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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Game Notes
10/14/2001 | Football
Ole Miss Game Notes in PDF Format
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Updated October 18, 2001
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
DATE: Saturday, October 20, 2001
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
SITE: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (45,577) in Oxford, Miss.
TV: There is no television for Saturday's game.
RADIO: Saturday's game and all Ole Miss games can be heard on stations along the Ole Miss Football Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play, Pete Cordelli, color analyst, Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter, Gary Darby, pregame show host). The radio broadcast can also be heard on the official Ole Miss athletic website at www.Ole MissSports.com.
IN THE POLLS: Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee are both unranked in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches and Associated Press Top 25 polls. The Rebels did receive 30 votes in the AP rankings to finish fifth among "Others Receiving Votes." Ole Miss also garnered six points in the Coaches poll.
SERIES INFO: Saturday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee in football.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE: David Cutcliffe is in his third full season as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. He is 20-10 with the Rebels since taking over the program on Dec. 6, 1998, less than a month prior to leading Ole Miss to a 35-18 win in his head coaching debut against Texas Tech in the Sanford Independence Bowl. This is Cutcilffe's first head coaching position. Prior to coming to Ole Miss, he spent 17 seasons as an assistant on both Johnny Majors' and Phillip Fulmer's staffs at Tennessee.
MTSU HEAD COACH ANDY McCOLLUM: Andy McCollum is in his third year as the head coach of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. MTSU is his first career head coaching assignment, and has a record of 14-14. McCollum was named head coach of the Blue Raiders on Dec. 8, 1998 and has guided the program through its first two years at the NCAA Division I-A level. Prior to being named head coach at MTSU, McCollum was an assistant coach at Baylor for six seasons from 1993-1998. He has also served stints as an assistant at UTEP from 1989-1993, and at Tennessee for seven weeks in 1995.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE SCOUTING REPORT: The Blue Raiders possess a high-flying offense that is averaging 41.0 points and 513.2 yards of total offense per game. MTSU scored 70 points in a 70-58 victory over Idaho on Oct. 6. Senior QB Wes Counts leads the offense, averaging 246.0 yards passing per game. He is completing 71.7 percent of his passes, having connected on 114-of-159 with 13 TDs and three interceptions. His favorite target is senior WR Kendall Newson, who has 34 receptions for 394 yards and four TDs. Newson is one of five receivers who has caught 10 or more passes. On the ground, junior TB Dwone Hicks has rushed for 628 yards on 114 carries and scored 13 TDs. As a team, MTSU is averaging 239.5 yards rushing per game. Defensively, the Blue Raiders are allowing an average of 435.3 yards and 26.0 points per game, including 307.7 yards passing. Senior LB Scotty Brown has tallied a team-high 38 stops, including 16 solo, and has a team-high four TFLs for 18 yards. Senior CB Jykine Bradley has a team-leading four interceptions and has 12 passes defensed. On special teams, sophomore P Robert Billings is averaging 44.7 yards per punt on 17 attempts.
2001 MIDDLE TENNESSEESCHEDULE/RESULTS (5-1, 3-1 SUN BELT)Aug. 30 at Vanderbilt W, 37-28Sept. 8 TROY STATE W, 54-17Sept. 22 at Louisiana-Monroe* W, 38-20Sept. 29 at Louisiana-Lafayette* W, 26-9OCT. 6 IDAHO* W, 70-58Oct. 13 at North Texas* L, 21-24Oct. 20 at Ole Miss 1 p.m.OCT. 27 NEW MEXICO STATE* 2 P.M.NOV. 3 ARKANSAS STATE* 2 P.M.Nov. 10 at LSU 7 p.m.NOV. 17 CONNECTICUT 2 P.M.
* - Sun Belt Conference GameAll Times Central
REBEL GAME NOTES
REBEL NOTEBOOK:
* Last Saturday's 27-24 win over Alabama marked the Rebels' first in seven games under Head Coach David Cutcliffe when trailing at halftime.
* Prior to last Saturday's game, Ole Miss had lost its last 10 games when trailing at the half. The Rebels' last victory when trailing at the break came against South Carolina on Oct. 3, 1998 in Oxford. The Rebels trailed the Gamecocks 21-16 at intermission before prevailing with a 30-28 win.
