No. 12 Mississippi rolls to 45-15 victory over Auburn

OXFORD, Miss. -- — Trinidad Chambliss threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another and No. 12 Mississippi pulled away for a 45-15 win over Auburn on Saturday.

Leading 17-15, Chambliss had a 26-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to give Ole Miss a nine-point lead. He added a 6-yard TD pass to Caleb Cunningham and a 28-yarder to Horatio Fields in the fourth quarter for Ole Miss (6-2, 4-2 SEC).

Chambliss was 22 of 34 passing and rushed for 65 yards on seven carries.

Backup quarterback Deuce Knight scored on a 17-yard run to complete a 21-point fourth quarter for the Rebels.

Ole Miss held Auburn to 63 rushing yards. The Rebels scored the final 28 points of the game.

It’s Ole Miss’ third straight win against Auburn after losing six straight in the series.

“How our offense played affected their plan and what they were able to do. Our offense affected the things they were trying to do because they were having trouble stopping us. It was a combination of early success in the run game, getting them behind the chains, and then the efficiency of our offense,” Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said.

The Rebels outgained Auburn 487-312.

As Ole Miss pulled away, first-year Auburn coach Alex Golesh lamented his team’s ability to close the game.

“That’s the most disappointing. They did a really good job of finishing, and we did not, and we as coaches have to go back and figure that out. We’ve got to make plays, and we didn’t for the last 22 minutes,” he said.

Ole Miss, looking for a spark in its running game with its star back Kewan Lacy out with a separated shoulder, found it in sophomore Shekai Mills-Knight, whose 1-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter helped the Rebels lead 14-9 at halftime. Mills-Knight had just 42 yards through the first seven games, but finished with 71 yards on 16 carries.

Mills-Knight said his teammates made him better through the week.

“I feel like just being on scout team against one of the best defenses from last year and this year, stepping up in game time … the moment wasn’t too big for me,” he said.

A blocked extra point kept the Tigers from tying the game at 7 in the middle of the second quarter. The teams then traded turnovers, the second a fumble by Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown that led to an 86-yard touchdown drive for Ole Miss on the score by Mills-Knight.

Brown was 25 for 38 for 195 yards and a touchdown passing and rushing for Auburn (4-4, 2-4).

Golding said Mills-Knight handled the moment because of the attention to detail required for the position including pass protection.

“Becoming an every-down player, his development at the position, playing without the football, understanding the protections and getting six (Chambliss) and the other guys to trust him, I’m just really proud of his development at the position,” Golding said.

The takeaway

Auburn: It’s the second straight loss for the Tigers after the stunning 27-24 upset at then-No. 1 Georgia on Oct. 17.

Ole Miss: The Rebels were 13-for-16 on third downs. In a potential trap game between facing Texas and Georgia, Ole Miss turned in a workmanlike performance.

Up next

Auburn: host Arkansas on Saturday.

Ole Miss: host Georgia on Saturday.

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