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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss-Texas Tech Indy Rematch Provides another Coaching Debut
6/21/1999 | Football
December 29, 1998
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - If he's not back in the hospital, David Cutcliffe will make his head coaching debut for Mississippi in an Independence Bowl with an ironic twist.
The Rebels (6-5) play New Year's Eve against Texas Tech, which played its first game under Spike Dykes in the 1986 Independence Bowl - against Ole Miss.
"It's like a mulligan in golf ... a can't lose situation," Dykes said. "It's a unique situation. You just have to rare back, go and have a good time.
"I find it very ironic that we are playing Ole Miss. Hopefully, the turnout will be the same as it was the last time for the new kid on the block."
The New Year's Eve matchup will be the first for Texas Tech (7-4) and Ole Miss since the Rebels used a late field goal to win the 1986 Independence Bowl 20-17.
While similar, the situation for the two coaches is also different.
Dykes had served on the Texas Tech staff for three full seasons before replacing Texas-bound David McWilliams two weeks before the bowl game.
Cutcliffe was offensive coordinator at No. 1 Tennessee, and a Vols assistant for 16 years, when he was named to replace Tommy Tuberville, who left Ole Miss for Auburn.
After being introduced as the new Ole Miss coach on Dec. 2, Cutcliffe returned to coach his final game at Tennessee, a 24-14 victory over No. 25 Mississippi State in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game. That secured the Volunteers a shot at the national championship.
But instead of turning his attention to the Fiesta Bowl and No. 2 Florida State, Cutcliffe took over at Ole Miss, working a series of 18-hour days that likely attributed to his bout with pancreatitis.
The inflammation of his pancreas gland required a four-night hospital stay and delayed his arrival in Shreveport by a day. While out of the hospital, Cutcliffe is still experiencing intense pain in both his stomach and back.
"The doctors told me what I can and can't do. I've got to be careful because I don't need a relapse," Cutcliffe said.
The coach's diet the past week has included only IVs during the hospital stay over Christmas - and Gatorade and Ensure since.
"I'm not going to try to kid anybody and tell you I feel great, but I do feel better and I can do everything I need to do to coach this team," he said.
Cutcliffe led the Rebels through a two-hour practice session Monday, then went back to his hotel room to rest and watch film.
It has been a hectic three-plus weeks for Cutcliffe, who first had to hire a staff and jump headstrong into recruiting. All of that, in addition to learning about his new team that he had to prepare for a game - not next fall, but right away.
A week after arriving in Oxford, and before six days of pre-bowl workouts on campus, the coach met with quarterbacks Romaro Miller and David Morris, All-American tight end Rufus French and 1,000-yard rusher Deuce McAllister.
The players and their new coach talked offensive terminology, since Cutcliffe's system at Tennessee varied from what the Rebels have done this season. With only about 15 practice sessions, there was not enough time for a total overhaul and to prepare to play a game.
"We had to question them about a lot of things ... it's a different language," Cutcliffe said. "A lot of the things are the same, but you have to hear what they have to say and then formulate a picture in your mind.
"We've had a lot of late nights and we've managed to overcome that and, at least, we can all understand each other right now."
While Cutcliffe goes for his first head coaching victory, Dykes is now "dean" of the Big 12 coaches with 12 seasons, and his 76 victories is tied with Pete Cawthon for the most by a Texas Tech coach.
