Austin Simmons completed 20 of 31 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday, helping No. 21 Ole Miss rout visiting Georgia State 63-7 in Oxford, Miss.
Simmons also threw two interceptions in his first career start, while Kewan Lacy ran for 108 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. Logan Diggs rushed for 91 yards and a score for the Rebels, who outgained Georgia State 695-260 in total offense in both team’s season opener. Harrison Wallace III made five catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Christian Veilleux was 4-of-11 passing for 52 yards, a touchdown and an interception for outmatched Georgia State. Rashad Amos led the Panthers with 68 rushing yards.
The Rebels struck first on Simmons’ 38-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright, giving Ole Miss a 7-0 edge with 10:32 left in the first quarter.
Simmons was picked off by Chams Diagne on Ole Miss’ next drive, but the Panthers couldn’t capitalize, as Liam Rickman missed a 31-yard field goal.
After advancing to Georgia State’s 17-yard line, Simmons was intercepted again, this time by Jordan Huff. Following Georgia State’s third punt, Ole Miss tacked on with Lucas Carneiro’s 42-yard field goal with 11:28 remaining in the second quarter.
Missouri transfer Lacy scored his first touchdown, a 1-yard rush, for his new team at the 7:31 mark of the first half, pushing the Rebels’ lead to 17-0.
Georgia State answered with a drive just over two minutes later, as Veilleux found Javon Robinson for a 43-yard touchdown pass to cut the Panthers’ deficit to 10.
Ole Miss added on with 21 seconds left in the first half, as Lacy’s 2-yard rushing touchdown and backup quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ two-point conversion gave the Rebels a 25-7 halftime lead.
Ole Miss scored on each of its first two possessions of the second half, as Lacy ran for a 42-yard touchdown before Zxavian Harris intercepted Veilleux, setting up Simmons’ 9-yard passing score to Caleb Odom, pushing the Rebels’ lead to 39-7.
Carneiro’s 33-yard field goal at the end of the third and Simmons’ 35-yard passing touchdown to Wallace gave Ole Miss a 49-7 advantage.
Chambliss connected with Izaiah Hartrup for a 13-yard score with 6:38 left, before Logan Diggs’ 5-yard score capped the game’s scoring.
