Kentucky upset previously undefeated No. 6 Ole Miss 20-17 in Oxford on Saturday. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
No. 6 Ole Miss opened the SEC with a 20-17 loss to Kentucky on Saturday in Oxford. The Rebels entered the SEC opener 4-0, but did not face much competition in their first four games.
Caden Davis missed a 48-yard field goal that would have tied the game with 48 seconds left. Ole Miss drove 44 yards in eight plays, but stalled at the Kentucky 31-yard line before lining up for the final kick.
With 2:25 left in the fourth quarter, Josh Kattas recovered Gavin Wimsatt’s fumble in the end zone and scored the winning touchdown. This allowed Brock Vandagriff to connect with Barion Brown for a 63-yard play on fourth-and-7 from the Kentucky 20-yard line, completing a six-play, 83-yard drive.
Vandagriff completed 18-of-28 passes for 243 yards and a Kentucky touchdown. Dane Key had eight receptions for 105 yards and a score, and Demie Sumo-Kaanby rushed for 47 yards on 11 carries.
At the end of the third quarter, Jackson Dart completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Tre Harris, giving Ole Miss a 17-13 lead. On fourth-and-7, Dart hit Harris and the senior receiver and outscored three Kentucky defenders.
Harris caught 11 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown. Dart completed 18 of 27 passes for 261 yards. Henry Parrish Jr. led the Rebels with 62 yards and a score on 13 carries.
Meanwhile, Kentucky has had a troubled season since head coach Mark Stoops reportedly was on the verge of leaving for Texas A&M last November. After losing 31-6 to South Carolina, the Wildcats came back and nearly upset the then No. 1 team. 1 Georgia, falling 13-12. This time, they defeated a superior conference opponent on the road.
Ole Miss will travel to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks (3-1) next Saturday with kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET. Kentucky is a week away from playing Vanderbilt (2-2) on October 12th.
