Wallace helps unbeaten Rebels to turn the Tide
NO. 11 MISSISSIPPI 23 NO. 3 ALABAMA17
OXFORD, Miss. — Alabama’s new high- powered offense was nowhere to be found Saturday afternoon. Its usual clutch plays in the fourth quarter weren’t there either.
Instead, it was upstart Mississippi with the big moments in the final minutes, with quarterback Bo Wallace rallying the 11th- ranked Rebels to a 23- 17 victory over No. 3 Alabama.
Alabama led, 17- 10, midway through the fourth quarter and appeared to have the game in control, grinding away at the Mississippi defense with running backs T. J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry. Yeldon finished with123 yards in 20 carries.
But Wallace emerged as the hero, throwing for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter. The goahead touchdown was a 10yard pass to Jaylen Walton with 2 minutes 54 seconds remaining.
Alabama( 4- 1overall, 1- 1in Southeastern Conference) still had a chance to win, driving the field quickly in the final minutes, but Senquez Golson intercepted a pass by Blake Sims in the end zone with 37 seconds remaining. “You really have to give Ole Miss a lot of credit in the way they finished the game,” Coach Nick Saban said. “We did not finish the game like we needed to. I think the question for our team is, ‘ How do you respond to a loss?’
“There are several teams around here who have lost games and responded the rightway.”
But before that happens, the Crimson Tide will probably spend at least a day or two wondering how this one got away.
The Rebels ( 5- 0, 2- 0) have won five games to start the season for the first time since 1962 and ended a 10game losing streak against Alabama.
Wallace completed 18 of 31 passes.
The Rebels won despite being outgained, 396 yards to 323.