Ole Miss vs. Auburn: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

No. 19 Ole Miss scored an important SEC road victory over Auburn, 27-19, at Jordan–Hare Stadium on Saturday.

The Rebels (7-2, 4-1) recovered from a sluggish start to put up 558 total yards of offense. Star receiver Laquon Treadwell led the charge with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. Ricardo Louis had four grabs for 137 yards and a score in a losing effort for the Tigers (4-4, 1-4).

Here's a look at the quarter-by-quarter scoring recap:

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
Rebels	3	7	10	7	27
Tigers	3	7	3	6	19

Although Auburn was off to a rocky start in conference play, Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze fully expected to receive the Tigers' best shot, per Wesley Sinor of AL.com noted.

"Knowing Gus [Malzahn] like I know him, they'll be ready to go," Freeze said. "They'll have a great plan, and they'll be hungry for success at home. There's nothing like returning home in front of your people to help give you that boost of energy that you may need.

"I expect we're going to see the best Auburn team of the entire year."

It didn't take long for the Tigers to prove Freeze correct. Auburn came out flying on the defensive side of the ball, which made life difficult on Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly and Co.

The Tigers scored the game's first touchdown early in the second quarter after the sides traded field goals in the opening 15 minutes.

Sean White, who was battling an injury, made two key throws on the scoring drive. First, he connected with Roc Thomas for 23 yards, and then, on third down near midfield, he found Louis wide open for a 47-yard touchdown.

It marked the first touchdown of the freshman's collegiate career. John Zenor of the Associated Press noted the importance of getting that monkey off his back:

Ole Miss managed to level the score about four minutes before halftime after Malzahn decided to go for it on fourth down from his own 49-yard line. White's pass bounced off the hands of Marcus Davis, which gave the Rebels the ball in terrific position.

Six plays later, they were in the end zone. Kelly kept the drive alive with a fourth-down completion to Evan Engram. Two plays later, Akeem Judd scampered 25 yards to pay dirt.

ESPN passed along video of the touchdown:

Ole Miss' Gary Wunderlich and Auburn's Daniel Carlson again traded field goals in the third quarter.

But then the Rebels jumped ahead with a touchdown. Kelly found Derrick Jones between two Tigers with a nice deep ball, and the wideout did the rest, juking both defensive backs to complete the score from 45 yards out.

Jones' first touchdown of the year led Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee to comment on the state of the Mississippi offense:

Auburn clawed back within one point three minutes into the final quarter after two more field goals by Carlson. His fourth and last of the day came following Kelly's second interception. The quarterback has done a lot right this season, but his propensity to turn the ball over remains an issue.

Kelly responded in a major way, though. He led the Rebels on a six-play, 75-yard drive that took less than two minutes and put them up 27-19.

Treadwell notched a 33-yard reception early in the drive and then made an over-the-shoulder grab for a touchdown from 21 yards out.

ESPN showcased the scoring play:

Auburn couldn't rally again as it was forced to punt and then turned the ball over on downs with three minutes remaining.

Ole Miss Football provided a note about a first-time feat for the program:

Chris Fowler of ESPN explained the importance of the Rebels' win and lamented some missed opportunities by the Tigers:

Freeze expected to take Auburn's best shot, and for the most, part he got it. His team responded with a strong effort in the second half. The victory keeps Ole Miss in the mix for the SEC West crown with a Nov. 21 showdown against LSU looming. The Rebels can't overlook Arkansas next week, however.

The Tigers put up a serious fight for all four quarters. They just couldn't come up with the necessary plays in the final 10 minutes in order to pull off the upset. Next up is a clash with Texas A&M, and they still have a chance to shake up the SEC when they face Alabama on the last Saturday of the regular season.

Postgame Reaction

Freeze discussed the critical victory with ESPN:

Malzahn is still confident in his roster despite a .500 record. He said it comes down to getting over the hump, per Matthew Stevens of the Montgomery Advertiser:

Ultimately, it wasn't Ole Miss' best performance of the campaign, and it will need to play better down the stretch to win the division. That said, the Rebels earned a road victory to keep their season alive for at least another week.