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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Prepare For Tulane
8/28/2000 | Football
Aug. 28, 2000
OXFORD, Miss. - After spending four straight weeks on the practice field, the Ole Miss Rebels will host the Tulane Green Wave, Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth to open the 2000 season. The game will be televised by Jefferson-Pilot.
Entering the 106th season of football at Ole Miss, the Rebels will look to senior running back Deuce McAllister to lead the way. McAllister, a preseason All-America and Heisman Trophy candidate, enters the game against Tulane 361 yards shy of Kayo Dottley's (1947-50) school career-rushing record of 2,654 yards. McAllister, who is currently third on the chart, needs just 30 yards to surpass Dou Innocent (1991-92, 1994-95) for second-place.
Also providing offensive firepower for Ole Miss will be junior running back Joe Gunn. Gunn, the SEC's top returning rusher from a year ago, finished the 1999 season with 951 yards on 182 carries. With both running backs and quarterback Romaro Miller, beginning his third season as a starter, returning for Ole Miss, the Rebels will field one of the most talented backfields in the country.
The Rebels will go against a Tulane defense that returns all of its starters from last season. Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe is impressed with the Green Wave's experience and hopes his team will step up to the challenge.
"Tulane's defense is experienced and plays extremely hard," said Cutcliffe. "Their linebackers played real well against us last year and their secondary has got some outstanding speed. Anytime you have veteran, experienced players like Tulane has, you are going to have a defensive unit with a lot of pride. Our biggest challenge will be overcoming their pride."
Leading the Green Wave offense for the second straight season will be junior quarterback Patrick Ramsey. Last season, the Tulane signal-caller led an offense that averaged 420.5 yards per game, including 327.3 yards passing, and 25.4 points per game. Also returning for the Green Wave is one of Ramsey's favorite targets, senior wide receiver Adrian Burnette. Burnette caught 79 passes for 1,095 yards and seven touchdowns in 1999.
"Patrick Ramsey is a tremendous player," said Cutcliffe. "Tulane has worked hard to become a little more balanced on offense, but when you can throw the ball that well, it sometimes becomes difficult to defend the run as well. They run a lot of plays and have a good tempo on offense. Their offense is certainly going to be a big challenge for us in our first game."
Stepping up to the challenge for the Rebels on defense this season will be senior defensive ends, Derrick Burgess and Shane Elam, junior linebacker Eddie Strong and junior defensive back Syniker Taylor. Burgess and Elam will take charge of the defensive frontline while Strong, who switched from outside to middle linebacker in the spring, will anchor the linebacking corp. Taylor will lead a young, but talented group of players in the defensive backfield, as Ole Miss looks to improve its defense from a year ago.
"We are a faster defensive team than we were a year ago," Cutcliffe said. "We are not really that big, but I think this team has an attitude defensively that they will play well together. Our defense is much more versatile, and it will be exciting to see them play."
