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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football Looks Forward To Showdown With Tide
10/11/1999 | Football
Oct. 11, 1999
OXFORD, Miss. -- After defeating Tulane 20-13 last Saturday, Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe is ready to get his team prepared for a nationally televised game against Southeastern Conference foe Alabama on Oxford this Saturday. The game is slated for a 2:30 p.m. CST kickoff and will be carried nationally by CBS.
"We are looking forward to a big challenge this weekend," Cutcliffe said at his Monday press conference. "Alabama has one of the top players in the country in Shaun Alexander, and we are excited to have the opportunity to play in a big game."
Ole Miss enters the game ranked 22nd in the country with a 5-1 overall record and a 2-1 mark in the SEC. The 11th-ranked Crimson Tide enters with a 4-1 overall record and is 3-0 in the SEC.
"It's obviously a big game since we already have a conference loss and they are undefeated," Cutcliffe said. "But, you can't put all your eggs in one basket. Every game is going to big from here on out for us."
Offensively, the Rebels are led by junior quarterback Romaro Miller who has thrown for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in six games this season.
Sophomore tailback Joe Gunn leads the ground attack for Ole Miss with a 106.2 yard per game average, which is second in the SEC. Gunn has rushed for 637 yards this season and has three touchdowns.
Defensively, Ole Miss is ranked second in the country at stopping the run, holding opponents to 45.0 yards per game. The Rebels have also recorded at least one sack in 17 consecutive games and is second in the nation with 23 sacks on the year.
Senior tackle Kendrick Clancy leads the Rebels' defense with six sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Clancy is second on the team with 31 total tackles, while linebacker Eddie Strong leads the team with 46.
The Crimson Tide had last weekend off after defeating Florida 40-39 two weeks ago. Heisman Trophy candidate Shaun Alexander is second in the nation with a 203.6 total yards per game average and is averaging 144.0 rushing yards per game for Alabama.
Saturday's meeting will be the 47th between the Rebels and Crimson Tide, with Alabama holding a 37-7-2 advantage. Alabama has won the last eight meetings, including last year's 20-17 overtime victory in Tuscaloosa.
In addition to CBS, the game can be heard on the Ole Miss and Alabama radio networks.
