Young’s 3 TD passes lifts No. 10 ‘Bama past No. 11 Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. — Bryce Young threw three touchdowns passes and No. 10 Alabama scored on four consecutive possessions spanning the second and third quarters, rallying to beat No. 11 Mississippi 30-24 on Saturday.

Will Reichard kicked field goals of 23 and 49 yards in the fourth quarter to snap a 24-all tie. Alabama (8-2, 5-2 SEC) secured the win by forcing an incomplete pass into the Crimson Tide end zone in the final minute to extend its seven-game winning streak over the Rebels.

“It was a tough night in a lot of ways, but it was a great night for us because I think we took a step in the right direction,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said. “We didn’t get off to a great start, but the players just kept making one play at a time and at the end of the game that we needed to make.”

Young finished 21 of 33 for 209 yards, including touchdown throws to Jermaine Burton, Cameron Latu and Ja’Courey Brooks.

Alabama trailed 10-0 early and 17-14 at halftime. The Crimson Tide made efficient use of 317 yards of total offense and a defense that stopped three Ole Miss opportunities in the final quarter.

“It’s a shame. We had the ball in our hands at the end of the game and the crowd was in it, but we didn’t get it done,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said. “They’ve got great players and great coaches, too, but it’s just a shame.”

Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2) was led by Quinshon Judkins, who had 135 yards on 25 carries and a pair of 1-yard TD runs.

Judkins highlighted the game’s final drive with runs of 35 and 13 yards to get the Rebels to the Alabama 14-yard line before the Crimson Tide got the game-clinching stop.

Jaxson Dart was 18 of 31 passing for 212 yards with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Mingo. The Rebels finished with 403 yards of total offense, but finished 0 for 3 on fourth down conversions, including both of the final two offensive series.

SEC WEST STATUS

LSU (6-1), with the 13-10 win over Arkansas, locked up a share of the SEC West title and a berth in the SEC Championship game. Alabama (5-2) could earn a share of the title by defeating Auburn, and a Texas A&M upset of LSU, but the Tigers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker for the berth in Atlanta opposite the SEC East winner.

THE TAKEAWAY

Alabama: Needing an impressive bounce-back performance, the Crimson Tide responded and remain in position for a major bowl game appearance, a 10-win regular season and a ranking in the top 10. Alabama was 4 for 4 in the red zone and had the edge in the kicking game with Reichard and punter James Burnip, who had a 44-yard average on four kicks.

“They have a lot of pride in what the standard of playing (at) Alabama is,” Saban said. “They were challenged to play to that standard, to take it personally, to understand they’re responsible for the identity that they create by how they play on the field.”

Ole Miss: The loss eliminated any hopes of an SEC West title, but the Rebels retain big incentives, including a prominent bowl game appearance, a high ranking in the poll and consecutive 10-win regular seasons. For that to happen, the defense that gave up four scoring possessions in the second half must be tightened.

DON’T TUG ON SUPERMAN’S CAPE

Kiffin made a concentrated effort to seek out Young on the field during postgame to offer congratulations. Kiffin did not reveal what words he shared privately with last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but said afterwards, “Bryce Young put on that Superman cape and made plays at the end. He’s a special player.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The No. 10 Crimson Tide, ranked for 240 consecutive weeks in the AP Poll, the longest active streak in the nation, could move up on the strength of the road win. A minor drop is expected for No. 11 Ole Miss, ranked for 27 consecutive weeks in the poll.

UP NEXT

Alabama: Closes with consecutive home games, beginning with Austin Peay on Saturday.

Ole Miss: Visit Arkansas on Saturday. Ole Miss stopped a two-point conversion after regulation time to win 52-51 last season.

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