Auburn, AL (Sports Network) – Ben Tate ran for 144 yards and a score on 25 carries, helping Auburn snap its three-game losing streak with a 33-20 win over 24th-ranked Ole Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Auburn 33, No. 25 Ole Miss 20: Tigers’ Ben Tate Rushes For 144 Yards
Chris Todd threw for 212 yards and a touchdown on 12-of-22 passing for the Tigers (6-3, 3-3 SEC), who had not won since a road win over Tennessee on October 3. Terrell Zachery caught two passes for 83 yards, while Darvin Adams added four receptions for 68 yards and a score.
Walter McFadden intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown in the win for Auburn.
Jevan Snead completed only 16-of-35 passes for 175 yards and a score for Ole Miss (5-3, 2-3) but threw the two costly interceptions. Dexter McCluster ran for 186 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in defeat, while Shay Hodge added 105 yards on seven receptions in the Rebels’ first loss in three games.
Ole Miss took the opening kickoff and drove 94 yards down the field for a touchdown. The big play of the 10-play drive was a 43-yard pass completion from Snead to Brandon Bolden to the Auburn 41, and the series ended with a seven-yard pass to Andy Hartmann for the score and early lead.
Auburn answered with a 36-yard field goal from Wes Byrum to make it a 7-3 game midway through the opening quarter.
Neither team scored again until the Tigers moved in front with a touchdown late in the first half.
Facing a 3rd-and-2 from the Auburn 18, Todd completed a 42-yard pass play to Zachery to move into Rebel territory, and three plays later Auburn scored on a 28-yard completion to Adams for a 10-7 lead with 5 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter. The set covered 90 yards in six plays.
Auburn used a fortunate bounce to score two touchdowns in 12 seconds early in the third quarter.
On the second Tigers drive of the period, Kodi Burns threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Trott to complete a brief three-play, 61-yard series that was started with a 41-yard pass from Todd to Zachery.
Then, on the first play of the ensuing Mississippi series, Snead’s pass to Markeith Summers was tipped by the diving wide receiver. The ball bounced high up in the air, where McFadden caught the ball, tiptoed his feet to avoid going out of bounds and ran 29 yards for another touchdown and a 24-7 Auburn lead with 11 1/2 minutes left in the third.
Tate extended the Tigers’ lead on a 53-yard rushing touchdown halfway through the third quarter, but Ole Miss answered with Morgan Hull’s 82-yard kickoff return for a score to make it 31-14.
McCluster brought Mississippi to within 31-20 on a 79-yard touchdown run on the team’s next offensive play, but the extra point attempt was blocked and returned by Auburn’s Demond Washington for two points and a 13-point lead heading to the fourth.
Ole Miss recovered a fumble at the opposing 24 five minutes into the fourth but lost 21 yards in the next three plays, forcing a punt. The Rebels had the ball deep in Auburn territory again on their next possession, but Snead was intercepted by McFadden again to end any hopes at a comeback.
The win makes Auburn bowl-eligible…Snead has thrown 15 touchdowns to 13 interceptions this season…Auburn leads the all-time series, 25-9…Ole Miss takes on Northern Arizona next week, while Auburn faces Furman…Auburn barely outgained Mississippi in the contest, 401-394…Tigers safety Zac Etheridge was taken off the field on a stretcher after a helmet-to-helmet hit with teammate Antonio Coleman.
- Via Sports Network.
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