Like it is

Ole Miss, Arkansas entertain once again

Arkansas running back Rakeem Boyd (left) races to the end zone for a 69-yard touchdown during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Arkansas running back Rakeem Boyd (left) races to the end zone for a 69-yard touchdown during the first quarter on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Going into the fourth quarter, it was a typical Ole Miss-Arkansas game, undecided until the end.

The University of Arkansas led 33-24 with 15 minutes to play, but the Rebels' offense was hard to guard in the final quarter.

The Razorbacks didn't have an answer for quarterback Jordan Ta'amu, who passed for 387 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushed for another 141 yards and a score.

In the second half, the Razorbacks ditched the hurry-up offense and went with a pound-the-ground attack but settled for too many field goals.

With 7:09 to play, Ole Miss started at its own 16. Ten plays later, the score was 33-31 but there was 4:15 left for the Razorbacks to win it. They couldn't, although some improvement was seen again on the offense, which had starting quarterback Ty Storey and starting running back Rakeem Boyd knocked out of the game.

No excuses though as Ole Miss drove 97 yards in seven plays in 1:20 for the 37-33 victory at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The Rebels outscored the Hogs 20-6 in the second half.

When Ole Missed turned a third and 11 into a 66-yard touchdown pass to pull within 30-24 with 7:29 to play in the third quarter, the great crowd didn't know it but the momentum had swung. It was all red and blue afterward.

Arkansas answered with another field goal after getting to the Rebels' 20, making it 33-24. Ole Miss answered with the 84- and 97-yard drives in the fourth quarter to earn the victory.

It was a crazy first half, and the Razorbacks scored on every possession but the final one when they took a knee to end the half. In the second half, they managed just six points and 173 yards of offense.

Ole Miss' offense was disciplined, fast and good, but it was Pulleyed twice in the first half to allow the Razorbacks to build a 17-point lead.

On the Rebels' second possession, with the score tied at 3-3, Ryan Pulley broke up a third-down pass to force a punt. On Ole Miss' next possession, he got great position and pulled down an interception in the end zone for a touchback.

Connor Limpert hit a 43-yard field goal on the Hogs' first possession, then the Razorbacks set up the Rebels, who were selling out the run to pressure Storey.

The Hogs ran six consecutive times, but with Ole Miss set up to stop the run, Storey hung in the pocket, stepped up to gain some time and found Cheyenne O'Grady on the left sideline for a 39-yard touchdown.

Arkansas would make it 17-3 on a three-play, 80-yard drive that was the opposite of the previous drive. Storey completed passes on two downs, then handed to Boyd who hit the middle like he meant it, cleared the linebackers and outran the defensive backs for a 69-yard touchdown.

The next touchdown drive was something out of a movie. Storey scrambled for 22 yards, and Boyd bulled forward for 2 but had to be helped off the field and didn't return. He finished with 109 yards on seven carries.

Storey got leveled, and Ole Miss had a defensive back ejected for targeting. There were five yellow flags thrown on that play for targeting and multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against both teams.

Storey then caught a pass from Jared Cornelius for minus-5 yards and was driven to the turf so hard he left the game. Cole Kelley entered and immediately threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to La'Michael Pettway. Limpert would add a 38-yard field goal.

Ole Miss closed the first half with a 77-yard drive for a touchdown to make it 27-17 Hogs, but the Rebels were just warming up.

Sports on 10/14/2018

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