.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
The Rebels Look to Rebound
6/21/1999 | Football
September 14, 1998
- Game 3 at Vanderbilt
- Saturday, September 19, 11:30AM
- Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN
- Jefferson Pilot
Rebels on Television & Radio
Television.: Jefferson Pilot (Bob Kesling, play-by-play, Dave Rowe, color analyst, David Logan, sideline reporter)
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 Schedule/Results1-1 Overall, 0-1 SEC
Sept. 5 MEMPHIS W, 30-10Sept. 12 AUBURN* L, 0-17Sept. 19 at Vanderbilt* 11:30 amSept. 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
Vanderbilt Schedule/Results0-2 Overall, 0-2 SEC
Sept. 5 at Mississippi State* L, 0-42Sept. 12 at Alabama* L, 7-32Sept. 19 vs. Ole Miss* 11:30 AMOct. 3 at Texas Christian 6:00 pmOct. 10 WESTERN MICHIGAN 1:00 PMOct. 17 at Georgia* 12:00 pmOct. 24 SOUTH CAROLINA* 6:00 PMOct. 31 DUKE 1:00 PMNov. 7 FLORIDA* 1:00 PMNov. 14 at Kentucky* 12:30 pmNov. 28 TENNESSEE* 1:00 PM
All times Central HOME GAMES IN CAPS* SEC GAME
REBELS HEAD TO THE MUSIC CITY TO FACE VANDERBILT: The Ole Miss Rebels will take to the road for the first time in 1998 when they travel to Nashville Saturday to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores in a Southeastern Conference contest. The Rebels are 1-1 on the year, 0-1 in the SEC, after falling to Auburn this past Saturday in Oxford. Vanderbilt is 0-2, including 0-2 in the SEC, after losing 32-7 to Alabama this past weekend in Tuscaloosa. Jefferson Pilot will televise the contest from Vanderbilt
Stadium beginning at 11:30 a.m. Bob Kesling will handle the play-by-play duties, with Dave Rowe providing the color and David Logan reporting from the sidelines. The game can also 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-VANDERBILT SERIES: Ole Miss and Vanderbilt will meet for the 73rd time Saturday. The Rebels lead the all-time series, which dates back to 1894, 39-31-2, and own a five-game winning streak in the series. The series is the third longest in school history, with the Rebels having played only Mississippi State (94) and LSU (86) more frequently. Since the Southeastern Conference was formed in 1933, Ole Miss leads the series 39-13-2. In games played in Nashville, the Rebels sport a 23-17-2 mark and have won five of the last six meetings between the two schools in the Music City. During the 1990s, Ole Miss is 6-2 against Vanderbilt. Vanderbiltis last win in the series came in 1992, when the Commodores handed the Rebels a 31-9 loss in Nashville. Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville is 3-0 in his career versus the Commodores.
OLE MISS VS. THE SEC EASTERN DIVISION: Since the Southeastern Conference began divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss has split its 18 games against the Eastern Division of the conference. The Rebels are 5-1 against Vanderbilt since the beginning of divisional play. The following chart shows how Ole Miss has fared against teams from the SEC Eastern Division:
Florida 0-2 Georgia 3-3Kentucky 1-1 South Carolina 0-0Tennessee 0-2 Vanderbilt 5-1
THE LAST MEETING VS. VANDERBILT
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
September 27, 1997
Oxford, Miss.
