Rebels whoop it up after Cotton victory

DALLAS – There were backflips across midfield, 50-yard dashes carrying oversized flags and a team-wide sprint to the student section. Ole Miss waited five years to feel this good and the Rebels were going to enjoy every second of it.

A season of revival that already included an upset at the Swamp culminated Friday with a 47-34 victory over No. 8 Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl, sending No. 20 Mississippi into the off-season with a six-game winning streak and the anticipation of how coach Houston Nutt will build on his terrific debut year.

“I wish we could keep this team and bring it back,” Nutt said. Then, turning to some seniors next to him, he barked, “You can’t leave!”

In the final Cotton Bowl played in the stadium of the same name, the Red Raiders (11-2) converted a pair of early turnovers into a 14-0 lead.

But quarterback Jevan Snead led the Rebels to touchdowns on their next three drives.

Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell completed 36 of 58 passes for a Cotton Bowl-record 364 yards and four touchdowns. He became both the NCAA career leader in touchdown passes (134) and the first player with multiple 5,000-yard seasons.

Snead, a Texas native who began his career with the Longhorns, completed 18 of 29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns for the Rebels.

Beginning next year, the Cotton Bowl will be played in the $1.1 billion stadium being built by the Dallas Cowboys.