No. 9 LSU 23 Tops Ole Miss 23-20 in OT

Louisiana State receiver Dwayne Bowe catches a touchdown pass as Mississippi defensive back Dustin Mouzon can't get to the ball in the first half of their football game in Baton Rouge, La. Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Alex Brandon - AP)

BATON ROUGE, La. -- JaMarcus Russell and Dwayne Bowe could not have chosen a more crucial moment to become the most prolific touchdown combination in LSU history. On fourth-and-goal with 14 seconds remaining in regulation, Russell drilled a slant pass to Bowe in traffic. The 5-yard touchdown pass marked the 22nd time the pair combined for a score, the most in school history.

It also tied the game, setting the stage for Colt David's 26-yard field goal in overtime that allowed No. 9 LSU to escape with a 23-20 victory over upset-minded rival Mississippi on Saturday night.

"JaMarcus told me before the play, 'Go to the left and I need a big one out of you,'" Bowe recalled. "I told him, 'Just put it in my reach and I promise I will come through for you.' As we lined up for the play, we both looked at each other because we knew we could do it."

But Mississippi wasn't through.

The touchdown tied the game, and LSU (9-2, 5-2 SEC) only needed an extra point for the win. The crowd gasped when Mississippi burst through the middle of the line and John Jerry blocked David's extra point.

Mississippi (3-8, 1-6) opened overtime on offense. They came away with no points, however, when LSU's Daniel Francis forced Ole Miss quarterback Brent Schaeffer to fumble and Tyson Jackson recovered for the Tigers.

It was a crushing loss for the Rebels, who were 27-point underdogs and were in position to pull out a shocking victory.

"In some ways we're proud off our football team, but in other ways we're very disappointed that we didn't find a way to win the game in the fourth quarter," Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron said. "There's no way we're going to stay satisfied about just coming in here and going to over time. I feel bad for my young men. They played their hearts out for our fans and we came here to win."

LSU trailed 20-7 when the Tigers opened a drive on their own 41-yard line with 11:13 to play.

Russell marched LSU down the field in 2:27, hitting Early Doucet for a leaping grab in the end zone on a 4-yard pass to make the score 20-14. Russell completed five passes for 46 yards on the drive, misfiring only once.

LSU's game-tying drive began at the Tigers' 42 with 2:35 remaining. Russell drove quickly drove LSU downfield with a pair of completions and scrambles of 15 and 12 yards to set up a first-and-goal at the 5.

But three straight incompletions left Mississippi one play from victory when Russell and Bowe connected for the second time in the game, breaking a school record that had been held by Tommy Hodson and Wendell Davis, who combined for 21 touchdowns in the late 1980s.