COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Ole Miss true freshman Shea Patterson ripped off his redshirt in favor of a No. 20 jersey.

It might as well have been a No. 2.

"Johnny Manziel was my favorite player growing up, so it's just ironic I get my first start in Kyle Field," the 19-year-old quarterback said after his first career start.

Patterson led a furious Manziel-style comeback and Gary Wunderlich nailed a 39-yard field goal with 37 seconds to lift Ole Miss past No. 8 Texas A&M 29-28 on Saturday night at Kyle Field.

Rebels coach Hugh Freeze took the redshirt off Patterson after losing Chad Kelly last week. The five-star signee rallied the Rebels from a 21-6 deficit in the second half by continually avoided pressure to find receivers or pick up chunks of yardage on the run.

Patterson threw for two touchdowns and completed 25 of 42 passes for 338 yards in his first action as a collegian. He led Ole Miss (5-5, 2-4) on four straight scoring drives and to 23 points in the fourth quarter.

Patterson didn't mind burning a season for just a handful of starts.

"This one was for the seniors," Patterson said. "It wasn't about the redshirt or pulling it off, it was about the team. This game was for the seniors and I'm happy we did it for them."

The Aggies (7-3, 4-3) have dropped their last two games after debuting at No. 4 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. Texas A&M was also playing without its starting quarterback after losing Trevor Knight in last week's loss at Mississippi State.

Jake Hubenak isn't the same running threat as Knight, but the junior nearly did enough for the Aggies. Hubenak completed 16 of 27 passes for 213 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his second career start.

The pick came on A&M's final drive and ended the Aggies' chances to pull off a win.

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin pinned the lost on both the offense and defense in the second half.

"Combination of not extending the game with a lead and not getting off the field when we needed to," he said.

The Rebels had trouble scoring deep in A&M territory throughout the first three quarters but found the end zone on Patterson's scrambling throw on the first play of the fourth quarter.

On third down, Patterson rolled out right and, seeing no one open, reversed field and lofted a 6-yard touchdown pass to Damore'ea Stringfellow.

The Rebels, down 21-13, had momentum on their side. After stopping A&M again, Stringfellow (five catches for 74 yards) hauled in a one-handed catch down the sideline deep into Aggies' territory. Akeem Judd (20 carries for 100 yards) followed with a barreling 21-yard touchdown run to get Ole Miss within two points at 21-19.

Patterson's two-point conversion attempt sailed out of the back of the end zone.

Hubenak answered with a 13-yard touchdown to Josh Reynolds with 6:41 to play to make it 28-19.

Patterson struck back with 32-yard touchdown to Van Jefferson with 5:17 left. After Ole Miss made another defensive stop, Patterson maneuvered the Rebels into position for the winning kick.

"Our defense played a heck of a second half and that's really what got us the momentum," Patterson said. "Coach told me at the half to just stay calm and play your game. I came out in the first half was kinda shaky, Kyle Field is pretty awesome, but once I got settled in we played awesome as a group."

Patterson's improvisational style could easily be compared with the Aggies' recent Heisman Trophy winner.

"He extended plays and kept his eyes down the field," Sumlin said. "He was able to keep plays alive. He has a lot of talent."

Texas A&M lost for the first time at home this season (5-1) and returns to Kyle Field next week to face UTSA. Ole Miss, needing one win to reach bowl eligibility, is at Vanderbilt.

The Aggies went into halftime up 21-6 despite having the ball for just 10 minutes. Keith Ford scored two touchdowns and A&M's defense tightened up when it mattered.

Texas A&M took a 7-3 lead on its second drive. Hubenak found Christian Kirk wide open in the middle of the field for 69 yards to the Ole Miss 6-yard line. Ford powered into the end zone on the next snap.

Kirk had dropped a sure first-down pass on the Aggies' first possession on fourth down.

Texas A&M went up 14-3 early in the second quarter after an 89-yard drive. Ford took it the last yard after Speedy Noil nearly scored on 19-yard catch-and-run on third down.

NOTES: The Aggies and Rebels both lost their starting quarterbacks for the rest season to injury last week. Texas A&M senior Trevor Knight injured his right shoulder at Mississippi State, while Ole Miss senior Chad Kelly hurt his knee against Georgia Southern. ... The Aggies lead the all-time series 6-3, but the Rebels have won the last three. ... All six Ole Miss opponents in SEC play so far have been ranked at the time of the game. ... ESPN announcer Brent Musburger called the first half alone on the SEC Network in honor of receiving the Vin Scully Award earlier this week.