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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Football Plays at SMU
6/21/1999 | Football
September 21, 1998
Game 4 at SMU
- Saturday, September 26, 2:00PM
- Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
REBELS TRAVEL TO BIG "D" TO FACE SMU: The Ole Miss Rebels will make their first appearance in the Cotton Bowl since the 1962 Cotton Bowl game when they travel to Dallas Saturday to take on SMU. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. The game can be heard on the Ole Miss Radio Network along its 39 affiliates across Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Missouri. The Ole Miss Radio Network broadcast can also be heard on the official Ole Miss athletic web site at www.OleMissSports.com. Ole Miss improved its record to 2-1, and evened its Southeastern Conference mark to 1-1, with a 30-6 victory over Vanderbilt in Nashville this past Saturday. SMU, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, is 0-3 on the year after losing 44-17 at Arkansas this past Saturday.
Rebels on Television & Radio
- Television.: None
- Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Pete Cordelli, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter)
- Internet: The Ole Miss Radio Network broadcast of the game can be heard on the internet at www.OleMissSports.com.
OLE MISS-SMU SERIES: Saturday's game in the Cotton Bowl will mark just the third time Ole Miss and SMU have met on the gridiron. The Mustangs won the first meeting, 52-0, back in 1929 in Dallas. Ole Miss evened the series with a 23-15 victory last year in Oxford.
REBELS AT THE COTTON BOWL: While the Rebels haven't played SMU in Dallas since 1929, Ole Miss has made two appearances in Dallas since then n both in the Cotton Bowl game. Ole Miss made appearances in the 1956 and 1962 Cotton Bowls and split its two games there. The Rebels defeated Texas Christian, 14-13, in the 1956 game and lost to Texas, 12-7, in 1962. Ole Miss also played a game in nearby Fort Worth back in 1983, defeating Texas Christian, 20-7.
OLE MISS VERSUS TEXAS SCHOOLS: The Rebels have had pretty good success against Texas schools during its history. Ole Miss has played 11 different colleges from Texas and has posted a 30-16 record.
OLE MISS IN GAMES PLAYED IN THE LONGHORN STATE: Ole Miss has played 20 games inside the Longhorn State and has registered a 7-13 mark in those contests. Ole Miss' last trip to Texas was in 1983 when the Rebels defeated Texas Christian, 20-7, in Fort Worth.
OLE MISS VERSUS THE WAC: Ole Miss has played 16 games against six schools that currently are members of the 16-team Western Athletic Conference during its history, including two against SMU. The Rebels have a 9-7 record against WAC teams, including a 1-1 mark versus SMU. Head coach Tommy Tuberville is 1-0 against WAC schools at Ole Miss, the lone win coming last year against the Mustangs in Oxford.
Ole Miss Schedule/Results
2-1 Overall, 1-1 SEC
Sept. 5 MEMPHIS W, 30-10Sept. 12 AUBURN* L, 0-17Sept. 19 at Vanderbilt* W, 30-6Sept. 26 at SMU 2:00 pmOct. 3 SOUTH CAROLINA* 1:00 PMOct. 10 at Alabama* 2:00 pmOct. 24 ARKANSAS STATE 1:00 PMOct. 31 LSU* 1:00 PMNov. 7 at Arkansas* 1:00 pmNov. 21 at Georgia* 12:00 pmNov. 26 MISSISSIPPI STATE* 7:00 PM
All times Central HOME GAMES IN CAPS* SEC GAME
SMU Schedule/Results
0-3 Overall, 0-1 WAC
Sept. 5 at Rice* 17-23Sept. 12 vs. TULANE 21-31Sept. 19 at Arkansas 17-44 SEPT. 26 OLE MISS 2:00 PMOct. 3 at Hawaii* 11:00 pmOct. 10 at Wyoming* 2:00 pmOct. 17 VS. TCU* 2:00 PMOct. 24 VS. UNLV* 2:00 PMOct. 31 at Air Force* 1:00 pmNov. 7 vs. TULSA* 2:00 PmNov. 14 VS. COLORADO ST.* 2:00 pmNov. 21 at Navy 11:00 am
All times Central HOME GAMES IN CAPS* WAC GAME
FORMER OLE MISS CHANCELLOR NOW PRESIDENT AT SMU: Former Ole Miss Chancellor Gerald Turner is the current president at SMU. Turner became SMU's 10th president on June 5, 1995 after serving at Ole Miss from 1984-1995.
