NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Sugar Bowl showdown against Mississippi and coach Lane Kiffin’s explosive, Southeastern Conference-leading offense provided a high-profile platform for Baylor to validate its old-school formula of ball control and aggressive defense. Al Walcott set a Sugar Bowl record with a 96-yard interception return, Monaray Baldwin raced 48 yards for the go-ahead score on an end around, and sixth-ranked Baylor beat No. 8 Mississippi 21-7 Saturday night as injured Rebels quarterback Matt Corral watched from the sideline on crutches. Abram Smith rushed for 172 yards to finish with a single-season record 1,601 for Big 12 champion Baylor (12-2), which won 12 games in a season for the first time. The defense did the rest, finishing with 10 sacks — two by game MVP Terrel Bernard — and three interceptions. “I would not put it as necessarily as a point to prove,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said when summing up the significance of the victory. “I would say it as more of an identity to show. … Just to take the stage and to take the lights and the crowd and all of that and to, like, be us — all the way, man. “You want other people to see it,” Aranda continued. “I’m appreciative that we had the opportunity, and we took advantage of it.” Corral, a dual-threat star QB and projected high-round NFL draft choice, became one of the big stories of the Sugar Bowl because of his decision to play, rather than opt out and minimize injury risks in advance of turning pro. Corral had accounted for 3,936 total yards and 31 touchdowns during the regular season. But his hopes of going out with a flourish in a New Year’s Day bowl faded on Ole Miss’ third series, when he was sacked from behind by Cole Maxwell amid a cluster of players. When he was helped up and off the field, Corral didn’t put weight on his right foot. “We were devastated,” running back Jerrion Ealy said. “But we still had a game to play.” Corral was carted to the locker room for X-rays, which Kiffin said were negative, before returning to the sideline wearing his red undershirt and using two black crutches. Kiffin said his focus on the game plan suffered when Corral went down. “Maybe I didn’t do a great enough job with the team because I was really hurting for (Corral) in that situation, because I know how much he’s put into it, how much it means to him,” Kiffin said. “For that to be taken away like that really sucks.” Freshman quarterback Luke Altmyer took over for Ole Miss (10-3) and led the Rebels to the Baylor 12-yard line on his first series, only to have his pass to the left flat tipped and then intercepted by Walcott, who raced down the right sideline for the only points of the first half. The interception return was the longest in the Sugar Bowl’s 88-game history. The Rebels’ defense managed to hold Baylor’s offense scoreless through three quarters, allowing Ole Miss to tie it on Altmyer’s 37-yard timing pass down the right sideline to Braylon Sanders. Ole Miss was poised to take the lead when Cole Nation lined up for a 35-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but his kick sailed just wide right. Baylor responded with Baldwin’s first collegiate touchdown on a season-long run for the seldom-used freshman, who entered the game with five rushes and one catch.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Sugar Bowl showdown against Mississippi and coach Lane Kiffin’s explosive, Southeastern Conference-leading offense provided a high-profile platform for Baylor to validate its old-school formula of ball control and aggressive defense.
