Alabama’s first test of its Southeastern Conference title defense was quite demanding, and the Crimson Tide’s second step is shaping up the same way.
Several hours after the Tide outlasted Florida 31-29 in the Swamp, the Ole Miss Rebels rewrote the record books during a 61-21 plastering of Tulane inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Rebels junior quarterback Matt Corral became the first player in league history to accumulate three passing touchdowns and four rushing scores in the same game.
Corral’s showing against the Green Wave dwarfed that of Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler on Sept. 4, when the Sooners survived Tulane 40-35.
“You’re going to win a ton of games running 94 plays and with 707 yards of offense versus 56 and 305,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said early Sunday morning on a Zoom call. “We had 25 first downs in the first half, and when you have that many first downs, you’re playing really well with a lot of people for an extended amount of time. I’m proud of the guys and how they did that.
“I wish we didn’t have a bye, because we’re playing so well, but it is what it is.”