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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Independence Bowl Gameday Information
12/20/1999 | Football
Dec. 20, 1999
Date: Friday, December 31, 1999
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Site: Shreveport, Louisiana
Stadium: Independence Stadium (50,459)
TV: ESPN (Rich Waltz, play-by-play, Gino Torretta, color analyst, Don McPherson, sideline reporter)
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play, Pete Cordelli, color analyst, Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter)
Records: Ole Miss finished the regular season with a 7-4 record after dropping its final two games by three points each to Georgia, 20-17, and Mississippi State, 23-20. The Rebels went 4-4 in SEC play, finishing third in the SEC Western Division ... Oklahoma also brings a 7-4 mark into the 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl. The Sooners went 5-3 in the Big 12, tying for second-place in the Big 12 South Division with Texas A&M and Texas Tech. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 44-7 in its regular-season finale on Nov. 27.
Coaches: The 1999 season marked Ole Miss' first full season under first-year head coach David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe took over the Rebel program Dec. 2, 1998 and led the Rebels to a win over Texas Tech in the 1998 Sanford Independence Bowl. This is Cutcliffe's first collegiate head coaching position, and he has a record of 8-4 ... Bob Stoops is also in his first year as head coach of the University of Oklahoma. Like Cutcliffe, this is Stoops' first head coaching position, and he directed the Sooners to a 7-4 record this fall. Prior to coming to Norman, Stoops spent the past three years as the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at the University of Florida.
Series Info: The 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl will mark the first-ever meeting between the Rebels and Sooners.
OLE MISS BOWL HISTORY: Ole Miss is making its 28th bowl appearance overall, and its fourth in the Independence Bowl. The 28 bowl appearances are tied for the 13th most in NCAA history. The four Independence Bowl appearances by the Rebels are the most by one school since the bowl started in 1976. Ole Miss is 2-1 in the Independence Bowl, losing 9-3 to Air Force in 1983, and defeating Texas Tech 20-17 in 1986 and 35-18 in 1998. Ole Miss is 16-11 overall in bowl games, with the 16 victories being tied with Florida State for the 11th most in college football history. The 1999 Independence Bowl will also be the Rebels' third straight bowl appearance, having defeating Marshall 34-31 in the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl and Texas Tech in last year's Independence Bowl.
OKLAHOMA BOWL HISTORY: The 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl marks the Sooners' 33rd bowl appearance in school history. The 33 appearances are the eighth most in NCAA history. Oklahoma is 20-12 all-time in bowl games and is tied for fifth in all-time bowl wins. The Sooners are making their first visit to the Independence Bowl and are in their first bowl game since the 1994 Copper Bowl. Oklahoma lost that game 31-6 to Brigham Young.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA: Oklahoma averaged 36.8 points and 427.2 yards of total offense per game in 1999. The Sooner offense is led by the passing of junior QB Josh Heupel, who passed for 3,460 yards with 30 TDs and 15 INTs.
Oklahoma had six different receivers catch at least 20 passes, led by seniors Brandon Daniels (50 rec., 572 yds., 3 TDs) and Jarrail Jackson (44 rec., 583 yds., 6 TDs). Senior Michael Thornton was Oklahoma's leading rusher with 383 yards on 78 carries, while playing in seven games this season. Defensively, the Sooners allowed an average of 18.4 points and 344.4 yards per game. Sophomore WLB Rocky Calmus and senior FS Rodney Rideau led Oklahoma in tackles with 114 and 111, respectively. Junior MLB Torrance Marshall was credited with a team-high seven sacks for 31 yards and 17 TFLs for 49 yards. Rideau led the team with four interceptions, and Oklahoma picked off 16 passes as a team. On special teams, sophomore PK Tim Duncan led the Sooners in scoring with 88 points, hitting on 11-of-16 field goals and 49-of-51 extra points. Sophomore P Jeff Ferguson averaged 42.4 yards on 54 punts. Daniels averaged 31.8 yards on 16 kickoff returns with one TD, and Jackson fielded 31 punts for a 10.2 average per return with one score.
