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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Game Notes
11/3/2002 | Football
Nov. 3, 2002
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Georgia Game Notes in PDF Format
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TIME: 6:00 p.m. (CST)
SITE: Sanford Stadium (86,520); Athens, Ga.
TV: ESPN2 (Dave Barnett, play-by-play; Bill Curry, analyst; Mike Golic, analyst; Alex Flanagan, 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 The Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls. Georgia is ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press Top 25 and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25.
SERIES INFO: Tonight's meeting will be the 41st all-time between Ole Miss and Georgia, dating back to 1940 ... The Bulldogs hold a 15-4-1 advantage in Athens ... The two teams have played annually since 1966, and Georgia 26-10-1 against Ole Miss during that span ... The Bulldogs have won five straight in the series, with the Rebels' last win coming in 1996 at Athens, 31-27 ... Georgia defeated Ole Miss 32-14 the last time the teams met at Sanford Stadium in 2000, and the Bulldogs won last year's contest, 35-15 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ole Miss is looking to snap a three-game losing skid ... The Rebels are 18-14 versus the SEC Eastern Division since divisional play began in 1992 ... Junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) needs one TD reception to tie both the school single-season and career marks ... Junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) needs two TD passes to become the 18th player in SEC history to record 50 career TD passes.
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 28-17 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.
GEORGIA HEAD COACH MARK RICHT: Mark Richt is in his second season as head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs. He has posted a 16-5 mark with the Bulldogs. This is Richt's first head coaching position after spending 15 years as a college assistant. Prior to being named Georgia's head coach, Richt spent 11 seasons serving as the quarterback coach at Florida State, coaching Heisman Trophy winners Charlie Ward (1993) and Chris Weinke (2000). Richt started as a graduate assistant at Florida State in 1985. He spent one year as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina in 1989 before returning to Bobby Bowden's Seminole staff. In addition to coaching the quarterbacks, Richt was Florida State's offensive coordinator from 1994 until accepting the head coaching position at Georgia.
GEORGIA SCOUTING REPORT: The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 10 in both of this week's poll, checking in at No. 7 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25. Despite dropping its first game of the year last weekend, 20-13 to Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., Georgia remains in control of its own destiny in the SEC Eastern Division, sporting an 8-1 overall record and a 5-1 SEC mark. A win Saturday over Ole Miss would clinch at least a share of the division crown. The Bulldogs are averaging 32.0 points and 382.6 yards of offense per game. Junior TB Musa Smith leads the team in rushing with 714 yards on 146 carries and has scored five TDs. He had 100 yards on 22 carries in last weekend's "Cocktail Party" versus the Gators. Sophomore QB David Greene has passed for 1,956 yards this season, completing 152-of-265 passes with 17 TDs and six interceptions. Senior SE Terrence Edwards has 42 catches for 714 yards and nine TDs, and is second in the SEC in receiving yards per game at 79.3. Defensively, the Bulldogs rank second in the SEC 13th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 16.8 points per game. Georgia is allowing an average of 326.7 yards per game. Senior LB Boss Bailey leads the team with 84 tackles (43 solo). Sophomore DE David Pollack leads the team in TFLs (15.0-77 yds) and QB sacks (10.0-60 yards).
2002 GEORGIA SCHEDULE/RESULTS (8-1, 5-1 SEC)
* -- SEC game.HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
| AUG. 31 | CLEMSON | W, 31-28 |
| Sept. 14 | at South Carolina* | W, 13-7 |
| SEPT. 21 | NORTHWESTERN STATE* | W, 45-7 |
| SEPT. 28 | NEW MEXICO STATE | W, 41-10 |
| Oct. 5 | at Alabama* | W, 27-25 |
| OCT. 12 | TENNESSEE* | W, 18-13 |
| OCT. 19 | VANDERBILT* | W, 48-17 |
| Oct. 26 | at Kentucky* | W, 52-24 |
| Nov. 2 | vs. Florida* (Jacksonville) | L, 13-20 |
| NOV. 9 | OLE MISS* | 6:00 PM |
| Nov. 16 | at Auburn* | TBA |
| Nov. 30 | GEORGIA TECH | TBA |
All times are Central.
ELI MANNING FACT SHEET
MANNING SETS CAREER TD MARK: Junior Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) threw two TD passes at Arkansas on Oct. 26 to become Ole Miss' all-time leader in TD passes with 45. He entered the contest tied for the record with Romaro Miller (1997-2000) at 43. 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.
