Scores

Final

Ole Miss 7

(0-2, 0-1 SEC)

Alabama 28

(2-0, 1-0 SEC)

9:00 PM ET, September 11, 2004

Bryant-Denny Stadium, TUSCALOOSA, AL

1 2 3 4 T
MISS 0 0 0 77
ALA 0 14 7 728

Alabama 28, Mississippi 7

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Brodie Croyle threw two touchdown passes and Ray Hudson rushed for a career-high 116 yards and scored a pair of TDs to lift Alabama to a 28-7 victory over Mississippi on Saturday night.

The Crimson Tide, 2-0 for the first time since 1999, has won 21 of the last 22 meetings with Ole Miss in Tuscaloosa and seven straight.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, dropped its first two games for the first time since 1987 and continued to sputter offensively.

The Tide overpowered the Rebels for 221 yards on the ground and held onto the ball for more than 37 minutes. Hudson took the last of his 14 carries 46 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with 10:34 left in the fourth quarter and also caught a 13-yard scoring pass.

Kenneth Darby gained 86 yards on 17 carries.

Croyle was 14-of-22 for 169 yards and hit Tyrone Prothro for a 15-yard score in the first half as the Tide mostly kept it on the ground and relied on short passes.

The Rebels turned to backup quarterback Ethan Flatt in the third quarter after Micheal Spurlock's second straight shaky performance. Spurlock was 5-of-15 for 54 yards and lost a fumble that led to a Tide touchdown.

Flatt fared somewhat better, directing the Rebels' only touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, though it was kept alive by a pass-interference call on fourth-and-9. He hit Eric Rice for a 6-yard touchdown pass two minutes into the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout.

Hudson answered with his long touchdown scamper.

Ole Miss had just 192 total yards and looked nothing like the offensive team that Eli Manning led to a 10-3 record last season.

The Rebels had plenty of chances, but weren't accepting handouts in the first quarter. They started three of their first four possessions in Alabama territory, thanks partly to two fumbles, but wound up with a missed field goal and two punts.

They got only one first down out of it but did twice bury the Tide inside its 5.

Alabama drove 98 yards the second time, scoring on Tim Castille's 1-yard plunge for a 7-0 lead. The drive was aided by three costly Ole Miss penalties.

Roman Harper jarred the ball loose from Spurlock at the Rebels' 8 on the next play. After a holding penalty, Croyle hit Prothro in the end zone.

D.J. Hall and Keith Brown became the first freshman receivers to start for Alabama since Ozzie Newsome in 1974, but the offense still racked up 390 yards.

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Team Stat Comparison

 
MISS
ALA
1st Downs922
Total Yards192390
Passing117169
Rushing75221
Penalties9-735-46
3rd Down Conversions5-167-12
4th Down Conversions0-10-0
Turnovers12
Possession22:4837:12

Passing Leaders

Ole MissC/ATTYDSAVGTDINT
Spurlock5/15543.600
Flatt5/12635.310
AlabamaC/ATTYDSAVGTDINT
Croyle14/221697.720

Rushing Leaders

Ole MissCARYDSAVGTDLG
Pearson12423.509
Jacobs6244.007
AlabamaCARYDSAVGTDLG
Hudson141168.3146
Darby17865.1035

Receiving Leaders

Ole MissRECYDSAVGTDLG
Hill3227.309
Rice23718.5131
AlabamaRECYDSAVGTDLG
Hudson4348.5113
Brown33511.7020

Scoring Summary

SECOND QUARTERMISSALA
TD9:15TIM CASTILLE 1 YD RUN (BRIAN BOSTICK KICK)
Drive info: 10 plays, 98 yards.
07
TD7:50TYRONE PROTHRO 15 YD PASS FROM BRODIE CROYLE (BRIAN BOSTICK KICK)
Drive info: 2 plays, 8 yards.
014
THIRD QUARTERMISSALA
TD8:15RAY HUDSON 13 YD PASS FROM BRODIE CROYLE (BRIAN BOSTICK KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 66 yards.
021
FOURTH QUARTERMISSALA
TD13:05ERIC RICE 6 YD PASS FROM ETHAN FLATT (JONATHAN NICHOLS KICK)
Drive info: 10 plays, 66 yards.
721
TD10:34RAY HUDSON 46 YD RUN (BRIAN BOSTICK KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 85 yards.
728