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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football Game Notes
11/17/2002 | Football
Nov. 17, 2002
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GAMEDAY INFORMATION
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 2002
TIME: 7:30 p.m. (CST)
SITE: Tiger Stadium (86,520); Baton Rouge, La.
TV: ESPN2 (Ron Franklin, play-by-play; Mike Gottfried, analyst; Adrian Karsten, sideline reporter).
RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter; Gary Darby, Pregame host).
POLLS: Ole Miss is unranked in both of this week's Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls. LSU is ranked No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 and No. 21 in The Associated Press Top 25.
SERIES INFO: Saturday's meeting will be the 91st all-time between the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers ... LSU is Ole Miss' second-most played opponent besides Mississippi State, who the Rebels will play for the 99th time on Thanksgiving Night in Oxford ... LSU holds a 49-37-4 advantage in the series, however, the Rebels have won four of the last five, including three straight in Baton Rouge ... The Rebels' 35-24 win at Tiger Stadium last year gave Ole Miss three consecutive wins in Baton Rouge for the first time since winning four straight from 1953-1956 ... LSU still holds a 33-24-1 advantage in games played in Baton Rouge.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ole Miss needs to win one of its two remaining games to become bowl eligible ... The Rebels are looking to snap a four-game losing streak and a five-game skid on the road ... Ole Miss has won three straight against LSU in Baton Rouge.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) is in his fourth full season as the head coach of the Rebels. He was named the 34th head coach at The University of Mississippi on Dec. 2, 1998 after 17 seasons as an assistant at Tennessee. He coached his first game four weeks later in the 1998 Independence Bowl and guided the Rebels to a 35-18 win over heavily-favored Texas Tech. Cutcliffe has a 28-18 record at Ole Miss, leading the Rebels to at least seven wins in each of his first three full seasons to become the only coach besides Harry J. Mehre to win at least seven games in each of his first three seasons at the school. Cutcliffe is 2-1 versus LSU and 1-1 against Tiger head coach Nick Saban.
LSU HEAD COACH NICK SABAN: Nick Saban is in his third year as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. He is 25-10 with the Tigers and 68-36-1 overall in his ninth year as a collegiate head coach. Last season, Saban directed the Tigers to a 10-3 mark, including a win the SEC Championship Game and a 47-34 victory over Illinois in the Nokia Sugar Bowl. 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 a total of five bowl appearances, including the 2000 Peach and 2002 Sugar Bowls with LSU. Saban is 1-1 against Ole Miss and Rebel Head Coach David Cutcliffe.
LSU SCOUTING REPORT: LSU will enter Saturday's game needing a win to clinch at least a tie for the SEC Western Division title. The Tigers will secure themselves a berth in the SEC Championship Game with a win and losses by both Auburn and Arkansas. LSU boasts the nation's fourth-ranked defense, allowing an average of 269.5 yards per game. The Tigers are 13th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 16.9 points per game. Offensively, LSU is averaging 26.9 points and 343.4 yards per game. The Tigers are gaining an average of 202.8 yards rushing per game, led by senior TB Domanick Davis, who has rushed for 692 yards on 149 carries and has scored six TDs. Davis is also averaging 166.4 all purpose yards per game, as he has returned 30 punts for an average of 16.0 yards per return, and 17 kickoffs for an average of 24.4 yards. Sophomore QB Marcus Randall has completed 41-of-91 passes for 598 yards with three TDs and four interceptions, and is starting for the injured Matt Mauck. Sophomore WR Michael Clayton is the Tigers' leading receiver with 38 receptions for 495 yards and four TDs. Senior PK John Corbello is 13-of-19 on field goals, including 7-of-7 on kicks of 39 yards or less, and is 28-of-28 on PAT attempts to lead the Tigers with 67 points. Junior punter Donnie Jones is averaging 43.5 yards on 47 punts.
2002 LSU SCHEDULE/RESULTS (7-3, 4-2 SEC)
* -- SEC game.HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
| Sept. 1 | at Virginia Tech | L, 8-26 |
| SEPT. 7 | THE CITADEL | W, 35-10 |
| SEPT. 14 | MIAMI (OHIO) | W, 33-7 |
| SEPT. 28 | MISSISSIPPI STATE* | W, 31-13 |
| OCT. 5 | LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE | W, 48-0 |
| Oct. 12 | at Florida* | W, 36-7 |
| OCT. 19 | SOUTH CAROLINA* | W, 38-14 |
| Oct. 26 | at Auburn* | L, 7-31 |
| Nov. 9 | at Kentucky* | W, 33-30 |
| NOV. 16 | ALABAMA* | L, 0-31 |
| NOV. 23 | OLE MISS* | 7:30 P.M. |
| Nov. 29 | at Arkansas* | TBA |
All times are Central.
ELI MANNING FACT SHEET
ELI LOOKING TO JOIN 50-TD PASSING CLUB: Junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) will enter Saturday's contest at LSU needing two TD passes to become the 17th player in SEC history to throw 50 TD passes in a career.
MANNING LOOKING TO TOP OWN MARKS: Entering Saturday's game at LSU, Manning is 285 yards shy of his school season record of 2,948 passing yards set last season. He is currently third on the Ole Miss single-season list with 2,663 yards, four shy of Stewart Patridge in second place with 2,667 yards in 1997. He is also 38 passing attempts shy of tying his Ole Miss season record of 408 set a year ago. With two games left on the schedule, Manning also has a chance to top his own school season records for completions and total offense. He is currently 40 completions shy of his record of 259, and needs 368 yards of total offense to tie his record of 2,957. Both marks were also set last year.
MANNING SETS CAREER TD MARK VERSUS ARKANSAS: With two TD passes against Arkansas on Oct. 26, Manning took sole possession of first place on the Ole Miss career list for TD passes. He entered the game tied for the record at 43 with Romaro Miller (1997-2000). He threw the record-breaking TD pass with 7:14 left in the second quarter, connecting on a 12-yard score to junior TE Justin Sawyer (Centreville, Miss.). Manning later tossed a 20-yard TD pass to junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) in the fourth quarter.
MANNING HAS CAREER DAY VERSUS RAZORBACKS: In addition to becoming the school's career leader in TD passes against Arkansas (10/26), Manning reached a couple of other milestones against the Razorbacks. He completed an Ole Miss single-game record 42 passes in passing for a career-high 414 yards. The 42 completions broke the previous Ole Miss mark of 37 set by Kent Austin (1981-85) against Tennessee in 1982, and ranked as the third-highest total in SEC history. The 414 yards passing is the second-highest single-game total in school history, behind only Archie Manning's (1968-70) 436 yards passing against Alabama in the classic 1969 match-up. It was also just the third 400-yard passing game in school history. John Darnell (1987-89) recorded the other with 412 yards against Arkansas State in 1989. It was also Manning's third 300-yard passing game of the season to tie Stewart Patridge's (1994, 96-97) school single-season record set in 1997. His 56 passing attempts was one shy of his school record of 57 set earlier in the year at Texas Tech (9/14).
ELI FIRST REBEL WITH BACK-TO-BACK 2,000-YARD SEASONS: With 414 yards passing against Arkansas (10/26), Manning became the first Rebel quarterback to record 2,000 yards passing in back-to-back seasons. Last year, he set a school record with 2,948 yards passing in his first season as a starter. Prior to the Arkansas contest, there had been seven 2,000-yard passing seasons in school history, and Manning also joins Romaro Miller (1997-2000) as the only Rebel quarterbacks to top the 2,000-yard mark in a season twice in a career. Miller passed for 2,273 yards in 1998 and 2,012 yards in 2000. Miller finished a yard shy of the 2,000-yard mark in 1999, passing for 1,999 yards.
MANNING AND FOURCADE FORM EXCLUSIVE CLUB: With his 413 yards of total offense against Arkansas, Manning joined John Fourcade (1978-81) as the only players in school history to have back-to-back seasons with 2,000 yards of total offense. Fourcade, who is the school's career leader with 6,713 yards of total offense, recorded 2,014 yards in 1979 and 2,299 yards in 1980. Last season, Manning set an Ole Miss single-season record with 2,957 yards of total offense and enters this weekend's game with Georgia with 2,413 yards of total offense this season.
CHART TOPPER: Enters the LSU contest having set 20 school records (see box below).
NOTING ELI
* Named to the 2002 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.
* Named to the first team Verizon District VI All-Academic team.
* Leads the SEC in passing yards per game (266.3) and total offense per game (258.0) ... Ranks 21st nationally in total offense per game.
* With three completions, will tie Romaro Miller (1997-2000) for second in career completions at Ole Miss with 497.
* Needs eight passing attempts to tie John Fourcade (1978-1981) for third place on the school's career list for passing attempts with 819.
* Needs 219 passing yards to become the third quarterback in school history to reach the 6,000-yard mark in career passing yards.
* Needs 289 yards of total offense to become the fourth player in school history to reach 6,000 yards of career total offense.
* Ranks third among active SEC quarterbacks in TD passes (48), is tied for third in completions (494) and ranks fourth in passing yardage (5,781) and total offense (5,711).
* Became the first quarterback in school history to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games, throwing for 374 yards at Texas Tech (9/14) and for 386 yards against Vanderbilt (9/21).
* The 386-yard performance against the Commodores was his fourth career 300-yard performance to set a new Ole Miss career record.
* Set a school single-game record against Vanderbilt for average yards per passing attempt at 9.4 (min. 40 attempts).
* Had completions of 79 and 78 yards against Vanderbilt, making him the only quarterback in school history to have two completions of over 70 yards in the same game ... Also joins Romaro Miller (1997-2000) as the only quarterbacks to have at least two completions of over 70 yards in a career at Ole Miss. Miller had three career completions of over 70 yards.
* Had a streak of 110 consecutive passes without an interception, the fifth-longest streak in school history, from the second quarter of the Texas Tech contest (9/14) to the first quarter of the Arkansas State game (10/12).
MANNING IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
(through games of November 16)
| CATEGORY | NO. | RANK |
| Completions Per Game | 21.9 | 14th |
| Passing Attempts Per Game | 37.0 | 14th |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 266.3 | 17th |
| Total Offense Per Game | 258.0 | 21st |
MANNING IN THE SEC RANKINGS
| CATEGORY | NO. | RANK |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 266.3 | 1st |
| Total Offense Per Game | 258.0 | 1st |
| Completions Per Game | 21.9 | 2nd |
| Passing Attempts Per Game | 37.0 | 2nd |
| Total Plays (rush or pass) | 398 | 2nd |
| Completion Percentage | 59.2 | 3rd |
| Yards Per Offensive Play | 6.48 | 3rd |
SCHOOL RECORDS HELD BY MANNING
SINGLE GAME
Passing Attempts: 57, at Texas Tech (9/14/2002)
Completions: 42, at Arkansas (10/26/2002
Consecutive Pass Completed: 18 vs. Murray State (9/1/2001)
Completion Percentage (30-39 attempts): 80.6 (25x31) vs. Middle Tennessee (10/20/2001)
TD Passes: 6 vs. Arkansas (11/3) - broke his own record of 5 set against Murray State on Sept. 1, 2001
SEASON
Passing Yards: 2,948 (2001)
Passing Attempts: 408 (2001)
Completions: 259 (2001)
Highest Percentage of Passes for TDs: 7.60 (2001)
Pass Effic. Rating (min. 200 attempts): 144.8 (2001)
Total Offense: 2,957 (2001)
Total Offensive Plays (rush + pass): 442 (2001)
Total TDs Responsible For: 31 (2001)
Most TD Passes in a Three-Game Span: 12 from Oct. 20-Nov. 3, 2001 vs. Middle Tennessee, LSU and Arkansas
300-yard Passing Games: 3 (2002 -ties mark set by Stewart Patridge in 1997)
CAREER
Career TD Passes: 48 Consecutive Games with a TD Pass: 16, 2000 Music City Bowl - present
Consecutive 200-yard Passing Games: 11, Sept. 1, 2001- present
Consecutive 250-yard Passing Games: 6, Sept. 1-Oct. 20, 2001
Career 250-yard Passing Games: 13
Career 300-yard Passing Games: 5
MANNING'S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS
-2000-
| Opponent | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD |
| Tulane | 1-5-0 | 4 | 0 |
| at Vanderbilt | 2-3-0 | 17 | 0 |
| Arkansas State | 3-4-0 | 25 | 0 |
| at Alabama | 5-9-0 | 36 | 0 |
| at Arkansas | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0 |
| at Georgia | 5-12-1 | 88 | 0 |
| West Virginia -1 | 12-20-1 | 167 | 3 |
-2001-
| Opponent | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD |
| Murray State* | 20-23-0 | 271 | 5 |
| at Auburn* | 24-39-1 | 265 | 1 |
| at Kentucky* | 19-36-0 | 268 | 2 |
| at Arkansas State* | 20-29-0 | 269 | 2 |
| Alabama* | 22-41-0 | 325 | 1 |
| Middle Tennessee* | 25-31-0 | 257 | 3 |
| at LSU* | 28-44-1 | 249 | 3 |
| Arkansas* | 27-42-0 | 312 | 6 |
| Georgia* | 35-47-1 | 233 | 2 |
| at Mississippi State* | 16-36-3 | 213 | 2 |
| Vanderbilt* | 23-40-3 | 286 | 4 |
-2002-
| Opponent | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD |
| UL-Monroe* | 17-31-1 | 192 | 1 |
| Memphis* | 14-30-0 | 174 | 3 |
| at Texas Tech* | 34-57-1 | 374 | 3 |
| Vanderbilt* | 24-41-0 | 386 | 2 |
| Florida* | 18-33-0 | 154 | 0 |
| Arkansas State* | 14-19-1 | 290 | 3 |
| at Alabama* | 18-32-1 | 219 | 0 |
| at Arkansas* | 42-56-2 | 414 | 2 |
| Auburn* | 26-46-3 | 284 | 3 |
| at Georgia* | 12-25-2 | 176 | 0 |
1- Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn.
