OXFORD, Miss.—Alabama coach Nick Saban wondered which Crimson Tide team would show up in Mississippi. As it turned out, he didn’t need to be worried, especially about quarterback Bryce Young.
Young threw three touchdown passes and No. 10 Alabama scored on four consecutive possessions spanning the second and third quarters, rallying to beat No. 11 Mississippi 30-24 on Saturday.
“They have a lot of pride in what the standard of playing [at] Alabama is,” Saban said. “They were challenged to play to that standard, to take it personally, to understand they’re responsible for the identity that they create by how they play on the field.”
Will Reichard kicked field goals of 23 and 49 yards in the fourth quarter to snap a 24-all tie. Alabama (8–2, 5–2 SEC) secured the win by forcing an incomplete pass into the Crimson Tide end zone in the final minute to extend its seven-game winning streak over the Rebels.
“It was a tough night in a lot of ways, but it was a great night for us because I think we took a step in the right direction,” Saban said. “We didn’t get off to a great start, but the players just kept making one play at a time and at the end of the game that we needed to make.”
Young finished 21 of 33 for 209 yards, including touchdown throws to Jermaine Burton, Cameron Latu and Ja’Courey Brooks.
Alabama trailed 10–0 early and 17–14 at halftime. The Crimson Tide made efficient use of 317 yards of total offense and a defense that stopped three Ole Miss opportunities in the final quarter.
“It’s a shame. We had the ball in our hands at the end of the game and the crowd was in it, but we didn’t get it done,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said. “They’ve got great players and great coaches, too, but it’s just a shame.”
Ole Miss (8–2, 4–2) was led by Quinshon Judkins, who had 135 yards on 25 carries and a pair of 1-yard TD runs.
Judkins highlighted the game’s final drive with runs of 35 and 13 yards to get the Rebels to the Alabama 14-yard line before the Crimson Tide got the game-clinching stop.
Sec West Status
LSU (6–1), with the 13–10 win over Arkansas, locked up a share of the SEC West title and a berth in the SEC Championship game. Alabama (5–2) could earn a share of the title by defeating Auburn and a Texas A&M upset of LSU, but the Tigers hold the head to head tiebreaker for the berth in Atlanta opposite the SEC East winner.The Takeaway
Alabama: Needing an impressive bounce-back performance, the Crimson Tide responded and remain in position for a major bowl game appearance, a 10-win regular season and a ranking in the top 10. Alabama was 4 for 4 in the red zone and had the edge in the kicking game with Reichard and punter James Burnip, who had a 44-yard average on four kicks.“Making it 17-14 at halftime was good,” said Saban, regarding a Crimson Tide touchdown with eight seconds before halftime, setting off a 20–0 spurt that spanned the middle quarters. “No one even talked about the score at halftime, which is how we wanted it to be.”
Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape
Kiffin made a concentrated effort to seek out Young on the field during postgame to offer congratulations. Kiffin did not reveal what he shared privately with last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but said afterward: “Bryce Young put on that Superman cape and made plays at the end. He’s a special player.”Poll Implications
The No. 10 Crimson Tide, ranked for 240 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll, the longest active streak in the nation, could move up on the strength of the road win. A minor drop is expected for No. 11 Ole Miss, ranked for 27 consecutive weeks in the poll.Up Next
Alabama: Closes with consecutive home games, beginning with Austin Peay on Saturday.Ole Miss: Visit Arkansas on Saturday. Ole Miss stopped a two-point conversion after regulation time to win 52–51 last season.
