NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Bo Wallace threw for 320 yards and a touchdown, and 15th-ranked Mississippi routed Vanderbilt 41-3 on Saturday in the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams.
The Rebels (2-0) have beaten Vanderbilt in Nashville in consecutive seasons after the Commodores had won five of the previous six. The Rebels won in dominating fashion.
Ole Miss scored on seven of its first eight possessions with the shortest drive covering 67 yards. Jaylen Walton started the scoring with a 20-yard TD, and I'Tavius Mathers and DeVante Kincade also ran for TDs.
Wallace put the Rebels up 20-0 with a 20-yard TD pass to Cody Core, and he was sacked as the first half ended with Ole Miss threatening to score again.
The Commodores (0-2) still are searching for first-year coach Derek Mason's inaugural win, but at least got their first offensive points with a field goal.
This was the third game in Nashville for the Rebels since opening the 2013 season at Vanderbilt and their second straight at LP Field, home to the NFL's Tennessee Titans. The Rebels certainly made themselves at home in a crowd of 43,260 in the red and blue seats.
Ole Miss outgained Vandy 331-76 in total offense at halftime and finished 547-167.
Cliff Coleman returned an interception 39 yards less than a minute into the second half, and Mathers, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, padded the lead to 34-0 with a 2-yard TD run.
The Commodores have been outscored 78-10 since James Franklin left in January for Penn State.
Vanderbilt didn't get past midfield against the Rebels until the final couple minutes of the third quarter, and the Commodores had to settle for a field goal after recovering Kincade's fumble at the Ole Miss 5 in the fourth quarter.
Stephen Rivers started at quarterback after Mason declined to announce a starter after rotating three in an opening loss to Temple.
Rivers was 6 of 25 for 60 yards, and Coleman picked off Rivers' first pass of the third quarter and ran it back 39 yards for a TD and a 27-0 lead.
Wallace, playing an hour north of his hometown in Pulaski, Tennessee, was efficient to open the game.
The senior had 249 yards by halftime, and his day was done after Mathers' TD with 9:29 left in the third quarter. Kincade ran for a 3-yard TD run on his first drive replacing Wallace.
Ole Miss had some issues.
Vanderbilt sacked Wallace three times, and the Rebels had to settle for Andrew Fletcher's second field goal in the second quarter after Vanderbilt safety Oren Burks broke up a would-be TD pass to Derrick Jones at the back of the end zone.
That followed consecutive false starts by right tackle Fahn Cooper on first-and-goal that got him benched for a bit.