An explosive fourth quarter lifted Texas A&M to a 38-24 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday. With the win, the Aggies move to 6-4 on the season and 4-3 in Southeastern Conference play.
“[The win] was huge for [the team’s] development in how to deal with adversity, how to fight through situations and find out about themselves coming back,” head coach Jimbo Fisher said. “I thought it was a big step for us to grow as a football team.”
With four and a half minutes left in the game, sophomore quarterback Kellen Mond tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Quartney Davis to put the Aggies up 31-21.
Junior running back Trayveon Williams helped seal the win with a 46-yard touchdown run to make the final score 38-24.
Williams garnered 228 yards on 31 carries Saturday, surpassing 1,100 yards on the season.
“I knew coming into this game they were going to lean on the running back position throughout the game,” Williams said. “When you’re able to establish the run, you’re able to establish the pass off of it.”
Sophomore wide receiver Jhamon Ausbon played his first game since sustaining an injury against Arkansas. Ausbon ended the game with five receptions for 66 yards.
“It’s a blessing to be back,” Ausbon said. “Being out, you realize how much you love the game and how much you miss. It’s amazing to get out there and play in front of the 12th Man.”
The Aggie defense was dominant on third downs, allowing Ole Miss to convert only one of 11 attempts. The defense also had three sacks on Rebel quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, for a total loss of 25 yards. Senior linebacker Otaro Alaka led the defense with 11 tackles and one sack.
“We wanted to come in focused on finishing the game,” Alaka said. “We wanted to be focused on dominating each play.”
The last four minutes before halftime were critical in creating momentum for the Aggies, as senior defensive lineman Kingsley Keke created and recovered the first fumble for the defense at A&M’s own 15-yard line.
The Aggie offense finally found its footing on the resulting drive, marching 85 yards on eight plays. Mond tied up the game 14-14 with a 21-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Camron Buckley.
That momentum carried over to the second half, as the Aggies’ went 59 yards on the first drive before losing a fumble on the Rebels five yard line, which Ole Miss senior defensive back Zedrick Woods then took 96 yards for a Rebel touchdown.
A&M drew first blood in the game on a 1-yard run by Mond, completing a 14-play, 71-yard drive that consumed seven minutes of the first quarter. The Rebels immediately answered, opening the second quarter with a 44-yard touchdown pass to DaMarkus Lodge.
Despite the quick start, A&M struggled in the first half. Ole Miss outgained the Aggies through the air in the first half with 203 yards to A&M’s 152. Jordan Ta’amu completed eight of his nine attempts, while Mond had 13 completions on 19 attempts.
Fisher said that while a quarterback change did cross his mind, he “wanted to see how [Mond] responded” and was happy with the end result. Mond went 19-of-28 for 236 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception.
“He’s a rock that we can lean on consistently week in and week out,” Fisher said.
The Aggies will host the University of Alabama-Birmingham next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.