OXFORD, Miss. – Tank Bigsby rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns and Auburn fought back from an early 21-point deficit before falling to No. 9 Ole Miss 48-34 Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Trailing by a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Auburn was one stop away from having a chance for a game-tying drive, but Quinshon Judkins' 41-yard touchdown run put the Rebels ahead by 14 points with 6:26 to play when lightning in the area delayed play.
When play resumed, Auburn converted two fourth downs before an interception on fourth-and-10 ended the Tigers' last possession.
"We fought today," Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. "I saw some really positive things from a lot of our players and their effort, but we're not there yet. They showed toughness throughout the game. They're fighting and they want to find a way to win."
Ole Miss (7-0, 3-0) turned two first-quarter Auburn turnovers into touchdowns while building a 21-0 lead two plays into the second quarter. The Rebels capitalized on short fields after an interception and a fumble, scoring on Jaxson Dart touchdown passes to Dayton Wade and Zach Evans, and Evans' 3-yard touchdown run.
The Tigers roared to life in the second quarter, sparked by Robby Ashford's 46-yard pass to Koy Moore on third-and-15. Ashford converted again on third-and-9, firing to Omari Kelly for 19 yards to the Rebels' 2-yard line, then scoring on a 2-yard rush for Auburn's first score.
Auburn's defense recorded a three-and-out, then the Tigers drove 76 yards, all on the ground with 48 coming on a Jarquez Hunter rush, cutting the Rebels' lead to 21-14 on Tank Bigsby's 2-yard touchdown run with 5:24 left in the second quarter. Hunter rushed for 80 yards on 10 carries.
"We played hard today," Hunter said. "We had a couple mistakes that put us back."
Ole Miss responded with Dart's third touchdown pass, a 7-yarder to Judkins, to lead 28-14.
Late in the half, Keionte Scott intercepted a deflected pass at the Rebels' 27-yard line to set up Anders Carlson's 42-yard field goal as the half expired with Auburn trailing 28-17.
"This team is very resilient," senior captain Derick Hall said. "Guys have grit. It's no surprise to me. We're moving in the right direction."
Auburn needed only three third-quarter plays to make it 28-24 on Bigsby's career-long 50-yard rushing touchdown.
"There were opportunities so I took advantage of them," said Bigsby, who averaged 9 yards per carry on 20 rushes. "It hurts a lot because when you put your all into it all week and come out here and lose, it's tough."
The Tigers held the Rebels to a field goal to stay within a touchdown at 31-24, but Ole Miss recovered an onside kick and drove 54 yards for another touchdown, Judkins' 5-yard rush, to extend its lead to 38-24 midway through the third quarter.
Auburn answered again, marching 75 yards on eight plays with Ashford finding Luke Deal for 32 yards on third-and-7. Ashford picked up another first down, rushing 22 yards on third-and-2, before scoring on an 11-yard scramble up the middle to cut the Rebels' advantage to 38-31.
Jonathan Cruz's 42-yard field goal with 12:28 left in the game put Ole Miss on top 41-31, but Bigsby began Auburn's next drive with his second 50-yard run of the game and Carlson connected from 28 yards to pull the Tigers within one score at 41-34.
Owen Pappoe made a career-high with 16 tackles while Donovan Kaufman added 11 and Hall made 10.
"It's about pride," Pappoe said. "You can't lay down just because you're down 21. We're going to keep fighting."
After an open date next Saturday, Auburn (3-4, 1-3) returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium Oct. 29 when the Tigers host Arkansas, along with celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Amazins and 2022 SEC Football Legend Ben Tamburello.
"Continue to keep improving and getting better," Harsin said. "That's something I have to do and we have to do as a team so that when we get to the other side of this bye week and build off what we did in this game, play better football and put ourselves in a position to win and finish."
"The bye week is going to be very beneficial for us," Hall said. "We still have a lot of ball left. It's time for guys to get poise and confidence to turn this whole thing around."Postgame Notes>> Captains: Derick Hall, Owen Pappoe, John Samuel Shenker, Jarquez Hunter
>> Coin Toss: Ole Miss wins the toss and will receive
TEAM NOTES
>> First-time starters for Auburn: Marcus Bragg, Jeremiah Wright
>> Auburn has scored in 124 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in school history.
>> This is the second Auburn game this season delayed by weather (also Mercer, 87 minutes).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES: OFFENSE
>> John Samuel Shenker is the Auburn career leader in tight end receptions (66). Shenker is now 3rd in tight end career receiving yardage (755); next is Fred Baxter (767 from 1990-92), Cooper Wallace (829 from 2002-05).
>> Tank Bigsby now has 2,457 career rushing yards, to rank 12th all-time at Auburn, passing Michael Dyer (2,335 from 2010-11) and Stacy Danley (2,427 from 1987-90); next is Kerryon Johnson (2,494 from 2015-17).
>> Bigsby's rushing touchdowns give him 6 for the season and 21 for his career. His 50-yard score was the longest TD run of his career. This is his second game this season scoring multiple touchdowns and the 7th of his career.
>> Bigsby records his 2nd 100-yard rushing game of the season and 11th of his career; Bigsby's 179 yards give him the second-best single game total of his career.
>> Koy Moore's 46-yard reception was his longest at Auburn.
>> Robby Ashford's 2 rushing touchdowns give him 3 rushing scores for the season.
>> Luke Deal's 32-yard reception in the third quarter was a career long.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES: DEFENSE
>> Keionte Scott records his first interception at Auburn
>> Zion Puckett recorded his first career sack; he finished the game with 7 tackles, giving him 100 for his career.
>> Donovan Kaufman has a career high 11 tackles; Derick Hall has a career best with 10 tackles.
>> Owen Pappoe has double-figure tackles for the 6th time in his Auburn career; 16 tackles are a career best.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES: SPECIAL TEAMS
>> Anders Carlson is now second in Auburn career scoring with 394 points; the career leader is Daniel Carlson with 480 points from 2014-17.
>> Carlson ranks second at Auburn in career field goals made with 75; Daniel Carlson is the career leader with 92.
>> Carlson is third in career PAT made at Auburn with 169; next is Wes Byrum (183 from 2007-10).
>> Carlson (394) is now 6th among SEC career scoring leaders, passing Leigh Tiffin, Alabama (385 from 2006-09); next is Marshall Morgan, Georgia (407 from 2012-15).
>> Carlson (75) is 8th among SEC career leaders in field goals made; next is Blair Walsh, Georgia (76 from 2008-11), Kevin Butler, Georgia (77), Philip Doyle, Alabama (78).
>> Oscar Chapman now has 7 punts of 50 yards or longer this season.
