You probably saw the final Ole Miss vs Oklahoma score flash across your phone and figured it was just another Saturday in the SEC. But 26-14 doesn't even begin to tell the story. For thirty minutes, it looked like the Oklahoma Sooners might actually pull off one of the biggest upsets of the Lane Kiffin era. The Rebels were flat. The fans at Vaught-Hemingway were getting that familiar, nervous twitch.
Then the third quarter happened.
Honestly, it was less like a football game and more like a defensive clinic. If you weren't watching, you missed Jaxson Dart transforming from a pressured, frustrated quarterback into a Heisman-caliber surgeon. More importantly, you missed a Rebel defense that turned Oklahoma’s offensive line into a revolving door. Nine sacks. That isn't a typo. Nine.
The First Half: When Oklahoma Had Everyone Scared
Let's be real: nobody expected Jackson Arnold to come out firing like he did. After being benched earlier in the year, he stepped into Oxford with something to prove. Oklahoma went into the locker room at halftime leading 14-10. They had just put together a staggering 13-play, 92-yard drive that ate up the clock and ended with a Jacob Jordan touchdown.
It was a gut punch for Ole Miss.
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The Rebels started hot with a Henry Parrish Jr. 9-yard touchdown run, but then the engine stalled. They couldn't run. They couldn't protect Dart. Lane Kiffin looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. Oklahoma was out-gaining them, out-hitting them, and basically bullying them on their own turf.
The Ole Miss vs Oklahoma Score Flips in the Third
Whatever was said in that Ole Miss locker room at halftime should probably be bottled and sold. The Rebels came out and outscored Oklahoma 16-0 in the second half.
The turning point? A 24-yard dime from Jaxson Dart to Caden Prieskorn.
That touchdown put Ole Miss up 16-14, and they never looked back. The defense decided to play at a different speed. Every time Jackson Arnold dropped back, he seemed to have Princely Umanmielen or Suntarine Perkins in his face. It was relentless. By the time JJ Pegues plowed into the end zone for a 1-yard score later in the quarter, the vibe in the stadium had completely shifted.
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- Jaxson Dart's Resilience: He finished 22-of-30 for 311 yards. He took some massive hits early but stayed poised.
- The Sack Parade: Nine sacks in a single game is a program statement.
- Third Down Woes: Oklahoma was 7-of-9 on third downs in the first half. In the second half? They couldn't buy a first down.
Key Stats You Might Have Missed
While the Ole Miss vs Oklahoma score says 26-14, the yardage gap in the second half tells the real tale. The Rebels out-gained the Sooners 218 to 94 after the break.
- Jaxson Dart: 311 passing yards, 1 TD
- Caden Prieskorn: 71 receiving yards, 1 TD
- Henry Parrish Jr.: 44 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Jackson Arnold: 182 passing yards, 2 TDs (but those 9 sacks for -60 yards killed them)
Why This Win Saved the Rebels' Season
If Ole Miss loses this game, the playoff talk dies. Simple as that. They were sitting at 6-2 and 2-2 in the SEC. A loss to an unranked, struggling Oklahoma team would have been catastrophic. Instead, they showed they can win ugly. They showed they can trail at half, fix their mistakes, and dominate.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, left with a lot of "what ifs." Their defense is legit—they held a high-powered Rebels offense to just 10 points in the first half—but the offensive line is a massive liability. You can't win in this league when your quarterback is getting hit on nearly every drop-back.
What’s Next for Both Teams?
If you're following the SEC race, keep a close eye on the Rebels' defensive front. If they play like they did in the second half of this game, they can beat anyone in the country. They aren't just winning; they are physically punishing opponents.
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For Oklahoma, it's about survival. They have the talent on defense to stay in games, but the offense is a work in progress under the new play-calling structure. Jackson Arnold showed flashes of being "the guy" again, but he needs help.
To really understand where these teams go from here, you have to look past the Ole Miss vs Oklahoma score and look at the trenches. The Rebels won because they owned the line of scrimmage when it mattered most.
Watch the full highlights on the SEC Network or ESPN to see those nine sacks for yourself—it’s a rough watch if you’re a Sooners fan, but a masterclass if you love defensive football. Keep an eye on the injury reports for both squads, especially on the offensive lines, as they move into the final stretch of the season.