ELI LOOKING TO JOIN 50-TD PASSING CLUB: Manning enters tonight's game at Georgia needing two TD passes to become the 16th player in SEC history to throw 50 TD passes in a career. The Ole Miss career leader in TD passes, Manning currently has 48 in his career after throwing three last weekend against Auburn.
CLOSING IN ON ANOTHER RECORD: With three TD passes against Auburn, Manning passed John Fourcade (1978-81) for second place on the Ole Miss career for TDs responsible for (TDs scored + TD passes) with 49. Fourcade was responsible for 47 during his career. He is now seven shy of his father's, Archie Manning (1968-70), mark of 56.
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 Georgia contest having set 20 school records (see box below).
NOTING ELI
* Is on the Davey O'Brien Award watch list for the nation's top quarterback, and is on the Football Writers' Association of America (FWAA) All-America watch list.
* Listed as a candidate by the Walter Camp Foundation for its prestigious Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, the fourth oldest individual college football award in the country.
* Named to the 2002 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.
* His 2,487 yards passing this season is third on the school's single-season list. He needs 461 yards to tie his school record of 2,948 yards set last season. He will tie Stewart Patridge for second place on the list with 180 yards. Patridge passed for 2,667 yards in 1997.
* 345 passing attempts this season is third on the Ole Miss single-season list and 53 shy of his record of 408 set last season.
* Needs 15 completions to tie Romaro Miller (1997-2000) for second place on the school's career list with 497. Manning enters the Georgia game currently ranked third on the list with 482. * Is 52 completions shy of tying his school single-season record of 259 set last season.
* Enters tonight's game third among active SEC players in TD passes (48), and fourth in passing yards (5,605), completions (482), and total offense (5,544).
* Leads the SEC in passing yard per game (276.3) and in total offense per game (268.1).
* In five SEC games this season, is averaging 291.4 yards passing per game and has completed 61.5 percent of his passes. Manning has connected on 128-of-208 passes for 1,457 yards with seven TDs and six interceptions.
* Has averaged 305.7 yards passing and completed 64.2 percent of his passes in the last three games, hitting on 86-of-134 attempts for 917 yards with five TDs and six interceptions.
* In three road games this season, has averaged 335.7 yards passing, including throwing for a career-high 414 yards at Arkansas on Oct. 26, with five TDs and four interceptions.
* 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 2)
| CATEGORY | NO. | RANK |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 276.3 | 12th |
| Completions Per Game | 23.0 | 12th |
| Attempts Per Game | 38.33 | 12th |
| Total Plays (rush or pass) | 370 | 15th |
| Total Offense | 268.1 | 20th |
MANNING IN THE SEC RANKINGS
| CATEGORY | NO. | RANK |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 276.3 | 1st |
| Completions Per Game | 23.0 | 1st |
| Total Offense Per Game | 268.1 | 1st |
| Completion Percentage | 60.0 | 2nd |
| Touchdown Passes | 17 | 2nd |
| Passing Attempts Per Game | 38.3 | 2nd |
| Total Plays (rush or pass) | 370 | 2nd |
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 |
1- Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn.
BRINGING IT BACK INTO THE FAMILY: Heading into tonight's game with Georgia, 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 | 26 | 386-712-33 | 4,569 | .542 | 175.7 | 30 | 111.49 |
| Peyton Manning, 1994-96 | 26 | 453-704-16 | 5,786 | .643 | 222.5 | 43 | 147.2 |
| Eli Manning, 2000-present | 26 | 482-786-19 | 5,605 | .613 | 215.6 | 48 | 136.5 |
MANNING ON THE OLE MISS CAREER TOP 10 CHARTS
PASSING ATTEMPTS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-85 | 981 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 4. | Mark Young, 1985-1988 | 809 |
| 5. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 786 |
COMPLETIONS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 566 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 497 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 482 |
PASSING YARDS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 6,311 |
| 2. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 6,184 |
| 3. | John Fourcade, 1978-1981 | 5,412 |
| 4. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 5,605 |
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. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 61.3 |
| 3. | Stewart Patridge, 1994, 96-97 | 60.8 |
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 | 136.5 |
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 | 213.2 |
| 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 | 6.51 |
| 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 | 5,605 |
HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE
Fourth year at Ole Miss
Record at Ole Miss: 28-17 (.622)
Career Record: 28-17 (.622/4 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.
