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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Game Notes
10/21/2001 | Football
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Oct. 21, 2001
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
DATE: Saturday, October 27, 2001
TIME: 8:00 p.m.
SITE: Tiger Stadium (91,600) in Baton Rouge, La.
TV: Saturday's game will be televised by ESPN2 (Rich Waltz, play-by-play, TBA, color analyst, Jimmy Dykes, sideline reporter).
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 LSU both are unranked in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches and Associated Press Top 25 polls. The Rebels did receive 65 points in the AP poll to finish second among "Others Receiving Votes." Ole Miss had 15 points in the Coaches poll. LSU received 37 points in the AP poll and 58 in the Coaches poll.
SERIES INFO: Saturday's game will be the 90th all-time between Ole Miss and LSU dating back to 1894. It is the second-most played rivalry in Ole Miss history, behind only the Mississippi State series (97 meetings). The Tigers hold a 49-36-4 advantage in the series, however, the Rebels have won three of the last four. LSU snapped a three-game losing streak to Ole Miss last year in Oxford, defeating the Rebels 20-9. Ole Miss is aiming for its third straight win in Baton Rouge for the first time since winning four straight from 1953-1956. The Rebels upset the No. 8 ranked Tigers in Baton Rouge in 1997, 36-21, and won again in 1999, 42-23.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE: David Cutcliffe is in his third full season as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. He is 21-10 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. Cutcliffe is 1-1 against LSU and 0-1 versus Tiger Head Coach Nick Saban.
LSU HEAD COACH NICK SABAN: Nick Saban is in his second year as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. He is 12-6 with the Tigers and 55-32-1 overall in his eighth year as a collegiate head coach. Saban has also served head coaching stints at Toledo (1990) and Michigan State (1995-1999). He guided the Rockets to a 9-2 mark in his only year at the school, and posted a five-year mark of 34-24-1 with the Spartans from 1995-1999. He has taken his teams to four bowl appearances, including leading LSU to a Peach Bowl victory last season. Saban is 1-0 against Ole Miss and Rebel Head Coach David Cutcliffe.
LSU SCOUTING REPORT: LSU is averaging 30.5 points and 456.5 yards of offense per game. Senior QB Rohan Davey is averaging 271.7 yards per game through the air, completing 103-of-176 passes for 1,630 yards with nine TDs and three interceptions. Davey's favorite target has been junior WR Josh Reed. Reed accounts for 35.6 percent of the Tigers' receiving output, having caught 42 passes for 813 yards and three TDs. He had 10 receptions for 146 yards and two scores in LSU's 42-0 win over Mississippi State last Saturday. Sophomore RB LaBrandon Toefield is the team's leading rusher with 485 yards on 112 carries and has rushed for 10 TDs. The Tiger defense is yielding an average of 21.0 points and 422.0 yards per game. Junior LB Trev Faulk and junior LB Bradie James lead the defensive unit with 54 tackles each. Junior SS Damien James leads the SEC with five interceptions.
2001 LSUSCHEDULE/RESULTS (4-2, 2-2 SEC)SEPT. 1 TULANE W, 48-17SEPT. 8 UTAH STATE W, 31-14Sept. 29 at Tennessee* L, 18-26OCT. 6 FLORIDA* L, 15-44Oct. 13 at Kentucky* W, 29-25Oct. 20 at Mississippi State* W, 42-0OCT. 27 OLE MISS* 8 P.M.Nov. 3 at Alabama* TBANOV. 10 MIDDLE TENNESSEE* 7 P.M.NOV. 23 ARKANSAS* 1:30 P.M.DEC. 1 AUBURN* TBAREBEL GAME NOTES
* - SEC Game All Times Central
REBEL NOTEBOOK:
* Ole Miss is off to its third 5-1 start since the 1990 season, and its first since 1999. A win Saturday over LSU would give the Rebels their first 6-1 start since 1990, when they finished 9-3 with an appearance in the Gator Bowl.
* A win Saturday would give Ole Miss its first 3-1 start in the SEC since 1990. The 1990 team finished tied for second in the conference with a 5-2 SEC mark.
