In head coach Lane Kiffin’s return to the sideline Saturday night, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral fired five touchdowns in the 20th-ranked Rebels’ 54-17 victory over Austin Peay in Oxford, Miss.
The junior quarterback tossed a touchdown pass for the 14th straight game — the third-longest streak in school history behind Chad Kelly (22) and Eli Manning (16).
In a very efficient outing, Corral finished 21 of 33 for 281 yards with no interceptions as the Rebels (2-0) rolled to 630 yards of offense. The Rebels rushed for 336 yards in a balanced attack led by Henry Parrish Jr. (eight carries, 72 yards).
Dontario Drummond (six catches, game-high 107 yards) and Jonathan Mingo each caught two TD passes. Mingo hauled in seven catches for 99 yards. Braylon Sanders caught a TD pass and Snoop Conner rushed for one.
The team was without its second-year coach Kiffin (COVID-19) in Monday’s win over Louisville in Atlanta.
Ole Miss won for the ninth time in its past 10 home openers and is 80-11-4 in on-campus openers played in Oxford.
An FCS school, the Governors (1-1) entered the contest ranked No. 17 after a win over Chattanooga.
After Corral’s 1-yard toss to Drummond early in the first quarter, defensive lineman Sam Williams strip-sacked quarterback Draylen Ellis, scooped up the ball and rumbled 33 yards for a TD and a 14-0 lead at 4:59.
In the second, Corral connected on a 15-yard strike to Mingo at 8:28. Following a bad punt snap that gave Ole Miss its first safety since 2017, Corral hit Drummond on a 49-yard score for a 30-0 advantage.
His fourth-down pass for 11 yards to Sanders made it 37-0, but Ellis (22-of-41, 226 yards passing) found Baniko Harley from 30 yards out before the half ended.
Mingo tallied on a 40-yard pass in the third. Maddux Trujillo’s connected on a 30-yard field goal for Austin Peay. Conner’s rushing TD made it 51-10.
Ole Miss got a Caden Costa 26-yard field goal, and the Governors’ CJ Evans Jr. ran 40 yards for the final score.
Related: College Football Top 25 Rankings – No. 1 Alabama holds strong, Ohio State crashes after Week 2 loss
–Field Level Media