Mississippi rolls over Northern Arizona 38-14

OXFORD, Miss. — No Dexter McCluster, no worries. With Mississippi resting its top offensive option Saturday night, senior receiver Shay Hodge came through with a career-best 169 receiving yards as the Rebels defeated Northern Arizona 38-14 in front of a sparse crowd of 38,184.

McCluster, who averages more than 100 all-purpose yards per game, did not touch the ball and saw limited action as a decoy for the Rebels (6-3), who wanted to rest their star for their final three games.

So Hodge picked up the slack with two receiving touchdowns and his second consecutive 100-plus yard game.

"He is our go-to guy," Mississippi coach Houston Nutt said. "We depend on him a lot. He's had a big year for us."

The highlight of Hodge's night was a 65-yard third-quarter touchdown pass. Hodge streaked down the left side of the field, and quarterback Jevan Snead hit him in stride.

"I thank coach for getting me the ball and calling that play for me," Hodge said.

It was also a big night for Snead, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more. Snead completed 16 of 29 passes for 235 yards and did not throw an interception for the fourth time this season.

By far his biggest target was Hodge, who caught seven of his passes.

"Our chemistry is getting better and better," Hodge said. "It is not down pat, but it is getting there. He has got confidence in me."

The Lumberjacks (5-4) made the game interesting with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, the second one tying the score at 14 with just under 8 minutes left in the half. But the Rebels responded with 24 unanswered points.

"It is very difficult to play a team like that because they have a lot of fast guys," Nutt said. "It's hard to jump out of the SEC."

Hodge's long TD was not the Rebels' only big strike. In fact, all six of the Rebels' scoring drives lasted 2:01 or less.

Brandon Bolden had a 45-yard touchdown run and ran for 85 yards on the night. He gained 83 of those yards in the second quarter.

In fact, Bolden did not get a carry in the second half on a night when the Rebels rested several key players. Receiver Jesse Grandy, defensive back Johnny Brown and offensive linemen Bradley Sowell and John Jerry also did not play.

"I don't have a problem with it, as long as we get the ball down the field," Bolden said. "It is tough to be a running back in the SEC. You can wear out."

Northern Arizona quarterback Michael Herrick returned to the school that signed him out of high school. The junior who did not play in two seasons with the Rebels, threw for 233 yards on 20-for-31 passing in his first action at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Conrad Meadows caught seven passes for 113 yards and Ed Berry had seven receptions for 81 yards.

Northern Arizona's Alex Henderson rushed for 102 yards and the Lumberjacks had 354 yards of offense, but they could not score over the final 38 minutes of the game.

Mississippi blocked a pair of field goals in the second half.

"It is a tough loss for us," Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers said. "We knew we were going against a really good football team. We didn't win the game, but we learned a lot about things we need to improve on."

Most of the action came during a second quarter in which the teams combined for 38 of the game's 52 points.

Up next for the Rebels is an emotional home game against Tennessee when they face former coach Ed Orgeron, now an assistant with the Vols.

"It is personal for a lot of guys," Hodge said. "He never did anything to me, but I saw how he treated some people."

Because two of their wins came against Football Championship Subdivision opponents, the Rebels need to win one of their final three games to become bowl eligible. After Tennessee, they host LSU and travel to Mississippi State.