* Ole Miss is looking for its fifth straight win for the first time since 1992 when the Rebels closed a 9-3 campaign with five consecutive victories.
* The Rebels' current four-game winning streak is their longest since that five-game win streak in 1992. * Ole Miss is the SEC's least penalized team in terms of penalties per game and penalty yards per game. The Rebels are being flagged an average of 5.0 times per game for 44.7 yards.
* Last Saturday's 45-17 win over Middle Tennessee was Ole Miss' 22nd straight regular-season win over a non-conference opponent, and its 25th in the last 26 games including bowls, dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994.
* Head Coach David Cutcliffe is now 9-0 against non-SEC teams during the regular season, and 11-1 including bowl games.
* Ole Miss has outscored the opposition 76-24 in the fourth quarter this season.
* The Rebels are 8-2 in October under Head Coach David Cutcliffe.
* The win over Middle Tennessee was Ole Miss' fifth straight victory at Homecoming. The Rebels are 59-13-2 all-time in Homecoming games. The last team to beat the Rebels during their Homecoming was LSU, 39-7 on Nov. 16, 1996.
* Ole Miss still holds the distinction of being the last team to defeat defending national champion Oklahoma. The Sooners have won 20 consecutive games since losing to the Rebels, 27-25 in the 1999 Sanford Independence Bowl on Les Binkley's 39-yard FG as time expired.
REBELS LOOK TO BECOME BOWL ELIGIBLE: A win Saturday night at LSU would make Ole Miss bowl eligible for the fifth straight year since coming off NCAA sanctions in 1997. The Rebels are currently the only team in the SEC Western Division to have advanced to the postseason in each of the past four seasons. Ole Miss has made trips to the 1997 Motor City Bowl, the 1998 and 1999 Independence Bowls, and the 2000 Music City Bowl.
OLE MISS SEC WEST'S WINNINGEST PROGRAM SINCE 1997: In addition to being the only SEC Western Division team to play in a bowl game in each of the past four seasons, Ole Miss has also posted the best overall record in the SEC West since coming off NCAA sanctions prior to the 1997 season. The Rebels are 35-19 (.648 winning percentage) since 1997. Ole Miss has also recorded the best overall record in the SEC West since Head Coach David Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999. The following charts shows the overall records of all six SEC Western Division schools since the start of the 1997 season, and since Cutcliffe's first full season in Oxford in 1999. Records include bowl games:
Since 1997School W-L Pct. BowlsOle Miss 35-19 .648 4Mississippi State 34-19 .642 3Auburn 33-22 .600 2Arkansas 30-23 .566 3LSU 27-24 .529 2Alabama 27-27 .500 2CUTCLIFFE AMONG TOP REBEL FIELD BOSSES: Head Coach David Cutcliffe's 21-10 record at Ole Miss ranks third among Rebel coaches after 31 games. Harry J. Mehre (1938-1945) posted the best 31-game record, going 25-6, followed by the legendary John Vaught (1947-70, 1973), who was 22-8-1. The Rebels' 27-24 victory over Alabama on Oct. 13 made Cutcliffe the third fastest coach in school history to reach the 20-win mark. Mehre tops that list, reaching 20 wins in 24 games, followed by Vaught who took 28 games to earn 20 victories. The following chart shows the top five coaches, in terms of winning percentage, in Rebel history after 31 games:
Since 1999School W-L Pct. BowlsOle Miss 20-10 .667 2Mississippi State 19-11 .633 2Auburn 20-11 .645 1Arkansas 17-13 .567 2LSU 15-14 .517 1Alabama 16-15 .516 1
Coach, Years W-L-T Pct.Harry J. Mehre, 1938-1945 25-6-0 .806John Vaught, 1947-70, 1973 22-8-1 .726David Cutcliffe, 1998-present* 21-10-0 .677Tommy Tuberville, 1995-1998 17-14-0 .548Homer Hazel, 1925-1928 16-14-1 .532* - coached first game in the 1998 Independence Bowl.REBELS ON TV: Saturday's telecast by ESPN2 of the Ole Miss-LSU contest will mark the Rebels' third TV appearance of the season. Jefferson-Pilot televised Ole Miss' game at Auburn on Sept. 8, and the Rebels' Oct. 13 home game with Alabama. JP was also scheduled to telecast Ole Miss' Sept. 15 game with Vanderbilt before that contest was postponed until Dec. 1. No decision has been made whether the rescheduled game with the Commodores will be televised. Ole Miss is scheduled to make one other TV appearance this season, as ESPN will televise the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State, for the fourth consecutive year on Thanksgiving night.
All-time, Saturday's game will be the Rebels' 115th televised game, and their 11th on ESPN2. Ole Miss is 51-61-2 (.456 winning percentage) all-time in TV games, 2-8 in games televised on ESPN2. The Rebels made three of their school record eight TV appearances on ESPN2 last season, going 0-3 in those contests against Auburn, LSU and Georgia. Ole Miss is 6-8-2 all-time against LSU in TV games.
OLE MISS-ARKANSAS GAME TO BE TELEVISED ON ESPN2: Next Saturday's home game against Arkansas will be televised by ESPN2 at 6 p.m., pushing back the original start time of 1 p.m.
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 October 5. Williams sustained the injury during Ole Miss' Sept. 29 game at Kentucky, and has not played in the past three games. 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.
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.
* With 14 TD passes this season, Manning is four shy of tying the school single-season record of 18 set by Charlie Conerly in 1947 and Romaro Miller last season.
* Has not been intercepted in 159 passes since being picked off in the third quarter at Auburn on Sept. 8. The streak is the second longest in school history, 41 shy of Stewart Patridge's record of 200 set in 1997.
* Was 25-of-31 for 257 yards and three TDs against Middle Tennessee to extend his school record streak to six consecutive games with at least 250 yards passing.
* The 25 completions against the Blue Raiders was a career high, one better than his previous high of 24 set at Auburn on Sept. 8.
* Has completed at least 20 passes in 5-of-6 games this season. The only game in which he did not reach 20 completions was at Kentucky on Sept. 29, when he completed 19-of-36 passes for 268 yards.
* Named the SEC's Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 325 yards on 22-of-41 passing with one TD while rallying Ole Miss to a 27-24 win over Alabama on Oct. 13.
* The 325-yard passing performance against the Crimson Tide was his first career 300-yard passing game.
* Completed 15-of-26 passes for 207 yards in the second half against Alabama, including 9-of-17 for 155 in the fourth quarter to rally the Rebels from a 24-14 deficit in the final 15 minutes.
MANNING LOOKS TO TIE MARK: Sophomore QB Eli Manning needs one TD pass to tie the school record for consecutive games with at least one TD pass at eight, held by his father, Archie Manning (1968-1970), and Romaro Miller (1997-2000). Manning has at least one TD pass in seven straight games dating back to last December's Music City Bowl against West Virginia. During that span, he has thrown 17 TD passes, including a school single-game record five against Murray State in the season opener on Sept. 1.
MANNING SHINES IN THE FOURTH QUARTER: Throughout the season, sophomore QB Eli Manning has had a habit of making the big play in the fourth quarter. Manning's pass efficiency rating in the fourth quarter of 181.66, is over 10 points higher than in any other quarter. He has completed 26-of-41 passes during the final 15 minutes, for 420 yards with four TDs, despite not playing in the fourth quarter against Murray State and only attempting one pass last Saturday against Middle Tennessee. During the Rebels' 27-24 come-from-behind win over Alabama on Oct. 13, Manning completed 9-of-17 passes for 155 yards and a TD to rally Ole Miss from a 24-14 deficit. He threw for the game-winning TD when he hit RB Joe Gunn on a three-yard swing pass with 46 seconds remaining. The following charts breaks down Manning's numbers by quarter, and charts his big-play performances in the final stanza during the 2001 campaign:
Quarter-by-Quarter StatisticsQuarter C-A-I Yds TD Eff.First 35-49-0 447 2 161.53Second 38-56-0 455 6 171.47Third 31-53-1 333 2 119.95Fourth* 26-41-0 420 4 181.66*- Did not play in the fourth quarter vs. Murray St.,ELI'S TD-TO-INT RATIO ONE OF NATION'S BEST: With 14 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 eight TDs passes to no interceptions. Of the top three in the nation, Manning is averaging the most passing attempts per game at 33.2 attempts per game. The following chart shows the nation's top three passers in TD-to-INT ratio:
and attempted only one pass against Middle Tenn.