PAIR OF HONORED COACHES TO ROAM THE SIDELINES SATURDAY: The Cotton Bowl will see a pair of Coach of the Year honorees from last year roam its sideline Saturday. Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville was named the Associated Press' SEC Coach of the Year after guiding the Rebels to an 8-4 mark last season. SMU head coach Mike Cavan was honored as WAC Coach of the Year by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram after guiding the Mustangs to their first winning season since 1986 at 6-5.
REBELS TO HONOR EMBRY WITH DECAL ON HELMETS: Ole Miss is honoring Joey Embry, who died in a tragic drowning accident in May, by wearing a circular decal on the back of their helmets with the No. 70 and Joey spelled in block red letters underneath the number.
OLE MISS FOOTBALL WITH TOMMY TUBERVILLE: The award-winning coach's television show, "Ole Miss Football With Tommy Tuberville," is a weekly 30-minute production of the Ole Miss Teleproductions Resource Center. The show, which includes features, highlights and game analysis, is hosted by David Kellum and is produced and directed by J. Stern. The show is aired on a network of television stations throughout the Southeast. Check local cable and network affiliates for broadcast day and time in your viewing area.
COACHES RADIO SHOW: The "Tommy Tuberville Radio Call-In Show", hosted by David Kellum, airs every Thursday from 6-7 p.m. on most Ole Miss Radio Network affiliates. The show is broadcast from the Downtown Grill on the Oxford Square in front of a live audience. The "Tommy Tuberville Radio Call-In Show" can also be heard on the internet by going to the official Ole Miss website at www.OleMissSports.com.
TUBERVILLE UNBEATEN VERSUS NON-CONFERENCE FOES: Ole Miss will be looking to keep its perfect record against non-conference opponents during the Tommy Tuberville era intact Saturday against SMU. With the Rebels' season-opening 30-10 win over Memphis on Sept. 5, Ole Miss is a perfect 11-0 against non-conference foes since Tuberville came to Ole Miss in 1995, including a 23-15 win over SMU last year in Oxford. In those 11 non-conference games, the Rebels have averaged 33.5 points per game (369 points), while allowing an average of 15.9 points a game (175 total points) to their opponents. The following chart shows Ole Miss' success against non-conference opponents under Tuberville:
Date Opponent ResultSept. 5, 1998 Memphis 30-10, WDec. 26, 1997 Marshall 34-31, W*Nov. 15, 1997 Tulane 41-24, WSept. 6, 1997 SMU 23-15, WAug. 30, 1997 Central Florida (ot) 24-23, WOct. 26, 1996 Arkansas State 38-21, WSept. 7, 1996 VMI 31-7, WAug.. 31, 1996 Idaho State 38-14, WNov. 4, 1995 Memphis 34-3, WOct. 7, 1995 Tulane 20-17, WSept. 9, 1995 Indiana State 56-10, W* n Ford Motor City Bowl
TUBERVILLE AMONG REBEL COACHING ELITE: Fourth-year head coach Tommy Tuberville's 21-16 career record at Ole Miss ranks him among the Rebel coaching elite for the best start after 37 games at Ole Miss. His 21 wins are the second most by an Ole Miss coach in his first 37 games since John Vaught took over the program in 1947. The following chart shows where Tuberville stands among Rebel coaches for victories in their first 37 games (since Vaught in 1947):
Coach Years Record Pct. John Vaught 1947-1950 24-12-1 .649Tommy Tuberville 1995-present 21-16 .568Ken Cooper 1974-1977 17-19-1 .459Billy Brewer 1983-1986 16-18-3 .432Steve Sloan 1978-1981 15-22 .405
FRENCH MOVES INTO FOURTH-PLACE ON THE OLE MISS TIGHT END CAREER RECEPTIONS LIST: With his four receptions this past Saturday at Vanderbilt, junior Rufus French (Amory, Miss./Amory) moved into fourth-place on the Ole Miss career receptions list for tight ends with 59. He surpassed Burney Veasey (1971-73) who was in fourth with 58 career receptions. Next on the list is Barney Poole in third-place with 70 receptions from 1947-48. Jim Poole is the career leader in receptions for tight ends at Ole Miss with 94 from 1969-71.
