Rebels Offense Sputters, Drops Conference Opener at Alabama

The Ole Miss offense failed to get much of anything going in Saturday's loss in Tuscaloosa.

The No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels had their opportunities against the No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide, but squandered offensive possessions proved to be a deciding factor in a 24-10 road loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.

Alabama struck first in the game with a field goal, but Ole Miss responded with a touchdown run from quarterback Jaxson Dart to take a 7-6 lead. After a stellar performance from the Rebels' defense in the first half, the Ole Miss offense was unable to take advantage of the Crimson Tide's sputtering offense, and the Rebels took that 7-6 lead into halftime after missing a 34-yard field goal late in the second quarter.

Jaxson Dart and the Ole Miss offense did not take advantage of opportunities presented by their defense on Saturday. 

The second half saw the Alabama offense come alive, scoring on its opening possession with a field goal to take a 9-7 lead. An interception thrown by Dart led to a touchdown drive by the Tide, and Alabama never relinquished the lead after claiming it in the second half.

The storyline of the game boiled down to the Rebels offense. Ole Miss was never able to establish a consistent running game, and when its defense provided opportunities with multiple first half stops, the offense failed to take advantage. At the end of the day, Dart was sacked five times in the loss, and Ole Miss accumulated seven penalties.

Dart finished his day 20-for-35 through the air for 244 yards and an interception paired with his rushing touchdown. Running back Quinshon Judkins saw 13 touches on the ground and put up 56 yards in that category.

With the loss, Ole Miss drops its conference opener and falls to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in SEC play. The Rebels will have another ranked test next week when they welcome the LSU Tigers to Oxford for a 5 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN.