Dominant second half leads No. 13 Alabama past No. 15 Ole Miss
Sep. 22—TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — This seemed like it might finally be the year.
Ole Miss hasn't beaten mighty Alabama since 2015. Last season, the Rebels were on the verge of ending the Crimson Tide's streak, with the ball in the red zone trailing 30-24 late at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss was unable to convert on fourth down, leaing the home team thinking about what could have been.
The Rebels entered this year's game undefeated. Alabama, meanwhile, lost at home to Texas and won a rather uninspired 17-3 game against USF in the last two weeks. This year's tilt between Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin in Tuscaloosa seemed like it might be the one to turn the tide.
While it seemed that might be case in the first half, Alabama used the second half to once again showed why it's been college football's preeminent dynasty for the last 15 years.
No. 13 Alabama outscored No. 15 Ole Miss 18-3 over the final two quarters Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium as the Crimson Tide took down the Rebels 24-10 in the SEC opener for both teams.
Ole Miss (3-1, 0-1 SEC) led 7-6 at halftime. The Rebels had just 301 yards of offense in the game, including 56 on the ground. It's the second time in four games where Ole Miss — who ranked third nationally in rushing last season — failed to cross the 100-yard mark on the ground.
The Rebels were 3 of 14 on third downs in the game.
"Our whole team felt like this was year to get them," junior quarterback Jaxson Dart said. " ... This is just really disappointing, because we, as a team felt like this was the year."
Senior wide receiver Tre Harris returned after missing the last seven or so quarters with an injury sustained early against Tulane. Senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and senior tight end Caden Prieskorn both made their season debuts. Dart finished 20 of 35 for 244 yards and an interception. He also ran for a touchdown.
Following the Rebels' punt on the first drive of the game, Alabama (3-1, 1-0) drove down to the Ole Miss 21-yard line. A huge sack from freshman linebacker Suntarine Perkins on third down forced a 48-yard field goal from Will Reichard. The Rebels responded with a seven play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 10-yard touchdown from Dart.
The Crimson Tide got inside the Ole Miss 10-yard line, but Jalen Milroe was intercepted by senior Zamari Walton in the end zone. Ole Miss wound up punting out of its own end zone on the next drive, and senior Fraser Masin's punt was blocked, giving the Crimson Tide the ball at the Ole Miss 1-yard line. A bad snap and a pair of sacks moved Alabama back nearly 20 yards, forcing another Reichard field goal.
Ole Miss got the ball back with just over a minute left in the half and drove down to the Crimson Tide 17, but senior Caden Davis missed a 34-yard field goal try, leaving the Rebels up a point at halftime.
Ole Miss held Alabama to 117 yards in the first half, including just 22 rushing.
Alabama started the third quarter with the ball and moved deep inside Ole Miss territory by way of a 54-yard strike from Milroe to Jermaine Burton. Reichard hit a short field goal to put Alabama back in front.
Dart was intercepted on the following drive, which led to a 34-yard touchdown pass from Milroe and a two-point conversion to make it a two possession game. Milroe finished 17 of 21 for 225 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
"We missed out on big opportunities, had some momentum shifts and weren't able to capitalize on them," Dart said. "And then, when things didn't go our way, we weren't able to just weather the storm. And I thought that was the biggest thing in the second half."
Davis added a field goal late in the third, but Alabama broke the game open early in the fourth with a six play, 75-yard drive, 54 of those coming from running back Jase McClellan. McClellan finished off the Crimson Tide drive with a touchdown.
Alabama ran for 109 yards in the second, and McClellan led all players with 105 rushing yards.
"I just think you can only — they've got great players — you can only keep them down so long," Kiffin said. "That's why you ... (need to) steal scores when you get the chance. ... We come out in the third quarter and we take our shot over their head and they pick it. They take their shot almost the same play for a huge play. ... That's why they're hard to beat."
Ole Miss hosts LSU next weekend at 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
