Halftime Rally Manifests Early-Season Grit for the Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss proved it can handle adversity, but early third down conversion problems raise a question moving forward as the schedule strengthens.

The Ole Miss Rebels pulled themselves together in the second half, coming back from a 17-10 deficit to defeat the Tulane Green Wave 37-20 on Saturday at Yulman Stadium. It wasn’t easy, but it sure was sweet for the visitors, marking their 13th-straight win over the Green Wave.

The power duo of Jaxson Dart and Tre Harris struck early, connecting for a touchdown on just three plays, but Tulane answered back just as quickly, scoring at the 4:35 mark of the first quarter, and from there, that would be the last we would see of Harris, who was sidelined the rest of the game after an injury.

Ole Miss went quiet after the fast three-play opening drive. The Tulane defense did an efficient job slowing down the Rebels offense, who has been known under Lane Kiffin to have one of the most explosive in the nation.

The Rebels were ranked 11th in the country on third down conversions last season. Today, they found struggles, going 1-for-13 on third down.

Headed to halftime, the Rebels were down 17-10. Dart finished the half 11-for-18 for 146 yards and one touchdown, while All-American running back Quinshon Judkins averaged a mere 1.9 yards per carry with 11 rushes for only 21 yards. Simply put, not the performance the Rebels hoped for entering the intermission. 

Despite the struggles going into half, Ole Miss was able to regroup and weather the storm. Judkins answered with a 9-yard touchdown on four plays totaling 64 yards, tying it up 17-17 with 6:11 left in the third quarter.

The Rebels defense also showed up in the second half, looking to right the ship and pull out a win. An interception by Deantre Prince put the Rebels in prime real estate on the Tulane 20 yard-line, perfect field position for Ole Miss to take the lead in the fourth quarter. 

The rest of the game was chalked from that point on as Ole Miss was able to squeeze out an enormous double-digit win against a nationally-ranked opponent. Even with that positive momentum, it wasn't smooth sailing for the Rebels, and the team needs to find itself sharpening up for four quarters as the schedule strengthens.

Whatever happened during halftime, we will never know. What we do know is that the Rebels who took the field in the second half were not the same group we saw in the first. The team may have made the magic, but Kiffin is truly the Houdini here, coaching his way to a 37-20 win.