Ole Miss’ defense suffered several back-breaking plays in the second half against Vanderbilt, but perhaps the most damaging was the one that led to the ejection of starting linebacker DeMarquis Gates.
Ole Miss trailed just 14-10 when the Commodores began the third quarter with the ball, and on the second play of the drive, the Rebels snuffed out a reverse and knocked the runner out of bounds for a 4-yard loss. The ball came loose at the end, and though no fumble was called on the field, the refs stopped the game to review. The replay confirmed a fumble, but also showed that the foot of Ole Miss safety Tony Conner was out of bounds when he scooped up the recovery.