Outback Bowl: No. 8 IU football rallies, but falls to Ole Miss, 26-20 – IndyStar

The only team in the country to finish within a score of Ohio State is playing a sub-.500 SEC school in the Outback Bowl.

It might not be the bowl it wanted, but the Indiana football team was hoping to make a statement against Ole Miss in Tampa on Saturday.

That didn’t happen as Ole Miss prevailed with a 26-20 win over No. 8 Indiana.

More:IU football’s best season in years ends on sour note with Outback Bowl loss

Here’s how it happened:

FINAL: Ole Miss 26, Indiana 20

On 4th-and-18, Jack Tuttle is hit as he throws and the pass falls incomplete, turnover on downs with 0:55 left. Ole Miss will take a knee. This one is over.

► Some good runs from Stevie Scott and David Ellis, plus an Ellis reception has the Hoosiers with a first down into Ole Miss territory.with under two minutes to go.

TOUCHDOWN Ole Miss 26, Indiana 20, 4:12 4Q

Matt Corral hits Dontario Drummond for the score as Ole Miss answers right back, but misses the extra point.

Ole Miss’ backup QB is turning into its best WR. John Rhys Plumlee gets three grabs on the drive, including two big chunk plays to get Ole Miss deep into IU territory.

TOUCHDOWN Indiana 20, Ole Miss 20, 5:58 4Q

Stevie Scott scores again from the Wildcat formation. This time from three yards out and the Hoosiers have tied the score.

► On 4th-and-2. the Hoosiers go for it and get it with a short pass completion, even with Ole Miss having 12 men on the field…

IU got a big third-down completion to Miles Marshall along the sideline, then a pass interference call as Ole Miss defender gets handsy with Ty Fryfogle to get into the red zone.

FIELD GOAL MISS Ole Miss 20, Indiana 13, 12:13 4Q

A 37-yard field goal is no good for Ole Miss. Big stop there from the Hoosiers defense. Is momentum shifting?

TOUCHDOWN Ole Miss 20, Indiana 13, 14:56 4Q

Indiana RB Stevie Scott punches it in from three yards out in the Wildcat formation on the first play of the fourth quarter. Game on.

Scott now has 74 yards on 12 carries.

END OF 3RD QUARTER: Ole Miss 20, Indiana 6

After some dinking and dunking by the IU offense, Stevie Scott breaks free on a 22-yard run, A Jack Tuttle run on the next play has the Hoosiers knocking on the Ole Miss end zone at the end of the third quarter.

► It’s getting worse. Whop Philyor fumbles fighting for a first down and Ole Miss recovers. First down Ole Miss at midfield… but IU’s defense holds and forces an Ole Miss punt, so no immediate damage done. Still a two-touchdown deficit with 6:41 left in the third quarter.

TOUCHDOWN Ole Miss 20, Indiana 6, 9:20 3Q

A 33-yard run up the middle from Ole Miss’ Snoop Conner is followed up by a 4-yard scoring run from Conner and Ole Miss extends its lead. IU can’t trade field goals with touchdowns, duh.

FIELD GOAL Ole Miss 13, Indiana 6, 12:53 3Q

Charles Campbell hits from 53 yards out to set a new Indiana bowl record for longest field goal.

► Jack Tuttle came out for the Hoosiers’ opening drive of the second half. But his health is worth monitoring.

An injury to Jack Tuttle?

Will IU have to turn to a freshman quarterback to rescue the Outback Bowl? If Jack Tuttle is indeed injured, Dexter Williams, IU’s third-string QB to start the year, would get his first collegiate snaps.

More:If Jack Tuttle is out injured, IU will likely turn to freshman Dexter Williams

HALFTIME: Ole Miss 13, Indiana 3

The Hoosiers’ Jerome Johnson blocks a last-second Ole Miss field goal attempt to keep the deficit to 10 points. Obviously, the big question is whether Jack Tuttle comes out for the second half or not.

► IU quarterback Jack Tuttle looks uncomfortable and looks to be struggling with his right shoulder. He’s taken a few tough hits in the first half. The Hoosiers offense just can’t get going, most of its yardage coming on short passes. If Tuttle is indeed injured, we could see true freshman Dexter Williams in his place.

► IU’s defense responds and holds Ole Miss thanks to a deflected pass and then a sack. Hoosiers will get the ball one more time before halftime.

► Jack Tuttle throws an interception to Otis Reese on 3rd-and-10 in Ole Miss territory. Return comes out to midfield before it’s fumbled but recovered by Ole Miss.

TOUCHDOWN Ole Miss 13, Indiana 3, 7:17 2Q.

Casey Kelly catches a 5-yard lofting pass from Matt Corral for the score as Ole Miss marches down the field again. Ole Miss converted two 4th-and-short situations on the drive. Corral is 17-for-26 for 186 yards and a touchdown. That drive covered 18 plays and 76 yards.

► Defensive back Josh Sanguinetti is down injured for the Hoosiers. It has the look of a head/neck injury. Trainers tend to him on the field now before he walks off on his own. Whew.

FIELD GOAL Ole Miss 6, Indiana 3, 0:26 1Q.

Matt Corral and Ole Miss are moving the ball at will against the Hoosiers’ defense. The Ole Miss QB is already up to 133 yards. The IU defense holds again though in a goal-to-gain situation and holds Ole Miss to another short field goal.

FIELD GOAL Indiana 3, Ole Miss 3, 2:47 1Q.

Charles Campbell hits from 50 yards out after the Hoosiers are forced to kick a field goal after a 4th-and-short conversion is overturned by an illegal shift penalty. Points on the board for the Hoosiers.

► The Hoosiers are driving with a 2nd-and-2 at the Ole Miss 40. It looks like Whop Philyor is going to be rather busy back in his hometown. The IU senior WR already has five catches and now a carry for 37 total yards. Miles Marshall makes an acrobatic catch inside the Ole Miss 10-yard line, but his foot hit out of bounds before he corralled the ball. IU goes for it on fourth down, gets it, but is penalized for an illegal shift.

► IU’s defense forces a quick Ole Miss punt, so Hoosiers have the ball back with 8:54 left in first quarter.

► On IU’s first offensive possession, Jack Tuttle completes four of five passes, mostly short stuff to Whop Philyor. A 3rd-and-long pass goes incomplete, and Haydon Whitehead punts it away.