* The Rebels' 27 wins since 1999 is tied for the most by an SEC Western Division school.
* Saturday's contest at Georgia, to be televised by ESPN2, will mark Ole Miss' 29th TV appearance since Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999, including the 14th 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: | 14-15 | .483 |
| vs. SEC West: | 7-11 | .389 |
| vs. SEC East: | 7-4 | .636 |
| Non-Conference opponents: | 14-2 | .875 |
| Bowl Games: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Home: | 17-8 | .680 |
| Away: | 9-8 | .529 |
| Neutral: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Day Games: | 16-10 | .615 |
| Night Games (6 pm start or later): | 12-7 | .632 |
| vs. Top 25 teams | 3-6 | .333 |
| When leading at halftime: | 24-6 | .800 |
| Overtime games: | 2-1 | .667 |
REBEL GAME NOTES
REBEL RAMBLINGS:
* The Rebels need one win to record their sixth consecutive year with at least six wins since going 5-6 in 1996.
* Last Saturday's crowd of 60,635 was the second largest to see a game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field, behind only the 61,140 against Florida on Oct. 5.
* Ole Miss is looking to avoid its first four-game losing streak since 1994 ... 1994 is also the last time the Rebels dropped four consecutive SEC contests.
* The 31-24 loss to Auburn snapped the Rebels' six-game home winning streak, which at the time, was tied for the second longest active streak in the SEC.
* The Rebels are aiming to snap a four-game road losing streak, their longest such streak since dropping eight consecutive during a stretch from 1992-1994.
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, tonight against Georgia in Athens. Tonight's game will be the third of four road games during the stretch and its second against a ranked opponent. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 7 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 and No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25. Alabama was No. 24 in The AP poll entering the Oct. 19 game at Tuscaloosa. Last Saturday's game with Auburn marked Ole Miss' first at home since opening the six-game run on the road at Alabama (10/19) and Arkansas (10/26). The three remaining teams on Rebels' schedule -- Georgia (8-1), LSU (6-2) and Mississippi State (3-5) -- have a combined record of 17-8 (.680 winning percentage). LSU is also ranked No. 14 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Top 25 and No. 16 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 | Sat. vs. Ole Miss | Nov. 9 (A) |
| LSU | 6-2 | 16/14 | Sat. at Kentucky | Nov. 23 (A) |
| Miss. State | 3-5 | -/- | Sat. at Alabama | 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.
OLE MISS BEST IN THE WEST UNDER CUTCLIFFE: Since David Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999, Ole Miss' 27 wins and .614 winning percentage is tied for the best among SEC Western Division schools. The Rebels are also the only SEC Western Division team to have recorded five straight seasons with at least seven wins since 1997. The following chart shows the overall standings of the SEC Western Division since 1999 (records include bowl games):
| School | W-L | Pct. |
| Ole Miss | 27-17 | .614 |
| LSU | 27-17 | .614 |
| Auburn | 27-18 | .600 |
| Alabama | 27-18 | .600 |
| Arkansas | 26-18 | .591 |
| Mississippi State | 24-19 | .558 |
REBELS VS. SEC EAST: Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 18-14 (.563 winning percentage) versus the SEC Eastern Division. The Rebels are 3-7 against Georgia since divisional play began, having played the Bulldogs every year during that time. Ole Miss is 8-9 (.471 winning percentage) against the SEC East schools on the road, and are 7-4 (.636 winning percentage) under head coach David Cutcliffe. Ole Miss has won three straight against SEC East teams dating back to last year's 38-27 win over Vanderbilt in the season finale. The Rebels have defeated SEC Eastern Division foes Vanderbilt (45-38) and Florida (17-14) this season. A win tonight over Georgia would mark the first the Rebels have swept all three of their SEC Eastern Division opponents in the same season. The chart on the following page shows Ole Miss' record versus Eastern Division opponents, since the conference started divisional play in 1992:
| School | W-L | Pct. | Last Game |
| Florida | 1-2 | .333 | 2002 |
| Georgia | 3-7 | .300 | 2001 |
| Kentucky | 3-1 | .750 | 2001 |
| South Carolina | 2-0 | 1.000 | 1999 |
| Tennessee | 0-2 | .000 | 1997 |
| Vanderbilt | 9-2 | .818 | 2001 |
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).