* Ole Miss is aiming for its third 5-1 start since 1990, and its first since 1999. The Rebels are off to a 4-1 start for the fourth straight season, and their ninth since 1990.
* The Rebels were penalized eight times for 55 yards last Saturday against Alabama, both season highs.
* Ole Miss enters the week as one of the SEC's least penalized teams. Ole Miss is first in the conference for the fewest penalties per game, being flagged an average of 5.2 times per game, and is second in the fewest penalty yards per game at 46.
* Last Saturday's game was the Rebels' first home game in 41 days. Prior to the Alabama contest, Ole Miss hadn't played in Oxford since hosting Murray State in the season opener on Sept. 1.
* The Rebels are 126-97-5 (.564 winning percentage) in the month of October since the school's modern-era began in 1947. Under Head Coach David Cutcliffe, Ole Miss is 7-2 in October.
* Saturday's game with Middle Tennessee will mark the Rebels' second game against a Sun Belt Conference team in the past three weeks. Ole Miss defeated Arkansas State 35-17 in Jonesboro, Ark., on Oct. 6. All-time, the Rebels are 23-1-2 (.904 winning percentage) against schools that compete in the Sun Belt.
REBELS TO HOST BLUE RAIDERS IN HOMECOMING CONTEST: Ole Miss will host Middle Tennessee Saturday in its 74th annual Homecoming game. The Rebels are 58-13-2 at Homecoming, having won their last four Homecoming contests, and 16 of their last 19. LSU was the last team to defeat Ole Miss on its Homecoming, downing the Rebels 39-7 on Nov. 16, 1996. Last year at Homecoming, Ole Miss edged UNLV, 43-40 in overtime.
2001 HOMECOMING COURT: Senior Kath-leen Valentine from Brookhaven, Miss., was elected Homecoming Queen and Richie Haik, a senior from New Iberia, La., was voted Colonel Reb. Jenny Zeleski, a senior from Lufkin, Texas, was elected Miss Ole Miss.
OLE MISS-LSU GAME TIME CHANGE: Next Saturday's game time for the Ole Miss-LSU game in Baton Rouge has been pushed back one hour from 7 p.m., to 8 p.m., as ESPN 2 will televise the contest.
OLE MISS LOOKS TO EXTEND REGULAR SEASON NON-CONFERENCE WIN STREAK: Ole Miss carries a 21-game, regular-season non-conference winning streak into Saturday's contest with Middle Tennessee. The Rebels haven't dropped a non-conference game in the regular season since falling to Memphis, 17-16 on Nov. 5, 1994 in Oxford. During the 21-game streak, Ole Miss has an 18.7-point margin of victory, outscoring the opposition 723-330. Under Head Coach David Cutcliffe, Ole Miss is 8-0 against non-conference opponents during the regular season.
Including bowl games, Ole Miss has won 24 of its last 25 games against non-SEC teams. West Virginia snapped a 22-game overall non-conferenece win streak for the Rebels in last December's Music City Bowl, handing Ole Miss a 49-38 defeat. The chart on the following page shows Ole Miss' 21-game non-conference win streak during the regular season:
Date Opponent Score10-6-2001 Arkansas State W, 35-179-1-2001 Murray State W, 49-1410-28-2000 UNLV (OT) W, 43-4010-7-2000 Arkansas State W, 35-109-2-2000 Tulane W, 49-209-9-99 Tulane W, 20-139-11-99 Arkansas State W, 38-149-4-99 at Memphis W, 3-010-24-98 Arkansas State W, 30-179-26-98 at SMU (OT) W, 48-419-5-98 Memphis W, 30-1011-15-97 at Tulane W, 41-249-6-97 SMU W, 23-158-30-97 Central Florida (OT) W, 24-2310-26-96 Arkansas State W, 38-219-7-96 VMI W, 31-78-31-96 Idaho State W, 38-1411-4-95 Memphis W, 34-310-7-95 Tulane W, 20-179-9-95 Indiana State W, 56-1011-12-94 Tulane W, 38-0CUTCLIFFE EARNS WIN NO. 20: Last Saturday's 27-24 win over Alabama gave third-year Ole Miss Head Coach David Cutcliffe his 20th win as the Rebels' head coach. He becomes the third fastest coach in school history to reach the 20-win mark, doing so in his 30th game. Harry J. Mehre was the fastest, reaching the 20-victory plateau in 24 games, followed by legendary coach John Vaught, who needed 28 games. The following chart shows the five fastest head coaches in school history to reach 20 wins at Ole Miss:
Coach, Years Games W-L-T Pct.Harry J. Mehre, 1938-40 24 20-4-0 .833John Vaught, 1947-49 28 20-7-1 .732David Cutcliffe, 1999-present 30 20-10 .667Tommy Tuberville, 1995-98 35 20-15-0 .571Homer Hazel, 1925-28 37 20-16-1 .554
WILLIAMS OUT INDEFINITELY: Junior RB Robert Williams (Gadsden, Ala.) is out indefinitely after having arthoscopic surgery on his left knee to remove a partial meniscus tear on Friday, October 5. Williams sustained the injury during Ole Miss' Sept. 29 game at Kentucky, and has not played in the last two games against Arkansas State and Alabama. At the time of the injury, Williams was the Rebels' second-leading rusher, having carried 24 times for 101 yards while serving as a back-up to senior Joe Gunn (Amory, Miss.). Williams also had one reception for seven yards, had four kickoff returns for 84 yards, and returned two punts for 10 yards.
