Auburn Tigers Football team (6-3) snapped a three game losing streak and became bowl eligible with a 33-20 win over the Ole Miss Rebels (5-3).
"Obviously, we feel very blessed to beat a very good football team today," said head football coach Gene Chizik. "I can't give our football team enough credit starting with our seniors and just the way they responded in a tough stretch."
In the first play of the game, redshirt freshman defensive end Chris Humphries knocked the ball loose from Ole Miss' freshman wide receiver Jesse Grandy, but Ole Miss recovered.
The Rebels drove down the field, putting together a 10-play, 94-yard drive capped off by a 7-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Jevan Snead to senior fullback Andy Hartmann to score the first points of the game.
Auburn answered with a 36-yard field goal by junior kicker Wes Byrum to make the score 7-3.
The Tigers were up 10-7 at halftime before scoring 21 unanswered points in six minutes.
Auburn took a 24-7 lead with an interception returned for a touchdown by senior defensive back Walter McFadden.
"It was a lucky break how the ball just bounced up off his hands," McFadden said after Saturday's game. "Once I got a hold of it, there was just enough blocking in front of me to take it in."
Auburn scored again on a 53-yard touchdown run by Ben Tate.
Ole Miss answered on the pursuing kick-off with an 82-yard return for a touchdown by Grandy, making it 31-14 with 7:28 left in the third quarter.
After an Ole Miss defensive stand, the Rebels scored again as senior wide receiver Dexter McCluster ran along the sideline for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Ole Miss kicked the ensuing extra point into the line, allowing Auburn's junior defensive back Demond Washington to pick it up and run it back for a 33-20 Auburn lead.
Auburn's 23-point third quarter is more points than Ole Miss has allowed in a game all season.
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