Ole Miss Football: A.J. Brown breaks record for receiving yards in a season

One reception in the first half of the Egg Bowl gave A.J. Brown of Ole Miss football the school record for receiving yards in a single season.

Ole Miss football entered the matchup with the No. 14 Mississippi State Bulldogs as 14-point underdogs. The night started with some unexpected events that did not go the Bulldogs way, to say the least. Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was knocked out of the game after suffering a gruesome leg injury in the first quarter.

Ole Miss sophomore wide receiver A.J. Brown set the single season receiving yards record for the Rebels in the first half of the Egg Bowl. The record that Brown eclipsed was previously held by current Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, with 1,153 yards.

A catch in the first half of the game got Brown the record, that put him at 1,169 yards on the year. He finished the first half with 90 yards on five catches. Brown needed 68 yards to set the Ole Miss receiving yards record on Nov. 23. As a team, the Rebels carried a 10-6 lead into halftime.

Brown leads the team in both receiving yards and touchdowns this year. He sits with 1,175 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brown would need another season similar to this one to set the mark for career receiving yards for the Rebels. Former wide receiver Shay Hodge owns the career record for receiving yards with 2,646, which was set in 2009.

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This is the final game for Brown and the Rebels in 2017. Even if Ole Miss defeats Mississippi State and gets the sixth win of the year normally needed for bowl eligibility, the Rebels will be staying at home due to a self-imposed ban. Brown will return for the Rebels next year for his junior campaign.