BRINGING IT BACK INTO THE FAMILY: Heading into Saturday's game at LSU, junior QB Eli Manning has broken 12 school records in his career that were either held by Archie Manning, who played at Ole Miss from 1968-1970, or were at one time. The following chart shows marks currently held by Eli, that were also set at one time by Archie:
| CATEGORY | ELI | ARCHIE (YEAR) | WHEN ARCHIE'S MARK FELL |
| Passing Attempts - Game | 57 | 56 (1970) | Broken by Eli versus Texas Tech (9/14) |
| Passing Yards - Season | 2,948 | 1,762 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (1,897) |
| Completions - Game | 42 | 33 (1969 | by Kent Austin w/37 vs. Tenn., in 1982 |
| Pass Attempts - Season | 408 | 265 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (286) |
| Pass Completions - Season | 259 | 154 (1969) | 1982 by Kent Austin (186) |
| Total Offense - Season | 2,957 | 2,264 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (2,299) |
| Total Plays (Rush + Pass) - Season | 442 | 389 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (411) |
| TDs Responsible For - Season | 31 | 23 (1969) | 2001 by Eli Manning (31) |
| Consec. Game w/TD pass | 16 | 8** | 1999 by Romaro Miller (8) |
| Career 250-yard passing games | 13 | 6 (1968-1970) | by Kent Austin w/7 from 1981-1985 |
| Career 300-yard passing games | 5 | 3 (1968-70) | Tied by Stewart Patridge (1994, 96-97) and Romaro Miller (1997-2000) |
| Career TD Passes | 48 | 31 | Tied by Kent Austin (1981-85) |
COMPARING THE MANNINGS
The following chart compares the three Manning quarterbacks - Archie, Peyton and Eli - after 26 games in their careers, not including bowl games
| GP | Comp-Att-Int | Yards | Pct. | Avg/G | TD | Effic. | |
| Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 27 | 395-729-36 | 4,671 | .542 | 173.0 | 30 | 110.48 |
| Peyton Manning, 1994-96 | 27 | 465-729-17 | 5,962 | .638 | 220.8 | 44 | 145.93 |
| Eli Manning, 2000-present | 27 | 494-811-21 | 5,781 | .609 | 214.1 | 48 | 135.1 |
MANNING ON THE OLE MISS CAREER TOP 10 CHARTS
PASSING ATTEMPTS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-85 | 981 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 902 |
| 3. | John Fourcade, 1978-81 | 819 |
| 4. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 811 |
COMPLETIONS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 566 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 497 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 494 |
PASSING YARDS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 6,311 |
| 2. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 6,184 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 5,781 |
PASSING TDs
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 48 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 43 |
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Pct. | |
| 1. | Paul Head, 1993-1996 | 61.5 |
| 2. | Stewart Patridge, 1994, 96-97 | 60.8 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 59.2 |
PASS EFFICIENCY
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Effic. | |
| 1. | Jake Gibbs, 1958-1960 | 145.3 |
| 2. | Glynn Griffing, 1960-1962 | 138.9 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 135.1 |
AVERAGE YDS/PASS ATTEMPT
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Eagle Day, 1953-1955 | 8.7 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 3. | Glynn Griffing, 1960-1962 | 7.5 |
| John Darnell, 1987-1989 | 7.5 | |
| 5. | Lawrence Adams, 1993-93, 95-96 | 7.3 |
| 6. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 7.1 |
200-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 19 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 17 |
250-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 13 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 8 |
300-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 5 |
| 2. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 3 |
| Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 3 | |
| Stewart Patridge, 1996-1997 | 3 |
TDs RESPONSIBLE FOR
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 56 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 49 |
TOTAL OFFENSE PER GAME
(minimum 14 career games)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 211.5 |
| 2. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 199.1 |
| 3. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 183.2 |
TOTAL OFFENSE PER PLAY
(minimum 150 career plays)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Doug Elmore, 1959-1961 | 6.64 |
| 2. | Glynn Griffing, 1960-1962 | 6.62 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 6.49 |
| 4. | Rocky Byrd, 1949-1951 | 6.37 |
TOTAL OFFENSE
| Player, Years | Yards | |
| 1. | John Fourcade, 1978-1981 | 6,713 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 6,413 |
| 3. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 6,179 |
| 4. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 5,711 |
HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE
Fourth year at Ole Miss
Record at Ole Miss: 28-18 (.609)
Career Record: 28-18 (.609/4 years)
AT OLE MISS (1998-PRESENT)
* Named the 34th head coach at The University of Mississippi on Dec. 2, 1998.
* Coached first game in the 1998 Independence Bowl and guided the Rebels to a 35-18 win over heavily-favored Texas Tech in what was possibly the bowl season's biggest upset.
* Joins Harry J. Mehre as the only coach in school history to win at least seven games during each of his first three seasons at Ole Miss.
* Reached the 25-win mark at Ole Miss with a 38-16 win over Memphis on Sept. 7, tying him with legendary coach John Vaught as the fastest in school history to reach the 25-victory mark.
* Saturday's game at LSU, to be televised by ESPN2, will mark Ole Miss' 30th TV appearance since Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999, including the 15th time on either ESPN or ESPN2. * The 2001 team set 11 offensive team records, including most points scored with 391.
* Has had two first team All-Americans in DB Ken Lucas (2000) and OL Terrence Metcalf (2001).