REBELS STILL LAST TO BEAT OKLAHOMA: Ole Miss still holds the distinction of being the last team to defeat defending national champion Oklahoma as the Sooners extended their winning streak to 19 with a 38-10 victory at Kansas last weekend. The Rebels handed the Sooners their last loss, 27-25 in the 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl when Les Binkley booted a 39-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
NOTING ELI:
* Sophomore QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La. ) was listed as one of the top 100 college players in the country in ESPN.com's, The Blitz midseason rankings. He was 11th among quarterbacks on the list.
* Recorded his first career 300-yard passing game against Alabama, completing 22-of-41 passes for 325 and a TD.
* The 325-yard passing effort also marked his fifth straight 250-yard passing game, a school record.
* Was 15-of-26 for 207 yards in the second half against the Crimson Tide, including 9-of-17 for 155 yards and the game-winning TD pass in the fourth quarter.
* Manning has thrown a TD pass in six consecutive games dating back to last December's Music City Bowl against West Virginia. The school record for consecutive games with a TD pass is eight, held by his father, Archie Manning, and Romaro Miller.
* The 41 passing attempts against Alabama was a career high, two more than his previous high of 39 set at Auburn on Sept. 8.
* Manning has completed at least 20 passes in 4-of-5 games this season. The only game he didn't record 20 pass completions was at Kentucky on Sept. 29, when he finished 19-of-36.
* Manning has not been intercepted in 128 passing attempts since being picked off in the third quarter at Auburn on Sept. 8. It is the fourth longest such streak in school history. Stewart Patridge holds the record with 200 consecutive passes without an interception in 1997, followed by Josh Nelson with 145 in 1994, and Kent Austin with 131 in 1984.
MANNING HONORED: Sophomore QB Eli Manning was honored by the Southeastern Conference for his performance against Alabama, as he was named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week. Manning is the first Rebel to win the weekly award this season, and the first since RB Deuce McAllister won the award last season following the Mississippi State contest.
