OXFORD — Ole Miss football’s College Football Playoff hopes remained alive Saturday.

The No. 18 Rebels defeated Oklahoma 26-14 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2 SEC) fell early. Oklahoma (4-4, 1-4 SEC) entered the second half with a lead.

Coach Lane Kiffin’s offense had a strong third quarter. The Rebels outscored OU 14-0 in the third quarter and scored a field goal nine seconds into the fourth quarter. The defense finished things off, sacking OU quarterback Jackson Arnold nine times.

Time for some overreactions.

Ole Miss’ second half was its most important in recent memory

The second half saved Ole Miss’ season.

After Ole Miss’ fourth-and-1 play was stopped, the Sooners regained possession with 2:40 left before halftime. Oklahoma marched 92 yards and scored a touchdown with six seconds left to take the lead. The Sooners ran to the locker room at full speed.

Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart, who said two weeks ago that a win was the only option, played well in the second half and rallied from a deficit to win.

If Ole Miss had lost, history shows, the Rebels’ shot at the College Football Playoff would have been dashed. Thanks to a strong second half, Ole Miss’ hopes of a season ending in a bracket remain. The last few weeks will be precarious.

We were deceived; Lane Kiffin’s use of Ulysses Bentley hasn’t changed

There were signs that Ulysses Bentley would be more involved.

Bentley scored a season-high 11 runs against LSU. He then held his first press conference of the season. Then running back Matt Jones was left out of the game against Oklahoma.

After the open week, it seemed like Bentley, who was part of a tandem with Quinshon Judkins in the Ole Miss backfield last year, would get more carries.

Things didn’t go that way against Oklahoma. Bentley got five carries for five yards. The fans cheered for his every rush, but had little opportunity to watch the fan favorite find his rhythm. Bentley now has 32 appearances this season, behind three other Rebels. Henry Parrish leads with 120 runs.

Sack attack: Ole Miss’ football defense was relentless in the Rebels’ win over Oklahoma

JJ Pegues could set an NCAA record

Things looked dicey for a second, but Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues delivered again with the ball in his hands.

With 5:43 left in the third quarter, Ole Miss had the ball at the Oklahoma 1-yard line. Kiffin chose a rushing play for JJ Pegues, who has proven to be an excellent ball carrier in short-yardage situations.

Pegues was initially stopped, but bounced off the tacklers and found enough space to his right to weave in for a touchdown.

It’s Pegues’ fifth rushing touchdown of the season. He is just three points away from breaking the all-time record for rushing scores by a defensive player. Jack Coletto, an Oregon State linebacker, set the record in 2021. Colletto scored eight touchdowns on 31 carries.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Why Ole Miss football saved the season with its comeback win over Oklahoma