F.T. Macfeely, Associated Press (Jan. 3, 1971)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Mississippi’s losing streak went to three games when the Rebels lost the Gator Bowl football game to Auburn 35-28 Saturday, but it was one of those rare instances where the losers were almost as happy as the winners.
Mississippi had problems. Quarterback Archie Manning, in addition to being bothered by a protective plastic device that immobilized his broken left arm, ran out of breath and at key times had to turn the job over to second stringer Shug Chumbler.
Tailback Bob Knight ran the ball one time and went out with a broken leg. A rib injury eliminated Randy Reed a few minutes later.
As for defense, Ole Miss had to employ a juggled secondary because of the auto crash death of Kenny Blount and practice injury to Wyck Neely. Sophomore Frank McKellar, in his first starting assignment, had to cover Auburn speedsters Terry Beasley and Alvi Bresler.
With all these things against them, the Rebels felt they did well to overcome an early 21-0 disadvantage and threaten to win right up to the final minute.
“We got out of there with our pride, so most of us don’t feel too bad about losing,” said wide receiver Vernon Studdard.
“I thought we did a good job on them for the most part,” said tight end Jim Poole, who caught a game-high nine passes.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” said Chumbler, “we just ran out of time to do what we were supposed to do some more.”
“I guess from a spectators’ point of view it was a pretty exciting game,” said Manning. “It was pretty exciting for me, too, but I got awfully tired toward the end. It was like that hospital bed never got off my back.”
It wasn’t in the game plan for him to run, but without his criss-cross dashes which gained 37 and 42 yards, Ole Miss might have been two touchdowns shorter and never in contention.
“Sometimes you just have to take advantage of a running situation,” Manning said, even though both electrifying runs left him exhausted.
If Mississippi had scored once more, acting coach Frank Kinard said, there would have been a try for a two-point conversion.
“We came here to win; not to tie,” he said.
Auburn took home the winners trophy, thanks to quarterback Pat Sullivan’s personal high of 386 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for one. And what proved the decisive points came on Larry Willingham’s 55-yard punt return.
But Mississippi took home its pride, which desperately needed restoring after that 61-17 loss to Louisiana State in the Dec. 5 battle for the Southeastern Conference championship.