ARLINGTON, Texas — As fans settled into their seats Saturday, highlights of Cotton Bowls past played on Cowboys Stadium’s giant video board. A few included Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster.

Once the 74th edition began, he was in nearly every highlight.

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McCluster’s final game in an Ole Miss uniform was like a greatest hits package. He surpassed milestones on almost every carry, gave the Rebels an early lead with a scintillating 86-yard touchdown run, and etched his name in the Cotton Bowl record books by earning his second consecutive MVP award in the game.

McCluster finished with 184 yards and two touchdowns rushing on a career-high 34 carries, and caught five passes for 45 yards as Ole Miss beat Oklahoma State 21-7. McCluster is the first player to win back-to-back Cotton Bowl MVP awards since SMU legend Doak Walker did it in 1948 and ‘49.

“We knew we were going to run his legs off today,” Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said. “It’s our last game together, last 60 minutes. We’re going to run the legs off.”

McCluster’s first milestone came on his third carry, a 9-yard run in the first quarter. It put him over 1,000 yards for the season, making him just the fourth Ole Miss player to achieve the feat. Longtime Vicksburg resident Kayo Dottley, former New Orleans Saints star Deuce McAllister, and current New England Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis are the other three.

On the last play of the first quarter, McCluster made more history. He took a shovel pass and ran 12 yards to the Ole Miss 40-yard line, putting him over 500 receiving yards for the season. He’s the first Southeastern Conference player to ever have 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in the same season.

“Coming into the game, I wasn’t really worried about it. I wanted to win and do whatever I could to help this team win. I knew if I did that it would fall into place, which it did,” McCluster said.

While the milestones were nice, McCluster’s best moment came in the second quarter. With 11:32 to play, he took a handoff and sprinted through a gaping hole on the right side of the line. He went 86 yards for a touchdown, and not one Oklahoma State defender laid a hand on him.

The score, the only one of the first half, gave Ole Miss a 7-0 lead and was one of the few offensive highlights by either team. It was the longest run of McCluster’s career, and the second-longest in Cotton Bowl history.

He wasn’t done, though. Not by a longshot.

With just over four minutes to play, Ole Miss had a first-and-goal at the Oklahoma State 2. McCluster lined up at quarterback in the Wild Rebel formation, took the snap and sprinted left. He leapt from the 3-yard line and landed 2 yards deep in the end zone, taking a hard hit as he crossed the goal line.

“Thinking back to last year’s Cotton Bowl, we ran the same play to the left side and I scored on it. I just wanted to get the ball and run as fast as I can to get there, just not be stopped,” McCluster said. “It was the same touchdown as last year. Different dial, different swag to it. But it was good.”

The touchdown gave Ole Miss a 14-7 lead and served as a fitting capstone to an outstanding career. McCluster’s next stop is the NFL, where his speed and versatility could have him playing a variety of roles.

“I’m that close to my dream,” McCluster said. “All I care about is playing in the NFL. I don’t care where I play because I’m going to give it 110 percent.”

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com