Oklahoma Unable to Capitalize on Furious Third Quarter Rally and Take Down Ole Miss

Xavier Robinson’s 65-yard touchdown run got OU back in the game in the third quarter, and for a few possessions, the team played complementary football. 

“We were saying one play at a time,” Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings said. “One person do your one job. That’s how I felt we got back in the game.”

But Ole Miss was able to make plays in the biggest moments of the game. 

After OU took the lead, Ole Miss quarterback Trindad Chambliss connected with tight end Dae’Quan Wright on fourth-and-1 to move the chains on the Rebels’ own 34-yard line. 

Two plays later, Chambliss hit receiver Winston Watkins for 40 yards, and Chambliss was able to evade Oklahoma’s defense and rush for 10 yards on third-and-8 to set his team up with first-and-goal. 

For the game, Ole Miss converted on 9-of-21 third downs and 2-of-3 fourth downs. 

“We just didn’t execute on third downs,” Spears-Jennings said. “I feel like the biggest thing is we have to get off the field.”

“Very disappointing,” linebacker Kip Lewis added. “We have to be better. We have to get off the field, set the offense up better. So, just overall… We just have to be better.”

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By the time Sategna coughed the ball up in the fourth quarter, the game had already swung back in the Rebels’ direction. 

“The fumble from the punt kind of was a little mood swing,” Lewis said. “But we still have to come out and do our jobs.”

Following Saturday’s loss, the Sooners are now 6-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play. 

The path to Atlanta is now a long one, as OU no longer holds its own destiny in its hands. 

Oklahoma can technically get back into the College Football Playoff conversation with four ranked matchups still on the schedule, but the Sooners have to make improvements on both sides of the ball before hitting the road to take on Tennessee. 

“I feel like we could have pulled this game out,” Spears-Jennings said. “We can’t dwell on it. We have Tennessee next week, (they) don’t care that we lost. Have to move on.”