|
September 9, 2000
From Wire Reports
OXFORD, Miss.- Much was
made of the animosity several Mississipi players
hold for Tommy Tuberville. But Rudi Johnson has
ill will for opposing defenses.
Johnson rushed for two touchdowns in his first
Southeastern Conference game to power Auburn
to a 35-27 upset of 18th-ranked Mississippi.
The 5-10, 228-pound Johnson, a junior college
transfer, gave Auburn (2-0, 1-0 SEC West) the
lead for good at 28-27 by bursting around left end
and rumbling 42 yards for a touchdown with 13:12
remaining. He then carried the load on an 11-play,
37-yard drive that culminated with Ben Leard's
one-yard TD plunge with 1:41 left.
Within a touchdown and a two-point conversion,
the Rebels (1-1, 0-1) started the ensuing
possession on their own 26-yard line following a
personal foul on the Tigers.
But following an interception, safety Stanford
Simmons picked off Romaro Miller, sealing the
victory.
Miller, who completed just 11-of-26 passes for
105 yards, was one of the Rebels who came of age
under Tuberville, only to see the former Mississippi
coach depart Oxford to take over the Auburn
program following the 1998 regular season.
|
