OXFORD, Miss. — Matt Corral threw for a touchdown and ran for another, directing No. 12 Ole Miss to a 31-point outburst that spanned the second and third quarters to beat lame-duck coach Ed Orgeron and LSU 31-17 Saturday.

LSU (4-4, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) lost in its first game since it was announced Orgeron wouldn’t return next season. A former Ole Miss head coach, he led the Tigers to the national championship in 2019.

“It was a good day and a good win,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said.

“I’ve got to be more positive. It wasn’t the prettiest win, but considering Matt wasn’t 100 percent, and how banged up we are, well, I’ve just got to be more positive.”

Trailing 7-0, Corral led four consecutive scoring drives, including a 3-yard touchdown run and a 2-yard touchdown pass to Casey Kelly. The Rebels (6-1, 3-1) led 17-7 at halftime and kept pulling away.

Corral enhanced his status as a Heisman Trophy contender with an efficient performance after being considered questionable from injuries sustained in last week’s win over Tennessee. He finished 18 of 23 passing for 185 yards, rushed for 24 yards, including three third-down conversion runs before yielding to reserves in the final quarter.

“Just execute and trust. It’s just a matter of selling out every play and executing,” Corral said. “We have the plan. We have the scheme. We have the coaches. Everything is in place. I do my job and what I do sends a message to the team.”

Henry Parrish Jr. scored on a 5-yard touchdown run and Jerrion Ealy ran for a 36-yard score for Ole Miss. The Rebels had 470 yards of total offense, with Snoop Conner running for 117 yards on 14 carries. Dontario Drummond had a game-high eight catches for 93 yards.

LSU led 7-0 on a 1-yard run by Tyrion Davis-Price, but managed 51 yards of total offense during Ole Miss’ 31-point outburst.

LSU reserve quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Malik Nabers and Cade Davis added a 47-yard field goal in the final 8 minutes.

“We did not capitalize in the first half and you’ve got to score to beat this team,” Orgeron said. “We didn’t make plays. I didn’t think we won the line of scrimmage.”

Manning Moment

The Eli Manning jersey retirement was the latest family tribute by Ole Miss, which features the family legacy prominently throughout the campus and athletic facilities. The campus speed limit has officially been listed as 18 mph since the late 1960s, in honor of father Archie Manning’s jersey number while campus roads, athletic and educational facilities prominently showcase the Manning name.

“I never thought about this day ever happening. I hope my parents are proud of me,” said Manning, honored earlier this season by the New York Giants after guiding two Super Bowl title teams in a 17-year career. “To have my number up there with dad is pretty awesome.”

Rolling The Dice

Capping a dominant first quarter with a 7-0 lead, LSU gambled on a fourth-and-goal at the Ole Miss 3-yard line. Max Johnson, under a pass rush from Ashanti Sistrunk, threw an interception at the 1-yard line to Tysheem Johnson to finish the threat. Ole Miss responded with four consecutive scoring drives and LSU never seriously threatened again.

“That was a big stop, big stop,” Kiffin said. “It was huge momentum. Snoop (Conner) followed it by running it out of there and the game went our way.”

Takeaways

LSU: The Orgeron era, which includes a 2019 national title, has an opportunity to finish above the .500 mark with a strong November run that includes three home games. He is 49-18 in six seasons at LSU. It was Orgeron’s first loss to Ole Miss while at LSU. … After rushing for 321 yards in the previous week’s win against Florida, the Tigers struggled to rush for 77 yards, including 53 from Davis-Price.

“We ran the ball for 77 yards and they run for 266,” Orgeron said. “I think that’s the story of the game.”

Ole Miss: The win snapped a five-game losing streak to the Tigers and kept Ole Miss in line for extensive team and individual honors … After a sluggish opening quarter, the Rebels dominated defensively, forcing three turnovers with five sacks and seven tackles for loss. For the first time since 1999, Ole Miss recorded five sacks in consecutive games.

Poll Implications

Seven teams with one loss, including the Rebels, were ranked in the No. 4 through No. 15 slots, so Ole Miss did nothing to hurt itself. A solid win in a historic rivalry should keep the Rebels in position to merit consideration for a top-10 slot.

Up Next

LSU: An open date precedes a road trip to No. 4 Alabama on Nov. 6.

Ole Miss: The Rebels visit No. 19 Auburn on Saturday.