* Coached 15 players to All-SEC accolades.
* Produced seven NFL draft picks, including Deuce McAllister, a first-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints in 2001.
* Coached a total of 15 players at Ole Miss that have made professional rosters in either the NFL, CFL or NFL Europe.
PRIOR TO OLE MISS
* Spent 17 years as an assistant under Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee from 1982-1998 ... Helped the Volunteers compile a 154-46-7 record during his time in Knoxville, including winning five SEC championships and one national title in 1998.
* The Volunteers went to 16 bowl games in his 17 years on the UT staff.
* Was Tennessee's offensive coordinator from 1993-1998.
* Recipient of the 1998 Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
* Coached NFL quarterbacks Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning and Tee Martin.
CUTCLIFFE RECORD BREAKDOWN
| W-L | Pct. | |
| SEC: | 14-16 | .467 |
| vs. SEC West: | 7-11 | .389 |
| vs. SEC East: | 7-5 | .583 |
| Non-Conference opponents: | 14-2 | .875 |
| Bowl Games: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Home: | 17-8 | .680 |
| Away: | 9-9 | .500 |
| Neutral: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Day Games: | 16-10 | .615 |
| Night Games (6 pm start or later): | 12-8 | .600 |
| vs. Top 25 teams | 3-7 | .300 |
| When leading at halftime: | 24-6 | .800 |
| Overtime games: | 2-1 | .667 |
REBEL GAME NOTES
* Ole Miss needs one win to become bowl eligible for the sixth straight year since 1997 ... The Rebels went to four straight bowls from 1997-2000, and finished 7-4 last season but did not receive a bowl bid.
* With one win, the Rebels would record their sixth season with at least six wins since going 5-6 in 1996.
* Ole Miss' current four-game losing streak is its longest since dropping four straight in 1994 (Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and Alabama) ... The Rebels have not suffered a five-game skid since losing its last five games of the 1991 season (Georgia, Vanderbilt, LSU, Tennessee and Mississippi State).
* The Rebels are also looking end a five-game road losing streak, their longest road skid since dropping eight straight from 1992-1994 ... LSU was the last team Ole Miss defeated away from Oxford, winning 35-24 last year on Oct. 27 in Baton Rouge.
* Ole Miss will face a ranked opponent for the fourth time this season at LSU (#20 ESPN/USA Today/#21 AP) on Saturday night ... The Rebels are 1-2 versus ranked teams this season, defeating Florida (#6 AP/#8 ESPN/USA Today), 17-14 on Oct. 5 in Oxford, and losing to Alabama (#24 AP), 42-7 in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 19, and to Georgia (#7 AP/#8 ESPN/USA Today), 31-17 in Athens on Nov. 9.
* The Rebels are 5-2 following an off-week under head coach David Cutcliffe.
* This season, Ole Miss was idle on Sept. 28 following a 45-38 win over Vanderbilt on Sept. 21, and returned to action by upsetting No. 6 Florida, 17-14, in Oxford on Oct. 5.
REBELS CONTINUE TOUGH STRETCH RUN: Ole Miss will continue its six-game stretch against five teams that will have at least a .500-record, or better at the time of the contest, Saturday night against LSU in Baton Rouge. The game at Tiger Stadium will also mark the fourth and final game during that stretch, as the Rebels will conclude their season Thanksgiving Night in Oxford against arch-rival Mississippi State. LSU will also be the third ranked team Ole Miss has played in the last five weeks, as Alabama was No. 24 in The Associated Press poll at the time of the Oct. 19 contest, and Georgia was ranked as high as No. 7 in The AP poll entering the Nov. 9 game with Ole Miss in Athens. LSU is ranked No. 20 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 and No. 21 in The AP Top 25. The following chart shows how the Rebels have fared in the second half of the season and the current record of each of the remaining Rebel opponents:
| School | W-L* | Rank* | Next Game/Score | vs. UM/Site |
| Alabama> | 4-2 | 24/NR | L, 7-42 | Tuscaloosa |
| Arkansas | 3-3 | -/- | L, 28-48 | Fayetteville |
| Auburn | 5-3 | RV/RV | L, 24-31 | Oxford |
| Georgia | 8-1 | 7/8 | L, 17-31 | Athens |
| LSU | 7-3 | 21/20 | Sat. vs. Ole Miss | Baton Rouge |
| Miss. State | 3-7 | -/- | Sat. vs. Arkansas | Nov. 28 (H) |
* - At time of the game
NOTE: The home (H) and away (A) designation reflects if it is a home or away game for Ole Miss ... The first ranking reflects The AP poll and the second the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25.
REBELS IN NOVEMBER
* Ole Miss has an all-time record of 186-153-13 (.547 winning percentage) during the month of November.
* The Rebels are 110-64-5 (.628 winning percentage) in home games during November, including home contests played in Jackson and Memphis ... In home games played in Oxford during November, the Rebels are 63-25-4 (.707 winning percentage).
* Ole Miss is 76-89-8 (.462 winning percentage) in road games during November.
* In SEC games played in November, Ole Miss has an overall record of 76-80-7 (.488 winning pct.).
* In SEC home games during November, the Rebels are 47-42-2 (.527 winning percentage), including home games played in Jackson and Memphis ... In SEC home games played in Oxford during November, Ole Miss is 16-19-1 (.458 winning percentage).
* In SEC road games during November, Ole Miss is 29-38-5 (.438 winning percentage).
REBELS ON TV:
* Saturday's game at LSU, to be televised by ESPN2, will mark the Rebels' 127th TV appearance (not including local or pay-per-view broadcasts) of all-time since making their TV debut in the 1953 Sugar Bowl versus Georgia Tech ... Ole Miss is 56-68-2 (.452 winning percentage) in TV games, 3-10 all-time on ESPN2.
* Ole Miss is 7-8-2 all-time against LSU in TV games.
* Saturday's telecast by ESPN2 will mark the fourth time in the last six years that the Ole Miss-LSU game has been televised, including the third straight year by ESPN2.
* Saturday's game will mark the Rebels' eighth TV appearance of the year, the second on either ESPN or ESPN2, tying the school record for TV appearances in a season set in 2000.
* The broadcast will also be the 30th time Ole Miss has played on TV since head coach David Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999.
* The Rebels will make a school-record ninth TV appearance of the season on Thanksgiving Night, when ESPN will televise the annual season-ending "Egg Bowl" with Mississippi State in Oxford at 6:45 p.m. ... It will be the fifth straight year ESPN has carried the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving.
