Ole Miss scored four touchdowns in an explosive first quarter, tight end Michael Trigg caught three scores and the No. 22 Rebels routed visiting Central Arkansas 59-3 Saturday night in Oxford, Miss.
The Rebels (2-0) won their 11th straight home game by going 3-for-3 in the red zone and scoring on special teams in the first 15 minutes.
Trigg, a transfer from Southern Cal, grabbed two scores from Luke Altmyer and one from Jaxson Dart — his first TDs since arriving at Ole Miss.
Named the starter as part of an alternating process over the first two games with USC transfer Dart, Altmyer stepped in and went 6-for-13 for 90 yards with two TD passes, a rushing score and one interception. However, he left in the last minute of the first half after the pick.
In relief, Dart was 10-for-16 for 182 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Quinshon Judkins rushed for a game-high 104 yards on 10 carries, and Zach Evans added 53 yards and a score.
The Rebels also tallied on a botched punt snap and set up another TD with a blocked punt.
An FCS program, Central Arkansas (0-2) saw quarterback Will McElvain finish 13-of-28 passing for 126 yards and an interception.
Playing in steady rain didn’t deter Ole Miss in a four-touchdown first quarter. Altmyer took his offense to paydirt — 70 yards on six plays – on their first possession. He ended it by flipping a seven-yard pass to Trigg.
A bad punt snap produced a mistake on UCA’s first series. Ladarius Tennison scooped up the wet ball and ran untouched 24 yards for a 14-0 lead.
With a defender trying to bring him down, Altmyer managed a second TD throw to Trigg for a 21-0 lead with 5:02 left in the first quarter. Altmyer called his own number on a short scoring run for a 28-0 lead.
Jonathan Cruz kicked a 41-yard field for a 31-0 edge at the half.
Evans, Trigg and Malik Heath found the end zone in the third quarter.
Hayden Ray’s 31-yard field goal put the Bears on the board, and Ulysses Bentley IV’s run rounded out the scoring.
–Field Level Media