FRENCH AMONG THE NATION'S TIGHT END LEADERS; ANOTHER PRODUCT OF TIGHT END U.: The football experts have called Miami "Quarterback U." They say Penn State is "Linebacker U." Well, with the recent success of Rebel tight ends, the Ole Miss football program could be known as "Tight End U.," and junior Rufus French is carrying on the tradition. Through three games in 1998, French is second on the team in receptions with 10 for 105 yards. This past Saturday, French caught four passes 53 yards against Vanderbilt. French also ranks among the national tight end leaders in receptions and receiving yards. Heading into this past weekend's action, French ranked second in the nation among tight ends in receptions with six, and his 52 yards receiving was 11th. The following chart shows where French ranks among the nation's top tight ends through September 13:
1998 National Tight End Leaders
FRENCH CONSIDERED ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST TIGHT ENDS: Junior Rufus French garnered several preseason All-America honors this summer as he is widely considered one of the nation's best at his position. French earned first team preseason All-America honors by Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News, and was a second team All-America pick on the Street & Smith's/Walter Camp team. In addition, French was named a second team preseason All-America by Lindy's, Athlon, Football News, Bob Griese's College Football and Sport magazines. French earned preseason All-SEC selections by Lindy's, the Birmingham News, Football News and Athlon. The Birmingham News tabbed French as runner-up for the best receiver in the Southeastern Conference.
GUNN HAS COMING OUT PARTY AGAINST VANDERBILT: Redshirt freshman Joe Gunn (Amory, Miss./Amory) had his coming out party against Vanderbilt this past Saturday as he tallied his first career 100-yard rushing performance. Gunn tallied 146 yards rushing on 21 carries to become the first the first Ole Miss freshman to gain over 100 yards rushing since Ed Thigpen tallied 103 yards on nine carries versus Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 1987. Gunn's 146-yard performance also ranked as the 27th best single-game rushing output (in terms of yardage) in Ole Miss history. In his first collegiate game on Sept. 5 against Memphis, Gunn rushed 10 times for 54 yards, including a 35 yarder on his first career carry.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ...: Ole Miss' 230 yards of rushing this past Saturday against Vanderbilt marked the first time the Rebels had gained over 200 yards rushing since amassing 243 yards against Mississippi State in the final game of the 1995 season. Redshirt freshman Joe Gunn led the Rebel attack with 146 yards on 21 carries, and sophomore Deuce McAllister (Morton, Miss./Morton) added 73 yards on 16 attempts, including touchdown runs of one and three yards. Senior Tony Cannion (Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne) gained 27 yards on six carries, including scoring on an eight-yard run in the fourth quarter, and freshman Charles Stackhouse (West Memphis, Ark./West Memphis) picked up 12 yards and three carries while making his first career start.
SPREADING AROUND THE WEALTH: Through the three games in 1998, sophomore quarterback Romaro Miller (Shannon, Miss./Shannon) has completed passes to nine different receivers; The Rebels had 13 different receivers catch at least one pass last season. Miller's favorite target, so far, has been junior wide receiver Cory Peterson (Germantown, Tenn./ Germantown), who leads the team in receptions with 11 for 192 yards and two scores. In addition to Peterson, four other Rebels have caught at least seven passes: junior tight end Rufus French has caught 10 passes, junior wide receiver Grant Heard (Lake Jackson, Texas/Brazoswood), junior wide receiver Ken Lucas (Cleveland, Miss./East Side) and junior H-back Sheldon Morris (Jacksonville, Fla./Itawamba C.C.) have all caught seven passes each. Junior tight end Adam Bettis (Sherwood, Ark./Sylvan Hills) and sophomore running back Deuce McAllister have tallied two receptions each, and freshman wide receiver Jamie Armstrong (Plantersville, Miss./Shannon), and freshman running back Joe Gunn have each caught one pass.
