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The University of Mississippi Athletics
FRIDAY FLASHBACK: Ole Miss - Alabama 1968
10/15/2010 | Football
Oct. 15, 2010
FRIDAY FLASHBACK rewinds to some of the memorable Ole Miss games from this week's all-time series. This week features the Rebels' thrilling win over Alabama in 1968.
Manning, Great Defense Skin 'Bear' In 10-8 Tilt
Wayne Thompson, Clarion-Ledger Sports Editor
What better way to leap from recent gridiron obscurity back into the national limelight than to defeat the University of Alabama!
That was the route taken by Ole Miss' Rebels at Memorial Stadium Saturday afternoon, completely dominating all phases of play to post a 10-8 victory over the Crimson Tide and stretch their current win streak to three straight
And, it took a blocked punt and recovery in the end zone in the final eight seconds to save Alabama visitors from complete humiliation and help them avoid the first shut-out of a Bear Bryant-coached team since the 1959 Liberty Bowl game.
It was Ole Miss' first victory over the Tide since 1910 and you can ask any Rebel fan if it was worth waiting for and know what kind of answer you will receive.
In essence, it was a combination of tremendous offense and even more outstanding defense that told the full story - though for a fact one past factor in this short but colorful series took a different turn.
After years of not playing, the two clubs resumed competition in the 1964 Sugar Bowl and since Bryant and John Vaught - coached clubs have met in four regular season tilts.
NO ERRORS
Alabama won the first four, including the Sugar Bowl - but each time you could almost trace the difference to Ole Miss errors.
Today it was Alabama marking the key miscues as the Rebs played almost errorless ball - the type it takes to whip the Tide. And, the type for which Ole Miss was totally prepared.
The Rebs did lose three of six fumbles - none in really crucial situations, as compared to one such losing effort by Alabama.
But, aerially speaking, it was an entire different story. Ole Miss stole four tide tosses - all in tough situations - and thus were able to keep control as exactly none of their efforts were stolen.
Oh, Alabama had other chances to score until that blocked punt - against Reb second and third stringers - but each time it was the Rebel defense more than equal to the occasion.
And, you do have to doubt the Reb subs would have been in action had the score been close. The Rebs had that commanding 10-0 lead with less than 20 seconds left when it happened.
Linebacker Mike Hall did the blocking, guard Mike Reilly recovered in the end zone and quarterback Joe Delley hit fullback Pete Jilleba with a two pointer.
TIDE STORY
That, in a short paragraph, tells the Alabama side of the story - though the Tide did have other moments of desperate hope and quick frustration.
Ole Miss didn't get too many chances - but made the two big one payoff for a deeply satisfying victory.
It happened late in the first half, Ole Miss' first scoring chance and success.
A 67-yard punt return by Donnie Sutton had given Alabama possession on the Reb 19 and the Tide seemed almost certain of carrying some sort of lead into the half time break.
It wasn't to be. A trio of great defensive efforts had it fourth and nine and an attempted 34 yard field goal by Oran Buck was far, far short of it's mark.
Bo Bowen stepped for 13 on a draw, going to the 33; Bowen promptly lost two; a pass from Archie Manning to Riley Myers got only four; and it was third and four with 1:30 left in the half and the goal line 61 yards away.
THE PLAY
In came Vernon Studdard at flanker and off he took. Manning hit him perfectly with a long gainer with ex-Central ace Ronnie Crowson finally making the save at the Tide 12. The play covered 49 yards.
Piling on cost six more and the Rebs didn't want to waste any time. It was Manning passing to James Shows, one of the three seniors on the offensive unit; for the touchdown. Perry King made it 7-0 with his conversion and the Rebs led 7-0 with 1:08 left in the half.
Starting the third period, when the Tide couldn't move after receiving the kickoff, punter Frank Mann got off a kick which traveled all of nine yards and Ole Miss was in possession at the Alabama 31.
Three plays, including two incompletions, went for naught but King was equal to the occasion. He booted a 44 yard field goal - on the line just far enough and it was Ole Miss by a 10-0 margin with 12:16 left in the third period.
