No. 11 Ole Miss rolls No. 3 Tide on late pick
OXFORD, Miss. -- Brushing aside a carnival-like atmosphere and Alabama's potent defense, Mississippi quarterback Bo Wallace bounced around in the pocket and threw one perfect pass after another yesterday, willing the Rebels downfield in the fourth quarter.
Two touchdown passes and one stunning comeback later, No. 11 Mississippi had a 23-17 victory over No. 3 Alabama, and asserted itself as a contender in the Southeastern Conference Western Division.
"We worked hard for this moment," said Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, who caught a touchdown pass. "And as [the final seconds] happened, I thought 'This isn't the end of it all. It's just the beginning.' ''
Wallace threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including a go-ahead 10-yarder to Jaylen Walton with 2:54 remaining. It capped a nearly flawless fourth quarter for the Rebels (5-0, 2-0 SEC), who have won five games to start the season for the first time since 1962.
The Rebels trailed 17-10 midway through the fourth quarter, with a brutally efficient Alabama offense controlling the tempo. But Ole Miss pulled even on Wallace's 34-yard touchdown pass to Vince Sanders with 5:29 remaining. On the ensuing kickoff, Christion Jones fumbled and Ole Miss' Kalio Moore recovered, giving the Rebels the ball at the Alabama 31. Five plays later, Wallace found Walton in the end zone for the lead.
Alabama (4-1, 1-1) still had a chance to win, driving the field quickly in the final minutes, but Senquez Golson intercepted a pass from Blake Sims in the end zone with 37 seconds remaining. Golson was ruled out of bounds on his acrobatic pick, but replays reversed the call, showing he landed just inside the end zone.
Wallace completed 18 of 31 passes, saving his best for last. "He made some big-time plays," Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. "He just played so solid. On that last touchdown, that ball was right where it needed to be for us."
"We did not finish the game like we needed to," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "I think the question for our team is, 'How do you respond to a loss?' "