It's been a while since we did an installment of "Rebel Rewind," but today, we'll pick up where we last left off.
Ole Miss was on the heels of disaster following the 2011 season, one that saw it finish with a 2-10 record and the firing of head coach Houston Nutt. It was time for a change in Oxford, and change came by the name of Hugh Freeze.
Freeze's tenure with the Rebels will largely be remembered for its disastrous collapse, but Ole Miss found wins under his leadership, including in the 2012 campaign. Let's take a stroll down memory lane as we look back at this season that saw the Rebels return to bowl eligibility.
Note: in the record books, all of Ole Miss' wins in this season were later vacated as a part of NCAA sanctions.
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Opening Act
Despite trailing Central Arkansas at halftime of the season opener, Ole Miss began the year 2-0 for the first time since 2009, gaining wins over the Bears (49-27) and UTEP (28-10). That set up a marquee matchup for the Rebels where they played host to the No. 14 Texas Longhorns, a game that they lost 66-31 in Oxford.
Despite the loss and three interceptions thrown by quarterback Bo Wallace, there was some excitement from this game, including a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown by running back Jaylen Walton. The Rebels would bounce back the next week, however, with a 39-0 win over Tulane at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to claim a 3-1 record through four games.
Return to the SEC Win Column
Following the win over Tulane, Ole Miss traveled to Tuscaloosa to face the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, a game it lost 33-14. That wasn't a huge blow considering the talent of the Tide, but the next week would prove to be a heartbreaker for the Rebels.
It was then than Ole Miss welcomed Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies to Oxford, and despite holding a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Rebels succumbed to a late rally and dropped the game 30-27 at home.
Ole Miss had now lost 16-straight SEC games dating back to its last conference win over Kentucky in 2010, but that would change thanks to a 41-20 win over a scuffling Auburn team in Oxford. The Rebels would then make it back-to-back conference wins as they took down Arkansas the following week in Little Rock by a final score of 30-27.
With four games left on the schedule, Ole Miss needed just one win to secure bowl eligibility for the first time since 2009.
Closing Scenes
That would be easier said than done, however.
The Rebels lost in Athens the following week to No. 7 Georgia (37-10), and despite holding leads in the next two games, Ole Miss would fall in the final seconds to both Vanderbilt (27-26) and LSU (41-35). Securing bowl eligibility now came down to a meeting with Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, a meeting that the Rebels had not won since 2008.
This time, however, the in-state rivalry was Ole Miss' thanks to a flurry of offense. Bo Wallace threw for five scores in the 41-24 win (three of which went to wideout Donte Moncrief), and the Rebels took control of the game after falling behind 14-3 in the first quarter and being tied at 17 at the half.
The Egg Bowl win gave Ole Miss the needed number of six victories on the season, and the Rebels punched their ticket to the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham against the Pittsburgh Panthers. Despite throwing two interceptions, Wallace was able to find the end zone three times through the air as Ole Miss claimed the postseason win and cemented an impressive turnaround in the first year of Freeze's tenure.
Year-In-Review
This season was far from a perfect one for the Rebels, but it was a raging success among the fans in Oxford due to the mediocrity of the last few seasons. Six wins was more than enough to bring some energy back to the program, and one could argue that Ole Miss had chances to win at least nine games in this campaign.
This would spark a revival for the Rebels, one that carried on through the 2013 campaign.
Final Record: 7-6 (3-5 SEC) — wins later vacated by NCAA
Biggest Win: vs. Mississippi State (41-24)
JOHN MACON GILLESPIE
John Macon Gillespie is the publisher of The Grove Report and has experience on the Ole Miss beat spanning five years.
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