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OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi freshmen Snoop Conner, Jerrion Ealy and quarterback John Rhys Plumlee combined to rush for five touchdowns Saturday as the Rebels defeated New Mexico State 41-3.
Plumlee directed scoring drives on four of the opening five possessions as the Rebels (4-6) built an insurmountable 24-3 halftime lead. Plumlee rushed for 177 yards on 12 carries with scoring runs of 2 and 18 yards and finished 11 of 17 for 124 passing yards in a dominating performance that ended in the third quarter.
Conner rushed for 109 yards on 13 carries, featuring a stylish 30-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a 1-yard touchdown run in the third period. Ealy finished with 71 yards on 14 carries, including a touchdown run of 5 yards. The Rebels finished with 606 yards in total offense, including 447 on the ground.
New Mexico State (0-9) avoided the shutout on a 34-yard field goal by Dylan Brown. Josh Adkins was 25 of 35 for 127 yards passing, but could manage only two completions longer than 10 yards.
THE TAKEAWAY
New Mexico State: The Aggies weren't expected to win an SEC road game, but the margin of defeat was discouraging. Of the three remaining games, only the visiting UTEP Miners (1-7) have a losing record and provides the best opportunity for New Mexico State to snap an 11-game losing streak.
Ole Miss: The season narrative will be largely defined by the performance and results of the next two weeks with No. 1 LSU and rival Mississippi State. The Rebels have young talent and been fun to watch, but have not been able to win games decided by nine points or less in five tries. An upset win in either or both games would confirm the program is trending in the right direction.
UP NEXT
New Mexico State hosts Incarnate Word on Saturday.
Ole Miss hosts No. 1 LSU on Saturday.
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