WATCH/ICYMI: Hugh Freeze talks about loss against his former team

The Ole Miss defense recorded a season-high 9 sacks, 7 in the first half, and allowed the Rebel offense to dig an early hole for the opposition. In the end, the #15 Rebels did enough to knock off the Liberty Flames 27-14 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday in the return of former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze.

Down 24-0 at halftime, Liberty made the most of the game’s final 30 minutes. The Flames scored twice and held Ole Miss to just a field goal while continuing to push the Rebels for 60 full minutes. With Liberty driving inside the game’s final two minutes, the Flames found themselves inside the red zone for the 3rd time in the game.

However, Malik Willis’ pass attempt to Noah Frith was intercepted by Finley Noah with just over 60 seconds left in the game to secure the win for the home team. Saturday’s game marked only the 2nd time Liberty has faced a SEC team in program history. The last time the Flames took the field against a SEC team, Liberty dropped a 53-0 game at Auburn on Nov. 17, 2018.

Ole Miss just edged the Flames in total offense on the day. The Rebels finished the game with 466 yards to the Flames’ 457 yards. Ole Miss gained most of its yards threw the air (324 passing yards), while Liberty moved the ball mostly on the ground (284 rushing yards)

In a game featuring two of the expected top quarterback picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ole Miss’ Matt Corral finished the day completing 20-of-27 passing attempts for 324 yards and a touchdown.

Liberty’s Malik Willis completed 16-of-25 attempts for 173 yards. The redshirt junior had his 3rd three-interception game of the season and was sacked 9 times.

Liberty head football coach Hugh Freeze met with the media in an emotional postgame presser along with a couple of his Flames’ players. Video is courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics.