OXFORD — Five field goals from Bryson Rose and the best defensive effort of the season helped Ole Miss keep its bowl hopes alive with a 43-21 rout of Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday night.

Ole Miss (4-5) kept the Ragin’ Cajuns (2-7) off the board in the second half and scored 16 straight points to turn a 27-21 game into the comfortable 43-21 final. Nine of the points came from Rose, who finished with field goals of 24, 30, 30, 27 and 20 yards.

Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix liked his how unit played in the second half.

“It was a lot better than the other times this season,” Nix said with a laugh. “We showed the character of our guys. D.T. Shackleford made just his second start and Mark Merry made his first. Those two stepped forward like many of our other younger guys.”

Brandon Bolden rushed for 136 yards and two scores, the first coming on a 2-yard run on Ole Miss’ opening possession. Enrique Davis added 116 yards, 77 of them in the second half.