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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss-LSU Game Preview
11/18/2002 | Football
Nov. 18, 2002
Weekly Press Conference | Ole Miss Notes
By Chris Purser
Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant
OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss Rebels return to the playing field this Saturday when they travel to Baton Rouge, La., to take on Southeastern Conference Western Division rival LSU. The 91st matchup between Ole Miss and LSU from Tiger Stadium will be televised nationally by ESPN2. Kickoff is at 7:42 p.m. (CT).
Ole Miss (5-5, 2-4 SEC) is on the road for the final time in the regular season. The Rebels are coming off an open date week that they used to get players rested and healthy. While Ole Miss players used the down time wisely, head coach David Cutcliffe said they are excited about getting back to the routine of gameweek.
"It's good to get back to gameweek," said Cutcliffe. "I thought our players handled the open date real well. There was a lot of positive work accomplished."
The open date could not have come at a better time, with the Rebels playing two games in five days. Following Saturday's LSU contest, Ole Miss hosts in-state rival Mississippi State Nov. 28. Game time for the Egg Bowl is 6:30 p.m. (CT) Thanksgiving night. This Saturday, Ole Miss will face a Tiger squad that ranks in the top five nationally in total defense. LSU, ranked 21st in the Associated Press and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today Poll, is coming off their third loss of the season against Alabama last Saturday. With a victory, Ole Miss will become bowl eligible for the sixth-straight year and the fourth time under Cutcliffe. In addition, the Rebels will be looking for their first road win of the season in a place that has been somewhat successful for Ole Miss in recent years. Ole Miss has won three straight in Tiger Stadium, with the last setback coming in 1995. Cutcliffe, though, is quick to point out that the Rebels' recent success does not guarantee a win over what is a talented and quick LSU team.
"Baton Rouge is tough place to play," Cutcliffe said. "Some of our players know what it takes to win down there. You have to play your best and your most-focused football. This is a heated rivalry. There is a lot at stake for both teams."
Leading the charge into Baton Rouge for the Ole Miss offense will be Eli Manning. The junior quarterback enters Saturday's game needing just two touchdown passes to become the 17th player in SEC history with at least 50 TDs passes in a career. This season, Manning has completed 219-of-370 passes for 2,663 yards and 17 touchdowns. Manning continues to lead the SEC in both passing yards per game (266.3) and total offense per game (258.0). But, Manning said that numbers don't amount to much when it comes to playing a tough rival like LSU.
"We know it will be a wild atmosphere," said Manning. "We know that with all those fans in the stadium, it is going to be loud. We just have to go out there and play smart football."
Helping Manning will be an outstanding group of young and talented wide receivers, led by junior Chris Collins with 40 catches for 585 yards and 8 TDs. Collins needs just one TD catch to tie both the both the single season and career TD reception marks for Ole Miss. Bill Flowers has also been a favorite target for Manning. The Pelham, Ala., native has 475 yards on 44 catches and 3 TDs, despite the fact that he has played the last two games with a shoulder injury. Cutcliffe said that the off week gave Flowers time to heal the injury and get ready for Saturday's game.
"Bill is better than he has been," Cutcliffe said. "He will still be limited in practice. He is much better than he has been at any time in the last three weeks."
The Rebels will be looking to continue their recent good fortune on the ground. The Rebels have found the spark they were looking for in junior Tremaine Turner. The Springfield, Tenn., native had 89 yards on 19 carries and 2 TDs against Georgia Nov. 9. For the season, Turner has 177 yards on 47 carries this season with 3 TDs. Cutcliffe said that Turner's performance against Georgia was a blessing in disguise for the Rebels.
"One of the things that Tremaine did was break tackles," said Cutcliffe. "He was not only breaking tackles, but getting 6-to-10 more yards on the play. That is something that we have been missing since early in the season. He's been a consistent receiver out of the backfield. When he catches the ball, his yards after the catch have been good, breaking tackles and moving the ball forward. He has shown some consistency to get plus yards instead of no yards or negative yardage. He's been a good back for getting what is there, and I hope he stays on that track.
Leading the Rebels on the defense will be free safety Eric Oliver. The sophomore has 100 total tackles, including 4 TFLs and 1 quarterback sack. The Jasper, Ala., native has had five games this season with at least 10 or more tackles. Behind Oliver is senior safety Matt Grier with 61 total tackles, including 11 TFLs and 3 quarterback sacks. Junior lineman Jesse Mitchell is third on the team with 56 total tackles, including 6.5 TFLs and 2.5 quarterback sacks.
The LSU offense is led by senior running back Dominick Davis. The Breaux Bridge, La., native is currently third in LSU history in all-purpose yards, and has rushed for 692 yards and six TDs this season. Defensively, linebacker Bradie James leads the Tigers. Cutcliffe described James as one of the most entertaining player to watch. James leads LSU with 124 total tackles, including 6 TFLs and 2 QB sacks.
