Football: Stillman rolls to win; West Alabama falls | 8C
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Interception in the end zone ends Alabama’s comeback bid; Rebels defeat Crimson Tide for first time since 2003 By Cecil Hurt Sports Editor
OXFORD, M ISS . | It took Ole Miss fans nearly an hour of pulling to topple both goalposts on Saturday evening, but give them credit for fi nding 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 fi nal chance snuffed out when Blake Sims’ pass to 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 if this was a “good” Bo Wallace effort. “I must be the only quarterback in the country to throw an interception.” SEE A LABAMA | 5C
First opponent Tide must overcome is in the mirror
OXFORD, Miss. he Alabama football team has lost games in the past five years, some painfully. Following many of those losses, the immediate question has been “what will it take for the Crimson Tide to get back in the championship hunt?” Saturday’s questions were different. The loss to Ole Miss, relatively early in the season, could be overcome, but the new question is: Does this Alabama team have enough to avoid two or three more losses? The playoff thoughts still exist in Tuscaloosa — it is Tuscaloosa, after all — but there were more than CECIL enough moments in Oxford to raise far HURT deeper concerns than fi nding a spot in the season-ending four-team extravaganza. The Crimson Tide, scourge of college football since soon after Saban arrived, has now lost three straight games to ranked opponents. You can make excuses for that — Auburn had a miracle season, Oklahoma cared STAFF PHOTO | ROBERT SUTTON more than Alabama in the bowl game, winning on the Ole Miss defensive back Senquez Golson (21) intercepts a pass in the end zone intended for Alabama tight end O.J. Howard SEE HURT | 4C in the fourth quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday in Oxford, Miss. The play sealed the 23-17 win for Ole Miss.
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TRIAL AND ERROR:
PLAYER OF THE GAME:
HARD ROAD:
QUARTER GLANCE:
FOUR DOWNS:
NOTEBOOK:
ANALYSIS:
Too many miscues contribute to Tide loss
Bo Wallace throws two fourth-quarter TDs to rally Rebels
Sims makes some big plays, but comes up short in big road test
Breakdown of each quarter
How the Crimson Tide answered questions against Ole Miss
Kenyan Drake suffers major injury; most likely out for season
Alabama defense suffers communication breakdown
For video and a photo gallery of Alabama’s game against Ole Miss, go to www.tidesports.com
COLLEGE FOOTBALL | NO. 5 AUBURN 41, NO. 15 LSU 7 Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates (18) gets around LSU safety Ronald Martin after catching a pass for a first down Saturday. Auburn beat LSU, 41-7.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Auburn romps past punchless LSU By John Zenor The Associated Press
AUBURN | Nick Marshall passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 119 and two more scores to lead No. 5 Auburn to a 41-7 blowout of No. 15 LSU on Saturday night. Auburn (5 -0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) dominated from the start on a week when No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Oklahoma were upset. The 41 points equaled Auburn’s highest total in the rivalry
— set with the same margin in the 1999 game. SEC ROUNDUP: Mississippi State LSU (4-2, 0-2), crushes Aggies; which turned to Gators bite back freshman quarterto beat Vols | 3C back Brandon Harris, has dropped its first two SEC games for the first time in coach Les Miles’ decade-long tenure. Harris completed 3 of 14 passes for 58 yards before getting replaced late in the third quarter by former
INSIDE
starter Anthony Jennings. With Marshall playing again like the Heisman Trophy candidate many expected him to be, Auburn could rise to the No. 2 spot it held after last season. He completed 14 of 22 passes, had 16 carries and supplied a steady diet of big plays. Marshall threw touchdown passes of 56 yards to Sammie Coates and 9 yards to tight end C.J. Uzomah, and scored on runs of 7 and 29 yards. SEE AUBURN | 3C