1999 SANFORD INDEPENDENCE BOWL MARKS REBELS' THIRD STRAIGHT BOWL BID
The 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl gives Ole Miss three consecutive bowl appearances for the first time since the Rebels' run of 15 straight from the 1958 Sugar Bowl to the 1971 Peach Bowl under the legendary John Vaught and Billy Kinard. Vaught led Ole Miss to 14 of those appearances, with Kinard coaching the Rebels to the 1971 Peach Bowl.
Ole Miss joins Florida, Georgia and Tennessee as the only SEC schools to have earned a trip to a bowl game the past three seasons, and the Rebels are the only team from the SEC Western Division to do so.
OLE MISS AIMS FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT BOWL WIN
Ole Miss carries a three-game bowl winning streak into this year's Sanford Independence Bowl, its longest streak since winning five straight bowl games from 1956 to 1961 under the legendary John Vaught. During that stretch, Ole Miss defeated TCU, 14-13, in the 1956 Cotton Bowl, Texas, 39-7, in the 1958 Sugar Bowl, Florida, 7-3, in the 1958 Gator Bowl, LSU, 21-0, in the 1960 Sugar Bowl, and Rice, 14-6, in the 1961 Sugar Bowl.
In the Rebels' current three-game bowl win streak, they have defeated Air Force, 13-0, in the 1992 Liberty Bowl, Marshall, 34-31, in the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl, and Texas Tech, 35-18, in the 1998 Sanford Independence Bowl.
IN THE POLLS
After spending eight straight weeks ranked in one of the two major college football polls, Ole Miss dropped out of the rankings following a 23-20 loss to Mississippi State on Thanksgiving Night. In the regular-season's final rankings, Ole Miss finished first among "Others Receiving Votes" in The Associated Press Top 25 with 88 votes. The Rebels garnered 26 votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 25 to finish fourth among "Others Receiving Votes."
Ole Miss entered the polls on Oct. 3 with a No. 25 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today poll after a 36-10 win at South Carolina on Oct. 2. Ole Miss climbed as high as to No. 16 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls on Nov. 14 before losing to Georgia 20-17. The No. 16 ranking was Ole Miss' highest in either of the two major polls since being rated No. 16 in both of the final 1992 Associated Press and United Press International (UPI) polls.
REBELS POST THIRD STRAIGHT WINNING CAMPAIGN
Ole Miss' 7-4 regular season gave the Rebels three straight winning seasons for the first time since finishing 6-5 three consecutive years from 1975-77. The seven wins also gave the Rebels three consecutive seasons with at least seven wins since doing so in four straight years from 1968-71. Ole Miss went 8-4 in 1997 and 7-5 in 1998.
REBELS ON TV
With ESPN's telecast of the 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl, Ole Miss will tie the school record for most TV appearances in a season of seven set in 1997. This will be the Rebels' second appearance on ESPN this season, and their fourth on either ESPN or ESPN2. ESPN also televised Ole Miss' Thanksgiving Night game at Mississippi State, while ESPN2 carried the Nov. 6 game against Arkansas and the Nov. 20 contest with Georgia. The four appearances by Ole Miss on the ESPN networks is the most by the Rebels since also making four appearances on either ESPN or ESPN2 in 1996.
Overall, this will be the Rebels' 104th TV appearance dating back to Ole Miss' first network TV appearance in the 1953 Sugar Bowl against Georgia Tech, and their 10th overall on ESPN. Ole Miss is 46-56-2 all-time in TV games, including 4-5 on ESPN. The Rebels went 2-4 in TV games this season, and are 17-23 in TV games during the decade of the 1990s.