Attendance: 36,417
Ole Miss 15
Vanderbilt 3
Quarterback Stewart Patridge completed 20-of-28 passes for 253 yards, including a six-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive to Eli Anding to lead Ole Miss to a 15-3 homecoming win over Vanderbilt. It was the first-ever homecoming played at night at Ole Miss. The Rebels drove 59 yards on seven plays in 3:21 for the opening score. On the first play from scrimmage, Patridge completed a 32-yard pass to Cory Peterson, taking the ball to the Vanderbilt 27-yard line. That score would be all the points the Rebel defense needed as they limited the Commodores to just 189 yards in the game. The big defensive play in the game came in the fourth quarter when Ole Miss cornerback Malikia Griffin intercepted Vanderbilt quarterback Damian Allenis pass and returned it 40 yards to kill any chances of a Commodore comeback. Allen finished the game completing 9-of-27 passes for 100 yards with the interception. Ole Miss also shut down Vanderbiltis freshman running back Jimmy Williams, who came into the contest as the SECis leader in all-purpose yards, and gained just 31 all-purpose yards on the night. Freshman defensive end Derrick Burgess led the Rebel defense with six tackles. Vanderbilt cut the Ole Miss lead to 7-3 with 12:50 left in the second quarter on a 49-yard field goal by John Markham. The Rebels took a 9-3 lead on a safety when defensive end Johnny Jones tackled Jared McGraff in the Vanderbilt end zone at 9:25 in the second. Ole Miss carried the six-point lead into the fourth quarter. Then, with Vanderbilt driving, Griffin picked off an Allen pass and returned it to the Commodore 22-yard line. That set up Deuce McAllisteris four-yard touchdown run four plays later to make it 15-3. Tailback John Avery saw his first action since injuring his elbow against Central Florida and rushed for 43 yards on 19 carries. McAllister, playing mainly in the fourth quarter,added 51 yards rushing on 14 carries, including 45 in the fourth quarter. Robert Reed caught three passes for a career-high 88 yards, while split end Grant Heard brought in five receptions for 31 yards. Ole Miss totaled 348 yards in total offense and dominated possession time. The Rebels controlled the ball for 36:10 compared to just 23:50 for the Commodores. The win moved Ole Miss to 3-1 on the year and evened the Rebelsi SEC record at 1-1.
TEAM STATS OM VUFirst Downs 16 10Rushing (Net) 95 89Passing (Net) 253 100Total Offense 348 189Passing (A-C-I) 28-20-1 27-9-1Punts-Average 9-41.1 9-40.7Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1Penalties-Yards 14-109 10-75Possession Time 36:10 23:50
INDIVIDUAL LEADERSRUSHING OM: McAllister 14-51 (1 TD), Avery 19-43 VU: McGrath 9-44, J. Williams 5-24PASSING OM: Patridge 28-20-1-253 (1 TD) VU: Allen 27-9-1-100RECEIVING OM: G. Heard 5-31, Reed 3-88, French 3-34 VU: Azama 2-28, Morgan 2-30 Vanderbilt 0 3 0 0 - 3 Ole Miss 7 2 0 6 - 15
OM - Anding 6 pass from Patridge (Lindsey kick) 11:39 1Q
VU - Markham 49 FG 12:50 2Q
OM - Safety (McGrath tackled by J. Jones in endzone), 9:25 3Q
OM - McAllister 4 run (pass failed) 8:05 4Q
THIGPEN TO BE FEATURED BY JP AS SEC GOODS WORKS TEAM RECIPIENT: Senior cornerback Gary Thigpen (Cleveland, Miss./Cleveland) will be featured by Jefferson Pilot during Saturdayis telecast of the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt game as the SEC Goods Works Team recipient.
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.
OLE MISS FOOTBALL WITH TOMMY TUBERVILLE: The award-winning coachis 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.
OLE MISS' FIRST THREE GAMES TO BE ON T.V.: For the first time in school history, the Rebels' first three games of the year will be on television. Jefferson Pilot televised the season-opener on Sept. 5 against Memphis and will televise Saturday's contest at Vanderbilt. FOX Sports South carried this past Saturday's game with Auburn. The school record for most consecutive games televised is four, set in 1986 and last season.
REBELS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO HAVE FOUR T.V. GAMES IN '98: Ole Miss currently has four games slated to be on television during the 1998 season. Jefferson Pilot televised Ole Miss' season-opener on Sept. 5 against Memphis and will carry this Saturday's meeting with Vanderbilt. FOX Sports South televised last Saturday's game with Auburn, and ESPN will televise the annual season-ending Egg Bowl clash against Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night in Oxford. The Rebels had a school-record seven games on T.V. last season, including the Ford Motor City Bowl against Marshall in Pontiac, Mich. Ole Miss went 4-3 in T.V. games last season and are 42-49-2 on television overall, dating back to the 1952 Sugar Bowl against Georgia Tech.
REBELS HAVE RECORD CROWD FOR SECOND-STRAIGHT WEEK: For the second consecutive week, the Ole Miss Rebels played before a record crowd at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field. The Rebels had a then-record crowd in their newly expanded stadium of 46,191 in the season-opener against Memphis on Sept. 5. This past Saturday, a new record crowd of 48,371 saw Ole Miss host Auburn. With the addition of an upper deck to the east side of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the stadium's capacity increased from 42,577 to 50,000. The newly constructed upper deck features the Guy C. Billups Rebel Club Seating area with an enclosed concession and lounge area.