MANNING ENGINEERS REBEL COMEBACK AGAINST ALABAMA: After mounting furious fourth-quarter rallies against West Virginia in last December's Music City Bowl and at Auburn on Sept. 8 that fell short, sophomore QB Eli Manning rallied the Rebels to victory from 10 points down in the fourth quarter against Alabama last weekend. Manning completed 9-of-17 passes for 155 yards and a TD in the fourth quarter, including hitting on 3-of-4 for 68 yards on Ole Miss' game-winning drive, five-play, 59-yard drive in 48 seconds that resulted in a three-yard TD from Manning to senior RB Joe Gunn with 46 seconds remaining. The following chart shows Manning's statistics on each of the Rebels' fourth-quarter possessions:
Score Spot Time C-A-I Yds ResultUA 24-14 UM 36 14:05 0-2-0 0 PuntUA 24-14 UM 28 11:36 2-3-0 44 Stackhouse 19 yd. TD runUA 24-20 UM 48 8:21 4-8-0 43 Downs at UA 8UA 24-20 UM 41 1:34 3-4-0 68 Manning 3 yd TD pass to GunnUM 27-24 UA 9 0:26 0-0-0 0 End of game
A CLOSER LOOK AT MANNING'S FOURTH-QUARTER NUMBERS: Eli Manning's clutch performance in the fourth quarter hasn't been limited to just last Saturday's game against Alabama. Throughout the season, the fourth quarter has been one of Manning's most productive. He has completed 25-of-40 passes for 393 yards in the final period this season. The 393 yards passing is the most of any quarter, and that's even with him not playing the final 15 minutes in the Rebels' 49-14 win over Murray State in the season opener. The following charts breaks down Manning's fourth quarter performances in 2001:
Manning's Game-by-Game Fourth Quarter StatisticsOpponent C-A-I Yds TDMurray State (9/1) DNPat Auburn (9/8) 8-12-0 104 1 Key Plays: 50-yard TD pass to Omar Rayford to pull Rebels within 27-14,
5x9, 40 yards on UM's last scoring drive to make it 27-21.at Kentucky (9/29) 5-8-0 69 0 Key Plays: Leading 35-31 late in the fourth, completed a 43-yard pass to
Jamie Armstrong to set-up Toward Sanford's 1-yard TD to seal the 42-31 win.at Arkansas State (10/6) 3-3-0 65 1 Key Plays: Delivers knockout punch with a 51-yard TD pass to
Chris Collins with 6:08 remaining to make it 35-17.Alabama (10/13) 9-17-0 155 1 Key Plays: Completed passes of 21 to Doug Zeigler and 23 to Chris Collins
to set-up Charles Stackhouse's 19-yard run to close Ole Miss' deficit to 24-20
with 9:24 left ... Hooked up with Jamie Armstrong for 24 yards on a 1st-and-20,
Completed 41-yard pass to Toward Sanford to set-up three-yard swing pass
to Joe Gunn for game-winning TD.
Quarter-by-Quarter StatisticsQuarter C-A-I Yds TD Eff.First 30-42-0 390 2 165.14Second 25-40-0 348 5 176.83Third 25-46-1 267 1 113.24Fourth 25-40-0 393 3 169.78**- Did not play in the fourth quarter vs. Murray St.
ELI'S TD-TO-INT RATIO ONE OF NATION'S BEST: With 11 TD passes to just one interception this season, sophomore QB Eli Manning ranks second in the nation among quarterbacks with at least 100 passing attempts in TD-to-interception ratio. Only UCLA's Cory Paus' ratio is better having thrown five TDs passes to no interceptions. Of the top three in the nation, Manning is averaging the most passing attempts per game at 33.6 attempts per game. The following chart shows the nation's top three passers in TD-to-INT ratio:
Player, Team GP Att TD-Int RatioCory Paus, UCLA 5 106 5-0 5:0Eli Manning, Ole Miss 5 168 11-1 11:1Brandon Doman, BYU 6 188 16-2 8:1
MANNING RANKED AMONG NATION'S TOP PASSERS: Sophomore QB Eli Manning enters this weekend's game ranked in the top 25 in the nation in passing yards per game (10th), passing efficiency (11th), total offense (13), completions per game (13), TD passes (T17) and points responsible for (T25) (see Rebels in the SEC/NCAA Statistics on page 5).
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
* Ole Miss' 174 points this season is the third highest in school history after five games. The 1935 squad had scored 205 points in the first five games, and 1928 squad had posted 179 points for the second-highest total.
* Ole Miss is second in the SEC and 17th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 34.8 points per game.
* The Rebels have scored 20 or more points in 11 of their last 14 games, averaging 31.3 points during that span.
* Ole Miss is second in the SEC in drive efficiency, scoring on 39.3 percent (24x61) of its offensive possessions. Florida ranks first, having scored half (42x84) the time it has the ball.
* Senior WR Omar Rayford (Holly Springs, Miss.) failed to catch a pass last weekend for the first time since Sept. 9, 2000 versus Auburn, snapping a streak of 14 consecutive games with a reception.
* Senior RB Joe Gunn (Amory, Miss.) had 78 yards rushing against Alabama to pass Leon Perry (1976-79) for fourth place on the school's career rushing list. Gunn now has 2,191 career rushing yards, 131 shy of Dou Innocent (1991-92, 1994-95) for third place.
* Sophomore WR Chris Collins (Liberty, Miss.) is four TD receptions shy of the school single-season record of nine set by Ken Toler in 1980 and Grant Heard in 2000.