1999 FIRST-YEAR COACHES
Head coach David Cutcliffe was one of 20 NCAA Division I-A coaches in 1999 that were in their first year at their respective school. He was also one of 10 new coaches, like Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, that took their new position after serving as an assistant coach the year before. Of the 20 new head coaches in 1999, Cutcliffe was one of seven to lead his squad to a bowl game, and his 7-4 record was tied for the third-best out of the group of 20 new head coaches on the NCAA Division I-A level in 1999. The following list shows the 1999 record for the 20 new head coaches:
| Coach, School | W-L |
| Jack Bicknell, Jr., Louisiana Tech | 8-4 |
| June Jones, Hawaii | 8-4* |
| David Cutcliffe, Ole Miss | 7-4* |
| Dennis Erickson, Oregon State | 7-4* |
| Terry Hoeppner, Miami (OH) | 7-4 |
| Rick Neuheisel, Washington | 7-4* |
| Bob Stoops, Oklahoma | 7-4* |
| Gary Barnett, Colorado | 6-5* |
| Tommy Bowden, Clemson | 6-5* |
| Bobby Keasler, UL-Monroe | 5-6 |
| Tommy Tuberville, Auburn | 5-6 |
| Carl Franks, Duke | 3-8 |
| John Robinson, UNLV | 3-8 |
| Chris Scelfo, Tulane | 3-8 |
| Randy Walker, Northwestern | 3-8 |
| Andy McCollum, Middle-Tennessee State | 2-9 |
| Jerry Baldwin, UL-Lafayette | 1-10 |
| Kirk Ferentz, Iowa | 1-10 |
| Kevin Steele, Baylor | 1-10 |
| Lou Holtz, South Carolina | 0-11 |
Including the 1998 Sanford Independence Bow, first-year head coach David Cutcliffe's 8-4 record at Ole Miss ranks among the best 12-game starts by a Rebel coach in school history. Harry J. Mehre, Billy Kinard and John Vaught own the best 12-game start by a coach in school history with a 10-2 record. The following chart shows the top-five 12-game starts by an Ole Miss coach and what his team did in his 13th game:
| Coach | W-L-T | Pct. | Next |
| Harry J. Mehre (1938-39) | 10-2-0 | .833 | W |
| Billy Kinard (1971) | 10-2-0 | .833 | W |
| John Vaught (1947) | 10-2-0 | .833 | W |
| William Driver (1913-14) | 8-3-1 | .708 | W |
| David Cutcliffe (1998-99) | 8-4-0 | .667 | ? |
HAVEN'T WE MET BEFORE?
Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe and Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops will be no strangers to each other on the sidelines of the Sanford Independence Bowl. Before taking their respective jobs, Cutcliffe served as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee while Stoops was the defensive coordinator for the Volunteers' arch-rival the Florida Gators.
OLE MISS VS. THE BIG 12
The 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl meeting with Oklahoma will mark Ole Miss' second game against a school from the Big 12 since the league started playing football in 1996 following the merger the Big 8 and four Texas schools from the old Southwest Conference. The first came in last year's Independence Bowl when the Rebels defeated Texas Tech 35-18. However, throughout its football history, Ole Miss has played five different schools that are currently in the Big 12, and has a 4-13 record. The following chart shows the Rebels' record against Big 12 opponents:
| First | Last | ||
| School | W-L-T | Meeting | Meeting |
| Baylor | 0-1-0 | 1975 | 1975 |
| Missouri | 1-3-0 | 1973 | 1979 |
| Texas | 1-5-0 | 1912 | 1966 |
| Texas A&M | 0-4-0 | 1911 | 1980 |
| Texas Tech | 2-0-0 | 1986 | 1998 |
REBELS VS. BIG 12 IN BOWL GAMES
Since the Big 12 started football operations in 1996, the Rebels are 1-0 versus the conference in bowl games with Ole Miss defeating Texas Tech last season. Throughout the Rebels' bowl history, Ole Miss has played five bowl games against schools currently in the Big 12, and are 3-2 in those games. The following chart shows the Rebels' five bowl games against current Big 12 schools:
1958 Sugar- Ole Miss 39, Texas 71962 Cotton- Texas 12, Ole Miss 71966 Bluebonnet- Texas 19, Ole Miss 01986 Independence- Ole Miss 20, Texas Tech 171998 Independence- Ole Miss 35, Texas Tech 18REBELS LOOK TO CONTINUE WIN STREAK VS. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