* Three Ole Miss games this season have been televised by one of the four national networks (ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC), with the Rebels appearing twice on CBS and once on ABC, marking the first time since 1979 that Ole Miss has made at least two appearances in the same season on one of the four major networks.
REBELS TABBED FOR THIRD IN THE WEST: Ole Miss was picked to finish third in the SEC Western Division by a panel of media members at the annual SEC Media Days. The Rebels received seven first-place votes to win the West, and two votes to win the overall SEC title. The following shows the predicted order of finish for the SEC Eastern and Western Divisions from the SEC Media Days (first-place votes are listed in parenthesis):
Eastern Division
| School | Pts | |
| 1. | Tennessee (41) | 136 |
| 2. | Georgia (19) | 175 |
| 3. | Florida (19) | 197 |
| 4. | South Carolina (3) | 305 |
| 5. | Kentucky | 428 |
| 6. | Vanderbilt | 481 |
Western Division
| School | Pts | |
| 1. | LSU (43) | 140 |
| 2. | Alabama (24) | 203 |
| 3. | Ole Miss (7) | 291 |
| 4. | Auburn (3) | 311 |
| 5. | Arkansas (5) | 330 |
| 6. | Mississippi State | 447 |
SEC Champion: Tennessee (34), Florida (17), Georgia (16), LSU (4), Ole Miss (2), South Carolina (2), Alabama (1).
M*A*S*H UNIT
* Senior TE Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio) was lost for the season after suffering a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg during the first half of the Sept. 21 game with Vanderbilt. He underwent successful surgery later that night. The Rebels' starting tight end the last three seasons, Zeigler had 48 career receptions for 612 yards and five TDs in 33 games.
* Senior LB Lanier Goethie (Baxley, Ga.) is doubtful for the remainder of the year after suffering a broken bone in his left foot during the Sept. 21 contest with the Commodores ... Goethie was third on the team in tackles entering the Vanderbilt game and was this year's recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award.
FIVE REBELS EARN VERIZON DISTRICT VI ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS: Ole Miss had five players named to the Verizon District VI All-Academic team on Nov. 14, marking the third straight year the Rebels have placed at least three players on the academic all-district squad. Junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) and sophomore punter Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) were named to the first team and will be placed on the ballot for the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America team. Named to the second were sophomore place kicker Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.), sophomore linebacker Rob Robertson (Centreville, Miss.) and junior DB Wes Scott (Jackson, Tenn.).
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
* Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks 22nd nationally in passing offense, averaging 269.9 yards per game.
* The Rebels are 13 points shy of reaching the 300-mark in total points for the third straight season, which would be a first in the program's history.
* Ole Miss has recorded 133 first downs by passing this season, eight shy of the school record of 141 set last year.
* Ole Miss' six-play, 73-yard TD drive on its opening possession against Georgia marked the first time this season that the Rebels have scored a TD on its first offensive series of a game. It was also the third time this season Ole Miss scored on its first possession as the Rebels scored field goals on their opening drives against Vanderbilt (9/21) and Arkansas State (10/12).
* Ole Miss' TD drive on its opening possession against Georgia also marked the first time this season that an opponent had scored on the Bulldog defense on its first series of the game.
* Junior RB Tremaine Turner (Springfield, Tenn.) rushed for a career-high 89 yards on a career-best 19 attempts and scored two TDs against Georgia ... Also had a 16-yard reception to finish with a career-high 105 all-purpose yards.
* The 89 yards rushing by Turner was the most by an Ole Miss back since Robert Williams rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries against Memphis.
* Turner's 19 carries tied Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) for the most by an Ole Miss back this season ... Pearson carried 19 times in the Rebels' 17-14 upset of No. 6 Florida on Oct. 5.
* Turner's two rushing TDs against Georgia equaled the Rebels' total in the three previous games versus Alabama (10/19), Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) ... The two rushing TDs also marked the first time Ole Miss had scored more than one rushing TD in a game since rushing for four TDs against Arkansas State (10/12).
* Turner's first TD run was the first by an Ole Miss running back since Robert Williams' two-yard score in the first quarter against Alabama.
* The Rebels' 107 rushing yards versus Georgia snapped a string of three straight sub-100-yard rushing games, and was seven yards shy of their combined total of 114 yards in the previous three games versus Alabama (10/19), Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2).
* Ole Miss has had 18 different players catch at least one pass this season, including six with 10 or more receptions.
FLOWERS, COLLINS FORMING ONE OF TOP RECEIVING DUOS IN SCHOOL HISTORY: Sophomore WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) and junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) have combined for 84 receptions, 1,060 yards and 11 TDs this season, and rank as one of the top five receiving tandems in school history. The 1995 duo of LeMay Thomas (56 rec., 801 yards, 3 TDs) and Ta'Boris Fisher (45-493-4) stands as the top receiving pair in Ole Miss history with 101 combined catches. Against Arkansas on Oct. 26, Flowers and Collins combined to become first Rebel receivers to each catch at least 10 passes in a game. Flowers leads the team with 44 receptions for 475 yards and three TDs, and Collins has caught 40 passes and leads the team in receiving yards, 585, and TD receptions, 8. With at least 40 receptions each, Flowers and Collins are the seventh receiving tandem in school history to each catch at least 40 passes in a season. The following chart shows the top receiving tandems in school history, in terms of receptions:
| Receivers, Year | No. |
| LeMay Thomas (56)/Ta'Boris Fisher (45), 1995 | 101 |
| Floyd Franks (54)/Barney Poole (43), 1969 | 97 |
| Chris Collins (54)/Jamie Armstrong (40), 2001 | 94 |
| Bill Flowers (43)/Chris Collins (36), 2002 | 84 |
| Rufus French (43)/Cory Peterson (40), 1997 | 83 |
| Buford McGee (42)/Mark Harmon (41), 1982 | 83 |
COLLINS LOOKS TO TIE SCHOOL SEASON AND CAREER TD RECEPTIONS MARK: Junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) enters Saturday's game at LSU needing one TD reception to tie both the Ole Miss single-season and career marks. His eight TD receptions this season is one shy of the record of nine, set by Ken Toler (1978-1980) in 1980 and later tied by Grant Heard (1997-2000) in 2000. His 15 career TD receptions is one off of Heard's mark of 16.
