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LIVE! From the Peach Bowl: Real-time updates for No. 11 Ole Miss - No. 10 Penn State

11by:Jake Thompson•12/30/23•

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Chick-fikl-A Peach Bowl Joint Head Coaches News Conference
A general view of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Trophy is seen prior to the head coaches news conference ahead of the 2023 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl between Ole Miss and Penn State, Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Atlanta, Ga. (Paul Abell via Abell Images for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)

Ole Miss 38, Penn State 25 4:14 4Q

Well… not so fast. Penn State got the ball back after a tepid possession by the red hot Ole Miss offense then commenced to move the ball down field with ease. Allar was nearly sacked a few times but as has been the case all game he eludes it

Allar throws a 14-yard TD pass and converts the 2-pt try to make it a two-score game but it’s late in the 4th.

Now it is over as Jared Ivey gets the strip sack and gives the ball over to the offense with less than six minutes to go

Ole Miss 38, Penn State 17 6:29 4Q

That might be game, set and match

Dart has been masterful today and put together another legacy-sealing drive there, capped with a 2-yard touchdown run.

Penn State moves down the field in what felt like game-breaking drive for them and come away with nothing. A blocked field off a 51-yard try the Ole Miss defense might have started putting the nails down.

END OF THE 3RD QUARTER: OLE MISS 31, PENN STATE 17

The Ole Miss offense is humming and when its clicking at full throttle its scary good.

Ole Miss 31, Penn State 17

That was the Quinshon Judkins drive as he finally broke out the big run. He had three runs of at least 10 yards and capped off the drive with the 14-yard touchdown catch. Kiffin goes for 2 and Dart throws against his body to a wide open Prieskorn for the conversion

Defense holds as James Franklin is faced with a 4 & 1 and opts to not try for it, punting the ball away on a second straight possession to begin the half. Rebels ball at their 18 after the timeout.

Ole Miss 23, Penn State 17 10:48 3Q

Caden Davis connected on a 52-yard field goal. He has gradually hit longer distances with all three of his attempts today.

The drive stalls for the Ole Miss offense just inside Penn State territory. Dart continues to be pressured as the offensive line struggles roll on.

A good three and out to open up the half for the Ole Miss defense that nearly ended with another interception by Anthony on third down.

1st Half Stats:

HALFTIME: OLE MISS 20, PENN STATE 17

Rebels got it back and moved the ball down field and nearly found success on a second trick play but Wade’s pass to Harris sails over his head out of bounds to officially end the half.

Harris is fine, per Ole Miss. Had the wind knocked out of him, as it appeared on the replay.

Penn State has slight momentum again but with only a minute left on the clock was not able to do much and forced to punt it right back.

Tre Harris made another highlight reel catch but gets hurt on the play and then the injury timeout allowed for a review and it showed he did not maintain control on the ground. Two killer events on one play.

Ole Miss 20, Penn State 17 2:45 2Q

Well the Ole Miss secondary did not look much better that drive as Penn State responds quickly with a 48-yard tocuhdown catch by Nicholas Singleton. Lions back to within three but Ole Miss offense has time to try and counter punch.

This is one of Prieskorn’s best games this season. He has 96 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.

Ole Miss 20, Penn State 10 4:58 2Q

The Penn State secondary is one of the best in the nation but its gets fooled often, or is at least today. Dart finds Prieskorn all alone down the sideline for the 37-yard touchdown catch.

Penalties are killing Ole Miss on this drive but the Rebels are overcoming them. Judkins with a seven-yard run on 4th and 3 keeps things going.

Pressure needs to continue on this Penn State offensive line, Rebels are close to breaking through.

The Ole Miss defense holds on this drive as Allar throws up a duck downfield into the waiting arms of Daijhan Anthony at the Rebels 17. The defensive front is getting pressure at times but have not gotten to Allar as quickly or often as they would like.

Ole Miss 13, Penn State 10 10:33 2Q

Davis connects on a 45-yard field goal to put Ole Miss back in front

The Rebels offense is running smoother these last few possessions since the opening one but Dart is still getting pressure. A false start killed a positive drive that was just outside the Penn State red zone.

Ole Miss 10, Penn State 10 13:34 2Q

Rebels defense nearly held its own but Allar finds Theo Johnson for the 2-yard TD on fourth down. That fluke play at the end of the quarter snuffed out all the momentum Ole Miss had going after the Prieskorn touchdown.

