Bryce Young, No. 1 Alabama Dominate Matt Corral, No. 12 Ole Miss in SEC Matchup
The Alabama Crimson Tide have extended their winning streak to 19 consecutive games after their 42-21 victory over Ole Miss at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.
No. 1 Alabama was hitting all the right notes through its first four games. The defending national champs were outscoring their opponents by an average of 29 points this season (46.5 to 17.5).
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin had also been pushing all the right buttons for his team to start this season. The Rebels entered Saturday leading the nation with 52.7 points per game and ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
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After a quiet first quarter that saw Alabama hold a 7-0 lead, the Crimson Tide blew things wide-open with 21 points in the second quarter.
Three of Mississippi's first four drives ended in a turnover on downs. Alabama scored touchdowns on each ensuing possession. Brian Robinson Jr. did a lot of the heavy lifting on offense, running for 171 yards and four scores in the win.
Matt Corral had an accurate day throwing the ball, completing 21 of his 29 attempts. But the junior quarterback had season lows in average yards per attempt (7.3) and total passing yards (213).
Notable Game Stats
- Bryce Young (ALA): 20-of-26, 241 yards, 2 TD, INT
- Brian Robinson Jr. (ALA): 36 carries, 171 yards, 4 TD
- Jameson Williams (ALA): 5 receptions, 65 yards
- Matt Corral (MISS): 21-of-29, 213 yards, TD; 10 carries, 3 yards, TD
- Henry Parrish Jr. (MISS): 11 carries, 47 yards; 3 receptions, 23 yards
- Dontario Drummond (MISS): 4 receptions, 43 yards
Bama's Running Game Rebounds in Blowout Win
There was some concern about Alabama's rushing attack coming into this game because of how well Florida was able to contain that unit last week.
The Crimson Tide entered Saturday's game ranked 10th in the SEC with 151.8 yards per game on the ground. The Gators held them to just 91 yards and 3.3 yards per carry, but Alabama was able to escape with a 31-29 win.
Compounding that issue was Ole Miss came into this matchup with a respectable run defense. It was tied with Navy for 57th in the nation with 132.3 rushing yards allowed per game.
Ole Miss' first three games were against Louisville, Austin Peay and Tulane. Alabama is certainly in a different class than those three teams, and it wound up showing in the head-to-head matchup.
While Robinson was having the best game of his career, the Alabama defense was making life a nightmare for Kiffin and the Ole Miss offense.
Kiffin, to his credit, didn't try to play conservatively early. The first possession of the game was a 16-play drive by the Rebels that saw them get down to Alabama's 6-yard line.
Facing a 4th-and-1, Kiffin elected to go for it with a handoff to Jerrion Ealy. Alabama's defense stuffed the middle of the line to get a turnover on downs.
The Crimson Tide responded on their first possession with a 13-play, 94-yard drive that ended with Young's 16-yard touchdown pass to John Metchie III.
After getting the ball back, Ole Miss was faced with another short fourth-down attempt that Kiffin decided to go for. Corral's pass to Braylon Sanders was incomplete, leading to another turnover on downs.
Midway through the second quarter, Alabama's defense came up with its third fourth-down stop of the game. Henry To'o To'o snuffed out the option on 4th-and-1 by tackling Ealy for a four-yard loss.
On Ole Miss' first play after getting the ball back following an Alabama touchdown, Corral turned the ball over on a fumble when Phidarian Mathis sacked him.
Even though this year's Alabama team doesn't have the same electrifying offensive talent as the 2020 squad, head coach Nick Saban has that unit playing efficiently to start the season. The defense remains as dominant as it always is.
The Crimson Tide have once again staked their claim as the best team in the nation.
Early Mistakes Cost Rebels
Playing Alabama is hard enough, but it becomes even more difficult if you don't execute at a high level.
Kiffin's decisions to go for it on fourth down made all the sense in the world. The Rebels aren't as talented as their opponent, so they have to take some risks in order to win. They have also been very good in those situations so far this season.
The problem is, the plays Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby dialed up were not conducive to success against the Crimson Tide defense.
Ealy was stuffed on the first drive of the game. Corral's pass to Sanders was caught out of bounds. The option to Ealy was terribly executed by everyone, allowing To'o To'o to blow it up.
After picking up 59 yards on its opening drive, the Ole Miss offense managed a total of 20 yards combined on its next five drives in the first half.
Things will get easier for Kiffin and the Rebels going forward. They do have to play an Arkansas team that was shut out 37-0 by Georgia on Saturday, but that's their last game against a ranked opponent until Oct. 30.
Ole Miss is trending in the right direction overall, but the loss to Alabama was a stark reminder of how much work remains for Kiffin and the coaching staff to turn the program into an SEC powerhouse.
What's Next?
Alabama will go on the road to play No. 15 Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Ole Miss will return home to host No. 8 Arkansas next Saturday.
