Bo Nix rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one as host No. 18 Auburn defeated No. 10 Ole Miss 31-20 in an SEC game Saturday night.
Nix completed 22-of-30 passes for 276 yards for the Tigers (6-2, 3-1 SEC), who remained tied in the loss column with idle No. 3 Alabama for the West division lead.
Tank Bigsby added 140 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.
Matt Corral ran for a touchdown and passed for 289 yards but did not have a touchdown pass for the Rebels (6-2, 3-2), who fell into a three-way tie for third place in the West. Corral completed 21 of 37 passes and threw one interception, just his second of the season.
Jahcour Pearson caught seven passes for 135 yards to lead an injury-depleted Rebels receiving corps.
Caden Costa’s 49-yard field goal produced the only points of the third quarter and got Ole Miss within 28-20. The Rebels turned the ball over on downs at the Tigers’ 20 and 13 in the period.
Anders Carlson, who missed a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter, made a 28-yarder to increase the lead to 31-20 with 10:52 remaining in the game.
Ole Miss reached a first down at the Auburn 14 early in the fourth quarter, but Jaylin Simpson intercepted Corral in the end zone.
The Rebels got the ball back on a fumble recovery, but Corral threw incomplete on fourth-and-3 at the Tigers 18 with 4:52 left.
Nix concluded the first possession of the game with an 11-yard touchdown run.
Costa kicked a 29-yard field goal before Bigsby ran one yard for a touchdown that gave the Tigers a 14-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Snoop Conner’s 13-yard touchdown run pulled the Rebels within 14-10.
Nix ran seven yards for a touchdown and Corral answered with an 11-yard touchdown run.
A 9-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Jarquez Hunter gave Auburn a 28-17 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
