AUBURN, Ala. – Ole Miss utility player Dexter McCluster went over the 200-yard mark of total offense for the second straight game but took a pounding in the process.

McCluster, listed at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, carried 22 times for 186 yards. His 79-yard touchdown run was the Rebels’ only offensive scoring after the 10:31 mark of the first quarter.

McCluster was hit hard by a diving Auburn defender near the end of the third quarter and left with back spasms.

McCluster played in the fourth quarter, though he missed some time getting stretched out on the sidelines. “Other than that back spasm I felt good,” he said. “I felt worse last week.”

The Rebels had 219 net rushing yards. After McCluster, tailbacks Rodney Scott and Brandon Bolden combined for 25 yards.

Mixed results

- Though freshman Jesse Grandy had an 82-yard kick return for a touchdown – his second of the year – special teams play was a mixed bag of results.

Grandy fumbled the opening kick; it was recovered by a teammate, freshman LB Joel Kight.

Kicker Andrew Ritter had one kickoff sail out of bounds, giving Auburn the ball at the 40, the starting point for a Tigers’ drive that ended with a field goal.

Placement kicker Joshua Shene had a short, weak effort on a 44-yard field goal, and a botched extra point attempt after McCluster’s touchdown was scooped up by Auburn’s Demond Washington and returned for two points.

Washington, who played at Gulf Coast Community College, was a long-time Ole Miss verbal commit before signing with Auburn.

The bad PAT resulted when holder Justin Sparks dropped the ball.

The field goal miss was the first for Shene, who was 8-for-8.

Turnovers hurt again

- The Rebels continue to take a beating in the turnover game. They won 30-17 against Arkansas in spite of being minus-3 three in turnovers with two interceptions and a fumble.

They were minus-2 against Auburn with two more interceptions and one fumble lost.

Bolden’s fumble in the third quarter at the Auburn 26, as he was stretching for the first-down marker, was the Rebels’ first fumble this season on a handoff from the line of scrimmage.

Ole Miss began the day with turnover margin of minus-0.71 per game, 11th in the SEC and 96th in the nation.

Key drive

- Auburn’s 61-yard march to the end zone early in the third quarter ended with Kodi Burns’ 14-yard pass to tight end Tommy Trott gave Auburn a 17-7 lead and began a downward spiral that led to a 31-7 deficit for Ole Miss.

Quotable

- “We were up and down the field in the first half, and we needed 14 or 17 points out of that.” – Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt Next weekend

- The Rebels step out of SEC play at home against Northern Arizona. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. on CSS.

Rebel ramblings

- The Ole Miss defense surrendered season-highs in points (33) and yards (401). … Safety Johnny Brown had 10 tackles, leading the team for the third time this season. … End Greg Hardy had two sacks, raising his team-leading total to five. … McCluster’s 186 rushing yards is the most by an Ole Miss player since BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for 226 yards on 33 carries against Missouri in 2007. … WR Shay Hodge had seven catches for 105 yards, his second 100-yard game of the year. … The 13-point loss is the second-largest for Ole Miss under Hosuton Nutt.