* Junior RB Toward Sanford (Batesville, Miss.) is tied for third in the SEC in scoring at 8.4 ppg., and sophomore WR Chris Collins is tied for seventh in the conference at 7.2 ppg.
* The Rebels are second in the SEC in sacks allowed with.
COLLINS RECORDS THIRD 100-YARD RECEIVING GAME OF 2001, SET CAREER HIGH FOR RECEPTIONS: Sophomore WR Chris Collins had 110 yards receiving on a career-high eight receptions against Alabama to his third 100-yard receiving game of the season, a school record. He is just one of six receivers in Ole Miss history to have at least two, 100-yard receiving games in a season, the others were: Floyd Franks in 1969, J.R. Ambrose in 1988, Ta'Boris Fisher and LeMay Thomas in 1995, and Cory Peterson in 1999. The 110-yard effort against the Crimson Tide was also the third of Collins' career, putting him one shy of Franks' school record of four.
GUNN AMONG SEC'S ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS: Senior RB Joe Gunn is the SEC's leading active career rusher with 2,191 yards, 328 yards ahead of South Carolina's Derek Watson. Gunn is also tied for third on the SEC active career list for TDs scored with 19, is fourth in all purpose yards and is 10th in scoring.
METCALF ON LOMBARDI AWARD AND OUTLAND TROPHY "WATCH LISTS": Senior OT Terrence Metcalf (Clarksdale, Miss.) has been named to both the Lombardi and Outland Trophy "watch lists." Metcalf is one 52 preliminary candidates for the 32nd annual Rotary Lombardi Award, presented to the nation's top lineman (offense or defense). The winner will be selected from a list of 12 semifinalists on Dec. 5 in Houston.
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the nation's top interior offensive or defensive lineman. Metcalf is one of 26 players to be named to the award's watch list. The 2001 Outland Trophy winner will be named Dec. 6 on the ESPN College Football Awards Show from Orlando, Fla.
METCALF RATED BY THE SPORTING NEWS AS TOP OFFENSIVE GUARD FOR THE 2002 NFL DRAFT: Senior OT Terrence Metcalf was rated by The Sporting News as the nation's top prospect at offensive guard for the 2002 NFL Draft, in its 2002 NFL Draft Preview. Metcalf has played both guard and tackle during his career at Ole Miss, and has started at left tackle in all four of the Rebels' games this season. In its preview, The Sporting News said Metcalf could go as high as some of the top offensive tackles.
METCALF INVITED TO POSTSEASON ALL-STAR GAME: Senior OT Terrence Metcalf is one of 37 SEC players that has been invited to participate in the 4th annual Rotary Gridiron Classic presented by Tyco. The game is scheduled to be played Saturday, Jan. 26 at 1 p.m. (CST) at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.
STRONG NAMED TO BUTKUS AWARD "WATCH LIST:" Junior LB Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.) is one of 69 players to be named to the "watch list" for the 2001 Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker. The list will be pared to 10 semi-finalists on Oct. 18 and then to three finalists on Nov. 8. The winner will be announced Fri., Dec. 7 at the Butkus Award Gala in Orlando, Fla. Strong was ranked by Lindy's as the nation's fifth-best outside linebacker heading into 2001. Lindy's also tabbed Strong as a first team preseason All-SEC selection, and he earned second team preseason All-SEC honors from The Birmingham News and at SEC Media Days.
Strong was credited with 11 tackles (eight solo) against Alabama, tying for the game high. The 11 tackle performance is his second straight 10-tackle game, as he was credited with a career-high 13 stops (six solo) against Arkansas State on Oct. 6. Through five games, Strong is tied for the team-lead in tackles, along with senior DT Kenny Jackson (New Orleans, La.) with 45, including 26 solo. Strong also hads four TFLs and two QB sacks. The following chart shows Strong's game-by-game statistics in 2001:
TFL- Sacks-Opponent (Date) UT-AT TT Yds Yds PBUMurray State (9/1) 2-3 5 0-0 0-0 0at Auburn (9/8) 6-5 11 2-2 0-0 0at Kentucky (9/29) 4-1 5 1-4 1-4 1at Arkansas St. (10/6) 6-7 13 1-4 1-4 0Alabama (10/13) 8-3 11 0-0 0-0 0Totals 26-19 45 4-10 2-8 1TAYLOR NAMED TO JIM THORPE AWARD "WATCH LIST": Senior DB Syniker Taylor was one of 38 players across the country named to the 2001 preseason "watch list" for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented to the nation's top defensive back. A screening committee will narrow the field to 10 semifinalists, which will be announced the first week in November. That list will be submitted to a national selection committee consisting of coaches, journalists and former players from around the nation. Three finalists will then be announced the Monday before Thanksgiving and be invited to ESPN's College Football Awards Show at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where the winner will be announced Dec. 6.