Manning's Game-by-GameFourth 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.Middle Tennessee (10/20) 1-1-0 27 1 Key Plays: Completed only pass attempt of the
quarter to Bill Flowers for a 27-yard TD pass to
extend the Rebels' lead to 38-10.
Player, Team GP Att TD-Int RatioCory Paus, UCLA 6 122 8-0 8:0Eli Manning, Ole Miss 6 199 14-1 14:1Brandon Doman, BYU 7 220 20-2 10:1MANNING 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 (9th), passing efficiency (8th), total offense (13th), completions per game (10th), TD passes (T11) and points responsible for (T21) (see Rebels in the SEC/NCAA Statistics on page 5).
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
* Ole Miss rushed for 221 yards on a season-high 50 carries against Middle Tennessee. It marked the first time Ole Miss had rushed 50 times in a game since rushing 52 times in a 37-31 overtime win over LSU on Oct. 31, 1998. The Rebels rushed for a season-high 229 yards on 42 carries at Kentucky on Sept. 29.
* The 81 offensive plays against the Blue Raiders was also a season high and the most since running 82 plays against West Virginia in last December's Music City Bowl.
* Ole Miss 37:24 time of possession against Middle Tennessee was its highest since controlling the ball for 38:13 in a 41-24 win at Tulane on Nov. 15, 1997.
* Junior WR Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) caught a career-high five passes for 82 yards against Middle Tennessee, bettering his previous high of three against Alabama (10/13). Armstead also drew his first career start against the Blue Raiders as the Rebels opened in a four, wide-receiver set.
* Redshirt freshman WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) caught his first career TD pass with a 29-yard reception from Eli Manning in the third quarter against Middle Tennessee. Flowers later scored on a 27-yard TD pass from Manning in the fourth quarter. Prior to last Saturday, Flowers had not had a reception since the season opener against Murray State (9/1). He caught four passes for 62 yards against the Blue Raiders.
SENIOR RB JOE GUNN (AMORY, MISS.)
* Recorded his 10th career 100-yard rushing game against Middle Tennessee, carrying 19 times for 111 yards and a TD. The 10, 100-yard rushing games ties him for second on the Ole Miss career list with Dou Innocent (1991-92, 1994-95). The school record is 14 held by Deuce McAllister (1997-2000).
* With his 111 yards against the Blue Raiders, Gunn now has 2,302 career rushing yards to move within 20 yards of Dou Innocent for third place on the school's career rushing list.
* Gunn's ninth rushing attempt against Middle Tennessee was the 500th of his career as he became just the second running back in school history to record 500 career carries. Deuce McAllister holds the school career record with 616.
* Gunn's 47-yard carry last Saturday against Middle Tennessee was a career long.
SOPHOMORE WR CHRIS COLLINS (GLOSTER, MISS.)
* Caught eight passes for 82 yards and a score in the first half against Middle Tennessee to tie his career high for receptions, set against Alabama on Oct. 13.
* Collins left the game against Middle Tennessee on the Rebels' first offensive series of the third quarter after suffering a high left ankle sprain.
* Collins' six TD receptions is three shy of the school single-season record of nine set by Ken Toler in 1980 and Grant Heard in 2000.
* His three 100-yard receiving games this season is a new Ole Miss single-season record. He recorded 100-yard receiving games against Murray State (6 rec., 100 yards, 3 TDs), Kentucky (7-119-1) and Alabama (8-110-0).
* Collins is one, 100-yard receiving game shy of the Ole Miss career record of four set by Floyd Franks (1968-1970).
