BLOG — AUBURN, Ala. — Ole Miss’ third-quarter woes continued to haunt them again Saturday night.After playing inspired football in the first half against Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Rebels were outscored 14-0 in the third quarter and 24-6 in the second half of a 41-23 win for the Tigers.
Ole Miss, which fell to 2-6 overall and 0-5 in the Southeastern Conference with the loss, took several precautions to try and avoid another letdown in the third quarter, including coming out of the locker room earlier than they have in previous games.
OM offensive coordinator David Lee also said he scripted plays just for the third quarter, something he had not done all year, so that the team could start quicker and move the ball like it did in the first half when it rushed for 172 yards on the Tigers. That didn’t work either as the Rebels were held to just 22 yards in the third quarter, while Auburn totaled 141 yards on 19 plays.
The Rebels fell behind 14-0 to the Tigers (6-3, 4-2) in the first quarter but recovered by getting a 1-yard touchdown run from Brandon Bolden late in the period and then a 39-yard field goal from Bryson Rose and another 1-yard TD run from Bolden in the second.
Bolden’s second score, which moved him into second place on the all-time touchdown list with 27 rushing touchdowns, tied the game at 17.
The scored remained tied until Auburn took the lead for good with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Auburn quarterback Clint Moseley to Emory Blake at the 7:22 mark of the third quarter. Michael Dyer, who led Auburn with 177 yards on the night, then increased the lead for the Tigers as the third came to a close with a 4-yard touchdown.
Auburn’s final touchdown of the night came on a 4-yard pass from Moseley to Phillip Lutzenkirchen with 4:49 left in the contest. Ole Miss’ final score of the game came with no time left on the clock on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Randall Mackey to Nickolas Brassell.
Ole Miss lost for the third time in a row to Auburn and the 11th straight time in the SEC. The Rebels will return to action Saturday at Kentucky, which lost 28-16 to Mississippi State.
(For a complete roundup of Saturday’s loss check out Monday’s Sports section.) (October 29, 2011)
[...] The third quarter continues to haunt Houston Nutt, writes the Oxford Eagles’ John Davis: Auburn beats Ole Miss 41-23. [...]