Ole Miss Playoff Dream Gone, Auburn Win
Last Saturday night the Auburn Tigers edged out a win against the Ole Miss Rebels, 35-31, and now, the Rebels’ playoff dream is gone. In a gruesome sequence of events, the game ended with a fateful play that altered the game, national title dreams, and sent the Rebels’ best player to the hospital, reports Sports Illustrated.
In the moments leading up to the play, the game appeared won. But, it wasn’t. And, next thing they knew, their star player was down. Ole Miss coaches and players were awestruck — trying to figure out what just happened. Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze said, “It’s just a really, really sickening way to lose,” reports CBS Sports.
With 1:30 remaining in the game, Treadwell caught a screen pass on the 22-yardline, broke two tackles, and forged his way to the end zone with Auburn linebacker Kris Frost clinging to the back of his uniform. A touchdown was declared by two officials that put Ole Miss in the lead 37-35. But, as Evan Engram ran to celebrate in the end zone, he heard Treadwell wailing in pain.
When Frost grabbed Treadwell’s jersey to tackle him, his left knee wedged atop Treadwell’s left foot. Treadwell’s ankle rolled underneath the knee. It was the perfect storm. Frost’s forward momentum sliding toward Treadwell, the misplacement of Treadwell’s foot, and then Frost’s jerking him back that loosed the ball. The injury was later declared a fracture, and Treadwell was sent to the hospital.
Engram said that things started moving “a thousand miles an hour,” as concerned teammates gathered. Fans celebrating Ole Miss’ lead suddenly looked on with concern. Replay officials concluded that Treadwell’s fumble came less than a yard short of the goal line, and the touchdown was removed from the board. And, since Auburn’s Cassanova McKinzy recovered the loose ball in the end zone, the Tigers only needed to run down clock 90 seconds to win.
“One second we thought we had the game won and in the end zone,” Engram said, “and the next second you lose the ball, and our brother is down, and the game is pretty much over.”
The shock and heartbreak of Treadwell’s injury overshadowed all else. Not only did Treadwell suffer a fracture to his leg but Auburn’s Jonathan Jones delivered a late hit with his right shoulder crushing into Treadwell’s facemask. The late hit wasn’t called. In the end, Auburn left Oxford with a 35-31 win and another top-10 win on the road.
Auburn fans are optimistic about the playoffs — and have every right to be. “At the moment, the top four spots look like a tough nut to crack, with Florida State and Mississippi State both still undefeated and third ranked Auburn strengthening its claim with a win over Ole Miss on Saturday,” the Inquisitr reporter Oliver VanDervoort said following the Auburn win.
Auburn’s tenacity and optimism have brought them another win. This is because they don’t give up. Tigers coach Malzahn told AL.com, “Our guys really believe they are going to win the game if it is close.”
The Tigers’ unexpected victory last Saturday crushed Ole Miss’ playoff dreams and perhaps altered the rest of the Rebels’ season. But, the win garnered confidence for Auburn and left them hungry for the next win.
[Image via Merced Sun Star]
