Indiana’s late rally falls short in 26-20 Outback Bowl loss to Ole Miss
TAMPA, Fla. — Matt Corral threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns, leading Mississippi to a 26-20 upset of seventh-ranked Indiana in the Outback Bowl on Saturday.
Corral’s 3-yard pass to Dontario Drummond put the Rebels (5-5) ahead for good with 4:12 remaining. The Ole Miss defense came through with one more stop to ensure the school’s first non-losing record since going 6-6 in 2017.
Coach Lane Kiffin was rewarded before the game with a new contract, even though he’s just completing his first season with the Rebels.
Drummond finished with six catches for 110 yards. Corral completed 30 of 44 passes without an interception, including a 5-yard TD throw to Casey Kelly that put Ole Miss up 13-3 midway through the second quarter.
Jack Tuttle was 26 of 45 for 201 yards in his second start in place Michael Penix Jr. for Indiana, which lost its star quarterback to a season-ending knee injury in late November.
Stevie Scott III rushed for 99 yards and scored on runs of 3 and 2 yards to help Indiana wipe out a 20-6 deficit in the fourth quarter.
Ole Miss missed the extra point after Drummond’s go-ahead TD catch. Indiana drove to the Rebels 33 before stalling and turning the ball over on downs in the final minute.
UNIFORM STATEMENT
Indiana created a stir by removing Big Ten logos from their uniforms before the game, sparking speculation of a rift between the Hoosiers and the conference after the team did not receive a berth in a New Year’s Six game.
The Big Ten logo was replaced by an Outback Bowl logo on jerseys, and the letters “LEO” were added to helmets.
Coach Tom Allen issued a statement to clarify “what we are wearing on our uniform and helmet,” noting that ever since he took over as coach at Indiana the program’s mantra has been “LEO, Love Each Other.”
“This season has been the most trying we will ever experience, and we felt it was appropriate to showcase LEO, which has carried us through one of the most historic years in Indiana football history,” Allen said. “We did not intend to show any disrespect to anyone. We are a proud member of the Big Ten and are always representing our conference.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Ole Miss: The Rebels appeared in a bowl for the first time since in five years, finishing on a winning note despite playing without two of its most productive offensive players — receiver Elijah Moore and tight end Kenny Yeboah — who opted out of the remainder of the season to focus on the NFL draft.
Indiana: The Hoosiers were not happy about not being selected to play in a New Year’s Six game. Saturday’s loss concluded a season in which they turned heads by beating traditional Big Ten heavyweights Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin and losing narrowly to CFP finalist Ohio State on the way to their best start since 1993.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The loss could cost Indiana what likely would have been a Top 10 finish in the final AP Poll.
UP NEXT:
Ole Miss: The Rebels had one of the nation’s most explosive offenses in their first season under Kiffin, who now faces the challenge building a defense capable of helping him narrow the gap between his team and the SEC’s elite.
Indiana: Allen has raised expectations for a program that years was just afterthought when it came to Big Ten football. The Hoosiers have appeared in back-to-back January bowls for the first time and figure to be motivated to prove their recent success isn’t a fluke.
