Ole Miss, in the first half, checked off every spot on the list of what Auburn would have to do for an upset on Saturday.
The Rebels, in what looked like many trips to Jordan-Hare Stadium over the years — after all Ole Miss had won just once there since 2003 — miscued and stumbled for most of the opening 30 minutes outside of two touchdown drives.
Ole Miss out-gained Auburn 229 to 140 and had 11 first downs to the Tigers’ four, but it was tied thanks to two turnovers, seven penalties, three sacks allowed, a fumbled snap on a field goal, a muffed punt, the Tigers starting at drive at the Ole Miss 24-yard line, 1-for-6 on third downs, several missed throws to stall drives and an Auburn 53-yard touchdown run — a fatal error against an offense that’s been less than listless all season.
In short, the Rebels made the mistakes that complicated things in what has been a house of horrors at night. Ole Miss didn’t convert a third down for all of the second quarter and 13 minutes of the third quarter.
But, on a late third-quarter drive that started with some luck, as Quinshon Judkins dropped the ball and it bounced right back to him, the Rebels found traction, took the lead and again outpaced their opponent. Ole Miss outscored Auburn in the second half and left with a 28-21 win over the Tigers.
Ole Miss went 90 yards in eight plays and took the lead on the final play of the third quarter with a Jaxson Dart touchdown run, his second TD rush of the night to go with a touchdown pass to Zakhari Franklin. Dart hit Tre Harris twice for big plays, and an Austin Keys facemask penalty turned a second and long into a first down in the red zone.
On the Rebels next drive, Dart found Harris down the sidelines and added a touchdown of insurance with a Judkins run that capped 68 yards in nine plays. It was a statement drive and a separation drive that quieted the crowd and showed another chapter of resilience for Ole Miss.
Harris had 102 yards receiving, and Judkins rushed for 124 yards in his return close to home.
Defensively, outside of the first-quarter 53-yard Jacquez Hunter touchdown run, Ole Miss played well and didn’t give anything cheap to a team that relies on it. Auburn had only 26 yards passing through three quarters. A prevent defense drive that included a fourth and 15 conversion tightened it up and took an onside kick recovery to officially end it.
Plenty of Rebel teams have wilted in winnable games at Auburn (3-4), but Ole Miss persevered and can move past all the Hugh Freeze drama and the stats about losses on The Plains. In its wins this season, Ole Miss has pulled away instead of tightening late in games.
Tulane was a one-possession game with minutes left. Georgia Tech was tight at halftime. LSU was down to the final play. Arkansas had the ball with a chance on its final possession. Each time, the Rebels responded, as they continue to prove Kiffin right about the chemistry and adversity-readiness of his roster compared to last season.
Look around the country and be thankful for the win. Ugly. Pretty. It’s a W. With college football in 2023, it’s survive and advance. North Carolina knows that better than anyone tonight, losing to one-win Virginia at home.
Ole Miss is 6-1 and inside Vaught-Hemingway for two weeks, against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, before a road trip at Georgia. The Rebels have won 18 of their last 20 in Oxford.
Ole Miss was the better team at Auburn. It dominated the stat sheet (total yards: 427-275) throughout and stayed composed after the first-half self-sabotage.The Tigers were the ones with the unforced penalties that altered things after halftime.
The Rebels won a game it was supposed to win. Histrionics and history didn’t matter. Talent and execution did. With the soap opera done, bigger things are ahead.
