|
|
Peach Bowl 1971
Ole Miss 41 Georgia Tech 18
|
|
The game had been billed as a duel between Tech's stingy defense and the Rebels' explosive offense, but in the first half the Jacket defense did not live up to equal billing with the Rebel offense.
Ole Miss, despite muddy conditions, struck efficiently on the ground and through the air to score five touchdowns and a field goal while Tech was searching for a first down.
"I don't know what happened to our defense," said Jacket Coach Bud Carson. "Our pass defense was much poorer than I ever dreamed of."
Rebel running backs splashed over the muddy field so efficiently that Ole Miss Coach Billy Kinard commented, "The story of this game is Mississippi mud."
Tailback Greg Ainsworth, greased with mud, slipped through Tech defenders time and again and wound up with 119 yards rushing.
"They just weren't locking their arms." the elusive back said of Jacket tacklers, "which just isn't like Tech."
Down 38-0 shortly before half-time, the Jackets finally put a drive together after Steve Putnal intercepted a Kenny Lyons pass at Tech's 34.
Quarterback Eddie McAshan, who eventually completed 13 of 26 passes for 151 yards, hit split end Jim Owings for 44 yards and then tight end Mike Oven for seven before tailback Rob Healy swept the right side three times, scoring the third tune from the two.
Ole Miss was through scoring except for a 30-yard Cloyce Hinton field goal late in the fourth quarter. Tech's McAshan took the field after the Jackets recovered a fumbled punt at the Ole Miss 25 and completed passes to Owings, Oven and flanker Brent Cunningham on a quick drive that ended with Healey's one-yard touchdown plunge.
T
Embarrassed in the first half, Tech won the second half 12-3.
"I was proud of the way we came back in the second half," Carson said. "In fact, we played in the second half about the way I thought we would play the whole game."
Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Norris Weese, who passed for one touchdown and ran for another, was voted the offensive player of the game. And Rebel linebacker Crowell Armstrong won defensive honors.
The Rebels' other sophomore quarterback sensation, Kenny Lyons, played a portion of the second quarter, completing two of four passes- one a 15-yard touchdown strike to split end Leon Felts.
Kinard had said during pre-bowl workouts that Lyons would not play due to a shoulder separation that had kept him sidelines since the fifth game of the season. But the team surgeon approved and Lyons got a chance to prove his reputation in the brief appearance.
Mississippi waited nearly 19 years for revenge against the Jackets. The two teams played in the 1953 Sugar Bowl and Tech whipped Ole Miss 24-7.
|
|
|
|
|
| The weather was a nemesis of the early Peach Bowls. | |
|
|
|
| Weese was an able replacement forArchie Manning. | |
|
|
|
|
Georgia Tech splashes Weese down to the ground. |
|
|
|
|
|
Ole Miss Media Guide. |
|
|
Attendance- 38,599
Scoring Summary
First Quarter OM- Weese 1 run (Hinton kick) OM- FG Hinton 25
Second Quarter OM- Porter 2 run (Hinton kick) OM- Porter 10 run (Hinton kick) OM- Felts 15 pass from Lyons (Hinton kick) OM- Myers 11 pass from Weese (Hinton kick) GT- Healy 2 run (Run failed)
Third Quarter GT- Healy 1 run (Pass failed)
Fourth Quarter OM- FG Hinton 30 GT- Healy 1 run (Run failed)
Individual Statistics
Rushing OM- Ainsworth 28-119, Weese 11-32, Porter 8-26 GT- Hennessey 6-56, Cunningham 5-30
Passing OM- Weese 7-14-116 GT- McAshan 13-26-151
Receiving OM- Barry 3-39, Myers 2-49, Felts 2-23 GT- Owings 5-87, Oven 3-26, McNamara 2-22
|
|
|
|
|
ATLANTA,
Ga. (AP) - The Peach Bowl was a lopsided contest Thursday night as the
Ole Miss Rebels scored virtually at will in the first half and then
added only three more points in the last two quarters as they dug in
defensively and finished with a 41-18 victory over Georgia Tech,
he
Rebels, playing conservatively, stalled and punted to Tech's 10-yard
line. McAshan went to work again, completing five of six passes to reach
scoring position, Healey again explored the right side three times,
scoring from the one.