COLLINS TIES SINGLE-GAME MARK VERSUS AUBURN: With three TD receptions against Auburn on Nov. 2 in Oxford, junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) tied the Ole Miss single-game record, set five times previously, including once by Collins in last year's season opener versus Murray State. Prior to last Saturday, current senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.), against Arkansas last season, was the player to have three TD receptions in a game. The others to catch three TD passes in a game were Johnny Brewer (1960 vs. Tulane), Louis Guy (1962 vs. Houston) and Pat Coleman (1989 vs. Arkansas State).
HANDS OFF!: Ole Miss will enter Saturday night's game at LSU having allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC since the 1999 season with 44, 23 less than the next team, LSU with 67. Ole Miss is also tied with LSU for having allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC this season with 11. The Rebels led the SEC in the number of fewest sacks allowed in each of the last two seasons. The following charts show the top five teams for the fewest sacks allowed in the SEC since 1999 and for this season:
FEWEST SACKS ALLOWED SINCE 1999
| Team | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | Total | |
| 1. | Ole Miss | 16 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 44 |
| 2. | LSU | 25 | 12 | 19 | 11 | 67 |
| 3. | Georgia | 21 | 12 | 15 | 23 | 71 |
| 4. | Arkansas | 14 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 72 |
| 5. | Florida | 18 | 26 | 13 | 17 | 74 |
FEWEST SACKS ALLOWED IN 2002
FLOWERS IN ELITE COMPANY AMONG REBEL RECEIVERS:
| Team | No. | |
| 1. | Ole Miss | 11 |
| LSU | 11 | |
| 3. | Auburn | 13 |
| 4. | Florida | 17 |
| 5. | Vanderbilt | 18 |
--RECEPTIONS--
| Player, Years | Rec. |
| Bill Flowers, 2001-present | 72 |
| Chris Collins, 2000-present | 66 |
| Grant Heard, 1996-2000* | 56 |
| Ta'Boris Fisher, 1993-1996 | 54 |
| James Harbour, 1981-1984 | 53 |
--RECEIVING YARDS--
| Player, Years | Yards |
| Chris Collins, 2000-present | 860 |
| Willie Green, 1986-1989* | 810 |
| Grant Heard, 1996-2000 | 804 |
| Bill Flowers, 2001-present | 790 |
| James Harbour, 1981-1984 | 759 |
--TOUCHDOWNS--
| Player, Years | No. |
| J.R. Ambrose, 1984-87 | 8 |
| Barney Poole, 1942; 1946-1947 | 8 |
| Chris Collins, 2000-present | 7 |
| Bill Flowers, 2001-present | 7 |
| Willie Green, 1986-1989 | 5 |
STREAKING REBELS: Ole Miss has three players -- junior Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.), sophomore Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) and senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) -- with streaks of at least 10 games with at least one reception:
| Receiver | Streak | vs. Georgia |
| Chris Collins | 19 | 4 rec., 38 yds |
| Bill Flowers | 16 | 1 rec., 26 yds |
| Jason Armstead | 14 | 1 rec., 15 yds |
OFFENSIVE PLAYER THUMBNAILS
WR JASON ARMSTEAD (SR., MOSS POINT, MISS.)
* Has a reception in 14 consecutive games.
* Leads team with 794 all purpose yards (-5 rush., 262 rec., 271 PR, 266 KR), averaging 79.4 yards per game.
* Needs 74 all purpose yards to reach the 2,000-yard mark for his career.
* Had a career-best 191 all purpose yards against Memphis (9/7) ... Set a school single-game record with 157 punt return yards on eight attempts, tying another Ole Miss record ... Returned his final punt 62 yards for a score and was named the SEC's Special Teams Player of the Week.
* Totaled 124 all purpose yards (51 rec., 73 ret.) versus Arkansas State ... The 51 receiving yards was a season high ... Also had a season-long 28-yard reception against the Indians.
* Had a season-high four receptions for 39 yards at Arkansas.
* Recorded 100 all purpose yards versus Auburn on Nov. 2 (21 rec., 5 PR, 74 KOR).
WR CHRIS COLLINS (JR, GLOSTER, MISS.)
* Currently has a streak of 19 consecutive games with at least one reception.
* Leads Ole Miss in receiving yards (585) and TD receptions (8) ... Is fifth in the SEC in receptions per game (4.0) and receiving yards per game (58.5) ... Is tied for third in the SEC in TD receptions (8).
* Had four receptions versus Georgia (11/9) to give him 40 for the season and become the fifth player in Ole Miss history to record back-to-back seasons with at least 40 receptions, joining Floyd Franks (1969-1970), Michael Harmon (1981-1982), Ta'Boris Fisher (1994-1996) and Cory Peterson (1997-1999).
* Ranks ninth on the Ole Miss career list with 106 career receptions ... 106 is tied for seventh among active SEC players.
* Is ninth on the school's career list for receiving yards with 1,445 ... 1,445 career receiving yards is eighth among active SEC players.
* Needs one TD reception to tie both the Ole Miss single-season and career marks for TD receptions.
* Caught 25 passes for 343 yards and four TDs in the last four games versus Alabama (10/19), Arkansas (10/26), Auburn (11/2) and Georgia (11/9).
* Had back-to-back 100-yard receiving games versus Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) ... Had 138 yards receiving on 10 catches against the Razorbacks to mark his fifth career 100-yard receiving game and break Floyd Franks (1968-70) school career record of four ... The 10 receptions were also a career high ... Caught eight passes for 106 yards and three scores versus the Tigers ... Three TD receptions tied the school single-game mark.
* Caught eight passes against Auburn to become the ninth player in school history to record 100 career receptions.
WR BILL FLOWERS (SO., PELHAM, ALA.)
* Leads Ole Miss in receptions with 44 ... 44 receptions is tied for ninth on the school single-season list and is 12 shy of the Ole Miss season record of 56 set by LeMay Thomas (1992-1995) in 1995.
* Is fourth in the SEC in receptions per game at 4.40.
* Has caught a pass in 16 consecutive games.
* Had eight receptions for a season-high 91 yards at Texas Tech (9/14).
* Recorded a career-long 35-yard reception versus Arkansas State (10/12).
* Set a career high with 11 catches for 88 yards at Arkansas (10/26) ... The 11 receptions ranks third on the Ole Miss single-game list, and was two shy of the school single-game mark of 13.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
* Ole Miss' 23 sacks this season is seven more than its total of 16 in 11 games last season.
* The Rebels have recorded 73 TFLs this season, 18 more than their total of 55 last season.
* The Rebels' 12 interceptions through 10 games this season equals their total in 11 games a year ago.
* Ole Miss has registered at least one QB sack in 30 of its last 31 games, including at least one in all 10 games this season.
