By Staff
ALL WRAPPED UP – Florida quarterback Rex Grossman (8) is pressured by Ole Miss defenders Eddie Strong (1) and Josh Cooper (99) during the second quarter, Saturday. Photo by AP.
By Joey Vaughan / special to The Star
Oct. 6, 2002
OXFORD So much for the quarterback duel.
Ole Miss picked off Rex Grossman four times and played the defensive game of a lifetime, handing No. 6 Florida a 17-14 loss in front of 61,140 delirious Rebel fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Eli Manning didn't have a game to write home about either, but avoided the crucial mistakes that plagued Grossman, including an interception returned for a touchdown by Matt Grier that turned out to be Ole Miss' winning points.
Ole Miss fans spilled onto the field at the game's end, and a raucous celebration ensued. The goalpost in the North end zone were torn down and paraded out of the stadium.
Grossman was held to 19 of 44 passing for 205 yards and two first-half touchdowns, and the Gators were held scoreless in the second half by a Rebel defense that played with a fervor it hadn't shown this year.
Florida managed only 300 yards of total offense, 95 on the ground. But the Gators held Ole Miss to 191 yards and only 37 rushing. The Rebs managed only 11 first downs. The star was definitely the defense on this day, scoring a touchdown and forcing a safety.
Grossman got the Gators out to a 7-0 lead with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Perez with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
Ole Miss had a first and goal from the 2 yard line midway through the second quarter, but Vashon Pearson was stuffed on three straight runs up the middle and the Gator defense stopped Tremaine Turner on fourth down. Grossman was called for intentional grounding in the end zone on the next play, and Josh Cooper was credited with an Ole Miss safety.
Florida took a 14-2 halftime lead with a 98-yard rive culminated by another scoring pass to Perez, this one from 18 yards out.
But the Rebel D put the clamps on in the second half, giving up only 69 yards. Grier led the way with his two interceptions. The first, on Florida's first drive of the third quarter, set the Rebs up at the Florida 18. Vashon Pearson plunged through the middle for a 4-yard touchdown, the only Ole Miss offensive score of the game, to cut the score to 14-10 after a two-point conversion pass to Jason Armstead.
Grier came through again later in the quarter, returning another interception 24 yards for the winning score.
The huge win ranks among the biggest in recent
Ole Miss history, but Cutcliffe downplayed the effect it will have on his team.
Ole Miss now stands at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference. Next up is Arkansas State next Saturday on Homecoming.