REBELS PERFECT IN THE "GREEN ZONE" AGAINST VANDERBILT: Ole Miss scored each time they penetrated inside the Vanderbilt 20-yard line this past Saturday in its 30-6 win over the Commodores. The Rebels penetrated inside "Green Zone" four times, scoring three touchdowns and getting a 44-yard field goal from redshirt freshman Donald Juneau (Daphne, Ala./Daphne). Ole Miss has made the most of their scoring opportunities this season, scoring eight-of-nine times when they have moved the ball inside the opponents' 20-yard line, a conversion rate of 88.9-percent (see chart at the right).
SPEARMAN NOMINATED FOR BUTKUS AWARD: Junior linebacker Armegis Spearman (Bruce, Miss./Bruce) is one of 68 nominees for the 1998 Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker. Rated as one of the top young linebackers in the SEC, Spearman was selected to the second team 1998 Birmingham News pre-season All-SEC team. Spearman tallied six tackles and intercepted a pass this past Saturday against Vanderbilt. The interception was the second of his career. Spearman is one of 12 SEC linebackers to be nominated for the Butkus Award. The preliminary list will be trimmed down to 10 semi-finalists on October 15. The three finalists will be announced on November 12 and the award will be presented December 11 at the Butkus Award Gala, sponsored by Joyner Sports Medicine Institute, Inc., at Universal Studios Florida.
STRONG DRAWS FIRST CAREER START: True freshman linebacker Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss./South Panola) drew his first career starting assignment at Vanderbilt this past Saturday. He finished the game with five tackles, all of them solo. Through three games this season, Strong is fifth on the team in tackles with 17, 15 of them solo, and has tallied one-and-a-half quarterback sacks. Strong also has two quarterback pressures and has forced one fumble.
LIVING A LINEMAN'S DREAM: Sophomore defensive end Shane Elam (Covington, Tenn./Covington) got to live every lineman's dream this past Saturday against Vanderbilt n scoring a touchdown. In making his first career start, Elam intercepted a Vanderbilt pass in the right flat on the Ole Miss 13-yard line and raced 87 yards untouched for a score to put Ole Miss up 21-6 in the third quarter. The interception and touchdown were the first of Elam's career after sitting out last year after transferring from the University of Tennessee. The interception helped swing the momentum back into Ole Miss' favor, after Vanderbilt blocked an Ole Miss punt and took possession on the Rebel 28-yardline. Trailing 14-6, the Commodores looked to be moving toward a possible tying score when Elam intercepted quarterback David Wallace's pass on a second-and-six at the Rebel 16.
MORE ON ELAM'S INTERCEPTION: Shane Elam's 87-yard interception return for a touchdown ranks as the fifth-longest in Ole Miss history. It is also the longest interception return by a Rebel since Jimmy Heidel's 89-yard interception return against Kentucky in 1964. The longest interception return in Ole Miss history is held by both Ray Hapes and Louis Guy, who returned a pick 103 yards, Hapes in 1937 against Ouachita and Guy versus Tennessee in 1962. Elam's interception return for a touchdown also marked the first interception return for a score by a Rebel since Nate Wayne returned one 16 yards for a TD against Georgia in 1996.
PICK PARADE: Ole Miss intercepted four passes against Vanderbilt Saturday, its most since picking off five passes in a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994. In addition to Shane Elam, junior defensive tackle Comone Fisher (Houston, Texas/St. Pius X), junior linebacker Armegis Spearman, and sophomore safety Anthony Magee (Collins, Miss./Collins) all intercepted passes. The interceptions by Elam, Fisher and Magee were the first of their careers.