* Junior DB Wes Scott (Memphis, Tenn.) intercepted his first career pass during the first quarter of the Georgia contest (11/9).
* Ole Miss is 17-0 under head coach David Cutcliffe when allowing less than 20 points.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER THUMBNAILS
SS MATT GRIER (SR., SMITHVILLE, MISS.)
* Second on the team with 61 tackles (42 solo).
* Needs seven tackles to reach 150 in his career at Ole Miss since transferring after a two-year JUCO career at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College.
* Intercepted a team-leading four passes, and is tied for third in the SEC ... Six career interceptions ranks ninth among active SEC players.
* Leads team with 11.0 TFLs (-37 yards) and is tied for the team lead with 3.0 QB sacks (-25 yards).
* Made a season-high nine stops (five solo), including 2.0 TFLs (-5 yards) versus Florida ... Intercepted two passes, returning the second 24 yards for what proved to be the game-winning TD in the third quarter ... Also had one pass deflection ... Was named the SEC and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.
* Credited with eight tackles (four solo), two TFLs (-10 yards), including one QB sack (-9 yards), at Arkansas (10/26).
* Registered seven stops (five solo), including 2.0 TFLs for -5 yards against Georgia (11/9).
WS VON HUTCHINS (JR., NATCHEZ, MISS.)
* Second on the team with three interceptions.
* Had a season-high eight tackles (five solo) at Texas Tech (9/14).
* Recorded his first career two-interception game against Arkansas State (10/12).
* Suffered a fracture in his left hand during practice on Oct. 22 and underwent surgery on Oct. 23 ... Did not start but saw action versus Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) ... Did not play versus Georgia (11/9).
FS ERIC OLIVER (SO., JASPER, ALA.)
* Leads Ole Miss with 100 tackles (64 solo).
* Recorded his fifth 10-tackle-game in the last six contests at Georgia (11/9), recording 12 stops (10 solo).
* Credited with a career-high 14 stops (11 solo), including 2.5 TFLs (-7 yards) in the upset of No. 6 Florida.
* Led Ole Miss with 13 hits (10 solo) and had one pass break-up against Arkansas State.
* Had 12 stops (seven solo) and one QB pressure versus Arkansas (10/26).
* Credited with 13 hits (seven solo) versus Auburn (11/2).
* Recorded his first career sack in the first quarter against the Bulldogs.
LB EDDIE STRONG (SR., BATESVILLE, MISS.)
* Started the last six games after being hampered by an ankle injury suffered during the preseason ... Only appearance of the season prior to the Florida contest came in limited action at Texas Tech (9/14).
* Is fourth on the team in tackles since returning to full-time action against Florida on Oct. 5 ... Has recorded 32 tackles, including 4.5 TFLs and 2.0 QB sacks, in the last six games.
* Had a season-high seven hits (five solo), with 2.5 TFLs (-16 yards) and one QB sack (-13 yards) versus Florida ... The sack came on a 4th-and-13 play at the Rebel 31 to stop a potential Florida scoring drive with 6:04 left in the game and the Rebels leading 17-14.
* The fumble recovery against Alabama in the second quarter was his first of the season and the fifth of his career.
* Made six tackles (four solo) and was credited with one QB sack (-8 yards), one pass deflection and one recovered fumble versus Auburn (11/2) ... The sack was the 10th of his career.
* Tied a season-high with seven tackles (four solo) and had one TFL (-1 yard) against Georgia.
* Notched his 275th career tackle during the game with the Bulldogs and needs 24 tackles to reach 300 for his career ... Ranks sixth among active SEC players in tackles with 276.
* Has 10 career sacks to rank tied for sixth among active SEC players.
GRIER EARNS SEC AND NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS VERSUS FLORIDA: Senior SS Matt Grier (Smithville, Miss.) earned the SEC and the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors after his performance in the Rebels' 17-14 upset of No. 6 Florida on Oct. 5. Grier intercepted two passes in the third quarter, returning the second 24 yards for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. His first interception set-up a Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) four-yard TD run that cut the Gator lead to 14-10. In addition to his two picks, Grier also recorded nine tackles (five solo), two TFLs and one pass deflection.
Grier was the third Rebel to earn SEC Player of the Week honors this season. Senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) and sophomore PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) both earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors earlier in the season. He was also the first Ole Miss player to receive SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors since junior LB L.P. Spence (Corinth, Miss.) won the honor last year after the LSU contest.
As a result of earning the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honors, Grier has been added to the Watch List for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented to the nation's top all-around defensive player.
GOETHIE WEARS CHUCKY MULLINS' NO. 38: Senior LB Lanier Goethie (Baxley, GA) was named this year's winner of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award in April, and as a result is wearing the late Mullins' No. 38 this season. He was No. 2 last season. Goethie is doubtful for the remainder of the season after suffering a broken bone in his left foot during the Sept. 21 game with Vanderbilt. In four games this season, he had recorded 22 tackles (14 solo) with two TFLs for -4 yards, and was credited with one pass deflection, one quarterback pressure and one forced fumble.
SPECIALTY NOTES
* The Rebels have not had a punt blocked in 41 straight games since the Sept. 25, 1999 game at Auburn.
* Senior Jason Armstead's (Moss Point, Miss.) 467 career punt return yards ranks ninth on the Ole Miss career list.
* Junior Ronald McClendon (Ponchatoula, La.) tied an Ole Miss single-game record with six kickoff returns versus Alabama (10/19). He shares the record with Rick Kimbrough (1974 vs. Alabama), Tyrone Ashley (1989 vs. Alabama), Vincent Brownlee (1991 vs. Georgia), Deuce McAllister (1999 vs. Alabama and 2000 vs. Georgia).
* Ole Miss has returned at least one kick (kickoff or punt) for a score in each of the last four seasons. Deuce McAllister (1997-2000) returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score against Arkansas in 1999, and returned a punt 87 yards for a TD versus Auburn in 2000, senior Robert Williams (Gadsden, Ala.) returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score against the Razorbacks in 2000, and senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score last season versus Murray State and had a 62-yard punt return for a TD this season versus Memphis on Sept. 7.
REBELS RECORD RARE FEAT VERSUS ARKANSAS STATE: For only the third time in school history, Ole Miss did not attempt a punt in the 52-17 win over Arkansas State on Oct. 12. The previous two occasions came in a 45-0 win over North Texas in 1956 and during a 35-9 win over Mississippi State in 1960.
