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Ole Miss is now two historic debacles away from possibly being ranked the No. 1 team in the country. So is life when you open with Florida State, then try and rebound against No. 1 Alabama.
Here is some analysis from another insane Ole Miss-Alabama game on Saturday, this one a 48-43 Crimson Tide win in Oxford.
5 TAKEAWAYS
A wild comeback covered a couple of sins: Ole Miss scored 14 points in eight seconds to make things interesting late. That masked why things got out of hand. Chad Kelly held onto the ball too long and fumbled right near his own end zone, where Da’Ron Payne tied the game at 24 early in the third quarter. Then with 2 minutes, 55 seconds left, Kelly threw a pass to Alabama’s Jonathan Allen, who rumbled 75 yards to give the Tide a 48-30 lead.
Setting the wrong records: Ole Miss became the first Power 5 team to blow two 21-point leads in the same season in the last 10 years. And the Rebels managed to do it in three weeks against the No. 4 and No. 1 teams in the country. Learning to finish is the difference in 1-2 and 3-0.
Plenty of yards, not enough points: Ole Miss had 527 total yards, 35 more than Alabama. It could have used a few more. The Rebels settled for a field goal after Damore’ea Stringfellow abused Marlon Humphrey for a 32-yard catch, then couldn’t score from the inch line in the third quarter on what would have been the go-ahead touchdown. It was controversial, but getting over the line from close range is never a guarantee for Ole Miss.
Rebels needed Georgia to win: Georgia snuck one out in Missouri and is 3-0 and headed toward the top 10. Ole Miss needs a big win in the worst of ways, and if that comes against Georgia in a week, the higher ranked the Bulldogs are, the better.
Receivers keep making plays: Stringfellow and A.J. Brown both made physical grabs against Marlon Humphrey, showing just how talented the group is. If only they had a running game to ease the pressure.
REPORT CARD
Offense: B – Kelly threw for a career-high 421 yards. He also threw a pick-six and lost a fumble for a touchdown, and the running game produced a paltry 106 rushing yards on 32 tries. Another Rebels back went down when Eugene Brazley took a shot to the head. Ole Miss has to find someone who can bull it in from the inch line without a replay.
Defense: B – Three Alabama touchdowns came on a punt return, pick-six and fumble in the end zone. Ole Miss’ young secondary is making steps, making plays in the first half, namely freshman Jalen Julius, who had 5 tackles, 1 for loss and a breakup. Junior DB A.J. Moore had 9 tackles, 1 for loss.
Special teams: A – Gary Wunderlich did his job with field goals of 23, 18 and 38 yards. He also averaged 54.7 yards on three punts. Ole Miss could’ve used a special teams touchdown in this one, but the kicking and punting was handled well.
Coaching: B – After Calvin Ridley’s touchdown got Alabama within 24-10 with 2:10 left in the first half, Ole Miss needed to salt the clock. It may have appeared the Rebels were trying with three straight runs, but considering they can’t run the ball, short throws may have been in order. Instead, the possession lasted 65 seconds and Alabama returned the punt for a touchdown. Have to figure out a way to use the clock to your advantage with a lead.
Overall: B – It was another solid showing against a potential national champion, but another loss to show for it.
GAME PLAN
Ole Miss again jumped all over one of the country’s best teams, building a 24-3 lead in the first half. The Rebels limited Jalen Hurts in the passing game. Then, the second half happened.
GAME BALLS
DT Benito Jones: The freshman had 4 tackles, 1 for loss and won his one-on-ones. He is a monster and is proving to be tough to block.
LB Terry Caldwell: Ole Miss brought in two transfer linebackers, but Caldwell has outshined them both and earned his starting spot outside. He had a team-high 10 tackles and a forced fumble.
TE Evan Engram: Engram is the Rebels’ best weapon. He had his second 100-yard game of the season with 138 yards on 9 catches with a touchdown.
Brandon Speck covers Ole Miss for Saturday Down South. Follow him @brandonspeck.