With non-conference wins over Memphis, Arkansas State and Tulane this season, Ole Miss will carry an 18-game win streak against non-conference opponents into the 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl against Oklahoma. The last time the Rebels lost a non-conference game was against Memphis, 17-16, in Oxford back on Nov. 5, 1994. During the 18-game streak, Ole Miss' average margin of victory has been 16.9 points, outscoring its non-conference foes 581-278. The following chart shows Ole Miss' 18-game win streak against non-conference foes beginning with a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994:
| Date | Opponent | Result |
| 10-9-99 | Tulane | W, 20-13 |
| 9-11-99 | Arkansas State | W, 38-14 |
| 9-4-99 | at Memphis | W, 3-0 |
| 12-31-98 | vs. Texas Tech@ | W, 35-18 |
| 10-24-98 | Arkansas State | W, 30-17 |
| 9-26-98 | at SMU | W, 48-41 (OT) |
| 9-5-98 | Memphis | W, 30-10 |
| 12-26-97 | vs. Marshall# | W, 34-31 |
| 11-15-97 | at Tulane | W, 41-24 |
| 9-6-97 | SMU | W, 23-15 |
| 8-30-97 | Central Florida | W, 24-23 (OT) |
| 10-26-96 | Arkansas State | W, 38-21 |
| 9-7-96 | VMI | W, 31-7 |
| 8-31-96 | Idaho State | W, 38-14 |
| 11-4-95 | at Memphis | W, 34-3 |
| 10-7-95 | Tulane | W, 20-17 |
| 9-9-95 | Indiana State | W, 56-10 |
| 11-12-94 | at Tulane | W, 38-0 |
#- Ford Motor City Bowl (Pontiac, Mich.)
CLANCY, METCALF, WADE EARN ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Ole Miss had three players - senior DT Kendrick Clancy (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), sophomore OG Terrence Metcalf (Clarks-dale, Miss.)and senior OT Todd Wade (Jackson, Miss.) earn All-America honors this season from either the Football News or The Sporting News. Clancy was a third team pick by both publications, Metcalf garnered second team accolades from The Sporting News,and Wade was a second team selection by the Football News.
ALL-SEC HONORS
Ole Miss had seven players earn All-Southeastern Conference from The Associated Press and five Rebels made the All-SEC team selected by the conference's coaches.
- Junior RB Deuce McAllister (Morton, Miss.) and senior OT Todd Wade were first team selections by the AP on offense.
- Junior PK Les Binkley (Memphis, Tenn.), sophomore RB Joe Gunn (Amory, Miss.) and senior WR Cory Peterson (Germantown, Tenn.) were second team AP All-SEC selections, and McAllister also made the second team as an all-purpose player. Senior DT Kendrick Clancy and senior LB Armegis Spearman (Bruce, Miss.) were named to the second team All-SEC defense.
- On the coaches' team, McAllister and Wade earned first team honors, while Gunn, senior OT Tutan Reyes (Queens, N.Y.) and sophomore LB Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.) earned second team accolades.
- Clancy, Wade and Gunn also earned first team All-SEC honors from the Football News.
CLAXTON EARNS POSTSEASON FRESHMAN HONORS
Redshirt freshman center Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.) was named a first team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News, and was a Freshman All-SEC pick by the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Claxton started all 11 games this season and handled virtually every single snap this season.
McALLISTER WINS CONERLY TROPHY
Deuce McAllister was awarded the 1999 Conerly Trophy, given to the top collegiate player in the state of Mississippi. He is the second Ole Miss player to win the four-year old award. Former Quarterback Stewart Patridge won the second award in 1997. The trophy is named in honor of the late Charlie Conerly, who was an All-American at Ole Miss and an All-Pro with the New York Giants.
ALL-STAR REBELS
Three Ole Miss seniors have been invited to participate in two postseason all-star games. Senior DT Kendrick Clancy and senior OT Todd Wade are scheduled to participate in the 2000 Senior Bowl All-Star Game in Mobile, Ala., and senior LB Armegis Spearman is slated to appear in the 2000 Hula Bowl Maui All-Star Football Classic in Hawaii.
PETERSON NAMED MOST VALUABLE SENIOR
Senior WR Cory Peterson was named Ole Miss' most valuable senior by the Jackson Touchdown Club. Peterson registered 46 receptions in 1999 for 610 yards and four TDs. He finished 10th in the SEC in receptions per game with an average of 4.18 per game. Peterson also averaged 8.5 yards per punt return on 24 returns, ranking seventh in the SEC.
