OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Nick Starkel threw for 272 yards and a touchdown to lead Texas A&M past Mississippi 31-24 on Saturday night.
Texas A&M (7-4, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) trailed 24-21 at halftime, but took a 28-24 lead in the third quarter on a pick-six by Derrick Tucker, who snared a Jordan Ta’amu pass and ran it back 19 yards for the touchdown.
The Aggies never trailed again, using a stellar defense to hold the Rebels scoreless in the second half.
Texas A&M’s Damion Ratley caught five passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. Starkel completed 19 of 32 passes and also ran for a 1-yard touchdown.
Ole Miss (5-6, 2-5) couldn’t generate any offense after a promising first half. Jordan Wilkins led the Rebels with 147 yards rushing, including a 64-yard touchdown run. Ta’amu completed 19 of 34 passes for 189 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Ole Miss managed just 66 total yards in the second half.
The two teams traded touchdowns throughout the first half until the final minute, when Gary Wunderlich kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Ole Miss a 24-21 lead going into the break.
THE TAKEAWAY
Texas A&M: It’s a solid road win for the Aggies. The offense is much more balanced with Starkel at quarterback and the defense was terrific in the second half. Texas A&M should provide a tough test for LSU in the regular-season finale next weekend.
Ole Miss: The Rebels had a frustrating second half after scoring 24 points before halftime. Ta’amu had his worst game as a starter and was constantly bothered by Texas A&M defensive pressure. A.J. Brown caught seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, but also had three drops that hurt the Rebels.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M travels to face LSU on Saturday.
Ole Miss travels to face rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Thursday.
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