Aggies slog through subpar performance to top Ole Miss 24-17

"We have to learn to play better in all three phases," he said. "We’re not playing as well as we need to play."

Fisher had plenty to be frustrated about: the Rebels ran for 250 yards, sacked QB Kellen Mond four times and picked him off twice, and saw his kicker miss a pair of field goals.

The Aggies (4-3, 2-2 SEC) won anyway, largely due to a stout performance by the defense, which held Ole Miss (3-5, 2-3 SEC) out of the end zone in several key situations and changed the game with a 62-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by linebacker Buddy Johnson.

A fog would roll in and cover Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in the second half, but the Aggies began the game in one. Quarterback Kellen Mond was sacked on the Aggies' first play from scrimmage, then fell behind 7-3 courtesy of a 69-yard run by freshman running back Jerrion Ealy with 5 minutes to go in the first quarter. That two play, in 75-yard drive came after the Aggies had consumed 5 minutes, 45 seconds on a 10-play, 73-yard march that only netted a 29-yard field goal from Seth Small.

That would be the highlight of most of the first half for the Aggie offense, as Mond would be sacked twice more and throw a pair of interceptions. Small also missed a 50-yard field goal on the Aggies' next possession, leaving the score 7-3 until late in the half.

Things could have been far worse for A&M, but the defense held Ole Miss to virtually nothing the remainder of the first half. Even when Mond's second interception set the Rebels up near midfield, the Aggie defense held up and limited Ole Miss to a 50-yard field goal attempt, which kicker Luke Logan missed.

With 1:55 to go in the half, the Aggies did something that has become commonplace for them: marched down the field and scored before halftime. Mond (16-28, 172 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 14 carries, 70 yards) had his best series of the game, hitting Jalen Wydermyer, Jhamon Ausbon and Quartney Davis for receptions of 18, 14 and 15 yards before finding Kendrick Rogers (2 catches, 23 yards, 1 TD) with a well-thrown pass at the front left corner of the end zone. After a half filled with poor play, the Aggies went in to the lockeroom up 10-7.

"We were moving the ball. We had 218 yards at halftime. We felt really good coming in (at halftime)," Fisher said.

The good feelings didn't last long. After shutting down the Ole Miss ground game for much of the first half, the Aggies immediately gave up a 38-yard run to running back Scottie Phillips which put the Rebels at the A&M 27. Four plays later, Snoop Connor walked in from two yards out to put Ole Miss back up 14-10.

"It was like everything: play real good, give up something. We’ve got to play with more consistency," Fisher said.

The next series wasn't a good one for A&M, as a holding penalty on center Colton Prater wiped out a 13-yard run by Isaiah Spiller (16 carries, 74 yards, 1 TD), followed by another sack of Mond on 3rd and 9. Ole Miss seemed ready to seize control of the game, as the rotation of quarterbacks John Rhys Plumlee (5-12, 43 yards; 13 carries, 38 yards) and Matt Corrall (9-17, 112 yards, 1 INT; 4 carries, 18 yards) moved the Rebels to the A&M 25.

Then the game changed.

On 2nd and 7, Plumlee dropped back to pass and rolled to his left. Under pressure, he fell back further, and was hit by defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and cornerback Elijah Blades and the A&M 36. The ball came free and Johnson (10 tackles, 1 tackle for loss) grabbed the ball at the Aggie 38 and took off for the end zone. Sixty-two yards later, Johnson had given the Aggies a lead they would not relinquish.

"I saw 10 (Plumlee), I grabbed him and I tried to put him on the ground," Madubuike said. "Next thing I know, Buddy’s on the 10 and going in for a touchdown."

When asked what he was thinking as Johnson sped down the sideline, Fisher quipped, "Don’t fall down."

Ole Miss had a chance to get right back the game on their next possession, moving the ball 57 yards on 10 plays in a drive that took nearly 7 minutes. The ended up with nothing once again thanks to Madubuike, who blocked Logan's 35-yard attempt after cornerback Devin Morris tackled Plumlee for an 8-yard loss on 3rd and goal from the A&M 10.

A&M had their chance to tighten their grip on the game on the first drive of the fourth quarter after nickel Clifford Chattman picked off Corral at the A&M 35. On a drive highlighted by two first down catches by Ausbon (5 catches, 47 yards) and a 15-yard run by Mond on 3rd and 3, the Aggies ended up with nothing once again when Small missed a 24-yard field goal attempt.

The teams would trade punts on the next two possessions, but Braden Mann lived up to his reputation as the best punter in college football by launching a 55-yard punt that checked up inside the Ole Miss 1. The Aggies forced a quick 3 and out, nearly getting a safety when defensive end Tyree Johnson grabbed Corral in the end zone as he threw the ball away on 3rd and 8.

"(Mann's punt) was huge," Fisher said. "It got them pinned back, we got the ball back and got the score."

"The score" was the final touchdown of the game, and got it by doing something they haven't done all season: by dominating on the ground. The Aggies picked up 48 of their 55 yards on the drive running the football, including runs of 10 and 12 yards to get A&M out of a 2nd and 16 hole. Spiller capped the drive with a 22-yard scoring run off of left tackle, giving the Aggies a 24-14 lead with 2:29 left.

"Isaiah’s getting a feel for it. He’s getting better and better at what he’s doing," Fisher said.

The Rebels were able to cut the lead to 7 on their final possession, but after Ole Miss failed to recover an onside kick with less than 30 seconds left, the Aggies were able to escape with their third consecutive win in the series.

"When you’re not playing your best, you’ve got to find a way to come out on top and I’ll give our kids credit for that," Fisher said.