KNOCK ON WOOD(S): Junior college transfer Kenny Woods (Grenada, Miss./Holmes C.C.) has one of the Rebels' defensive leaders through the first three games of 1998. Woods tallied eight tackles, five solo, this past Saturday against Vanderbilt, including recording the first two sacks of his career at Ole Miss. He dropped Commodore quarterback David Wallace for an eight-yard loss on the game's first series, helping hold Vanderbilt to a field goal after the Commodores had driven deep into Ole Miss territory. Woods also recorded a solo sack late in the third quarter. Woods is leading the Rebels in both tackles and sacks. He has registered 22 tackles, 16 of them solo, and has two quarterback sacks. Woods has also forced one fumble this season and has broken up two passes.
THIGPEN TO WEAR CHUCKY MULLINS' NO. 38: Senior cornerback Gary Thigpen was chosen last January as the winner of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. The award goes to the outstanding defensive player who, in turn, earns the right to wear the late Chucky Mullins' jersey number 38. Thigpen registered had five tackles this past Saturday against Vanderbilt, and has tallied 19 tackles, including nine solo, so far this season. Thigpen has also intercepted one pass. Thigpen, who wore number 30 up until this year, started his career at Ole Miss as a walk-on. He played in all 11 games his freshman year, starting the last six and earning a scholarship after the season. He has since been the starting right cornerback the past two seasons, but moved to the left corner position in the spring.
30 IS THE REBELS' LUCKY NUMBER: With its 30-6 win over Vanderbilt this past Saturday, Ole Miss has won its last 27 games when scoring 30 or more points, dating back to the 1989 season. The last time the Rebels lost a game when scoring 30 or more points was Nov. 4, 1989, when LSU defeated Ole Miss 35-30 in Oxford.
TEXAS REBELS: Ole Miss has six players on its roster that call the state of Texas home: junior defensive tackle Comone Fisher, juniors Grant and Ronnie Heard (Lake Jackson, Texas/Brazoswood), junior center Bobby Killion (Crowley, Texas/Crowley), freshman defensive back Arthur Spear (Killeen, Texas/Ellison), redshirt freshman offensive guard Brad Synnott (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls).
MISSISSIPPI MUSTANG: SMU has one player on its roster that calls Mississippi home n redshirt freshman linebacker Corey Riley (Gautier, Miss./Pascagoula).
OLE MISS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN SEC WEST: The Rebels are picked to finish third in the SEC's Western Division behind LSU and Auburn, according to a preseason poll of 45 media members conducted at the SEC Media Days. LSU is the favorite in the West, receiving 44 of a possible 45 first-place votes, followed by Auburn. Mississippi State is picked to finish fourth behind Ole Miss, with Alabama fifth and Arkansas sixth. Florida has been tabbed to win the East, receiving 41 of the possible 45 first-place votes. Tennessee is picked to finish second, followed by Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Florida is also the favorite to win the overall SEC title.
SCOUTING THE SMU MUSTANGS: SMU will carry an 0-3 record into the Cotton Bowl for Saturday's game with Ole Miss. The Mustangs have dropped games to Rice (17-23), Tulane (21-31) and Arkansas (17-44). Junior running back Rodnick Phillips is SMU's top rusher, having gained 303 yards on 67 carries with three touchdowns. Senior running back Kelsey Adams is averaging 5.7 yards per carry on 32 rushes this season for 183 yards. True freshman Josh McCown is SMU's top passer, having completed 19-of-38 passes for 348 yards. He has also thrown three touchdowns and has been intercepted three times. Sophomore Chris Sanders has also seen action behind center. Sanders has completed 10-of-27 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown. Senior wide receiver Albert Johnson leads the Mustangs in receptions with 10 for 228 yards and four touchdowns. Junior Damon Blueitt is the only other SMU receiver with more than five catches, having totaled six receptions for 142 yards. Junior linebacker Jason Simonton leads the SMU defense with 29 tackles, including 22 solo. Simonton also has one of the Mustangs' three sacks this season.
