OXFORD, Miss. – Auburn had a chance to tie the score midway through the third quarter before No. 12 Ole Miss pulled away to defeat the Tigers 45-15 Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
“It’s really disappointing the lack of finish from that point on,” Auburn coach Alex Golesh said of the Rebels’ 28-0 margin over the last 18 and a half minutes. “That certainly was the turning point, the lack of finish.”
Trailing 17-9 in the third quarter, Auburn produced its second 75-yard touchdown drive, with Byrum Brown finding Christian Neptune for 15 yards on third-and-10.
Brown capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown drive that cut the Rebels’ lead to 17-15 with 6:20 remaining in the third quarter.
“Opportunistic on offense, able to get some tough yards, third down was efficient, didn’t run as well as we needed to but we were able to pitch and catch and give ourselves a chance,” Golesh said. “Defensively, we were scrappy, found ways to keep us in it.”
After a false start penalty, Auburn attempted a two-point conversion from the 8-yard line. Brown completed to Neptune, who was tackled short of the goal line.
Ole Miss (6-2, 4-2) quarterback Trinidad Chambliss scrambled for 13 yards on third-and-11, gaining 15 more yards on a personal foul penalty and scoring on a 26-yard quarterback draw that gave Ole Miss a 24-15 lead late in the third quarter.
A special teams penalty on the ensuing kickoff pinned the Tigers at their own 1-yard line.
Ole Miss forced a punt, then took a 31-15 lead on Chambliss’ 6-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Cunningham.
Auburn went three-and-out on two straight possessions, and Ole Miss capitalized on both, increasing its lead to 38-15 after Chambliss’ second touchdown pass of the fourth quarter, a 28-yarder to Horatio Fields.
Chambliss completed 22 of 34 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, adding 65 rushing yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Deuce Knight relieved Chambliss late in the game and scored a 17-yard rushing touchdown to put Ole Miss ahead by 30 points with 3:27 remaining.
Brown completed 25 of 38 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. Neptune made five receptions for 53 yards while Nimrod led the Tigers with 62 receiving yards on four catches.
Bryce Deas, Champ Anthony and Kaleb Harris led Auburn with eight tackles each.
On the game’s opening possession, Auburn’s defense forced a punt, and the Tigers began their first drive at their 6-yard line.
Auburn picked up four first downs, crossed midfield and held the ball 6 minutes and 26 seconds before penalties helped to end the possession.
Ole Miss, aided by two third-down penalties, then drove 89 yards in 17 plays, chewing up nearly seven minutes and taking a 7-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by 315-pound defensive tackle Will Echoles.
Auburn answered with its own long touchdown drive, marching 75 yards in 14 plays thanks to third-and-long conversions from Brown to Chas Nimrod and Neptune.
On fourth-and-2, Brown avoided a tackle and picked up a chain-moving 4 yards. One play later, Brown found Nimrod running free for a 21-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.
Ole Miss then blocked the extra point, the first missed PAT in Alex McPherson’s career. Rebels cornerback Jaylon Braxton recovered the ball and returned it 92 yards before Auburn’s Xavier Newsom, showcasing elite effort, tackled Braxton at the 5-yard line, saving two points for the Tigers.
“That was as much of a hustle play as you’ll have,” Golesh said. “He’s continued to get better and has a really bright future.”
With Auburn trailing 7-6, AnQuon Fegans intercepted a deflected pass to give the Tigers possession at the Rebels’ 31-yard line midway through the second quarter.
An Ole Miss penalty advanced the ball to the Rebels’ 16-yard line, but a fumble on the next play cost Auburn a chance to potentially take the lead.
“You’ve got to convert that to points anytime you get a short field off a turnover,” Golesh said.
Ole Miss drove 86 yards and took a 14-6 lead on Shekai Mills-Knight’s 1-yard touchdown run.
Auburn’s two-minute offense led to McPherson’s 29-yard field goal with five seconds left in the half.
Trailing 14-9 at the half, Auburn got the ball first in the third quarter but failed to generate a first down.
After Chambliss’ quarterback draw gave the Rebels first-and-goal at Auburn’s 1-yard, the Tigers’ defense forced a 20-yard field goal that preserved a one-possession deficit before Ole Miss scored touchdowns on its next four drives.
Auburn (4-4, 2-4) returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday to host Arkansas at 11:45 a.m. CT on Military Appreciation Day.
“It doesn’t get any easier in November,” Golesh said. “Every single team you play has really good players and coaches. That’s this conference. You have to be able to reset. Our challenge is to go right back to work and figure out, in the hard moments, can we go finish in those moments? That’s on me as the head coach to put us in those situations and be able to build confidence through that.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer