Sugar Bowl Predictions 2016: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Ole Miss Rebels

Walsh was stuffed on a 3rd and 1 that led to a field goal instead of a touchdown, and plays to the edge seemed to always get swallowed up until the game was out of hand. In their return to the New Year’s Six spotlight, the Rebels thoroughly dominated a new Big 12 opponent.

The Ole Miss fans – who were cheering for the Rebels at the Sugar Bowl for the first time since 1970 – were already in a frenzy when one more trick play by Freeze brought down the house.

Ole Miss, the unpredictable, yet talented team that lost by 28 points to Florida but won at Alabama, showed up to send a message. Ole Miss has done well on defense this year despite losing five starters off the season opening roster. Still, take Oklahoma State with the points as your free Sugar Bowl predictions for Friday, January 1st, 2016.

Kelly said Oklahoma State’s defense is impressive on tape.

Chad Kelly, QB, Ole Miss. On the next play, Kelly hit Treadwell for the second of his three touchdown catches to stretch the lead to 24-3 after Wunderlich’s PAT. With 76 catches this season, Treadwell needs two to break Collins’ single-season school mark of 77 set in 2003. The SEC holds the record with seven wins, so the odds are good that its own record will be broken. Oklahoma State has looked very good at times in 2015. Entering the bowl season, no other player in the nation had more than two such receptions.

SI.com’s Zac Ellis asked if Ole Miss will take next step?

“To end the year, winning the Magnolia Bowl, the Egg Bowl, and now the Sugar Bowl – which was a bucket item for me – it’s really surreal”, Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said.

Sam: Oklahoma State has a great offense, but its defense?

The Rebels finished this thing up with total yards, of those on the ground.

“You can’t worry about the last play”, said Kelly, who was named the game’s most outstanding player. The Rebels will need all the help they can get, particularly against the pass, to slow down a potent Oklahoma State attack…. sophomore defensive end Marquis Haynes is in the midst of a breakout season, logging 14 tackles for 9.5 sacks, both team-highs, and eight quarterback hurries…. defensive backs Trae Elston (4 INTs, 12 pass breakups), Mike Hilton (2 INTs, 11 PBUs) and Kendarius Webster (9 PBUs) will be tested by the Cowboys’ No. 7 pass offense. Mason Rudolph completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 3,591 yards and 21 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Walsh added another TD on an 8-yard run, but it far too late.

Prior to that, junior receiver Laquon Treadwell caught a pair of touchdowns from Kelly for gains of 34 and 10 yards.

On Tuesday, the team spent a portion of the day at the World War II Museum in downtown New Orleans. Treadwell’s streak is the longest in the SEC. Mississippi Rebels recorded 333.7 passing yards and 181.1 rushing yards while allowed 255.1 passing yards and 132.4 russhing yards with turnover differential of 0.0. He had 172 yards rushing, 105 yards receiving and 91 on kick returns, putting an appropriate cap on the season in which he set the NCAA record for all-purpose yards. The Rebels closed the season on a roll, beating LSU and Mississippi State heading into the Sugar Bowl. Stanford head coach David Shaw is now 3-2 in bowl games as head coach of the Cardinal, and that now includes two Rose Bowl victories. This is a New Year’s Six bowl.

The Cowboys are 10-2 while the Rebels are 9-3.

Then, as time expired heading into the break, Tunsil received a toss from Kelly to score the 2-yard run, making it a 34-6 game at the break.

Nick: Will the absence of the Nkemdiches hurt Ole Miss? Like Oklahoma State, Ole Miss also had opportunities for a better season.

That council also prioritized who went to the various bowl events, which the coach considers to be significant when it comes to game preparation.