EXTRA POINTS: With their 30-6 win over Vanderbilt, the Rebels are now 13-3 following a loss during the Tommy Tuberville era at Ole Miss ... Sophomore offensive tackle Terrence Metcalf (Clarksdale, Miss./Clarksdale) left last Saturday's game on Ole Miss' first play from scrimmage with a fractured left ankle and underwent surgery Sunday morning. He will be lost for the season and Ole Miss will seek a medical redshirt for Metcalf ... Junior H-Back Sheldon Morris caught a career-long 27-yard pass from Romaro Miller on a third-and-25 in the second quarter against Vanderbilt ... Sophomore Deuce McAllister set a career-high with two rushing touchdowns from one and three yards out, respectively ... Vanderbilt's block of Reagan King's punt in the third quarter marked the first time the Rebels have had a punt blocked since against Tulane last November ... Donald Juneau's (Daphne, Ala./Daphne) 44-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was his career long, besting his previous long of 38 yards against Memphis in the 1998 season-opener. It was also the longest field goal by an Ole Miss kicker since Steve Lindsey kicked field goals of 52 and 45 yards against Auburn last year ... Ole Miss didn't allow Vanderbilt to score a touchdown Saturday, marking the first time the Rebels haven't allowed an opponent to find paydirt since last season in a 15-3 win over the Commodores.
Ole Miss Head Coach Tommy Tuberville
Head coach Tommy Tuberville is in his fourth year as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. He carries a 21-16 record in three-plus seasons at Ole Miss.
Last year, Tuberville led the Rebels to their best mark at 8-4, including a victory over Marshall in the Ford Motor City Bowl, since going 9-3 back in 1992. The Rebels' appearance and victory in the Motor City Bowl was also their first under Tuberville. In recognition of his success, Tuberville was named the 1997 Associated Press Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year.
Prior to coming to Ole Miss, Tuberville spent the 1994 season as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, helping the Aggies to a 10-0-1 mark and a No. 8 ranking in the final AP poll. Before joining R.C. Slocum's staff at Texas A&M, Tuberville spent eight seasons as an assistant at Miami (FL) under head coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson. During his time at Miami, the Hurricanes captured three national championships, earned nine consecutive New Year's Day Bowl appearances and posted an impressive 87-9 overall record.
SMU Head Coach Mike Cavan
Mike Cavan is in his second year at the helm of the SMU Mustangs. He has an overall record of 6-8 at SMU, and has an overall record of 73-57-2 in 12-plus seasons as a head coach at Valdosta State (1986-91), East Tennessee State (1992-96) and SMU.
Cavan guided the Mustangs to a 6-5 record last season, the school's first winning season since 1986. The Mustangs finished 5-3 inside the WAC, good for second-place in the WAC's Mountain Division. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram honored Cavan as its selection for WAC Coach of the Year.
At Valdosta State, Cavan compiled a 37-22-2 record in six seasons.
Cavan then moved on to East Tennessee State, where he led the Buccaneers to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs with a 10-3 record in 1996. Cavan finished runner-up in the voting for the 1996 Division I-AA National Coach of the Year award and was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for his efforts.
Cavan got his coaching start at Georgia where he spent 13 years as an assistant to Vince Dooley. A 1972 graduate of Georgia, Cavan quarterbacked the Bulldogs from 1968-70.
THE LAST MEETING VS. SMU
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
September 6, 1997
Oxford, Miss.
Attendance: 36,521
Ole Miss 23, SMU 15
Ole Miss tailback Tony Cannion and receiver Robert Reed both scored touchdowns on consecutive drives in the first quarter to propel the Rebels to a 23-15 victory over Southern Methodist. The Rebels, in their second possession of the game, drove 54 yards in seven plays over 2:58 to score first in the game. Cannion, who had rushed for 27 yards on the drive, ran wide left from 15 yards out to score his first career touchdown at Ole Miss and give the Rebels a 7-0 lead. On its next possession, Ole Miss drove 81 yards and quarterback Stewart Patridge hit Reed for a 16-yard touchdown to give the Rebels a 14-0 lead. Down 14-0, SMU quarterback Ramon Flanigan got the Mustangs on the board early in the second quarter with an eight-yard scamper to make it 14-7. That score would hold until early in the fourth quarter when tailback Alishma Alexander scored on a four-yard run. A bad snap on the following extra point try kept the Ole Miss advantage at 13, 20-7. After an interception by linebacker Armegis Spearman, Steve Lindsey kicked a 20-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 23-7 with 1:50 remaining in the game. SMU made good on its final drive, going 81 yards on seven plays in just 1:33. The drive was capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jack Brewer from backup quarterback Chris Sanders. After a successful two-point conversion made it 23-15, the Rebels were able to recover the ensuing onside kick and Patridge ran out the clock. The Rebel defense came up big, holding the Mustangs to only 10 first downs and 252 total yards. SMU was just 5-of-15 on third down conversions and was forced to punt 10 times. Patridge had another solid day, completing 20-of-28 passes for 235 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Receiver Grant Heard led Ole Miss in receptions with five catches for 90 yards. True freshman Deuce McAllister gained 92 yards on 17 carries while filling in for the injured John Avery. SMU tailback Donte Womack rushed for 94 yards while Sanders came off the bench to complete six-of-eight passes for 89 of the Mustangs' 124 yards passing and one touchdown.
