OXFORD, Miss. --- So many unusual things happened in the final 3 minutes of Mississippi's victory Saturday against No. 10 Louisiana State University, it got confusing.
Even for the participants.
"I don't know what all happened down there at the end," Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. "I just know the scoreboard read 25-23 Ole Miss Rebels."
Nutt's confusion was nothing compared to what was happening on the LSU sideline as precious seconds ticked off the clock with less than a minute left and the game on the line.
The Tigers were divided over what plays to call, lost 17 seconds when the team tried for a timeout and didn't get it, and there was admittedly no backup plan when LSU went for the end zone on the last play of the game and came up short at the Ole Miss 6 with 1 second left.
"I can only tell you that the management at the back end of the game was the issue," LSU coach Les Miles said, later adding: "It's my fault that we didn't finish first in that game."
When reporters asked Miles which coach decided to try to spike the ball before the clock restarted rather than going for a field goal, he said he wasn't yet sure and would have to find out. Jordan Jefferson and the Tigers never got lined up anyway and Ole Miss earned its second consecutive win over the Tigers and the first at home since 1998.
Nutt has beaten LSU four consecutive times with Ole Miss and Arkansas and has never experienced anything like it.
"You were holding your breath every play," he said.
It was the first time Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) beat LSU (8-3, 4-3) in consecutive seasons since 1997-99. The win also gives the Rebels the inside track to second place in the SEC West, which could lead to a better bowl spot when invitations are handed out.
Until the final quarter it was a game only a defensive coordinator could love. But things got interesting fast late in the fourth quarter.
After Ole Miss kicked a short field goal to make the lead eight points at 25-17, Jefferson answered with a 10-play, 66-yard drive that ended with his second touchdown pass to Rueben Randle that left LSU with a 2-point conversion to tie it.
After a pass interference penalty on Ole Miss, the 2-point conversion pass failed.
But Brandon LaFell recovered the onside kick with 1:16 left at the LSU 42, giving the Tigers one last chance.
After Jefferson found Terrance Toliver in traffic at the 6 with a second left, the team was unprepared. Rather than run the field goal unit on field while there appeared to be confusion with the chain gang, Jordan tried to get the team lined up to spike the ball but never got the play off.
"I know there was a lot of confusion on the sideline," said Jefferson, who rallied the Tigers with 120 yards passing and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
"Nobody knew what to do."
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