Ole Miss wins Cotton Bowl

By By Will Bardwell/staff writer
January 3, 2004
DALLAS Oklahoma State may have been the Cowboys, but it was Eli Manning who rode off into the sunset.
Ole Miss' senior quarterback passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another in his final college game as the No. 16 Rebels held off No. 21 Oklahoma State 31-28 in the Cotton Bowl. Ole Miss running back Tremaine Turner, also playing in the last game of his career, had 133 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
After falling behind 14-7 early in the second quarter, the Rebels reeled off 24 unanswered points and led 31-14 with 12 minutes to play but it almost was not enough.
The Cowboys stormed back with the help of star wide receiver Rashaun Woods, who was matched one-on-one with Ole Miss cornerback Travis Johnson all afternoon. Woods had five catches and 131 yards in the fourth quarter alone, finishing the game with 223 of quarterback Josh Fields' 307 passing yards.
The biggest play of the game, though, belonged to neither Manning nor Woods it was Turner's. With the Rebels clinging to a three-point lead in the final two minutes, Ole Miss stuck with its running game to keep the clock moving. The Cowboys' supply of timeouts was spent, and the Rebels needed only to convert on third down and four to get its first win in a January bowl game since 1970.
Turner delivered in the form of a 25-yard run to the Oklahoma State 24-yard line.
Turner bested both of Oklahoma State's vaunted running backs, senior Tatum Bell and freshman Vernand Morecy. Morency had 59 yards and Bell carried for 46 combining for 28 fewer yards than Turner.
The Rebels defense helped Ole Miss become just the fourth team this season to out-rush Oklahoma State. Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas each accomplished the feat against the Cowboys and, like Ole Miss, won.
The Rebels' own ground attack kept the Cowboys defense guessing and opened up more passing opportunities for Manning, who completed 22-of-31 passes.
That commitment and near-flawless blocking from the Ole Miss offensive line helped Manning string together 13 plays for a 97-yard drive in the second half. Manning was 5-of-7 on that drive for 78 yards before plunging into the end zone from one yard out.
The touchdown put Ole Miss up 31-14, and although it was the last score the Rebels would conjure, it was the last they would need.
And while the 97-yard journey was the Rebels' most impressive, it was not the most important. After Woods caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to bring Oklahoma State within three points, Ole Miss took over on its own 20-yard line with 4:38 to play.
The possession may have ended after just three plays if not for a pass interference penalty. On third down and nine to go, Manning fired a pass to Taye Biddle. The ball fell to the turf, but only after Cowboys cornerback Darrent Williams wrapped his left arm around Biddle and was flagged. The foul gave the Rebels a first down, and six plays later, the game was over.
The Cowboys finished their season 9-4. The win gave Ole Miss a 10-3 record the Rebels' first 10-win season since 1971.
Manning's first touchdown pass came on a 16-yard floater to Turner in the first quarter, giving Ole Miss a 7-0 lead. A 25-yard touchdown strike from Manning to Mike Espy in the second quarter tied the game 14-14. The record setting Rebel finished with 81 touchdown passes over his career third-best in Southeastern Conference history.