RECORD BREAKER
Deuce McAllister rewrote part of the Ole Miss Record Book in 1999. The junior running back set new single-season standards for all purpose yards and kickoff returns, and in the process established a new career mark in all purpose yards.
McAllister's 1,692 all purpose yards broke Parker Hall's 61-year old school record of 1,529. Despite playing in only 10 games, McAllister registered 809 yards rushing, 201 yards receiving and 682 kickoff return yards. Hall, a former All-American, tallied 807 rushing yards and 722 return yards off kickoffs, punts and interceptions in 1938.
McAllister's 682 kickoff return yards on 25 attempts shattered Pat Coleman's 1988 record of 580 on 28 returns.
After three full seasons, McAllister has amassed 3,401 all purpose yards to break J.R. Ambrose's (1984-87) career record of 3,186.
McALLISTER HAS CAREER DAY AGAINST RAZORBACKS
Deuce McAllister recorded a career-high 317 all-purpose yards against Arkansas on Nov. 6, surpassing his previous high of 269 yards against Alabama on Oct. 16, and was 10 yards shy of school single-game record of 327 set by Pat Coleman in a 1989 game against Tulane. McAllister registered a school single-game record with 158 kickoff return yards on three attempts against the Razorbacks - including a 100-yard return for a TD on the game's opening kickoff - rushed for 125 yards on 21 carries and caught two passes for 34 yards. For his performance against the Razorbacks he was named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week and was voted as CBS SportsLine's Player of the Week for Week No. 10 of the college football seasons by fans across the country.
The 317 all-purpose yards was the most by an Ole Miss player since John Avery recorded 292 all-purpose yards versus Alabama on Oct. 25, 1997. The 317-yard performance by McAllister was also his third of three consecutive games in which he tallied at least 250 all purpose yards. McAllister gained 269 all purpose yards against Alabama on Oct. 16 and 258 at LSU on Oct. 30.
DEUCE IS ON THE LOOSE
Deuce McAllister brings a streak of four straight 100-yard rushing performances into the Dec. 31 Sanford Independence Bowl. The string started with a 140-yard, 25-carry performance at LSU on Oct. 30. The following week against Arkansas on Nov. 6, McAllister rushed for 125 yards on 21 carries. He then ended the regular-season with 104 yards on nine attempts versus Georgia on Nov. 20, and 134 yards on 36 rushes at Mississippi State Thanksgiving Night. McAllister's four consecutive 100-yard rushing games is the longest streak by a Rebel since John Avery had four straight 100-yard rushing performances in 1997. For his career, McAllister has recorded nine 100-yard games, one shy of the school record held by Dou Innocent (1991-92, 94-95).
McALLISTER NAMED TO AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM
Deuce McAllister was one of four SEC players to be named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) 1999 Good Works Team, announced earlier this season. The team honors athletes who show exceptional dedication to community service and to the betterment of the communities in which they live. Athletic ability or statistics were not part of the criteria.
Among McAllister's contributions to the Oxford community have been visiting children at the Mother Goose Day Care Center, helping build a community playground and being a mentor at Bramlett Elementary School.
McAllister has also served as a basketball referee for the Mississippi Special Olympics in Decatur, Miss., been a football camp counselor at middle and high schools in Jackson, Miss., and this past December during Ole Miss' trip to the Independence Bowl, McAllister visited the local children's hospital in Shreveport, La.
GUNN FALLS SHY OF 1,000-YARD MARK
Sophomore RB Joe Gunn fell 49 yards shy of becoming just the third Ole Miss player to record 1,000 yards rushing in a single season. Gunn entered the season-finale at Mississippi State needing 59 yards rushing to join Kayo Dottley (1947-50) and Deuce McAllister as the only 1,000-yard rushers in school history. However, Gunn left the game after twisting an ankle in the first quarter to finish with 10 yards on just two carries. He finished the season with 951 yards rushing, the sixth-highest single-season total in school history, and ranked second in the SEC in rushing with an average of 86.5 yards per game.
