REBEL RESET: No. 15 Ole Miss falls at No. 13 Alabama, here's how it happened

Coming into today’s game No. 15 Ole Miss was sitting with a prime opportunity to show it was ready for take the next step under Lane Kiffin in the SEC.

That did not happen as the team that has been better in the second half the last two weeks was outplayed by Alabama, which outscored Ole Miss 18-3 in the final two quarters.

A weird first half saw the Rebels take a one-point lead into halftime but the Crimson Tide was the team that managed to figure things out and wear down the Ole Miss defense.

Jaxson Dart accounted for the lone Rebels touchdown off a 10-yard run in the first quarter. A 35-yard field goal by Caden Davis in the third quarter were the only other points scored.

Dart finished with 244 passing yards and an interception, which led to eight points for the Crimson Tide in the third quarter. Ole Miss once again could not get the run game going, rushing for 56 total yards.

A pair of touchdowns and a field goal from Alabama overpowered the Rebels defense.

FINAL: ALABAMA 24, OLE MISS 10

The Ole Miss response was a 5-play drive, including the punt. Alabama looks to have figured things out in the locker room and after the Rebels have been a second-half team the last two weeks it does not appear it is happening in Tuscaloosa this week.

Alabama 24, Ole Miss 10 12:10 4Q

The Alabama offensive front is starting to overpower the Ole Miss defensive line and it showed on that drive. Runs came easy and right up the middle. Tide get a 14-point cushion off an eight-yard run by McClellan.

END OF THE 3RD QUARTER: ALABAMA 17, OLE MISS 10

Alabama 17, Ole Miss 10 :34 3Q

Needed seven points on this drive just from the feel of the game at the moment but it is a two-score deficit so a field goal still net positive. Caden Davis redeems his earlier miss and connects on another mid-range field goal try (35-yards).

Despite consecutive holding calls the Ole Miss offense managed to convert a 4th and short to keep the drive going, leading to the Davis field goal.

Alabama loses a weapon on offense after running back Jam Miller is flagged for targeting on hit to Ulysses Bentley IV during the kickoff return.

Alabama 17, Ole Miss 7 6:29 3Q

The wheels are starting to get loose as Alabama has scored 11 unanswered points to start the second half. The Dart interception comes back to hurt the Rebels as Milroe connects on a 33-yard pass to Amari Niblack for the touchdown. Milroe took a big shot but got up.

Dart makes his first mistake of the game as he opts to throw it deep to Dayton Wade in double coverage and is easily picked off. Terrion Arnold then returns it 37 yards to the Ole Miss 41.

Very crucial defensive possession coming up.

Alabama 9, Ole Miss 7 11:11 3Q

Bending but not breaking.

The Ole Miss defense gave up its first big play of the game on a 54-yard pass from Milroe that Jermaine Burton hauled in. A 21-yard touchdown by Jase McClellan was called back due to a holding call on Burton.

Alabama was then held to a short field goal try that was converted.

1ST HALF STATS:

HALFTIME: OLE MISS 7, ALABAMA 6

What felt like 3-hour possession by the Ole Miss nets zero points at a time where momentum was firmly on its sideline. Caden Davis shanked a 34-yard field and it remains a 1-point lead for the Rebels at halftime.

There were multiple Alabama penalties that moved the Rebels down field including the best drive by the offense since the Dart TD run. Tre Harris had his first snaps that drive, including missing on a potential TD catch for his first target of the game.

Ole Miss 7, Alabama 6 5:42 2Q

Somehow Ole Miss dodges a bullet with a bad snap on Alabama’s first play that backs them up then consecutive negative plays that forces the Tide to hit a 40-yard field goal.

The offense does not take advantage of the stop by its defense and has three very bad plays to punt. The punt is then blocked and goes out at the Rebels 1 yard-line for the Tide.

The Ole Miss defense is bending but not breaking. Milroe moved the Bama offense down to the Rebels 10 but his third and goal throw is intercepted by Zamari Walton.

Milroe has gotten pressured and forced to use his legs at times. Rebels are also going to have to account for a Bama running back that breaks out into the flats, burned them on that drive.

END OF THE 1ST QUARTER: OLE MISS 7, ALABAMA 3

That did not feel like the time to get cute, starting on your own 20 yard-line, but Kiffin had plenty of tricks up his sleeve and is going to use them.

After both teams trade points they each then trade punts. Ole Miss tried some unique formation on first down and got flagged, pushing them back and stalled the drive immediately. Dart tried to keep it alive but his pass on third down fell incomplete.

Ole Miss 7, Alabama 3 3:55 1Q

That was a near perfect drive by the Ole Miss offense in its second possession. Capped by a 10-yard run by Dart, who had to come out the previous play after losing his helmet on a tough hit.

Dayton Wade is proving every game how valuable an addition he has become. He has 3 catches for 39 yards already. Judkins finally looked like the Quinshon of last year after bouncing out wide for a 14-yard run.

Alabama 3, Ole Miss 0 6:57 1Q

The Tide offense and quarterback Jalen Milroe were moving down the field pretty easily, especially on the ground. But once they got to the red zone things bogged down.

Suntarine Perkins made a tremendous play to track down and sack Milroe for a 9-yard loss on third down to force the 48-yard field goal.

Ole Miss 0, Alabama 0 13:00 1Q

Franklin and Preiskorn start the game so there goes that mystery. The latter gets a 21-yard catch as he was wide open in the middle of the field. Quinshon Judkins has a nice block to allow Dart to make the throw.

Drive is stalled at midfield after Judkins has a two-yard loss on third down. Ole Miss punts it away to the Alabama 9 yard-line.

Two years ago Kiffin opted to go for it on 4th down here and this time relies on his defense.

Pregame Observations:

Tre Harris, Caden Preiskorn and Zakhari Franklin are both dressed out and going through warm ups. Harris is wearing a brace/wrap on his knee.

Alabama won the toss and deferred. Ole Miss offense will get the ball first. 

So we will see how available all three are right off the bat.

———————————————————————————————————————————-

For many the week leading up to this matchup between No. 15 Ole Miss and No. 13 Alabama has felt like an entire offseason transpired, but in reality the Rebels are only seven days removed from its previous game.

The hay is in the barn and Ole Miss wrapped up the bulk of its non-conference play by remaining undefeated and sitting at 3-0. Now the real work begins with the start of Southeastern Conference play, beginning in Tuscaloosa against a reeling, sort of, Alabama team that already has a loss three games into its season.

Since the Crimson Tide lost to Texas two weeks ago the question of ‘Is the Alabama dynasty over?’ has grown louder and louder. Things compounded when the Tide (2-1) struggled to put away a South Florida team last weekend in Tampa.

All the quips from Lane Kiffin regarding Nick Saban and Alabama are done and the fourth-year head coach is looking to correctly cook the popcorn this year inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.

“You get a number of those in the SEC. Other places are similar to that. Some of our guys went into Tennessee. Obviously, LSU. But this is one of the hardest ones there is in the country,” Kiffin said during ‘Reb Talk’ this week of playing at Alabama.

For Kiffin and Jaxson Dart it is a chance for them to rewrite their stories against the Crimson Tide after the previous two games have not gone how they would have preferred.

Related: ‘He’s a big challenge’: Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss knows which Alabama quarterback to prepare for

Keep this page open and stick with The Ole Miss Spirit as it will serves as the live updates for today’s game. That includes score updates, stats, highlights and quarter recaps which will be found here throughout the afternoon.

Ole Miss (3-0) and Alabama (2-1) kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.