TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WTVA/Ole Miss Athletics) - The Ole Miss defense held No. 1 Alabama to just six points in the second half, but turnovers in the first half proved to be too much to overcome as the Rebels fell to the Crimson Tide 33-14 Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Ole Miss (3-2, 0-1 SEC) briefly held the lead when Jeff Scott scored on a one-yard run early in the second quarter, but Alabama (5-0, 2-0) erased it quickly on the ensuing kickoff, when Christion Jones raced 99 yards to the endzone to give the Crimson Tide a 13-7 advantage.
It was a lead the Tide never gave back, and Alabama added two more second-quarter touchdowns to go into the locker room leading 27-7.
The Rebels were able to mount an impressive 16-play, 70-yard scoring drive in the third quarter to cut Alabama's lead to 13. The Ole Miss defense held the Crimson Tide scoreless in the third quarter to keep things at a two-score game heading into the final quarter. But Alabama outscored Ole Miss 6-0 in the fourth quarter to seal the 33-14 victory and remain perfect in 2012.
Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace ended the game 15-of-26 for 123 yards, while Jeff Scott recorded 49 yards rushing on 19 carries and the touchdown. Scott has now scored four times in the last three games.
Former Northeast Tiger Deion Belue had an interception for the Crimson Tide in the win. Wallace threw two interceptions in the game, while Randall Mackey also threw an interception.
On the defensive side of the ball for the Rebels, Cody Prewitt recorded a career-high 13 tackles while Denzel Nkemdiche made a career-best 11, including three for a loss, and caused two fumbles.
Alabama came into the game averaging 204 yards a game on the ground, but the Rebel defense held the Tide to just 125 yards rushing.
The Rebels return home for a two-game stretch, hosting Texas A&M next Saturday at 6 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
