What Went Wrong in The Ole Miss Rebels 30-24 Loss To Alabama

The Ole Miss Rebels played well on both sides of the ball, but came up short on Saturday night.

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss Rebels are out of SEC championship contention after losing 30-24 to Alabama this weekend at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Coming out of their bye week, the Rebels looked fresh and applied pressure early on. The offense moved the chains, and the defense was swarming to the ball carriers. Alabama did not look flustered, but it certainly struggled to find a rhythm.

The Rebels got out to a 17-7 lead in the second quarter before Alabama would score a touchdown to end the first half. Ole Miss had a three-point lead heading into the second half. The Rebels took a 24-17 lead with 7:28 left in the third quarter.

Both sides of the ball had solid performances, but the Rebels would eventually trail Alabama 30-24 in the final minutes. Despite a chance to win on the final drive, the Rebels turned the ball over on downs at Alabama’s 19-yard line.

It’s a shame for Rebel fans because the defense played much better than it has in recent weeks. Ole Miss had 77 total tackles compared to Alabama’s 84. They had five tackles for a loss resulting in 35 yards lost compared to Alabama’s seven tackles for a loss for 25 yards. The Rebels also had three sacks, four quarterback hurries, and one forced fumble.

Ole Miss struggled in the second half, only producing seven points compared to Alabama’s 16. The Rebels had 403 total yards compared to Alabama’s 317, 191 rushing yards compared to Alabama’s 108, and 212 passing yards compared to Alabama’s 209.

The biggest difference maker here is that Alabama was a perfect 4-for-4 on their trips to the red zone. While Ole Miss and Alabama both had 24 red zone points, the Rebels were 4-for-6 in the red zone. The Rebels’ lack of execution down the stretch and their failure to capitalize on opportunities in the red zone cost them the game. 

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