END OF THE 1ST QUARTER: OLE MISS 10, PENN STATE 3

Before the quarter ends Penn State gets some good fortune after Allar’s pass it tipped it lands in the hands of Tyler Warren who rumbles 79 yards to the Ole Miss 5.

Dart is getting his left ankle re-wrapped, taping over his cleat.

Ole Miss 10, Penn State 3 :30 1Q

Dart hits Prieskorn for a 6-yard touchdown pass. The tempo was pushed after the trick play worked.

The bowl season trick plays are out as Watkins connects with Dart on a 15-yard pass. That came after Dart found Prieskorn for 21 yards on 3 & 10 to keep the drive going.

Pegues nearly got a sack but Allar threw it away. Penn State punts it away but Watkins is stopped at the Ole Miss 23 for its third possession.

Dudley is playing a lot early and nearly had a sack on Allar on the 3 & 5 but he got burned on Allar’s move. He’s got a tackle already.

Ole Miss 3, Penn State 3, 7:16 1Q

Caden Davis connects on a 36-yard field goal, but Rebels feel they should have gotten four more points that drive.

The Rebels offense looked much better that drive, attacking the Penn State secondary. Dart and Harris connected twice for 23 yards and Wade had a 34-yard catch. Ole Miss looked to have scored on a Prieskorn catch but refs blew it dead, citing offsides and not giving them a free play.

Kiffin was/is livid.

Penn State 3, Ole Miss 0 9:17 1Q

Penn State had a lot of success on the ground its opening possession, rushing for 62 yards. But the Ole Miss defense holds inside the redzone, forcing a 26-yard field goal.

Dart looked to have hurt his left ankle on the first play when he went down. Something to keep an eye on. Went into the tent but is back out and testing his ankle on short sprints.

Not the start Ole Miss wanted. A loss of three on the opening play, incompletion and then Dart is nearly picked off on third down. Penn State ball after the Rebels punt it down to the Nittany Lions 27 and a quick three-and-out

Pregame Observations:

Ole Miss won the toss and elected to receive the ball first.

Ole Miss captains: JJ Pegues, Tre Harris and Ulysses Bentley IV

Penn State’s availability report shows it will be without a handful of players: cornerbacks Johnny Dixon and Kalen King; wide receivers Tyler Johnson, Jason Estrella and Feyisayo Oluleye; safety Mehki Flowers; running back Tyler Holzworth; EDGE Chop Robinson and Smith Vilbert; offensive linemen Liam Powers, Jim Fitzgerald and Olu Fashanu. Offensive lineman JB Nelson is questionable.

Ole Miss has TJ Dudley suited up and available for the first time this season. He is wearing No. 2 today. Jayden Williams is suited up and also going through warm ups. Heavily taped ankle in tow.

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The Peach Bowl is here and No. 11 Ole Miss is trying to secure its historic 11th win of a season while also looking secure its first New Year’s Six bowl win under head coach Lane Kiffin. Standing in the way of history is No. 10 Penn State who is also trying for history as the first team to win all of the NY6 games.

Ole Miss (10-2) is looking to keep the momentum it created in December into the offseason and the 2024 season with a bowl victory. A successful recruiting class and another top transfer class has the Rebels in the conversation as a College Football Playoff contender, but a Peach Bowl win would cement that buzz through the next eight months.

This has been a great week,” Kiffin said Friday, in a joint press conference with Penn State head coach James Franklin. “Our players and staff have had a blast; so many neat events. So, we thank everybody for putting those on. Hotel’s been great. Georgia Tech’s practice facility has been very helpful. We’re excited to be here. 

“This is a huge challenge for us — playing one of the top teams in the country, one of the best coaches in the country, and the No. 1 defense by far in the country. We have our hands full. Very excited to be here, and excited to be playing in this bowl and in this setting.”

All the talking, practicing and analyzing is over after a week in Atlanta has been a good one for Ole Miss. But the challenge now is quarterback Jaxson Dart and his receivers getting past Penn State’s top passing defense.

The Rebels defensive front will be tasked with trying to get after Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar, who has only been sacked 15 times this season.

Ole Miss and Penn State kickoff at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.

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