The Cowboys never stood a chance in Sugar Bowl stinker

The Rebels defeated No. 6 Georgia, No. 6 LSU, No. 3 Tennessee and No. 3 Arkansas that season, with the victory over the Razorbacks coming in the Sugar Bowl.

Ole Miss hasn’t been to the Sugar Bowl since 1970.

Following No. 16 Ole Miss’ final full practice on Wednesday, the players who met with the media didn’t sugar coat what’s at stake in Friday’s Sugar Bowl against No. 13 Oklahoma State. After an offensive pass interference call on Ole Miss negated a 15-yard completion to sophomore receiver Markell Pack, Kelly found his favorite target, junior wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, in the left corner of the end zone for a 34 yard touchdown pass. Treadwell made the catch despite being interfered with on the play.

Ole Miss’s 48 points are the most the Rebels have ever scored in a bowl game.

Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell set the single-season reception record. 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. However, the physicality and athleticism of the Ole Miss defense stood out, as Oklahoma State had absolutely no running game and could not generate any big plays through the air. The rout was on. The onslaught was punctuated late in the second quarter when 305-pound left tackle Laremy Tunsil had a 2-yard touchdown run on a trick play after a lateral from Kelly. Kelly passed the 4,000-yard mark for the season (4,042), finishing with 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. More importantly, he leaves Ole Miss as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (202), third in yards (2,393) and third in touchdowns with 21 touchdowns. That should mean big things for Treadwell and the Rebels and oddsmakers see it that way as well. The QB not only threw for 302 yards and four touchdowns, but he also rushed for 73 yards.

The Cowboys were trying to end the season on a high note after losing the last two games of the regular season. Ole Miss was 2-0 against Oklahoma State in recent bowl games, winning the 2004 and 2010 Cotton Bowls…. The snap was high and Brown tucked the ball and set sail around the right end on a 92-yard scoring scamper that sealed the win for Ole Miss.

The Cowboys opened this season 10-0, pulling off a bunch of close wins – Texas, Kansas State, West Virginia – before upsetting TCU at home. S-E-C!” chant started in the Superdome: “The Rebels had scored on their final six possessions of the first half and this one was essentially over.

Oklahoma State would add on a late touchdown to make it 48-20 but it was a frustrating night for the Cowboy offense.

“From he first bowl workout we had a mindset that we were going to win this game”, Kelly said.

The Sugar Bowl doesn’t have teams ranked as highly as it generally has, but this one will make up in entertainment value what it lacks in impact on the polls.

“You study film, you play the percentages”, Freeze said. Oklahoma State catches a break with their two elite opponents out for the game.

How many wins that results in is yet to be determined, but what is for sure is that the 2016 Rebels have the ability to be as good, if not better, than this year’s team. But the Wolverines didn’t miss him, holding the Gators (10-4) to 28 total yards in the second half.

With the top Big 12 and SEC teams in the College Football Playoff, this year’s Sugar Bowl will feature the runners-up of both conferences.