SENIOR RB CHARLES STACKHOUSE (WEST MEMPHIS, ARK.)
* Rushed for a career-high 85 yards on 16 carries with two TDs against Middle Tennessee. His previous best was 71 yards on 18 rushing attempts at Arkansas State (10/6).
* His two rushing TDs marked his first career multi-TD game.
* His 29-yard rush against the Blue Raiders was a season long.
GUNN AMONG SEC ACTIVE LEADERS: Senior RB Joe Gunn enters tonight's game as the SEC's active career rushing leader with 2,302 yards, 334 yards ahead of South Carolina's Derek Watson. Gunn is also tied for second among active SEC players in touchdowns scored with 20, one behind Florida's Jabar Gafney, is fourth in all purpose yards with 2,660 yards, and ranks tied for seventh in scoring with 120 points.
OFFENSE ON PACE TO BE SCHOOL'S HIGHEST SCORING: Through six games, the Ole Miss offensive unit is on pace to be highest scoring in school history. The Rebels have scored 219 points this season, an average of 36.5 points per game, ranking second in the SEC and 13th in the nation. The 1959 squad that went 10-1 and was named national champions by the Berryman, Billingsley, Dunkel and Sagarin rankings, is the highest scoring offense in Ole Miss history. That Rebel team averaged 32.9 points per game, scoring 329 in 10 regular season contests.
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.
TAYLOR 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 intercepted his third pass of the season against Middle Tennessee last Saturday and helped limit the Blue Raiders to 13-of-29 passing for 129 yards. He also recorded three tackles and had one pass break-up. For the season, Taylor has been credited with 22 tackles (14 solo), and leads the Rebels in interceptions (3) and passes defensed (7). 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 1Middle Tennessee (10/2) 0-3 3 0-0 1 1Totals 14-8 22 1-2 3 4DEFENSIVE NOTES:
* Ole Miss has allowed just 37.7 percent of passes to be completed in the last two games against Alabama (10/13) and Middle Tennessee (10/20). Combined, the Crimson Tide and Blue Raiders completed 20-of-53 passes for 265 yards with two interceptions and four TDs against the Rebels.
* The Rebels have intercepted a pass in 5-of-6 games this season, and in 15 of the last 16 contests dating back to last year's game at Vanderbilt on Sept. 16, 2000.
* Ole Miss did not record a sack against Middle Tennessee, snapping a streak of nine straight games with at least one sack. Prior to last Saturday, the last time the Rebels had failed to sack the opposing quarterback was on Nov. 4, 2000 at Arkansas.
* Junior LB Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.) was credited with 11 tackles versus Middle Tennessee to record his third consecutive game with at least 10 tackles. He was credited with a career-high 13 at Arkansas State (10/6), and had 11 against Alabama (10/13).
* Senior CB Syniker Taylor's intereception against Middle Tennessee last Saturday was the 10th of his career to tie him for seventh on the Ole Miss career list.
* The Rebels are 13-0 under Head Coach David Cutcliffe when allowing less than 20 points in a game.
TAYLOR SEC'S ACTIVE LEADER IN INTERCEPTIONS: Senior DB Syniker Taylor enters tonight's game as the SEC's active career leader in interceptions with 10, two more than Alabama's Reggie Myles and Florida's Bennie Alexander. He is also the SEC's active leader in passes defensed with 35, and is 10th among active players in tackles with 182.
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.
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.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES:
* The Rebels rank first in the SEC and fifth nationally in kickoff returns, averaging 26.8 yards per return.
* Ole Miss has returned a kickoff for a touchdown three straight years. JUCO transfer Jason Armstead returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score in the season opener against Murray State (9/1).
RS FRESHMAN PK JONATHAN NICHOLS (GREENWOOD, MISS.)
* Made his first career field goal against Middle Tennessee, connecting on a 27-yard attempt in the first quarter against Middle Tennessee. Nichols missed a 46-yarder on his first career attempt against Arkansas State (10/6).
* Scored a career-high nine points against the Blue Raiders, making six extra points and a field goal.
