OXFORD — It was a game, Lane Kiffin said, that he and his players will remember for the rest of their lives.

Unfortunately for Kiffin and No. 11 Ole Miss, those memories will be anything but pleasant.

Ole Miss blew two leads on Saturday, dropping a 30-24 decision to No. 10 Alabama Saturday in front of a sold-out, raucous Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

“We had a two-year home winning streak on the line, playing Alabama and the ball in our hands to win,” Kiffin said. “We didn’t do it. We’ve watched two other teams do it this, Tennessee and LSU, and we had a chance to do it.”

Ole Miss had one final chance Saturday, driving from its own 25-yard-line to the Alabama before 14 before the drive stalled. The Rebels’ final play, a fourth-and-15 from the Alabama 20, was ineffective, as Jaxson Dart’s throw into the end zone, one intended for Jonathan Mingo, never had a chance.

Ole Miss fell to 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the Southeastern Conference. With the loss, combined with LSU’s win at Arkansas earlier in the day, the Rebels were eliminated from the SEC title race. LSU clinched it with the Rebels’ loss and will play the SEC East winner — likely Georgia — in early December in Atlanta.

The Rebels’ long-shot College Football Playoff hopes were also distinguished with the loss. Ole Miss’ final two games — at Arkansas Saturday and at home versus Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night — will be for pride and bowl placement.

“We didn’t finish,” Kiffin said. “It’s really a shame and a waste of a lot of things.”

The final drive, Kiffin said, “went really fast.”

After a nine-yard pass from Dart to Dayton Wade, freshman Quinshon Judkins rushed 35 yards to the Alabama 31. A three-yard pass to Judkins was followed by a 14-yard Judkins run to the Alabama 14. Judkins never touched the ball again.

On first down, the Rebels dialed up a fade route to Malik Heath, who felt outside pressure and cut it inside. Dart threw the fade anyway. Dart kept it himself on second down but was stopped for non gain and then was sacked by Byron Young on third down.

“We didn’t make the plays at the end,” Kiffin said. “Unfortunately, it’s going to be one of those games you’ll remember your whole life. It was right there with a chance to win.”

Alabama scored on its first possession of the fourth quarter. Will Reichard hit a 23-yard field goal with 11:23 left, giving the Crimson Tide its first lead of the day. Reichard added a 49-yard field goal with 2:23 left in the game, setting up Ole Miss’ final opportunity.

“Make one more play,” Kiffin said when asked about taking the next step as a program. “It’s not a magic formula where we have to go change all these things. Games come down to one possession, one play games like that and one side makes the plays and finds a way to win.”

Ole Miss jumped out to a 10-0 lead, getting a 1-yard touchdown run from Judkins on a direct snap on third-and-goal with 1:43 left in the first quarter and then Jonathan Cruz’s 22-yard field goal with 12:08 left in the second quarter.

Alabama answered Cruz’s field goal with a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Bryce Young’s 19-yard pass to Jermaine Burton with 8:55 left before halftime.

Ole Miss responded, extending its lead back to 10 points five minutes later. After Tavius Robinson forced a fumble that was recovered by Otis Reese, the Rebels marched 51 yards on seven plays, capped by Judkins’ second 1-yard TD run on a direct snap.

The Rebels couldn’t keep momentum into the half, however. Zach Evans fumbled on the Ole Miss 23. Terrion Arnold recovered, and a few plays later, Young connected with tight end Cameron Latu on an eight-yard pass with eight seconds left in the half, cutting the Rebels’ lead to 17-14.

“That was obviously discouraging,” Kiffin said.

Reichard hit a 39-yard field goal with 12:31 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 17-17.

Ole Miss answered with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive, one that culminated with Jaxson Dart’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Mingo, giving the Rebels a 24-17 lead with 7:28 to go in the third quarter.

Alabama responded in kind, driving 75 yards on 14 plays, capped by Young’s 5-yard touchdown throw to Ja’Corey Brooks with 1:23 left in the third quarter, setting the stage for a dramatic fourth quarter.

Notes:

— With his second touchdown run Saturday, Judkins broke the school record for rushing TDs in a season with 15.

— Evans suffered a head injury in the second quarter on the play in which he fumbled. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game in the third quarter.

— Tight ends Michael Trigg and Casey Kelly and wide receiver Jaylon Robinson returned to the lineup after missing time to injuries over the last few weeks. All appeared to play limited roles Saturday.

— Wide receiver Jordan Watkins suffered a leg/ankle injury in the first quarter and was taken to the locker room. Watkins returned to the game in the second quarter.

— Miles Battle started in place of freshman cornerback Davison Igbinosun Saturday and played the overwhelming majority of the snaps opposite cornerback Deantre Prince.

— Former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, a rookie for the Carolina Panthers who is missing this season due to a foot injury, was back in Oxford Saturday for the Alabama-Ole Miss game. Corral led the Rebels to the Outback Bowl and the Sugar Bowl in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

— Ole Miss has posted its eighth shutout quarter in 2022 SEC play in the first quarter Saturday. The Rebels had just six shutout quarters in league play all of last season. It was the sixth quarter in which Alabama was shut out in the SEC this season compared to just three quarters all of last year.

— Ole Miss’ national championship baseball team received their title rings at halftime Saturday. The Rebels defeated Oklahoma, 2-0, in the final best-of-three series in Omaha in late June.