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.
FOLLOWING A LOSS ... : Ole Miss will be hoping that recent history will be on its side Saturday against Vanderbilt. During the Tommy Tuberville era at Ole Miss, the Rebels are 12-3 in games following a loss. The following chart shows how the Rebels have rebounded following a loss during Tuberville's three-plus seasons in Oxford:
Loss, Score Next Game ScoreAuburn (9-2-95), 13-46 Indiana State (9-9-95) W, 56-10Florida (9-30-95), 10-28 Tulane (10-7-95) W, 20-17Arkansas (10-14-95), 6-13 Alabama (10-21-95) L, 9-23Alabama (10-21-95), 9-23 Vanderbilt (10-28-95) W, 21-10LSU (11-11-95), 9-38 Mississippi St. (11-25-95) W, 13-10Auburn (9-14-96), 28-45 Vanderbilt (9-21-96) W, 20-9Tennessee (10-3-96), 3-41 Alabama (10-19-96) L, 0-37Alabama (10-19-96), 0-37 Arkansas St. (10-26-96) W, 38-21Arkansas (11-9-96), 7-13 LSU (11-16-96) L, 7-39LSU (11-16-96), 7-39 Georgia (11-23-96) W, 31-27Miss. State (11-30-96),0-17 Central Florida (8-30-97) W, 24-23*Auburn (9-13-97), 9-19 Vanderbilt (9-27-97) W, 15-3Tennessee (10-4-97), 17-31 LSU (10-18-97) W, 36-21Alabama (10-25-97), 20-29 Arkansas (11-6-97) W, 19-9Georgia (11-22-97), 14-21 Mississippi St. (11-29-97) W, 15-14
* - The Mississippi State loss in 1996 came at the end of the season, and the Rebels would then win their season-opener in 1997 against Central Florida.
TUBERVILLE AMONG REBEL COACHING ELITE: Fourth-year head coach Tommy Tuberville's 20-16 career record at Ole Miss ranks him among the Rebel coaching elite for the best start after 36 games at Ole Miss. His 20 wins are the third most by an Ole Miss coach in his first 36 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 36 games (since Vaught in 1947):
Coach Years Record Pct. John Vaught 1947-1950 24-11-1 .667Billy Kinard 1971-1974 23-13 .639Tommy Tuberville1995-present 20-16 .556Billy Brewer 1983-1986 16-18-2 .444Ken Cooper 1974-1977 16-19-1 .444Steve Sloan 1978-1981 15-21 .417
"THE MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER": Since taking over the Rebel football program, head coach Tommy Tuberville has proven that he likes to take a gamble or two on fourth downs during a game, and that trend seems to have continued into 1998. The Rebels went for it on fourth down four times during Saturday's game with Auburn, converting twice. Thus far in 1998, the Rebels are 3-for-6 on fourth down conversions. In Tuberville's three-plus seasons, the Rebels are 35-for-55 (.636) on fourth down conversions.
SPREADING AROUND THE WEALTH: Through the first two games of 1998, sophomore quarterback Romaro Miller (Shannon, Miss./Shannon) has completed passes to nine different receivers n 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 nine for 164 yards and two scores. In addition to Peterson, three other Rebels have caught at least five passes: junior wide receiver Grant Heard (Lake Jackson, Texas/Brazoswood) has caught eight passes, and sophomore wide receiver Ken Lucas (Cleveland, Miss./East Side) and junior tight end Rufus French (Amory, Miss./Amory) have each caught six passes. Also catching passes for the Rebels this season include: junior H-back Sheldon Morris (Jacksonville, Fla./Itawamba C.C.) with three, junior tight end Adam Bettis (Sherwood, Ark./Sylvan Hills) with two, and freshman wide receiver Jamie Armstrong (Plantersville, Miss./Shannon), freshman running back Joe Gunn (Amory, Miss./Amory) and sophomore running back Deuce McAllister (Morton, Miss./Morton) have all caught one pass each.
RUSHING BY COMMITTEE: The Rebels have relied on a three-back attack to anchor their rushing game in 1998. Ole Miss has recorded 223 yards rushing in its first two games with sophomore Deuce McAllister leading the team with 99 yards on 27 carries. Redshirt freshman Joe Gunn has rushed for 54 yards on 10 carries, and senior Tony Cannion (Melbourne, Fla./Melbourne) has gained 50 yards on 14 attempts.
