Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Alabama vs. Ole Miss: final score, highlights, Twitter reaction

By Patrick Schmidt

facebooktwitterreddit

No. 15 Ole Miss knocked off No. 2 Alabama for the second year in a row as the Rebels handed the Crimson Tide a shocking loss.

Alabama scored 14 unanswered points late in the third quarter and at the start of the fourth quarter to make it a six-point game with all the momentum in the world as the crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium was hyped.

More from Alabama Crimson Tide

Only that was right where Chad Kelly and the Ole Miss Rebels wanted the Crimson Tide and answered with a deflating 73-yard touchdown to Cody Core after Marlon Humphrey bit on the zone-read and Core was left wide open and waltzed into the end zone for a back-breaking touchdown as the Rebels hung on for a 43-37 win.

The play was initially called a penalty because Kelly was beyond the line of scrimmage but after a review, he was clearly behind the line, although there was a lineman downfield.

Ole Miss then got an interception from C.J. Johnson who picked off Jake Coker who replaced Cooper Bateman late in the first half, and the Rebels turned that turnover into a 24-yard touchdown, his first since suffering a broken leg and dislocated ankle in the loss to Auburn last year.

That sent the Alabama faithful to the exits in an odd scene where fans in their Crimson and houndstooth flocked to the exits to avoid seeing Ole Miss celebrate on their field as their 17-game home winning streak that was tied for the longest in the nation was snapped.

Kelly was outstanding in his toughest test of his college career and he also had some good fortune as he got all the lucky bounces and breaks in this one, including one of the craziest touchdown passes you’ll ever see to start the second half.

Alabama had a chance to win the game after a late score and a punt from Ole Miss gave Alabama the ball on the 7-yard line with one time out and 3:01 remaining. But after a Coker 26-yard run gave the Tide some hope, Marquis Haynes drilled Coker in the chest as he delivered the ball and Tony Bridges picked him off to

I can’t imagine what The Square is going to be like tonight in Oxford. Well, actually I can, and it’s likely the happiest place on Earth right now. This was the first time in the history of Ole Miss football they beat almighty Alabama and the first time since 1988 they win in Tuscaloosa.

This wasn’t just a nice win for Ole Miss against Alabama. This was a win that solidifies them as one of the five or six best teams in college football and a legit Playoff contender. The same was said last year when Ole Miss beat Alabama in Oxford, but to win by this much, to have this much offensive success and to do it on the road makes this arguably the most impressive win of the year.

For Alabama, they have no quarterback, their vaunted defense that was believed to be one of the best in the nation got exposed again and there was some curious play calling from Lane Kiffin. As we saw from this team last year they can regroup after an early loss and still win the SEC and get to the Playoff, but not this year, not with the mess they have under center.

What the experts are saying

Next: 50 Greatest College Football Rivalries of All-Time

More from Saturday Blitz

Home/Alabama Crimson Tide