ONE-TWO PUNCH
The tandem of RBs Joe Gunn and Deuce McAllister formed one of the nation's top one-two rushing punches in 1999. The two combined to rush for 1,760 yards to rank as the fourth-best rushing tandem in the nation. Twice this season, both backs rushed for at least 100 yards in the same game. Against LSU on Oct. 30, McAllister rushed for 140 yards on 25 carries with two TDs and Gunn added 135 yards on 19 carries with two TDs. Two games later versus Georgia on Nov. 20, McAllister registered 104 yards on nine attempts with one TD, and Gunn rushed 12 times for 103 yards. The following chart shows the country's top-five rushing duos this season, with both backs carrying at least 100 times this season, or averaging 9.1 carries per game:
| Tandem, School | Avg/PG | |
| 1. | Thomas Hamner and Billy Cockerham, Minnesota | 197.0 |
| 2. | Ketic Sanford and Mike Green, Houston | 185.2 |
| 3. | Shyrone Stith and Andre Kendrick, Virginia Tech | 160.4 |
| 4. | Joe Gunn and Deuce McAllister, Ole Miss | 160.0 |
| 5. | Larry Ned and Jonas Lewis, San Diego St. | 155.1 |
PETERSON MAKES HISTORY IN 1999
Senior WR Cory Peterson caught 46 passes this season to become just the second Ole Miss player to post three straight seasons with at least 40 receptions. The other was Ta'Boris Fisher (1993-96), who caught 41 passes in 1994, 45 in 1995, and 40 in 1996. Peterson recorded 40 receptions in 1997, 41 in 1998 and 46 this season.
PETERSON FINISHES CAREER HIGH ON THE CHARTS
Cory Peterson ended his four-year career at Ole Miss as one of the most prolific receivers in school history. He will leave Ole Miss ranked second in career receptions with 135, four shy of the school record of 139 set by Ta'Boris Fisher. Peterson also ranks third in career receiving yards at Ole Miss with 1,842.
PETERSON LOOKS TO EXTEND STREAK
Cory Peterson brings a streak of 21 straight games with at least one reception into the Dec. 31 Sanford Independence Bowl against Oklahoma, including three catches in last year's Independence Bowl versus Texas Tech. The last time Peterson failed to catch at least one pass was against Auburn in the second game of the 1998 campaign. The 21-game streak is the longest by an Ole Miss player since Ta'Boris Fisher caught a pass in 21 straight over the course of the 1993, 1994 and 1995 seasons.
BINKLEY SETS SCORING RECORD
Junior PK Les Binkley established a new Ole Miss single-season record for scoring by a kicker in 1999, recording 78 points to break Brian Lee's 1992 record of 70. Binkley hit on 14-of-16 field goal attempts this season, including 5-of-6 from 40 yards and out. He hit a career-long 49-yarder in the regular-season finale at Mississippi State on Thanksgiving Night. Binkley also converted on all 36 extra-point attempts. The streak of 36 consecutive extra points is the fourth-longest streak in school history.
OH, SO CLOSE!
Junior QB Romaro Miller (Shannon, Miss.) came within one passing yard of becoming the first Ole Miss signal-caller to record back-to-back seasons with at least 2,000 yards passing. Miller needed 151 yards passing in the season-finale at Mississippi State but finished the game with 150 yards on 13-of-27 passing with two TDs and two INTs. For the season, Miller completed 147-of-270 passes for 1,999 yards with 14 TDs and seven interceptions.
MILLER SETS NEW STANDARD IN 1999
While QB Romaro Miller fell short in his quest to become the first Ole Miss quarterback to record back-to-back seasons of 2,000 or more yards passing, Miller did set a new school standard in another respect this season. With his six 200-yard passing games in 1999, Miller became the first quarterback in school history to have back-to-back seasons with at least five 200-yard passing games. Miller registered seven 200-yard performances last season.
Against Alabama on Oct. 16, Miller threw for 217 yards to register his 12th career 200-yard passing game and breaking Kent Austin's school record of 11.
SACK ATTACK
Ole Miss recorded one QB sack against Mississippi State Thanksgiving Night to give the Rebels at least one QB sack in their last 23 games, including last year's Independence Bowl. The last time Ole Miss did not record at least one QB sack was in the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl versus Marshall. The Rebels registered 37 sacks as a team this season, tying for the third-most in the SEC. The 37 sacks is the most by an Ole Miss team since being credited with 39 in 1992. Senior DT Kendrick Clancy led the team in sacks this season with seven for 39 yards.
