Self-Destructive Alabama Is in Trouble in the SEC West

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama head coach Nick Saban called it “disappointing,” senior defensive lineman Jarran Reed said it “hurt” and junior defensive end Jonathan Allen called it a "giveaway win."

Alabama knew it only had to look in the mirror for the primary cause of Saturday night’s 43-37 loss to Ole Miss.

"I don't know anyone we could beat if we're going to give away 31 points,” the coach said.

Even though there was almost no chance of running the table in the Southeastern Conference, considering the No. 2 Crimson Tide’s schedule, this revenge game was supposed to be one the team was desperate to win.

Instead, four of Alabama's five turnovers were converted into 24 points, and a key breakdown handed the No. 15 Rebels another touchdown in an all too familiar way.

Early in the fourth quarter, after Alabama had pulled within six points, Ole Miss called for a pop pass similar to the play that was the difference in the 2013 Iron Bowl—complete with an uncalled penalty for a lineman illegally downfield that was obvious this time.

“There’s a bunch of ups and down in this game,” senior wide receiver Richard Mullaney said after scoring two touchdowns. “Even when were down 19 we still felt like we were in the game.

But the miscues set the tone at the start, with ArDarius Stewart fumbling the opening kickoff in a manner that was reminiscent of last year’s 23-17 game, when the Rebels scored the game-winning touchdown following a fumbled return. This time the result was a 32-yard field goal.

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A Trae Elston interception of a deep ball thrown by sophomore quarterback Cooper Bateman, who made the surprising start, put Ole Miss back in Alabama territory—with the quarterback getting blindsided by linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche on the return.

That led to seven points on a 4th-and-goal, when the defense sold out on stopping the run up the middle and Jordan Wilkins walked it into the end zone on a handoff. 

A third turnover, this one the result of a Kenyan Drake fumble on a kick return, set up yet another Ole Miss touchdown, with quarterback Chad Kelly running in from four yards out for a 17-3 lead.

That was the hole Alabama had to try to dig itself out of the rest of the game, only to be further buried by two plays in particular.

The first was about as unusual as they come. After a botched snap, Kelly threw the ball up for Laquon Treadwell to avoid a sack only to see it deflect off a helmet. It ended up in the hands of Quincy Adeboyejo, who caught it in stride with no one between the wide receiver and the end zone. The “fluke,” as Saban referred to it, ended up being a 66-yard touchdown.

The other was the 73-yard score on the pop pass, which was initially flagged as an illegal pass but overturned by replay.

“Oh, man, what a game,” Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said. “It was definitely a four-quarter battle. We thought we had it put away a couple of times, and they just wouldn’t go away.”

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At times, Alabama showed flashes of its potential, but it could also be pretty inept. Among the positives, the defensive front seven led numerous big stops, senior quarterback Jake Coker came off the bench to pass for 201 yards and three touchdowns, junior running back Derrick Henry had 127 yards on 23 carries and one touchdown and Alabama compiled 503 yards of total offense.

But Alabama's final possession ended up being typical of the night. The Tide had a first down with 31 seconds left, and it went, in order, incomplete (out of bounds), incomplete (deflected), incomplete (drop) and incomplete (high pass). Alabama (2-1 overall, 0-1 SEC) didn’t even get a Hail Mary attempt off into the end zone.

Crimson Tide fans aren't used to this sort of outcome. Alabama was 25-1 in the series as the home team (including 12 straight wins) and 47–10–2 overall. Saban was 12-1 in SEC home openers, and the team hadn’t lost in September since 2007 (29-0).

Although Alabama lost this game last year, and Ole Miss fans responded by storming the field, the Tide still managed to win the SEC. With this loss coming a month earlier in the schedule, it will make repeating only that much tougher. Meanwhile, Ole Miss (3-0, 1-0) and LSU now have the inside track after notching key SEC West wins, and Texas A&M has yet to lose.

The game at Georgia in two weeks is looming a lot larger now. This will either be the launching point for the rest of the season or the beginning of a long and grueling grind.

"We just have a lot of things we have to do better," Saban said.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Christopher Walsh is a lead SEC college football writer. Follow Christopher on Twitter @WritingWalsh.