offensive TD.
Ole Miss 17, Memphis 7, 2Q, 00:41: With the Rebel offense struggling, the defense has provided some points with Fon Ingram returning an interception 38 yards for a TD, aided by a huge block from Kentrell Lockett on Tiger QB Arkelon Hall at the 8-yardline. It marks the first touchdown of Ingram's career.
Ole Miss 10, Memphis 7, 2Q, 13:37: Memphis jumps on the board. Deante Lamar intercepted Jevan Snead and returned it 25 yards to the Rebel 25-yardline. A 16-yard catch by Duke Calhoun set up a 2-yard scoring rush by Curtis Steele,
Ole Miss 10, Memphis 0, 1Q, 6:20: With a short field, the Rebels drive 26 yards on just four plays, capping the drive on a 1-yard TD run by Brandon Bolden, who tried to jump over the pile, landed on his feet and darted into the endzone.
Ole Miss 3, Memphis 0, 1Q, 11:13: After forcing Memphis to punt on their opening drive, Ole Miss drove 46 yards on seven plays and scored the game's first points on a Joshua Shene 27-yard field goal. The Rebels scored first in 11 of 13 games a year ago.
