Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly (10) runs for a gain against the LSU defense during the Rebels' 38-17 win over the Tigers on Nov. 21, 2015 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Matt Bush / Imagn ImagesOXFORD, Miss. — The stakes were high. The response was louder.
On Nov. 21, 2015, No. 22 Ole Miss dismantled No. 15 LSU in a 38-17 rout at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — a decisive win that kept the Rebels in the hunt for the SEC West and pushed them closer to a New Year’s Six bowl bid.
“It was just Ole Miss’ fourth victory against the Tigers in the past 14 years,” The Clarion-Ledger noted. “And the 21-point margin of victory was the Rebels’ largest in the series since 1992.”
The Rebels exploded to a 24-0 lead in the first 27 minutes, storming past a shaky LSU defense and shutting down an offense that had run hot behind Leonard Fournette. LSU didn’t score until the second quarter. From there, Ole Miss never let it get close.
Chad Kelly was the difference-maker. He threw for 280 yards, ran for a touchdown, and accounted for three total scores. In the process, he broke Bo Wallace’s school record for total offense in a season and tied Eli Manning’s mark for touchdowns responsible for (34).
“I’m just honored and blessed to be in this situation,” Kelly said after the game. “I’m working with Coach Freeze, and I’m just thankful. I don’t want to make this about me.”
Ole Miss’ defense forced two interceptions from LSU quarterback Brandon Harris — the first picks he’d thrown all season — and sacked him five times, a season-high. Fournette, who came in averaging more than 150 yards rushing per game, was limited to 108 yards on 25 carries.
“Defensively, I thought for the first 29 minutes we were absolutely excellent,” Freeze said. “We stopped a really good run team.”
It was also senior day, and Mike Hilton led a group of veteran defenders who helped set the tone. “Hilton fell onto his back in his own end zone,” The Clarion-Ledger reported, “after being honored for senior day and carried that emotion while making several big plays.”
The win positioned Ole Miss for a 10-win finish, which the Rebels sealed a few weeks later with a Sugar Bowl demolition of Oklahoma State that also locked up a top-10 final ranking in both the AP and coaches polls. That momentum picked up here — with a blowout of a bitter rival, in front of a home crowd, with everything still to play for.
“We played smart,” Freeze said. “And I thought we were the more physical team tonight.”