YOUNG FACES MAKE AN IMPACT IN 1999
Ole Miss had 17 redshirt or true freshmen see action in 1999, including seven true freshmen. Redshirt freshmen that saw their first career action this season were: OL German Bello (Pompano Beach,Fla.), DE Justin Blake (Selbyville, Del.), DT Dusty Braddock (Laurel, Miss.), WR Todd Campbell (Franklin, Tenn.), OL Belton Johnson (Coffeeville, Tenn.), DB Desmon Johnson (Okmulgee, Okla.), DE Yahrek Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.), FB Toward Sanford (Batesville, Miss.), DB Darius Tate (Atlanta, Ga.), and TE Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio).
Sanford played in all 11 games, including starting the last seven at fullback after sophomore Charles Stackhouse (West Memphis, Tenn.) went down with a knee injury against Auburn on Sept. 25. Zeigler, a converted quarterback, played in 10 games, drawing two starts, and caught four passes for 83 yards.
Seeing action as true freshmen this season were: RB Ian Bass (Nashville, Tenn.), LB Lanier Goethie (Baxley, Ga.), LB Ryan Hamilton (Miami, Fla.), TE Justin Sawyer (Centreville, Miss.), WR Wes Scott (Memphis, Tenn.), RB Tremaine Turner (Springfield, Tenn.), and RB Robert Williams (Gadsen, Ala.).
Williams played in all 11 games and had 12 rushes for 57 yards, and Turner appeared in 10 games and rushed 13 times for 55 yards.
Starting center Ben Claxton, a first team freshman All-American by The Sporting News, was a redshirt freshman this season, but played in two games in 1998 before being injured and was granted a medical redshirt.
1999 SENIORS
Ole Miss will have 17 seniors playing in their final game in the Sanford Independence Bowl on Dec. 31. The 1999 seniors have a four-year mark of 27-19, including victories in the 1997 Ford Motor City and 1998 Sanford Independence Bowls, and will be making their third straight bowl appearance.
The 27 wins is the most by a Rebel senior class since the 1993 seniors registered a four-year record of 29-17 from 1990-93.
This year's Ole Miss senior class includes: TE Adam Bettis (Sherwood, Ark.), DT Michael Boone (West Helena, Ark.), DT Kendrick Clancy, DT Comone Fisher (Houston, Texas), LB Ronnie Heard (Lake Jackson, Texas), C Bobby Killion (Crowley, Texas), WR Ronnie Letson (Norcross, Ga.), K Carlisle McGee (Greenville, Miss.), WR Sheldon Morris (Jacksonville, Fla.), WR Cory Peterson, OL Tutan Reyes, LB Al Rice (Hattiesburg, Miss.), LB Armegis Spearman, CB Tim Strickland (Memphis, Tenn.), OT Todd Wade, DT Tyler Williams (Mayslanding, N.J.), and WR Trent Wright (Mobile, Ala.).
EXTRA POINTS
- Ole Miss is 66-48 (.579 winning percentage) during the 1990s, marking the Rebels most successful decade since winning 77 games during the 1960s.
- The 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl will mark the third time Ole Miss has played in a New Year's Eve bowl game. The Rebels are 2-0 in those games, having defeated Air Force 13-0 in the 1992 Liberty Bowl and Texas Tech 35-18 in last year's Sanford Independence Bowl.
- The Rebels' average of 182.5 yards rushing per game in 1999, was the most by an Ole Miss squad since averaging 208.2 yards rushing per game in 1990.
- Ole Miss finished fourth in the nation versus the run, yielding an average of 76.9 yards per game. That is the lowest average posted by a Rebel defense against the run since allowing 74.1 yards per game in 1966.
- Deuce McAllister ranks second at Ole Miss for career rushing TDs with 23, two behind career leader Archie Manning.
- Romaro Miller ended his third year at Ole Miss, his second as a starter, fifth on both of the school's career lists for passing yards and total offense. Miller has thrown for 4,298 yards and has accumulated 4,313 yards of total offense.