SPECIAL TEAMS THUMBNAILS
PK JONATHAN NICHOLS (GREENWOOD, MISS.)
* Leads Ole Miss with 63 points scored and ranks fifth in the SEC in scoring ... Ranks third among SEC kickers in scoring.
* Tied for first in the SEC in PAT percentage, having converted all 33 attempts this season.
* Has made 42 consecutive extra points, the fourth longest streak in school history.
* Had a string of seven consecutive made field goals snapped when his 19-yard attempt was blocked in the first quarter against Georgia (11/9) ... It was his first miss since missing a 36-yard attempt against Memphis back on Sept. 7.
* Later made a 24-yard attempt against the Bulldogs to put him 8-of-9 on field goal attempts since Sept. 28.
* Is 5-of-5 on field goals 40 yards or longer this season.
* 118 career points ranks ninth on the Ole Miss career scoring list for kickers.
* Made a career-long 50-yard field goal to score the Rebels' first points in the 52-17 win over Arkansas State (10/12). His previous long was 47 yards against UL-Monore (8/31) in the season opener.
* Became the ninth kicker to reach 100 career points at Alabama (10/19).
P CODY RIDGEWAY (JACKSON, TENN.)
* Placed 11 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
* Career average of 40.8 yards per punt currently ranks seventh on the Ole Miss career list.
* Set a school single-game record with 503 punting yards against Florida, breaking the previous mark of 493 set by Greg Breland (1973-1974) versus Georgia in 1973.
* His career-high 11 punt attempts against the Gators was one shy of the Ole Miss single-game record of 12 ... Placed 4-of-11 punts against Florida inside the Gator 20-yard line.
2002 CAPTAINS: Seniors center Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), linebacker Lanier Goethie (Baxley, Ga.), linebacker Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.), and tight end Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio) have been selected as the four permanent team captains for the 2002 season.
ARMSTEAD EARNS SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the weekend of Sept. 7 after turning in a school-record breaking performance in a 38-16 win over Memphis. Armstead returned eight punts for 157 yards and one TD against the Tigers to break Will Glover's 55-year old school single-game record record of 151 punt return yards, set on Nov. 15, 1947 versus Chattanooga. The 157 punt return yards was also tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in SEC history. In addition, Armstead's eight punt returns tied the school single-game record, which was set previously by Doug Cunningham against Southern Miss on Oct. 16, 1966, and tied him for fifth on the SEC's single-game list.
Armstead returned his final punt against the Tigers 62 yards for a score with 2:47 left in the game to seal the Rebels' 38-16 win. He is the first Rebel since Deuce McAllister against Auburn in 2000 to return a punt for a score.
NICHOLS EARNS SEC HONOR AS WELL: Sophomore PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) became the second Rebel this season to be named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, as he was garnered the honor following his 13-point performance against Vanderbilt on Sept. 21. Nichols converted all four PAT attempts and all three of his field goals attempts on the afternoon. He made field goals of 40, 42 and 28 yards. The 13 points is tied for the fourth-highest single-game total by a kicker in school history.
LOUISIANA REBELS: Ole Miss has seven players on its current roster that hail from the state of Louisiana: freshman center Ben Boyce (Gonzales, La.), junior LB Doug King (Covington, La.), sophomore DE Andrew LaFontaine (St. Bernard, La.), junior RB Ronald McClendon (Ponchatoula, La.), junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.), and sophomore RB Chad Pilcher (West Monroe, La.).
WELCOME TO THE NEWLY-EXPANDED VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY STADIUM/HOLLINGSWORTH FIELD
The Aug. 31 season opener with Louisiana-Monroe marked the unveiling of the newly expanded Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field. The nearly two-year construction project, that began following the 2000 season, saw the bowling in of the south end zone. The construction raised the stadium's capacity from 50,577 in 2000 to 60,580, making it the largest on-campus facility in the state of Mississippi. A then-stadium record crowd of 58,151 watched the Rebels defeat the Indians 31-3, breaking the old attendance record of 52,476 set on Nov. 11, 2000 against LSU.
The record of 58,151 was eclipsed on Oct. 5 when a standing-room only crowd of 61,140 watched the Rebels defeat No. 6 Florida, 17-14.
Ole Miss has won 77.9 percent of its home games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field, compiling an all-time mark of 211-57-8.
2002 SEASON HONORS
--AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM--
Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
--BRONKO NAGURSKI NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK--
Matt Grier (10/5 vs. Florida)
--FWAA TEAM OF THE WEEK--
Ole Miss (10/5 vs. Florida)
--QUARTERBACK CLUB PLAYERS OF THE WEEK--
vs. Louisiana-Monroe (8/31)
Offense: Robert Williams (Sr., RB)
Defense: Matt Grier (Sr., DB)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (So., PK)
vs. Memphis (9/7)
Offense: Rick Razzano (Soph., FB)
Defense: Charlie Anderson (Jr., DE)
Special Teams: Jason Armstead (Sr., KR/PR)
vs. Texas Tech (9/14)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: Jesse Mitchell (Jr., NT)
Special Teams: Wesley Bryan (So., P)
vs. Vanderbilt (9/21)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: L.P. Spence (Jr., LB)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
vs. Florida (10/5
Offense: Vashon Pearson (Fr.,RB)
Defense: Matt Grier (Sr., SS)
Special Teams: Cody Ridgeway (Soph., P)
vs. Arkansas State (10/12)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: Von Hutchins (Jr., WS)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
vs. Alabama (10/19)
Offense: Ben Claxton (Sr., C)
Defense: Jesse Mitchell (Jr., NT)
Special Teams: A.J. Kiamie (Sr., LS)
vs. Arkansas (10/26)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: Jesse Mitchell (Jr., NT)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
vs. Auburn (11/2)
Offense: Chris Collins (Jr., WR)
Defense: Eddie Strong (Sr., LB)
Special Teams: Cody Ridgeway (Soph., P)
vs. Georgia (11/9)
Offense: Tremaine Turner (Jr., RB)
Defense: Eric Oliver (Soph., FS)
Special Teams: Rob Robertson (Soph).
--SEC GOOD WORKS TEAM--
Lanier Goethie (Sr., LB)
--SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK--
Special Teams
Jason Armstead (9/7 vs. Memphis)
Jonathan Nichols (9/21 vs. Vanderbilt)
Defense
Matt Grier (10/5 vs. Florida)
VERIZON DISTRICT VI ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
First Team
Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Cody Ridgeway (Soph., P)
Second Team
Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
Rob Robertson (Soph., LB)
Wes Scott (Jr., DB)
