Citadel vs. Ole Miss: Rebels overwhelm Bulldogs 49–0 behind relentless balance in Oxford

Ole Miss turned its Military Appreciation Game into a comprehensive showcase on Saturday, Nov. 8, blanking The Citadel 49–0 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels, ranked inside the national top 10, scored touchdowns on their first four drives, piled up more than 600 total yards, and never let the Bulldogs breathe in a dominant Week 11 performance.

How Ole Miss seized control from the opening kick

From the first snap, Ole Miss dictated pace and leverage. The offense blended quick-game throws with a downhill run menu, forcing The Citadel to defend every blade of grass. The Rebels’ quarterback strung together an ultra-efficient start—completing 19 of his first 20 passes—and finished with three touchdown throws before yielding to the backups early in the second half. On the ground, featured back Kewan Lacy hammered the interior and bounced outside for chunk gains, matching the passing output with three rushing touchdowns of his own.

The Bulldogs tried to slow it with softer zone looks and clock-milking drives, but early three-and-outs left their defense repeatedly exposed to short fields. Ole Miss capitalized, building a multi-score cushion by halftime and slamming the door with two quick strikes after the break.

The numbers that tell the story

• Final: Ole Miss 49, The Citadel 0

• Total yards: Ole Miss 603 — The Citadel 106

• First downs: Ole Miss 35 — The Citadel 5

• Third down: Ole Miss 7/12 — The Citadel 4/15

• Turnovers: Ole Miss 1 — The Citadel 0

• Penalty yards: Ole Miss 24 — The Citadel 52

• Time of possession: The Citadel 32:04 — Ole Miss 27:56

Despite holding the ball a touch longer, The Citadel rarely crossed midfield and finished with just five first downs. Ole Miss, by contrast, sustained drives at will and mixed explosives with efficient red-zone execution.

What worked for the Rebels

1) Tempo toggles and spacing. The quick-game passing—outs, hitches, and RPO slants—forced light boxes that Lacy punished. When The Citadel crept safeties down, Ole Miss countered with seam shots and layered crossers.

2) Early-down dominance. Second-and-short was routine for the Rebels. That script kept play-action live and protected the pocket, neutralizing any chance for the Bulldogs to hunt negative plays.

3) Defensive suffocation. Ole Miss set edges, spilled runs to help, and squeezed throwing windows with tight pattern-matching. The Citadel’s option looks rarely gained leverage; even completed passes landed short of the sticks.

Where it slipped away for The Citadel

Situational strain. Third-and-long became a recurring problem, inviting pressure and forcing low-percentage throws. Penalties undercut the few promising sequences, and field position skewed heavily toward Ole Miss after short punts or stalled drives.

Limited explosives. Without a vertical threat to back off the safeties, the Bulldogs struggled to generate chunk gains. The longest plays came on checkdowns and quarterback keepers that the Rebels rallied to stop.

Box score highlights and notable performances

• Ole Miss QB: Surgical accuracy, 3 pass TDs, pulled early in the third quarter after guiding a 40-point outburst.

• RB Kewan Lacy: 3 rushing TDs, consistent success rate on early downs, plus several broken tackles in the second level.

• Rebels defense: Allowed just 106 total yards, five first downs, and pitched a shutout with disciplined fits and crisp tackling.

• Special teams: Clean operation—no miscues, favorable net field position that compounded The Citadel’s uphill climb.

What the result means

For Ole Miss, the win moves the record to 9–1 and preserves top-10 status heading into the home stretch. The offense looked balanced, the defense ruthless, and the depth pieces handled extended reps—valuable tape before a tougher closing slate.

For The Citadel, this was always a daunting step up. The priority now shifts back to conference play, where lessons from Saturday—ball security, pre-snap clarity against tempo, and tackling in space—can translate into tangible gains. Keeping quarterbacks clean and reclaiming early-down stability will be central in the week ahead.

Citadel vs. Ole Miss never felt in doubt after the opening quarter. The Rebels executed with precision, showcased star power in both phases, and delivered a shutout that matched the scoreboard to the eye test. It’s the kind of November performance that reinforces postseason ambitions on one sideline and sharpens focus on the other.