Through the Lens: A Photographer's View From Ole Miss' 61-21 Blowout Over Tulane

A photographer's view on the Walk of Champions and the field from Saturday's Ole Miss win

Carleigh Holt Harbin | Sep 20, 2021

The Ole Miss Rebels dominated Tulane 61-21 on Saturday night as Matt Corral torched the Green Wave defense for seven touchdowns.

Flash Flood Warning alerts had each Ole Miss fan, both teams and many media members worried. The Walk of Champions with clear skies had Ole Miss fans hopeful that there would be no rain for kickoff, but that was not the case.

With kickoff originally supposed to be at 7 p.m. CT, lightning delays and a downpouring of rain set back the start of the game until 8:45.

As I waited in the Walk of Champions for the team’s arrival, a security guard and I watched the radar for the approaching weather. I found a tree to stand under to photograph players walking past the crowd.

Ole Miss fans wanted their picture made too as I walked down the Grove behind the team.

I walked up to the media box with John Macon Gillespie around 5:30 p.m. just in time to see the rain start to downpour on the field. We watched the field start to flood as equipment members and team managers were scrambling around.

I heard media members in the box saying, “Do not say the L (lightning) word, we will at least have a 30-minute delay.”

As we waited through delays, we went to venture around the stadium. I saw dedicated fans waiting in their rain gear beside concession stands, and throughout the rain delay, the student section was filled with soaked students throwing red pompoms up to the DJ’S music choices.

Lane Kiffin and John Rhys Plumlee made a statement to the fans titled "Rain or Shine, there's always a #PartyIntheSip!"

Rain or shine, there's always a #PartyInTheSip! pic.twitter.com/8v539YTdMB
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) September 19, 2021

When the game started, the rain continued to fall through the first quarter while Ole Miss was on top at 19-7. In the second half, the wet conditions still had players sliding and jumping in puddles on the field as Ole Miss extended their lead to 40-21.

In the second half, Ole Miss continued to score, while shutting out the Green Wave in convincing fashion.

Matt Corral scored a total of seven touchdowns, setting an Ole Miss record along the way. He ran four for touchdowns and passed for three -- one each to Domtario Drummond, Jonathan Mingo, and Braylon Sanders.

Matt Corral and Carleigh Holt after the press conference

The Rebels are on a high by being ranked No. 13 in the most recent AP Top 25 Poll, and, fortunately for them, they will have a time of rest and time to prepare next week during a bye week, as both the offense and the defense will be put to the test against No. 1 ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 2.