SPORTS EDITOR BLOG — Hello to everyone. I’m here at Tiger Stadium getting ready for today’s game between the Ole Miss Rebels and No. 5 LSU Tigers. QUICK RUNDOWN: The Rebels enter the contest with a 4-6 overall mark and a 1-5 mark in the Southeastern Conference. LSU is 9-1 and 5-1 in both categories and trying to remain in the hunt to earn a bid to a BCS bowl. Kickoff is set for 2:30 and the game can be seen on CBS for anyone who may have forgotten.
SERIES NOTES: LSU leads 55-39-4. Ole Miss has won the last two games in the series, including the last time the Rebels visited Baton Rouge, 31-13, in 2008. LSU leads 36-25-1 in games played in Baton Rouge.
STAT LEADERS: Junior RB Brandon Bolden leads the OM running game with 840 yards and 11 touchdowns. Senior QB Jeremiah Masoli has thrown for 1,601 yards and 12 TDs against 10 interceptions this year while adding 468 yards and four scores. Melvin Harris leads the Rebels with 28 catches for 377 yards and three TDs. Ole Miss’ leading tackler is Jonathan Cornell with 58.
LSU is led on the ground by Stevan Ridley, who has 811 yards and seven scores. QB Jordan Jefferson has passed for 764 yards, but just three scores against eight interceptions this year. LSU’s leading receiver is Rueben Randle with 28 catches for 469 yards and three scores. LB Kelvin Sheppard leads LSU with 80 tackles on the year.
FIRST QUARTER
LSU won the toss and chose to kick to the Rebels. Rebels’ first drive ends with a Masoli int. First down for LSU on OM 19.
Tigers cash in on int with a 2-yard run by Ridley at the 11:54 mark. Tigers up 7-0.
Rebels answer with good kickoff from Jeff Scott and a 50-yard TD run by Bolden. PAT by Bryson Rose was good. Tie 7-7.
Tigers get the ball back on their own 31 and gain 23 on first play with a throw from Jefferson to Chris Tolliver. Tigers cap seven-play, 56-yard drive with a 31-yard field goal from Josh Jasper. Tigers up 10-7 with 8:08 left.
Rebels answer Tigers with a nine-play, 49-yard scoring drive that ends with a 24-yard field goal from Bryson Rose. Masoli had a big fourth down completion for a first down on the drive to Ja-mes Logan.
Period comes to an end with a 14-yard run by Jefferson for a first down. Game tied 10-10.
SECOND QUARTER
Tigers waste little time pulling back ahead. Ridley caps 70-yard drive with a 2-yard run. LSU leads 17-10 with 14:30 left before the half.
Tigers tack on another short FG by Jasper to take at 20-10 lead with 8:09 left in half.
Masoli scores on a 4-yard run to pull the Rebels to within 3 (20-17) with just 27 seconds left in the first half. Drive lasted nine plays and covered 80 yards in 3:29. Tigers now up 20-17.
Half ends without any more scoring. I’ll have stats coming up in a bit. I can tell you that this is the most points given up by LSU in a half this year.
Ole Miss finished the first half with 193 yards on 32 plays, LSU had 238 yards on 31 plays. Bolden had 65 yards on the ground and a TD, while Masoli finished with 40 and a score. Ridley leads all rushers with 69 yards and two TDs. Jefferson has completed five of seven passes for 117 yards. LSU will get ball to start second half.
THIRD QUARTER
Things start wildly as an LSU td run by Michael Ford is overturned. Fon Ingram then stops the Tigers for good with an interception of Jefferson. Rebels’ first drive to start at their own 19.
A fumble by Masoli at the OM 12 doesn’t hurt too bad as LSU is held to another FG. Tigers now up 23-17 with 9:52 left.
Rebels take a 24-23 lead on a 3-yard run by Bolden. The run capped a 90-yard drive that lasted 11 plays. It featured a late hit call on LSU, a first down run by Masoli on fourth down and other big runs by Bolden.
Period comes to an end with Ole Miss ahead 24-23. LSU has the ball at OM 24.
FOURTH QUARTER
Jefferson caps 80-yard scoring drive with a 3-yard run. Try for 2 fails, Tigers now lead 29-24 with 14:22 left in the game. Jefferson had two big completions on the drive, including a 21-yard gain to TE Chase Clement to get it to the 3.
Rebels retake lead on 22-yard run by Masoli with 8:49 left in the game. Masoli completed a 13-yard pass to Logan on the drive, while Bolden rushed 7 yards on fourth down to keep things moving. 2 point throw from Masoli to Bolden fails.
FINAL SCORING SUMMARY
Ole Miss ends up falling to Tigers 43-36. The Rebels gave up a 7-yard TD run to Ridley with 44 seconds to fall to 4-7. The Tigers improved to 10-1 on the year with the win. Ole Miss totaled 389 yards, LSU had 572. Ole Miss’ final TD of the night was scored by Markeith Summers on a 65-yard pass from Masoli with 4:57 left in the 4th quarter. (November 20, 2010)
