In the second half it was one of those deals where the throw may have been a little off, the protection wasn’t as good, the quarterback got hit some and had some drops … Freshmen D.K. Metcalf and Van Jefferson caught touchdown passes from Kelly, the first of their respective careers. Everything that went wrong for the Seminoles in the first half went right in the second.
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Determined not to go into the break trailing by a wide margin, Francois delivered the key moment of the game when he completed a nine play 75-yard series with a 16-yard pass to Travis Rudolph for a touchdown with 0:28 left in the first half.
From a redshirt freshman starting things off at quarterback to a defense that has plenty to work on if they want to be a championship unit, the win over Ole Miss had plenty of points to address.
Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer rallied the Irish from a 31-14 deficit in the third quarter and finished with 215 yards passing and five touchdowns.
Another super season is still out there for Ole Miss, but Kelly must take care of the football and somehow the Rebels must try to establish a running game to take pressure off Kelly. I mean, you rush insane and don’t stay in your run lanes.that’s when he goes insane making big plays getting the ball down the field.
Ole Miss jumped out to a 28-6 lead in the second quarter.
The Noles embarked on a 33-0 run that spanned from late in the second quarter until early in the fourth to take control over the Rebels en route to a 45-34 win. The miscue led to the Seminoles settling for a field goal. He directed Ole Miss to four touchdowns and the Seminoles were left hanging on the ropes gasping for air. Kelly found Stringfellow and Taz Zettergren on passes of 21 and 37 yards, respectively. His 52 attempts were more than Jameis Winston ever attempted in a game at Florida State, and his 419 yards are 63 more than Winston threw in his debut vs. Pittsburgh, three years ago on Labor Day. He calls out the team’s offensive line, reminding them that they have Dalvin Cook and Deondre Francois in the backfield.
MS tight end Evan Engram, right, points upward after scoring a touchdown on a 21-yard reception against Florida State, as wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge (5) arrives to celebrate during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Monday, Sept. 5, 2016, in Orlando, Fla.
ABOVE VIDEO: Akeem Judd’s second quarter touchdown run that made the score 28-6.
The Rebels return home Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10) for their first game in the renovated and expanded Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
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Quotes from The Clarion-Ledger were used in this story.
