Rebels Send ASU Back To Tempe With Gritty 24-21 Sugar Bowl Victory
24 #8 Ole Miss (11-3) @ #1 Arizona State (13-1) 21 | Caesar Superdome | New Orleans, LA.
By Emilio Suarez
January 1st, 2028
New Year, new problems. For the Arizona State Sun Devils, their problem is the first loss of the Charlie Weis Jr. era after the Ole Miss Rebels beat them at their own game in a physical 24-21 victory to advance to the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals, while the Sun Devils head home despite losing once all year.
"It hurts. You have this momentum going all year and you think it's just all going to keep rolling. Then you hit a buzzsaw and it's magically all over," stated an emotional Austin Mack after the game. Two interceptions by the senior QB ultimately doomed the Sun Devils, but he wasn't the only issue in the loss that the Sun Devils never led in.
The Rebels simply made more splash plays. While Ole Miss scored three touchdowns of 20 or more yards, the Sun Devils only had one. Twice, Kyson Brown had to drag a convoy into the end zone on a one-yard run to hit pay dirt. It simply looked like the Arizona State offense had to work harder to get less water, and ultimately that was the difference.
Outside of Austin Carlisle's 21-yard catch and run, the Sun Devils offense was stagnant for much of the first half as the Rebels built a 17-7 lead. With time slipping away in the first half, the Sun Devils finally found a spark. And even then, they had to fight tooth and nail for it.
Austin Mack converted a fourth-down pass to Cam'Ron Lacy and the Sun Devils found themselves at the five-yard line with no timeouts and less than 20 seconds remaining. Mack rushed them to the line, found Mason Mini at the goal line, but the TE was unable to extend the ball, being ruled down at the one.
Mack once again rushed them to the line, snapping the ball with one second left and placing it squarely in Kyson Brown's belly. The senior kept his legs churning, breaking the plane to end the first half with a touchdown for ASU.
The belief on Arizona State's sideline was that was the play to break the game open and finally get their offense out of the mud.
It was not.
Both sides traded punts throughout the third quarter and Austin Mack threw the first of two red zone interceptions as neither team got on the board. But as the time turned to the fourth quarter, Mitch Sanderson broke away. Literally.
The drive after Mack's second interception Deuce Knight led the Rebels down the field before Sanderson bounced outside and saw nothing but green grass, rumbling 24 yards for what would be a decisive score.
Arizona State would grind their way into the end zone to answer back, but still faced a three-point deficit with 2:58 remaining. They never saw the ball again.
Deuce Knight scrambled twice on third down, eating up 15 yards the first run and 22 the second, to salt away enough time to kneel out the clock, and the Sugar Bowl victory.
Pete Golding and Charlie Weis Jr. shared a brief hug at midfield before going their separate ways with both coaches acknowledging it was an 'emotional' moment' for both sides.
In a small consolation prize, Austin Mack set the Arizona State Sun Devils single-season passing yardage record, eclipsing Brock Osweiler's record of 4,036 yards in the loss.
The Rebels will advance to the Orange Bowl with a chance to avenge their 2026 Fiesta Bowl loss to the Miami Hurricanes after Miami dispatched Iowa 42-37 in the Rose Bowl.
HB Mitch Sanderson
19 Att, 97 Yds, 2 TD
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