FRENCH ONE OF THE NATION'S TOP RETURNING TIGHT ENDS; 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 two games in 1998, French is tied for third on team in receptions with six for 52 yards. French caught four passes this past Saturday against Auburn for 43 yards, including a season-long of 30. French also ranks among the nation's leaders in receptions by tight ends. The following chart shows where French ranks among the nation's top tight ends:
1998 National Tight End Leaders
(as of September 8, 1998)
(compiled by the Ole Miss Sports Information Office)
Receptions1. Ibn Green (Jr.), Louisville 82. James Whalen (Jr.), Kentucky 53. Jim Brekke (Sr.), Boise State 4 T3 Casey Crawford (Jr.), Virginia 4T3 Jimmy Haley (Jr.), Kentucky 4T3 Derek Lewis (Sr.), Texas 4T3 Brian Natkin (So.), Texas-El Paso 4...10. Rufus French (Jr.), Ole Miss 2
* The weekly tight end leaders will be updated every Sunday evening and will be available on the official Ole Miss website at www.OleMissSports.com.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED TABS FRENCH PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA: Junior tight end Rufus French was named a preseason first team All-America by Sports Illustrated magazine in its annual college football preview issue, dated August 31. Last season, French was a second team All America selection by Football Digest and was a third team selection by The Associated Press as he hauled in 43 passes for 345 yards and two scores. His 43 receptions was tops among SEC tight ends and was third in the nation in receptions among tight ends.
FRENCH GARNERS SEVERAL OTHER PRESEASON ACCOLADES: Being named a first team preseason All-America by Sports Illustrated was just the latest of preseason accolades for Rufus French. Widely considered one of the nation's top tight ends heading into 1998, French was also named a preseason first team All-American by 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.
ANOTHER "STRONG" SHOWING: True freshman linebacker Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss./South Panola) turned in another solid performance Saturday against the Auburn Tigers. After recording seven tackles, including six solo, in his first collegiate game against Memphis on Sept. 5, Strong tallied five tackles versus Auburn this past Saturday. He also recorded his first career unassisted sack, sacking Tiger quarterback Ben Leard for a six-yard loss early in the second quarter. Through two games, Strong leads the team in sacks with 1.5 for 11 yards and is second on the team in tackles with 12, including 10 solo. Strong has also forced one fumble this season.
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 nine tackles this past Saturday against Auburn, including two solo, and has 15 tackles through two games in 1998. 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.
WOODS HELPING TO ANCHOR DEFENSE: Along with newcomer Eddie Strong, junior college transfer Kenny Woods (Grenada, Miss./Holmes C.C.) has been helping lead the Rebel defense, so far, in 1998. Woods, playing free safety, is tied for the team-lead in tackles, along with junior Armegis Spearman, with 15, including 11 solo tackles. Woods had eight tackles, all solo, this past Saturday against Auburn and also recorded two pass break-ups.
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 five stops in this past Saturday's game with Auburn. For the year, Thigpen has tallied 14 tackles, including seven solo, and has one interception. 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.
REBELS IN THE SEC STATISTICS: Sophomore quarterback Romaro Miller ranks fourth in the SEC in passing yards per game, averaging 218.0 yards passing per game, and is fourth in total offense, averaging 228.0 ypg ... Junior wide receiver Cory Peterson is seventh in receiving yads per game with 82.0 and is eighth in receptions per game at 4.50. Peterson also ranks ninth in the league in punt returns, averaging 6.7 yards per return ... Senior cornerback Gary Thigpen is tied for third in interceptions, averaging 0.50 per game ... Freshman Justin Coleman (Columbus, Ga./Carver) is fourth in the league in kickoff returns, averaging 19.7 yards per return ... Sophomore punter Reagan King (Ackerman, Miss./Ackerman) ranks third in punting at 42.5 yards per punt on 11 attempts ... As a team, the Rebels rank sixth in the conference in scoring defense, yielding 13.5 points per game ... The Ole Miss ranks fifth in the SEC in rushing defense, allowing 63.5 yards per game and is seventh in total defense, yielding an average of 268.0 yards per game ... The Rebels are second in net punting with a 40.1 average per kick ... Ole Miss ranks third in opponent third down conversions, allowing opponents to convert on third down 17.2 percent of the time (5-for-29) ... The Rebels are fifth in average time of possession, controlling the ball for an average of 30 minutes and nine seconds per game.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: With three receptions Saturday against Auburn, junior wide receiver Grant Heard moved into 25th-place on the Ole Miss career receiving list with 64 career receptions. Junior Cory Peterson ranks 28th on the school's career receiving charts with 57. Junior tight end Rufus French needs four more receptions to move into a third-place tie on the Ole Miss career receptions list by a tight end with Burney Veasey (1971-73) with 58. French is currently fourth on that list with 54 and is 31st on the overall career receptions list. Jim Poole (1969-71) has the most career receptions by a tight end with 94, and Ta'Boris Fisher (1993-94, 1995-96) is the Rebels' career receptions leader with 139.
