Matt Corral passed for 381 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing touchdown as Ole Miss rolled past Louisville 43-24 in the season opener for both teams Monday night in Atlanta.
Corral completed 22 of 32 passes and threw his touchdown to Dontario Drummond, who finished with 9 catches for 177 yards.
Snoop Conner rushed for two touchdowns and Jerrion Early rushed for one for Ole Miss.
The Rebels played without head coach Lane Kiffin, who did not attend the game after announcing Saturday that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
The Cardinals didn’t score until James Turner kicked a 38-yard field goal early in the third quarter, but Caden Costa answered with a 38-yarder of his own that gave the Rebels a 29-3 lead.
Malik Cunningham threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Braden Smith on fourth and 3 to get Louisville within 29-10 at the end of the third quarter.
Conner’s 11-yard touchdown run increased the lead to 36-10 less than a minute into the fourth quarter.
Cunningham, the Cardinals‘ leading rusher with 79 yards, ran a yard for a touchdown on fourth and goal midway through the period.
He completed 22 of 37 passes for 191 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Corral and Drummond teamed on a 6-yard touchdown pass and detik Cunningham scored on a 9-yard run to complete the scoring.
The Rebels received the opening kickoff and drove 94 yards in 11 plays.
Early rushed 1 yard for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead.
Costa added a 47-yard field goal that increased the lead to 9-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Ole Miss had another long drive in the second quarter as Corral’s 6-yard touchdown run completed a 9-play, 93-yard march that produced a 16-0 lead.
Deantre Prince intercepted Cunningham, leading to Conner’s 1-yard run and 23-0 lead.
Costa’s 22-yard field goal gave the Rebels a 26-0 halftime lead.