Taylor made two stops and had one pass break-up against Alabama, and helped the Rebel defense hold the Crimson Tide to 136 yards on 7-of-24 passing. For the season, Taylor has made 19 stops (14 solo), and leads Ole Miss in interceptions (2) and passes defensed (5). The following chart shows Taylor's game-by-game statistics:
TFL-Opponent (Date) UT-AT TT Yds INT PBUMurray State (9/1) 4-2 6 0-0 1 0at Auburn (9/8) 5-0 5 1-2 1 0at Kentucky (9/29) 2-0 2 0-0 0 1at Arkansas St. (10/6) 3-1 4 0-0 0 1Alabama (10/13) 0-2 2 0-0 0 1Totals 14-5 19 1-2 2 3
DEFENSIVE NOTES:
* Junior LB Lanier Goethie (Baxley, Ga.) intercepted his first career pass last Saturday against Alabama, picking off a Tyler Watts pass with 26 seconds remaining in the game to seal the Rebels' 27-24 win.
* Three of senior DT Anthony Sims' (Memphis, Tenn.) six tackles against Alabamas went for a loss.
* Ole Miss limited Alabama to 17 total yards on 14 plays in the fourth quarter, and did not allow the Crimson Tide to make a first down.
* The seven completions by Alabama was the fewest allowed by Ole Miss since holding UNLV to seven completions on 25 attempts last season in Oxford.
* The Rebels have intercepted a pass in 4-of-5 games this season, and in 14 of the last 15 games dating back to last year's game at Vanderbilt on Sept. 16, 2000.
* Ole Miss has recorded a sack in nine consecutive games. The last time the Rebels did not get to the opposing quarterback was on Nov. 4, 2000 at Arkansas.
* Alabama's 12-play, 86-yard TD march on its opening possession, was the longest scoring drive in terms of yardage against Ole Miss this season.
OLE MISS NATION'S TOP PASSING DEFENSE:Ole Miss is ranked first in the nation in passing defense entering the week, allowing an average of 131.8 yards passing per game. The Rebels also ranked first in the SEC in pass efficiency defense with a rating of 92.77, and has allowed the lowest completion percentage in the conference at 47.1 percent (57x121). Nationally, Ole Miss is ninth in pass efficiency defense and 12th for the lowest completion percentage allowed (see Rebels in the SEC/NCAA Statistics on page 5).
TAYLOR SEC'S ACTIVE CAREER LEADER IN INTERCEPTIONS, PASSES DEFENSED: Senior DB Syniker Taylor's nine career interceptions and 35 passes defensed ranks first among active SEC players. Alabama's Reggie Myles and Florida's Bennie Alexander is second on the active career list for interceptions with eight, and South Carolina's Sheldon Brown is second among active SEC players in passes defensed with 30.
THOMAS WEARING CHUCKY MULLINS' NO. 38: Senior LB Kevin Thomas (Courtland, Miss.) received the 2001 Chucky Mullins Courage Award this spring, and as a result, is wearing the late Mullins' No. 38 this season. Thomas appeared in all 12 games last season, drawing 11 starts. This season, Thomas has played in all five games, recording 15 tackles (nine solo), and has one TFL.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES:
* The Rebels rank first in the SEC and seventh nationally in kickoff returns, averaging 27.4 yards per return.
* Freshman P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) recorded his first two 50-yard punts of his career last weekend. His first was a 51-yarder on his second-of-five punts on the day. He later added a career-long 54-yard boot in the third quarter.
* Freshman K Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) missed his first extra-point attempt of his career against Alabama, after being successful on his first 23.
* Ole Miss has attempted just one field goal this season, that coming at Arkansas State on Oct. 6. The 46-yard attempt by Jonathan Nichols was no good. The attempt was also the first of Nichols' career.
* Ole Miss has returned a kickoff for a touchdown three straight years. JUCO transfer Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score in the season opener against Murray State.
