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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football Opens Southeastern Conference Play With Loss
6/21/1999 | Football
September 12, 1998
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) - Ben Leard threw for 195 yards and a touchdown, winning a battle of sophomore quarterbacks in their first Southeastern Conference starts, as Auburn defeated Mississippi 17-0 Saturday.
Auburn (1-1) jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter as Leard hit Karsten Bailey for a 28-yard TD and set up the other touchdown with a 32-yard pass to the Ole Miss 1.
Even though Auburn didn't get into the end zone again, Leard was steady. He finished 16-of-27 with no interceptions.
Auburn, rebounding from a season-opening 19-0 home loss to No. 12 Virginia, beat Ole Miss for the sixth straight year in an SEC opener. The Tigers' next two games are against No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Tennessee.
On the other side, Romaro Miller struggled a week after having the best passing performance by a first-time Ole Miss starter - 26-of-40 for 332 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions vs. Memphis.
Against an Auburn defense often putting at least eight men on the line of scrimmage, Miller hit just 11-of-35 passes for 104 yards and two interceptions. Both of the interceptions led to Auburn scores.
On Auburn's second possession of the game, Leard converted a fourth-and-1 near midfield with a 2-yard sneak. Two plays later, Bailey made the catch over Timothy Strickland - who was turned around and never saw the ball coming - then bulled through the defender the final 5 yards to the end zone.
Ole Miss got the ball back for just one play, but Miller's underthrown pass was intercepted by Rob Pate to set Auburn up at the Ole Miss 44.
Again the Tigers converted a fourth-and-1 - when fullback Heath Evans powered for two yards - and Leard followed with a 32-yard completion to Jack Schweiger to the 1.
Evans then plunged in from a yard out to put Auburn ahead 14-0 with 5:19 left in the first quarter.
At halftime, Ole Miss had just two first downs - one while running out the clock in the final minute - and 45 yards total offense. The Rebels finished with just seven first downs and 136 total yards. Auburn had 301 total yards.
On a fourth-and-10 late in the third quarter, Miller was intercepted by Larry Casher, who returned the pick 37 yards to the Tigers 46. Twelve plays later, early in the fourth quarter, Robert Bironas kicked a 26-yard field goal.
