Auburn Falls to No. 9 Ole Miss 48-34 Despite Bigsby’s Big Performance

Mississippi wide receiver Dayton Wade (19) is upended by Auburn safety Donovan Kaufman (1) after catching a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

By CHRIS BURROWS Associated Press

Auburn (3-4, 1-3) pulled as close as 28-24 in the third quarter against No. 9 Ole Miss, but ended up losing 48-34 in Oxford, Mississippi.

Tank Bigsby led Auburn with 179 yards on 20 carries with touchdown runs of 2 and 50 yards. The Tigers had 301 yards rushing, but three turnovers.

Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford scored on runs of 2 and 11 yards and finished 8 of 17 passing for 140 yards.

For Ole Miss, Quinshon Judkins, Zach Evans and Jaxson Dart all ran for more than 100 yards as No. 9 Mississippi rolled up 448 on the ground. The Rebels had three 100-yard rushers in a single game for the first time since 1976, and are 7-0 for just the second time since 1962 and first time since 2014.

Ole Miss (3-0 Southeastern Conference) raced to a 21-0 lead and never trailed. Judkins had 139 yards on 25 carries and scored on a 41-yard run with 6:26 remaining to build the final margin.

Dart finished 9 of 19 for 130 yards with three touchdown passes and ran for 115 on 14 carries. Evans had 136 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.

The coaching future of Auburn’s Bryan Harsin remains uncertain and this performance will only increase the noise surrounding the program. The Tigers played well after falling behind 21-0 in the opening 16 minutes. Ashford directed three consecutive scoring drives in the second half.

After an off week, three of the next four opponents come to The Plains and the possibility for a postseason bowl appearance remains.

Ole Miss had six consecutive losses to Auburn, many in heartbreaking fashion, and clearing this hurdle was a high priority.  The No. 9 Rebels are not expected to drop, but a win over an unranked opponent may not be enough to move up significantly.

Auburn has an open date before a home game against Arkansas on Oct. 29. Will Harsin, now 9-11, still be leading the Tigers by then?

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