The hits keep on coming for Ole Miss as it dropped its third consecutive game to Auburn on Saturday night. The Rebels started well, as they have for much of the year, but as the game wore on the Rebels found themselves unable to keep pace with the Tigers and eventually lost the game 40-29.
“It’s kind of been indicative of our season. The way our kids fought tonight, I was very proud,” Head Coach Hugh Freeze said. “I think we were playing a team that’s playing as well as anyone in the country right now, particularly defensively into this game, and running the ball extremely well. We battled them toe-to-toe for most of the game, but like I said, for whatever reason in this game, you have years where the margin of error for a team is just so small and one or two plays make such a huge impact.”
The punters were glued to the bench for both teams in the first half as Auburn and Ole Miss went blow for blow in an offensive shootout. Quarterback Chad Kelly shredded the Tiger defense for most of the game, completing 36 of his 59 passes for 465 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Evan Engram caught nine of those passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.
Quincy Adeboyejo breaks through Auburn’s defense after a reception during Saturday’s game. Adeboyejo finished the game with 76 receiving yards on four receptions. (Photo by: Marlee Crawford)
Freeze felt that was one of Kelly’s best games as the quarterback for Ole Miss, especially since it was against Auburn.
“I believe they’ve given up seven touchdowns all year and just caused real problems for quarterbacks,” Freeze said. “I thought our o-line did a nice job, particularly that we were without a lot of guys, and really thought Chad played really well. (…)He battled and fought, and he’s hurting right now.”
Ultimately, the Rebels weren’t able to keep pace with the Tigers offense and eventually fell behind in the second half. Auburn running back Kamryn Pettway became the second back in a row to rush for more than 200 yards against the Rebel defense, finishing with 236 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Sophomore Kerryon Johnson also ran for two touchdowns on the day.
The Rebels had a chance to come back in the fourth quarter, but Kelly and Engram couldn’t connect on a deep pass that likely would have given Ole Miss a touchdown and the lead, with the ball just slipping through Engram’s outstretched hands. On the next play, Kelly threw an interception that eventually led to Auburn scoring a touchdown and putting the game out of reach.
“We work hard every day. Evan makes those catches in his sleep,” Kelly said of the missed connection. “I can’t turn the ball over once again, and that lead to points.”
The loss drops the Rebels to 3-5. An Ole Miss team that once had a goal of an SEC championship in mind will now need to win at least 3 of its last 4 games to go .500 and make a bowl game at the end of the year.
“My goal is to get the ones that are healthy and can play to be ready to go 1-0 next week,” Freeze said.
Even with many of the team’s goals firmly out of reach, Freeze still felt the team had more for which to fight.
“These seniors deserve to go out of here known as fighters and as a group that helped change the culture of this program, and that’s what they deserve, and that’s what we’re going to fight to make sure they get,” Freeze said.