That was indeed enough, so tenacious and alert was the Rebel defense.
Alabama was playing without its number one quarterback, Scott Hunter, who was hurt in the final minutes of the Tide's 17-14 win over Southern Mississippi last week.
SOPHMORE QB
But, Hunter is only a sophomore and anyone knows you can't win in tough Southeastern Conference Competition with a sophomore quarterback. Unless, of course, he is named Archie Manning.
Senior Joe Kelley had to carry the entire load and his 34-yard sprint after a stadium-fooling fake moved the Tide into an early scoring position down to the Reb 33.
Three plays later it was fourth and eight, Buck tried a 48-yard fielder which was a light-year or so short of its mark.
Ole Miss came roaring back then, moving from its own 20 to the Tide 31 on passes by Manning and runs by Bowen and Hindman, before three straight passes were no good and King's try for a 48-yard fielder was no good when he seemed to catch the ball "fat" and failed to get it up.
Alabama gain, moving from the Reb 27 where they recovered the kick, with Kelley hitting end Dennis Dixon for a 13-yard pass on the fourth play of the second period - the Tide's initial serial of the game.
JUST CLOSE
Kelley added 20 on a keeper just moments later to go to the 13, three plays got seven and it was fourth and three. No field goal try here for Bama - and Kelley did hit Phil Chaffin who was downed by Robert Bailey at the four. It was just one of several big plays made by the Meridian monster man during the afternoon.
utt Crull's interception at the Reb 20 halted another first half threat, just before Sutton's long punt return where Hindman made the save.
Shortly following King's third period fielder, Kelley was badly pressured by the defense and threw a hurried pass with Ray Heidel intercepting at the Tide 36 and returning to the 27. Manning hit Wyck Neely for 14 quick yards before Manning fumbled with Randy Barron recovering at the 20. Just over five minutes were left in the third period and it was Ole Miss' first physical error of the cloudy afternoon.
HALT THREAT
Ed Morgan stepped for 40 shortly thereafter and Alabama had a first down on the Reb 34 - and to give an indication of that defense, defensive Dennis Coleman stopped Kelley for a three yard loss on fourth down four plays later to end that.
Neither side was able to generate any sort of sustained march or threat after that and Glen Cannon's steal of Kelley aerial late in the game seemed to put the icing on the cake.
Except for that blocked punt, it would have.
Giving some indication of the Reb's domination - though you would have to see it to believe it - were the statistics. Ole Miss led 16-13 in first downs, and out-gained the Tide 262 to 254.
Alabama had a net of 154 on the ground, mostly all around midfield; while in the air, Ole Miss gained completed 11 of 26 for 129 yards and Alabama 13 of 25 for 100 yards. Those Reb interceptions helped too.
Individually, Manning carried most all the load at quarterback until shaken up - up with 6:16 left to play with Don Farrar coming in to finish up. Manning did all the tossing and also gained 31 and lost 31 for no net yards - but he was trapped only twice on passing situations as the offensive line did its job rather well.
Kelley did the Tide's passing except for one halfback effort by Mike Wade which was stolen by Crull.
In rushing, Bowen had 97 yards on 21 carries and Hindman 42 on 15. For Alabama, Kelley had 66 on 18 and Morgan 46 on 15.
In receiving, Jilleba had four for 22 yards, Sutton two for 30 and Morgan two for 18 as Meridian flash George Ranger was either well covered or not the target the few times he did seem to break clear.
For Ole Miss, Shows caught four for 35, Myers three for 21, and Studdard only one - but what a one.
The victory sent Ole Miss atop the SEC standings with two wins in as many tries and put Alabama in an unaccustomed spot on the bottom of the league at 0-1.
Next for the Rebels is a regional televised date with the University of Georgia "between the hedges" at Athens this next week before returning home on Oct. 19 for Homecoming against Southern Mississippi.
The biggest crowd ever to see a football game in Mississippi - 47,152 - was present Saturday and saw the Rebels take care of a tremendous omission by the State Game and Fish Commission.
What did they do? It's simple. They declared their own open season on Bears. And, have the hide to prove it.