Let's rewind to late in the second quarter.

An Ole Miss touchdown had just pushed the Rebels' lead to 17-3. Then came a hit that Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts will probably never forget.

Ole Miss star defensive end Marquis Haynes was left unblocked. He capitalized by delivering a crushing shot to the upper body of an unsuspecting Hurts, who fumbled and was sent flying backwards. The fumble was recovered by Rebels defensive lineman John Youngblood and returned 44 yards for a touchdown that gave Ole Miss a 24-3 lead.

So, this is where things stood at that point. Alabama was down by 21 points just before halftime to one of its biggest current rivals. Hurts and the offense were struggling, and Hurts had just been drilled by Haynes and given up a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. And remember, this was the 18-year old's first career start on the road and his first game against an SEC opponent.

Most freshman quarterbacks would begin to unravel in that type of situation. Not Hurts.

No. 1 Alabama came back to beat No. 19 Ole Miss, 48-43 -- led by its uncommonly mature and poised true freshman quarterback.

"He showed that he's not your typical freshman," UA linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton said. "First SEC game. On the road. We were down, and he led the team. ... He really grew up this game."

While Hurts only threw for 158 yards, he ran for 146, including 94 on nine carries during the second half.

He became the first Alabama quarterback to rush for 100-plus yards in a game since Tyler Watts in 2001. The 146 yards are the fifth-most a Tide quarterback has ever rushed for.

The most important Hurts run was probably a 41-yarder during the fourth quarter. Up by four, Alabama got the ball back with 9:36 remaining. Hurts broke the run on the first play of that drive. He was finally tackled at Ole Miss' 17-yard line.

Damien Harris capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown that pushed the Tide's lead to 41-30 -- after two more Hurts runs got Alabama to the Rebels 1-yard line.

There were also other notable Hurts runs, like a 14-yard scramble during the third quarter that converted a third-and-10 and got the Tide to Ole Miss' 20-yard line.

Then, after a holding penalty pushed Alabama back to the 25-yard line, a Hurts 11-yard run put the Tide back in range for a short Adam Griffith field goal, which gave Alabama its first lead of the game.

"I thought Jalen Hurts did a really good job of managing the game today," coach Nick Saban said. "Obviously made a lot of yards rushing. We have to continue to work on the passing game."

Led by Hurts, the Tide posted 492 yards of total offense and 22 first downs.

There was also this, something that happened behind the scenes that will add to teammates' respect for their freshman quarterback.

To go along with what Hurts did on the field, Hamilton remembers Hurts being vocal in the locker room during halftime.

At the time, Alabama trailed, 24-17. Hamilton remembers Hurts confidently telling teammates, "Hey guys, we're still in it."

Hamilton also referenced how Hurts bounced back following the fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

The first play of Alabama's ensuing drive was a 22-yard pass from Hurts to Calvin Ridley. Then, Hurts ran for 22 yards. The Tide then scored a touchdown on the next play to cut the deficit to 24-10. That was the beginning of the comeback.

"I liked how we was looking when we were down 24-3," Hamilton said. "Look what he did. He led us down there and scored. That just shows what kind of guy he is."