The Ole Miss Rebels versus the Alabama Crimson Tide is a rivalry matchup that both fanbases look forward to every year. This year, Ole Miss faced Alabama in Bryant-Denny Stadium, which Head Coach Lane Kiffin described as “an extremely hard place to play.” This statement was proved to be true, as Ole Miss fell very short on the road.
Ole Miss came out ready to play in the first half, with quarterback Jaxson Dart scoring the first touchdown of the game on a QB run. Dart has become an even more integral part of the Rebels’ offense this season, as he has been running the ball often and taking hits instead of sliding.
There was a lot of pressure on Dart’s shoulders coming into this game, which he dealt with early and often from the Tide defense.
Despite his efforts, the Rebels could not put much together offensively all afternoon.
There were times when the defense looked stellar to supplement the stagnant offense, and for a while, it looked like the defense was going to hold up against the Crimson Tide’s initially shaky offense.
Corner back Zamari Walton had Rebel fans out of their seats when he caught an interception in the endzone that was lobbed down field by Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. This, however, is when the defense peaked.
Ole Miss came out swinging in the run game during the first quarter, and the Rebels were able to maintain a one-point lead above the Crimson Tide going into halftime. Still, Alabama came back from the locker room ready to play in the second half, scoring a touchdown just minutes into the third quarter.
This put Alabama up 15-7, and the Tide never looked back.
At this point, Ole Miss started to crumble. Throughout the quarter, the defense became messy in technique, most notably through the multiple penalties in the second half.
Into the fourth quarter, things started to slow down and Ole Miss began to have less and less success on both sides of the ball, which ultimately led to a heartbreaking loss against Alabama. Alabama made necessary changes, and Ole Miss did not. Milroe regrouped in the locker room at halftime, and the Rebels failed to apply the necessary pressure to come out victorious.
With a final score of 24-10, this was a low-scoring game for both teams. Kiffin has yet to get the best of his old boss and friend Nick Saban, and this year might have been his best chance since arriving in Oxford.
Now that the SEC gauntlet has begun, Ole Miss must put this loss behind it. Next up is LSU, which will be another dog fight and test of character for the Rebels. Ole Miss gets the luxury of hosting the Tigers, so this could be a great opportunity for Dart, Kiffin and the Rebs to bounce back against another top–15 opponent.
The Rebels take on LSU next Saturday, Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. CDT. It will be streamed on CBS Sports.
