COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Southeast : Ole Miss Is Off to Good Start, 28-12

J.R. Ambrose returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and was on the receiving end of a 57-yard scoring pass Saturday as Mississippi defeated Vanderbilt, 28-12, in a Southeastern Conference game at Nashville, Tenn..

The victory pushed the Rebels to 5-2-1 overall, Mississippi’s best start since 1971, and 2-1 in the SEC.

The Commodores (1-6) are 0-4 in the conference.

Ambrose became the first Rebel since 1984 to return a kickoff for a touchdown with his stunning run.

The junior flanker took Alan Herline’s kick at the Rebel four-yard line and raced up the middle of the field to the Mississippi 45, where he veered to his left and ran untouched down the far sideline.

The Rebels increased their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter when the Commodores failed to cover Ricky Myers on a third-and-seven play at the Commodore 27.

With no Commodore defender within 20 yards of Myers, Mississippi quarterback Mark Young lofted a soft pass to his split end at the 15 and Myers trotted into the end zone with 6:45 left in the first half.

The Commodores moved 72 yards late in the half, pulling within 14-3 on a 27-yard field goal by Herline with 1:54 remaining.

Vanderbilt took the second half kickoff and drove 69 yards.

Backup Vandy quarterback Eric Jones capped the drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Carl Parker to pull within 14-9 with 10:42 left in the quarter. The Commodores failed on a two-point conversion pass.

Ambrose and Young then took charge as the Rebels answered with a two-play 74-yard drive.

Ambrose took in a pass from Young at the Vanderbilt 35, shook a tackler at the Commodore 30 and raced into the end zone as the Rebels pushed their lead to 21-9.

The Commodores drove to the Rebel six early in the fourth quarter, but were forced to settle for a 28-yard Herline field goal with 10:53 remaining.

Young added Mississippi’s final touchdown with 3:04 left on a 10-yard run around his own left end.