Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Editor
OXFORD, Miss. | It took Ole Miss fans nearly an hour of pulling to topple both goalposts on Saturday evening, but give them credit for finding the end zone two times, or one more than the Alabama offense.
The Rebels capped a great day for Mississippi football by upsetting No. 3 Alabama 23-17, rallying from a 14-3 halftime deficit to take a win that sparked an insane celebration in Oxford. Rebel quarterback Bo Wallace earned the status of all-time Ole Miss hero, throwing for three second-half touchdowns including the game-winner to Jaylen Walton with 2:54 to play.
Alabama blocked the Ole Miss extra point to give hope of a last-second win. The Crimson Tide drove to the Ole Miss 22, but was pushed back by a holding call and saw its final chance snuffed out when Blake Sims' pass for O.J. Howard from the 32 in the end zone was intercepted by Rebel defensive back Senquez Golden with 37 seconds remaining.
That allowed Wallace to end the game in victory formation.
"The Good Bo/Bad Bo thing is the most annoying thing I've ever heard," Wallace said when asked I this was a "good" Bo Wallace effort. "I must be the only quarterback in the country to throw an interception."
Alabama coach Nick Saban took responsibility for the loss.
"We did not play as we would have liked tonight and that all starts with me," Saban said. "Dropped balls, turnovers, penalties and those sorts of things are not something you can do against a good football team, especially on the road. We were ahead 14-3 and gave up a play that was basically an error in coverage. That gave Ole Miss the momentum of the game and we never really got it back."
The first half was a defensive struggle. Ole Miss struck first, thanks to a 54-yard return of the opening kickoff by Mark Dodson that put the Rebels close enough to push for a 46-yard Gary Wunderlich field goal.
That 3-0 lead lasted until late in the second quarter when Blake Sims scored on a naked bootleg from the 1-yard line to put UA ahead with 3:44 left in the half. The Crimson Tide doubled the lead late in the half as Cyrus Jones forced a fumble by the Rebs' I'Tavius Mathers, then scooped it and scored to give Alabama a 14-3 lead at the half.
That margin was not enough, though, as Alabama lost for the third consecutive time against a ranked opponent dating back to last season.
Alabama struggled on special teams, a grim litany that included two missed field goals and a crucial kickoff return fumble by Christion Jones that set up the final Rebel drive.
Sims threw for 228 yards but no touchdowns, compared to Wallace's 250-yard, three-touchdown day.
"The key now is: how do you respond from a loss?," Saban said. "This is a really good division. People are going to lose."
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1688915
TideSports.com Editor
OXFORD, Miss. | It took Ole Miss fans nearly an hour of pulling to topple both goalposts on Saturday evening, but give them credit for finding the end zone two times, or one more than the Alabama offense.
The Rebels capped a great day for Mississippi football by upsetting No. 3 Alabama 23-17, rallying from a 14-3 halftime deficit to take a win that sparked an insane celebration in Oxford. Rebel quarterback Bo Wallace earned the status of all-time Ole Miss hero, throwing for three second-half touchdowns including the game-winner to Jaylen Walton with 2:54 to play.
Alabama blocked the Ole Miss extra point to give hope of a last-second win. The Crimson Tide drove to the Ole Miss 22, but was pushed back by a holding call and saw its final chance snuffed out when Blake Sims' pass for O.J. Howard from the 32 in the end zone was intercepted by Rebel defensive back Senquez Golden with 37 seconds remaining.
That allowed Wallace to end the game in victory formation.
"The Good Bo/Bad Bo thing is the most annoying thing I've ever heard," Wallace said when asked I this was a "good" Bo Wallace effort. "I must be the only quarterback in the country to throw an interception."
Alabama coach Nick Saban took responsibility for the loss.
"We did not play as we would have liked tonight and that all starts with me," Saban said. "Dropped balls, turnovers, penalties and those sorts of things are not something you can do against a good football team, especially on the road. We were ahead 14-3 and gave up a play that was basically an error in coverage. That gave Ole Miss the momentum of the game and we never really got it back."
The first half was a defensive struggle. Ole Miss struck first, thanks to a 54-yard return of the opening kickoff by Mark Dodson that put the Rebels close enough to push for a 46-yard Gary Wunderlich field goal.
That 3-0 lead lasted until late in the second quarter when Blake Sims scored on a naked bootleg from the 1-yard line to put UA ahead with 3:44 left in the half. The Crimson Tide doubled the lead late in the half as Cyrus Jones forced a fumble by the Rebs' I'Tavius Mathers, then scooped it and scored to give Alabama a 14-3 lead at the half.
That margin was not enough, though, as Alabama lost for the third consecutive time against a ranked opponent dating back to last season.
Alabama struggled on special teams, a grim litany that included two missed field goals and a crucial kickoff return fumble by Christion Jones that set up the final Rebel drive.
Sims threw for 228 yards but no touchdowns, compared to Wallace's 250-yard, three-touchdown day.
"The key now is: how do you respond from a loss?," Saban said. "This is a really good division. People are going to lose."
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1688915
