The 3 Most Painful Losses in Ole Miss Football History

With all the recent Rebel success lets take a trip down memory lane to some not so successful games

Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Tre Harris (9) celebrates with the trophy after a victory against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Over the past decade, the Ole Miss Rebels football program has been on the rise.

Since 2020, the Rebels have 57 wins, good for the seventh most in the nation since the start of the decade. On top of all these wins, Ole Miss has three bowl game victories and made the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.

While all of this is fantastic, today we are going to take a trip down some darker times in Ole Miss Football history with three of the most painful losses in Rebel history.

Jaxon Dart late game interception versus Florida

Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) passes under pressure from Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 23, 2024. The Gators defeated the Rebels 24-17 [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In 2024, the Ole Miss Rebels were 8-2, pushing for the team's first College Football Playoff run in history. Despite having two losses, the Rebels were the No. 9 team in the nation, and a win would secure the team its first CFP appearance ever.

An awful turn of events left the Rebels found themselves down 24-17 with one minute left in the fourth quarter. Driving down the field, QB Jaxon Dart tossed one down the sideline intended for Jordan Watkins and instead found the hands of Gator DB DJ Johnson. This gave Ole Miss its third loss of the season and pushed it out of the CFP race.

4th and 25

`Nov 7, 2015; Oxford, MS, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks tight end Hunter Henry (84) laterals the ball as he is tackled by Mississippi Rebels defensive back Tony Bridges (1) during overtime at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Arkansas won 53-52. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Ole Miss had a real chance to win the SEC West in 2015, but Arkansas ruined those hopes in one of the wildest games the Rebels have ever played.

The Rebels and Razorbacks played back and forth the whole afternoon in Oxford, with Ole Miss on top during the overtime period. Arkansas, with its back against the wall, had a fourth-and-25 situation, which meant that it needed a miracle to save the game. Brandon Allen threw a pass to Hunter Henry, who lateralized the football backwards during a tackle, and Alex Collins somehow came through with a first down.

The Razorbacks went on to score and then for two, winning 53-52 after a facemask penalty gave them another chance. For the Rebels, this loss was crushing because they had not won the SEC since Eli Manning back in 2003, and this was the closest they've been in years. The Rebels beat Alabama earlier that season, but the loss to Arkansas kept them from reaching Atlanta.

Auburn’s Goal-Line Gut Punch

Oct 4, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels receiver Cody Core (88) misses a pass in the end zone during the first half against Alabama Crimson Tide at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The 2014 Auburn game might be the most painful modern Ole Miss loss because of how quickly everything flipped.

Just a year before the Arkansas game, Ole Miss was ranked No. 4 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and the Rebels had a chance to stay in the middle of the national title race. Late in the fourth quarter, Laquon Treadwell caught a screen pass and fought toward the goal line, appearing to give Ole Miss the lead.

Instead, Treadwell suffered a serious leg injury right before crossing the plane and fumbled into the end zone. Auburn recovered, turning what looked like a Rebels touchdown into a touchback, and the Tigers left Oxford with a 35-31 win. The injury made the moment even harder to watch, and the loss took a massive swing at one of Ole Miss’ best seasons of the modern era.

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