30 IS THE REBELS' LUCKY NUMBER: Ole Miss has won its last 26 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.
TENNESSEE REBELS: Ole Miss has nine players on its roster that call Tennessee home: junior offensive lineman Mitch Baker (Germantown/Germantown), sophomore defensive end Shane Elam (Covington/Covington), senior cornerback Brent McDowell (Bartlett/Briarcrest), freshman offensive lineman David Peden (Nashville/Brentwood Academy), junior wide receiver Cory Peterson, sophomore defensive tackle Antionne Scott (Memphis/Briarcrest), freshman defensive end Anthony Sims (Memphis/Fairley), freshman kicker Bill Sinis (Ripley/Ripley), and junior cornerback Timothy Strickland (Memphis/Hamilton).
MISSISSIPPI COMMODORES: Vanderbilt has two players on its 1998 roster that call the state of Mississippi home, freshman fullback Antuian Bradford (Batesville/South Panola) and freshman offensive tackle J.P. Fougerousse (Jackson/St. Andrews). Bradford was a high school teammate of current Rebel freshmen Eddie Strong and Toward Sanford at South Panola.
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 VANDERBILT COMMODORES: Vanderbilt will carry an 0-2 mark into Saturday's game with Ole Miss in Nashville. Both of the Commodores' losses came inside the conference as Vanderbilt dropped its season-opener at Mississippi State on Sept. 5 and lost 32-7 to Alabama this past Saturday in Tuscaloosa. Head coach Woody Widenhofer has used three different quarterbacks this season, with true freshman David Wallace having thrown the majority of the passes. Wallace has completed 21-of-45 passes for 186 yards with a touchdown, and has been intercepted twice. Junior wide receiver Tavarus Hogans has caught eight passes for 99 yards and a score, and junior H-back Todd Yoder has hauled in seven catches for 72 yards. Sophomore running back Jared McGrath is the Commodres leading rusher with 57 yards on 20 carries. Defensively, junior linebacker Lamont Turner is leading the way with 18.5 tackles, including two drops for losses. Freshman linebacker Jamie WInborn has 17.5 tackles and one sack. Freshman defensive end Doyle Crosby leads the team in sacks with two. Senior cornerback Fred Vinson has recorded two picks.
EXTRA POINTS: Saturday's 17-0 loss to Auburn marked the first time Ole Miss had been shutout since a 17-0 loss to Mississippi State back on November 30, 1996 ... Junior defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy (Tuscaloosa, Ala./East Central C.C.) recovered his first career fumble as a Rebel during the third quarter of last Saturday's game ... True freshman defensive back Syniker Taylor (Gulfport, Miss./Gulfport) saw his first collegiate action Saturday after missing Ole Miss' season-opening win over Memphis due to a knee injury suffered during the preseason. Taylor registered three tackles against Auburn ... Sophomore punter Reagan King tied a career-high with eight punts against Auburn. King averaged 41.5 yards per kick with a long of 49. For the year, King is averaging 42.5 yards per punt on 11 attempts this season, ranking third in the SEC ... Freshman running back Joe Gunn caught his first career reception in the third quarter Saturday. His completion from Miller went for seven yards ... Ole Miss' 32 yards of rushing Saturday was its lowest rushing output since registering 26 yards against Auburn back in 1996 ... The Rebels' 136 yards of total offense marked their lowest total since gaining 107 total yards against Memphis State in 1993.
Next Week's Opponent
- SMU Mustangs
Date: Saturday, September 26 Time: 2:00 pm
Site: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
1998 Record: 0-2, 0-1 Western Athletic Conference
This Week: at Arkansas
SMU Internet Address: www.smu.edu/athletics/
