OXFORD, Miss. — Chad Kelly accounted for 249 yards and three touchdowns as Mississippi snapped a three-game losing streak to defeat Georgia Southern 37-27 on Saturday.
Ole Miss (4-5, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) rallied from a second-quarter deficit as Kelly led three consecutive touchdown drives in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Kelly scored on runs of 3 and 5 yards and completed 16 of 23 for 233 yards passing, including a 38-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram.
Kelly left the game with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, favoring his right knee and ankle, but remained seated in the bench area and walked off the field without assistance after the game.
Akeem Judd rushed for a season-high 139 yards on 26 carries with a 9-yard touchdown run. Gary Wunderlich added field goals of 35, 29 and 38 yards as the Rebels had 441 yards of total offense.
Georgia Southern (4-5, 3-2 Sun Belt Conference) built a 21-10 lead in the opening 20 minutes. Keith Ellison connected with Myles Campbell on a 29-yard scoring pass before adding a 9-yard touchdown run. Matt Breida scored on a 68-yard touchdown run to cap the early offensive outburst.
Georgia Southern dropped their fifth game in the last six starts despite 401 yards of total offense. The Eagles rushed for 267 yards, highlighted by Breida with 100 yards on 22 carries.
THE TAKEAWAY
OLE MISS: After an unsettling 20 opening minutes, the defensive unit turned in an effective performance. End Fadol Brown, plagued by injuries, had a game-high 14 tackles. The Rebels will need defensive production with successive road dates at No. 7 Texas A & M and Vanderbilt.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN: Younghoe Koo, after converting 14 consecutive field goals, missed a 54-yard attempt on the final play of the first half. Koo kicked field goals from 41 and 38 yards in the second half.
UP NEXT
OLE MISS: The Rebels visit No. 7 Texas A&M in an SEC Western Division match on Saturday.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN: The Eagles return to Sun Belt play on Saturday, hosting Louisiana-Lafayette.