TEAM STATS OM SMUFirst Downs 23 10Rushing (Net) 189 128Passing (Net) 235 124Total Offense 424 252Passing (A-C-I) 28-20-2 22-12-1Punts-Average 6-35.2 10-46.4Fumbles-Lost 1-1 1-0Penalties-Yards 5-35 4-35Possession Time 32:22 27:38
INDIVIDUAL LEADERSRUSHING OM: McAllister 17-92, Cannion 13-67 (TD) SMU: Womack 23-94, Flanigan 12-31 (TD)PASSING OM: Patridge 28-20-2-235 (TD) SMU: Flanigan 13-6-0-35, Sanders 9-6-1-89 (TD)RECEIVING OM: G. Heard 5-90, French 4-32, McAllister 2-41 SMU: Cooper 3-30, Brewer 2-36 (TD)
SMU 0 7 0 8 - 15Ole Miss 14 0 0 9 - 23
OM - Cannion 15 run (Lindsey kick) 7:46 1Q
OM - Reed 16 pass from Patridge (Lindsey kick) 3:38 1Q
SMU - Flanigan 9 run (Rios kick) 14:08 2Q
OM - Alexander 4 rush (Lindsey run failed) 12:27 4Q
OM - Lindsey 20 FG 1:50 4Q
SMU - Brewer 1 pass from Sanders (Blueitt pass good) 0:17 4Q
1998 Honors & Awards
- Rebel Game Captains
Memphis:
Cory Peterson, Timothy Strickland
Auburn:
Rufus French, Gary Thigpen
Vanderbilt:
Romaro Miller, Armegis Spearman
- CommuniGroup Lineman of the Week
Memphis: Robert Gates (DE)
Auburn: Kendrick Clancy (DT)
Vanderbilt: Comone Fisher (DT)
- Coaches Players of the Week
Memphis:
Offense: Cory Peterson (WR)
Defense: Comone Fisher (DT)
Special Teams: Kevin Thomas
Vanderbilt:
Offense: Joe Gunn
Defense: Shane Elam
- Quarterback Club Players of the Week
Memphis:
Offense: Romaro Miller (QB)
Defense: Al Rice (LB)
Special Teams: Reagan King (P)
Auburn:
Offense: Rufus French (TE)
Defense: Eddie Strong (LB)
Special Teams: Reagan King (P)
Rebels In The "Green" Zone
Some call it the "red" zone. Other may term it "inside the 20." The Rebel football staff calls it the "green" zone. The following chart shows how effective the Ole Miss offense has been in the "green" zone game-by-game this season:
Game Chances TD FG TO Downs OtherMemphis 5 3 1 0 0 1Auburn 0 0 0 0 0 0Vanderbilt 4 3 1 0 0 0Totals 9 6 2 0 0 1 Opp. Totals 7 2 3 1 1 0
Ole Miss Scoring Percentage: 8-of-9 (.889)Opponents Scoring Percentage: 5-of-7 (.714)
Next Week's Opponent
- South Carolina Gamecocks
Date: Saturday, October 3 Time: 1:00 pmSite: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS1998 Record: 1-2, 0-1 SECThis Week: vs. Mississippi StateSouth Carolina Internet Address: www.uscsports.com
