No. 2 Alabama wins the offensive battle with Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. - No. 2/2 Alabama football moved to 3-0 after a 63-48 win at Ole Miss on Saturday evening at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The win moved Alabama head coach Nick Saban to 21-0 against his former assistants during his time as the head coach of the Crimson Tide.
Najee Harris led the offense with a career day on the ground. The senior carried 23 times for a career-high 206 yards and five rushing touchdowns. His 200-plus yard performance was the 19th 200-plus yard outing by a Crimson Tide rusher in program history while the five touchdowns tied for the UA all-time mark in a single game. Redshirt junior Mac Jones was efficient through the air once again, going 28-of-32 for 417 yards and two touchdowns. He found his leading receiver DeVonta Smith 13 times for 164 yards and a touchdown, tying the senior for the all-time mark for catches in a single game. Also eclipsing the 100-yard marker was Jaylen Waddle as the junior caught six balls for 120 yards.
The Alabama defense was led by senior Dylan Moses who finished with a career-high 13 tackles, including half a stop for a loss (-1 yard). Moses was followed by sophomore Jordan Battle who totaled 11 tackles with half a tackle for loss (-1 yard) and a pass breakup. Alabama got to the Ole Miss quarterback twice on the night with redshirt junior Christopher Allen notching one sack (-10 yards) while redshirt sophomore Christian Barmore contributed the second sack (-3 yards).
How It Happened
First Quarter
- 14:06 - UM | The Rebels were first on the board following a six-yard pass from Matt Corral to Kenny Yeboah.
- 09:29 - UA | Alabama answered with a score of its own on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Mac Jones to DeVonta Smith. The connection capped off a 10-play, 85-yard drive for the Crimson Tide that occupied 4:37 of clock.
Second Quarter
- 13:31 - UM | Ole Miss regained the lead once again with a 93-yard drive that finished with a three-yard rush from Jerrion Ealy. The Rebels used 10 plays and consumed 3:45 of clock on the drive.
- 06:51 - UA | The Crimson Tide was able to even things up once again on the back of Brian Robinson Jr. The senior rusher totaled 36 of Alabama's 72 yards on the drive, including a one-yard rush for his first touchdown of the season.
- 03:15 - UM | The Rebels answered back immediately with an 11-play drive that took up 3:36. Ole Miss went 75 yards down the field and regained the lead thanks to a two-yard rush from Snoop Conner.
- 01:00 - UA | Alabama set the score at 21-21 heading into half when Najee Harris carried it across the goal line from five-yards away. Harris was able to get in range thanks to a major contribution from Jones. The Tide signal-caller completed three passes for 50 total yards and converted a crucial third down with a five-yard rush.
Third Quarter
- 13:45 - UA | The Crimson Tide returned from half to take its first lead of the evening with an efficient four-play, 85-yard scoring drive. Alabama got the lead thanks to a 33-yard touchdown run from Harris.
- 12:47 - UM | Ole Miss matched the Tide and made things even at 28 less than a minute later. The Rebels struck quickly thanks to a 68-yard touchdown pass from Corral to Kenny Yeboah.
- 10:19 - UA | Alabama countered again and regained its lead 2:21 later when Jones found redshirt senior Miller Forristall from three-yards out.
- 06:19 - UM | The Rebels made it a tie ballgame once again with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that totaled 4:00 of clock. The drive ended with a nine-yard rush from Ealy for his second score of the evening.
- 02:39 - UA | Alabama regained its lead with another rushing touchdown from Harris, his career-high tying third of the evening. The senior carried from three-yards out to spell the end to a seven-play drive that lasted 3:35 and covered 72 total yards.
Fourth Quarter
- 11:31 - UM | Things were set at 42 apiece following an Ole Miss rushing touchdown from Conner as the sophomore crossed the plane from inches out.
- 10:00 - UA | Harris scored his career-high fourth touchdown on the night, going in from 16 yards out to give Alabama the lead again.
- 07:01 - UM | Luke Logan capped off the Rebels' eight-play, 54-yard drive with a 39-yard field goal.
- 03:39 - UA | A 14-yard touchdown from Jones to DeVonta Smith pushed the Tide lead out to double-digits.
- 01:29 - UM | Logan added his second field goal of the quarter, this time from 29 yards.
- 01:09 - UA | A 39-yard rushing touchdown for Harris put the game away and gave the senior running back his fifth rushing score of the night.
Up Next
Alabama returns home for a top-five matchup with Eastern Division rival Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 17. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are set for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on CBS. The two teams will meet for the 70th time in series history and the first during the regular season since 2015. It will also be the Bulldogs' first trip to Tuscaloosa since 2007. Alabama holds a 40-25-4 (.609) all-time advantage and is riding a five-game winning streak over UGA.