Alabama’s late stand stops Ole Miss, 24-20

Alabama running back Mark Ingram (22) flips over Ole Miss defensive back Brandon Sanders (14) for a first down during the first half in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

By JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – John Parker Wilson threw for a season-high 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns and No. 2 Alabama made a late defensive stand to hold off Mississippi for a 24-20 victory Saturday.

The Crimson Tide stopped the Rebels on fourth-and-5 from its 43-yard line in the final minute, when Jevan Snead’s pass to Dexter McCluster fell incomplete. He was well covered by Javier Arenas.

Alabama (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) scored 24 consecutive points after falling behind for the first time, 3-0, and allowing its first points in an opening quarter. Then Ole Miss answered 17 straight points and closed to within 24-20 on Joshua Shene’s 35-yard field goal with 6:09 left.

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Hamilton leads Vanderbilt to 4-0 with 23-17 win

By CHRIS TALBOTT
The Associated Press

OXFORD – Ryan Hamilton tied a school record with three interceptions, scored a touchdown on an interception return and saved a score with a goal-line tackle to help Vanderbilt beat Mississippi 23-17 on Saturday.

The Commodores intercepted four of Jevan Snead’s passes to put themselves in position to be ranked for the first time since 1984 by surviving an early and odd Rebels scoring flurry. Vanderbilt was one spot out of the Top 25 entering the week and is 4-0 for just the fourth time since World War II.

But the Commodores (2-0 Southeastern Conference) needed a pair of goal-line stands and a final interception as time expired to win.

The Rebels (2-2, 0-1) appeared as if they might run away early after forcing a fumble deep in Vanderbilt territory with a 10-0 lead. But Hamilton stepped in front of Snead’s pass and returned it 79 yards for a score.

His second interception of Snead and 23-yard return helped set up a field goal that rallied Vanderbilt to a 17-17 halftime tie. The Commodores could only manage two more Bryant Hahnfeldt field goals in the second half, but Hamilton and the defense made it stand up.

Hamilton made a crucial tackle on Ole Miss’ first series of the second half, when he caught running back Cordera Eason from behind on fourth-and-inches at the goal line. Hamilton later recovered a fumble on a punt return to negate another Ole Miss drive and finished the game off with a pick on Snead’s pass around the Vanderbilt 10.

Hamilton also recovered a fumble, but wasn’t the only playmaker on the Commodores defense. Reshard Langford killed another drive with a bobbling interception of Snead at midfield, then Chris Marve finished off another Rebels’ goal-line chance for a rally when he forced Dexter McCluster to fumble into the end zone. D.J. Moore fell on the loose ball with 2:40 left.

If ranked Sunday, the Commodores will be the sixth SEC team in the poll and the eighth to be ranked at some point this season. Vanderbilt was ranked as high as 19th in 1984 after starting 4-0.

Swank’s late FG gives Wake 30-28 win over Ole Miss

By MIKE CRANSTON
AP Sports Writer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sam Swank kicked a 41-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to cap a dramatic final minute and give No. 20 Wake Forest a 30-28 win over Ole Miss on Saturday.

After Jevan Snead’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Cordera Eason on fourth down with 1:01 left gave Ole Miss the lead, Riley Skinner led the Demon Deacons on a 56-yard drive, keyed by a pass interference penalty against Marshay Green.

Swank, the nation’s active career leader with 65 field goals, calmly drilled the game-winning field goal for the sixth lead change of the game.

Skinner completed 32-of-43 passes for a career-high 348 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions, and D.J. Boldin caught 11 passes for 123 yards, including a 22-yard catch on the final drive.

The comeback avoided another embarrassing loss for the Atlantic Coast Conference, which was in danger of being without a ranked team next week if the Demon Deacons (2-0) followed last week’s upset losses by Clemson and Virginia Tech.

The Rebels (1-1) were a minute away from giving first-year coach Houston Nutt a signature win in only his second season, when Snead led a 7-minute, 80-yard drive. Facing fourth-and-3 from the Wake Forest 5, Snead was quickly flushed out of the pocket, scrambled right, then left and back right again before finding Eason in the front of the end zone.

Justin Sparks’ extra-point broke the tie, but the experienced Demon Deacons weren’t finished.

Skinner’s pass to Boldin gave the Demon Deacons hope. Then Green interfered with Josh Adams on Skinner’s long pass intended for Josh Adams. That put Swank in position, and he kicked his fifth field goal without a miss in two games.

It set off a wild celebration in Wake Forest’s first home game since the completion of a $47 million, seven-story tower that houses luxury suites, club seats and the press box at BB&T Field.

Snead showed poise all afternoon, completing 20-of-33 for 360 yards and three touchdowns, often creating after the pocket collapsed.

Snead scrambled away from a sack and found Dexter McCluster open in the flat, who raced past three defenders for a 31-yard touchdown to give Ole Miss a 21-20 lead early in the fourth quarter.

It made up for Snead throwing interceptions on consecutive plays early in the third quarter. The second, a diving grab by Brandon Ghee, led to Swank’s 27-yard field goal to get Wake Forest within 14-13.

A three-and-out on the next possession gave Wake Forest great starting field position, and Skinner found Marshall Williams for a 24-yard TD pass to give Wake Forest a 20-14 lead.

AT THE HALF: Ole Miss 14, Wake Forest 10

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Ole Miss 41, Memphis 24 …

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