Tulsa Comeback Falls Short at #13 Ole Miss 35-27

Saturday, September 24

Oxford, Miss

3:00 PM

Tulsa

2-2 , 0-0

Mississippi

4-0 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Tulsa

Ole Miss

Tulsa Comeback Falls Short at #13 Ole Miss 35-27

9/24/2022 8:10:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

FINAL GAME STATS I POST-GAME NOTES I TULSA QUOTES I OLE MISS QUOTES I SEASON STATS I PHOTO GALLERY

OXFORD, Miss. – Tulsa battled the 13^th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels down to the wire but fell 35-27 Saturday afternoon in front of 60,641 fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Tulsa fell to 2-2 on the year, while Ole Miss improved to 4-0.

The Hurricane had a 14-7 lead after the first quarter before falling behind by 18 points at halftime, 35-17. Tulsa scored 10 points in the second half to cut its deficit to eight points with just under 15 minutes remaining in the contest, while the Hurricane defense shutout the Rebels in the second half.

In the final 14 minutes, the Hurricane defense made some big stops to stifle the Rebels offense, holding Ole Miss to 19, six, 22 and 27 yards on its final four drives. Tulsa had three more possessions in the fourth quarter but couldn't manage to add to the scoreboard.

Tulsa put up 457 yards of total offense, while Ole Miss had 462 yards. The Hurricane had its best rushing output of the year with 262 yards, while the Rebels with the nation's fifth-best rushing offense tallied 308 yards on the ground.

Tulsa's run game was by committee as Bill Jackson led the way with 77 yards and a 9.6 average per carry, Steven Anderson with 76 yards and Jordan Ford with 65 yards.

The nation's leading quarterback, Tulsa's Davis Brin missed the final five minutes of the first half and the entire second half after suffering a second-quarter injury. Brin ended the game by completing 7-of-13 passes for 112 yards and one TD, while backup Braylon Braxton threw for 83 yards and one TD and rushed for another 39 yards.

Ole miss wasted little time in putting the first points of the game by going 75 yards in six plays while taking just 1:39 off the game clock to take an early 7-0 lead.

Tulsa responded with an 87-yard, 12-play drive that took 5:21 off the clock and saw Brin score from one-yard out. The opening score for Tulsa marked the third straight game that Tulsa took its first possession for a touchdown.

After the Hurricane defense held Ole Miss to 3-and-out on the subsequent possession, Brin led Tulsa on a 75-yard, 8-play drive that ended with Brin finding Isaiah Epps in the end zone for a 20-yard score.

The first quarter ended with Tulsa leading 14-7, but the Rebels scored on the quarter's second play on a 4-yard run to tie the score. But during that drive, Brin appeared to suffer a lower body injury.

Tulsa's 14 first-quarter points bettered by one point (13) the entire amount that Ole Miss allowed through its first three games.

The Rebels took a 21-14 lead at the 10:31 mark of the second period with a 61-yard, 4-play drive that took only 1:21 off the clock and ended with a 31-yard TD pass from Jaxon Dart to Malik Heath.

Ole Miss added seven points on its next possession on a Quinshon Judkins one-yard run, capping a 93-yard, 12-play drive that put the home team ahead 28-14 at the 5:01 mark of the second quarter.

Tulsa's Braxton subbed for Brin on Tulsa's next possession.

Ole Miss added another seven points for a 35-14 lead at halftime following an interception that gave the Rebels the ball at the Tulsa 46-yard line. Two plays later Ole Miss scored on a 31-yard pass play.

At halftime, Ole Miss held a 312 to 281-yard edge in total offense. The Hurricane gained 159 of its yards on the ground and 122 by passing, while the Rebels had 201 yards rushing and 111 through the air.

The Hurricane returns to H.A. Chapman Stadium next Saturday, Oct. 1., to begin American Athletic Conference play against defending champion Cincinnati. Game time is 6 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online at TulsaHurricane.com or by calling 918.631.4688.