Saturday’s SEC Championship Game between Ole Miss and Alabama was an intense battle from start to finish. From big plays to controversial calls, check out our top 10 moments from the game! 10. Alabama cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepts a pass intended for Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, putting the Crimson Tide in front 7-0 early in the second quarter. 9. Rebel running back Chad Kelly scores on a 4-yard run with just over two minutes left in the first half, cutting Alabama’s lead to 7-3. 8. Rebel linebacker Denzel Nkemdiche recovers an onside kick and returns it 41 yards for a touchdown, pulling Ole Miss within one point at 14-13 with 13:05 remaining in the fourth quarter. 7. Ole Miss wide receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow makes a spectacular leaping catch in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown reception with 3:58 left to give the Rebels a 21-19 lead. 6. Tide quarterback Jake Coker throws an interception on first down with 1:24 remaining, sealing Rebel’s victory as time expired in regulation. 5. Offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher blocks a field goal attempt by Alabama kicker Cade Foster, preserving the Rebels’ 23-20 lead with just under two minutes to go in the game. 4. Rebel running back Henry Josey scores on a 2-yard run with 31 seconds left in the third quarter, cutting Alabama’s lead to 23-17. 3. Rebel cornerback Senquez Golson intercepts a pass from Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts with 9:02 left in the fourth quarter, leading to a touchdown that puts Ole Miss up 31-23. 2. With just over two minutes to play, Rebel safety Cody Prewitt returns an interception 98 yards for a touchdown, giving Ole Miss a 38-31 victory and its first SEC Championship in program history. 1. Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley makes an acrobatic catch for a touchdown with 8:11 remaining in the game, cutting Ole Miss’ lead to 38-32 and sending the game into overtime.
The opening drive
The opening drive of the SEC Championship Game was a back-and-forth battle between Ole Miss and Alabama. The Crimson Tide took the early lead, but Mississippi quickly tied the game up. The Rebels then took the lead for good with less than 5 minutes left in the first half. However, Alabama stormed back with a touchdown and a field goal to take the lead at halftime. The second half was much more evenly played with both teams trading scores. Ole Miss finally pulled away in the final minutes to win 41-38. Here are the best and worst moments from this thrilling SEC Championship Game:
Best Moment: With less than 5 minutes left in the first half, Ole Miss took the lead for good with a touchdown by Laquon Treadwell.
Worst Moment: With just under a minute left in the first half, Alabama got on the board with a touchdown by Tyren Jones.
The interception
The Ole Miss Rebels and Alabama Crimson Tide will play for the SEC Championship on Saturday night in Atlanta. Here are the best and worst moments from their matchup.
Best Moment: Debo McCalister scored with 12 seconds left to give Ole Miss a 54-53 lead over Alabama. The Rebels would go on to win, 54-53.
Worst Moment: With 3:30 left in the game, Alabama was down by nine points. But Jordan Lewis hit a three-pointer with 1 second left to tie the game at 59-59. The ensuing free throw by Donta Hall missed, giving Alabama the 61-60 lead it would not relinquish.
The touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley
The Ole Miss Rebels faced off against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, and it was a heated battle from start to finish. Here are the best and worst moments from the game.
Best Moment: The Rebels scored first when quarterback Chad Kelly hit Calvin Ridley for a touchdown early in the game. Alabama would respond with a field goal, but Ole Miss would not be denied. They scored again later in the half when Kelly found Courtland Sutton for an 80-yard touchdown.
Worst Moment: Late in the fourth quarter, Alabama had a chance to take control of the game when they had first and goal at the Ole Miss 5-yard line. But after attempting two passes, they were turned away and gave up the ball back to Ole Miss with just under five minutes left in the game. They would never get another chance to score and fell short by just one point, ending their title hopes.
Overall, it was an exciting game with some great moments and some disappointing ones. The Rebels will now face Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl while Alabama will take on Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game next week.
The missed field goal
The ole miss bowl game Rebels were looking to clinch their spot in the playoff when they took on Alabama in the SEC Championship game. The Crimson Tide, however, were not going to let that happen.
Both teams had their moments throughout the game, but it was Ole Miss kicker Colby Delahoussaye who put his team in front with a 53-yard field goal with just over four minutes remaining. Alabama responded with a drive culminating with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Calvin Ridley. But it wasn’t enough as Ole Miss held on for a 31-28 victory and a trip to the playoff.
Here are the best and worst moments from Saturday’s showdown:
Best Moment: Ole Miss kicker Colby Delahoussaye nails a 53-yard field goal with just over four minutes remaining to give his team a 31-28 victory over Alabama.
Worst Moment: Alabama’s last chance at an upset end in disaster as Jalen Hurts throws an ill-advised interception deep in Rebel territory with less than two minutes remaining that seals the win for Ole Miss.
The Ole Miss comeback
In what was supposed to be a coronation for Alabama, the Crimson Tide faced an ole miss bowl game team that had not won a conference championship since 1962. The game was close throughout, with Alabama leading 49-43 with 2:14 remaining, but the Rebels rallied and took the lead on a 97-yard touchdown drive. With Alabama needing a field goal to win, kicker Adam Griffith missed wide right, giving the ole miss bowl game their first SEC title in 59 years.
However, the biggest moment of the game came late in regulation when Alabama running back Kenyan Drake fumbled on 4th and 1 from the ole miss bowl game 9-yard line. The Rebels recovered and went on to score on a one-yard run by Jaylen Walton with 58 seconds remaining to take a 54-49 lead. A punt by Alabama gave Ole Miss excellent field position at its own 34-yard line with 33 seconds left. However, cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted a pass from Chad Kelly intended for tight end O.J. Howard returned it 44 yards for a touchdown which sent the game into overtime.
In OT, Alabama drove down to the ole miss bowl game 3-yard line but could not get past the defense’s big front seven led by defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche who made two key sacks in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for his school’s first SEC Championship in 34 years.
The Alabama victory parade
The Alabama victory parade was a huge event that took place in downtown Birmingham on Monday, December 4. The parade route went down 2nd Avenue from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and featured over 500 marching bands, floats, and vehicles.
Some of the best moments from the Alabama victory parade included Governor Kay Ivey presenting the team with the SEC Championship Trophy, Tua Tagovailoa throwing a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, and Jemison Crowder catching a touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts.
The worst moment from the Alabama victory parade was when a streaker ran down the street between some of the floats. Luckily, authorities were able to catch him before he caused any major damage.
Conclusion
ole miss bowl game fought hard in the SEC Championship Game, but which moments were the best and worst? We have compiled a list of the best and worst moments from Ole Miss’ 45-40 loss to Alabama. From quarterback Jordan Ta’amu’s incredible touchdown run to DeVante Kincade’s game-winning interception, there was plenty to enjoy during this epic battle between two SEC heavyweights. However, it was also clear that there are still some areas for improvement for both teams – something that will be fully displayed when they meet again in the College Football Playoff next year.