REBELS IN NOVEMBER
* Ole Miss has an all-time record of 186-152-13 (.550 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 76-88-8 (.465 winning percentage) in road games during November.
* In SEC games played in November, Ole Miss has an overall record of 76-79-7 (.491 winning percentage).
* 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 29-37-5 (.444 winning percentage).
REBELS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS:
* Ole Miss will face a ranked opponent for the third time this season at Georgia (#7 AP/#8 ESPN/USA Today) on Saturday ... The Rebels are 1-1 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.
* Tonight's game will mark the first the Rebels have played two top 10 teams in the same season since 1997, when the Rebels played No. 7 Tennessee and No. 8 LSU in back-to-back games ... Ole Miss lost 31-17 to Volunteers in Knoxville and upset the Tigers, 36-21, in Baton Rouge.
* Tonight's game will be Ole Miss' first road contest versus a top 10 opponent since losing 34-0 to No. 10 Arkansas in 1998 ... LSU in 1997 was the last top 10 team Ole Miss has defeated away from Oxford.
REBELS ON TV:
* Tonight's game at Georgia, to be televised by ESPN2, will mark the Rebels' 126th 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 56-67-2 (.456 winning percentage) in TV games, 3-9 all-time on ESPN2.
* The Rebels are 3-8 versus the Bulldogs on TV and it will be the fourth straight year that the Ole Miss-Georgia contest has been televised.
* Tonight's game will be the Rebels' seventh TV appearance of the season, including the first on either ESPN or ESPN2 ... This is the fifth time in the last six years that Ole Miss has made at least seven TV appearances in a season, and is one shy of the school record of eight set in 2000.
* Tonight's game will mark the 29th time Ole Miss has appeared on TV under head coach David Cutcliffe since his first full season in 1999.
* To date, Ole Miss' only other scheduled TV game is the season finale against Mississippi State on Thanksgiving Night, Nov. 28, on ESPN ... 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.
M*A*S*H UNIT
* Senior RB Robert Williams (Gadsden, Ala.), the team's leading rusher with 307 yards on 61 carries, has missed four games this season. He missed two games against Florida (10/5) and Arkansas State (10/12) with a high ankle sprain suffered against Vanderbilt (9/21), and has missed the past two contests versus Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) due to a shoulder injury that he sustained at Alabama (10/19).
* 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.
REBELS ON POSTSEASON AWARDS WATCH LISTS: Ole Miss has five players to watch lists for postseason awards in 2002:
BRONKO NAGURSKI AWARD
(Nation's Top All-Around Defensive Player) Matt Grier (Smithville, Miss.), Sr., SS
BUTKUS AWARD
(Nation's Top Linebacker) Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss), Sr., LB
DAVEY O'BRIEN AWARD
(Nation's Top Quarterback) Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.), Jr., QB
LOMBARDI AWARD
(Nation's Top Lineman/Linebacker) Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), Sr., C
Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio), Sr., TE
RIMINGTON TROPHY
(Nation's Top Center) Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), Sr., C
WALTER CAMP PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(Nation's Top Player) Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.), Jr., QB
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
* Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks 17th nationally in passing offense, averaging 280.3 yards per game.
* Ole Miss has had 18 different players catch at least one pass this season, including six with 10 or more receptions.
* Junior RB Ronald McClendon (Ponchatoula, La.) set career highs for rushing attempts (12) and rushing yards (62) last Saturday versus Auburn.
* Ole Miss recorded 22 first downs against Auburn, marking the seventh time in nine games this season that Rebels have earned at least 20 first downs.
* Ole Miss is second in the SEC in first downs with 201.
* Ole Miss was 9-of-18 on third down conversions last week versus Auburn, including 6-of-8 in the second half. The nine conversions marked a season high.
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 79 receptions for 996 yards and 11 TDs this season, and are one pace to become the top receiving tandem in school history. The 1995 duo of LeMay Thomas (56 rec., 801 yards, 3 TDs) and Ta'Boris Fisher (45-493-4) stand 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 43 receptions for 449 yards and three TDs, and Collins has caught 36 passes for 547 yards and eight scores, and with four more receptions by Collins, they will become the seventh receiving pair in school history to each have at least 40 receptions in the same 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 101Floyd Franks (54)/Barney Poole (43), 1969 97Chris Collins (54)/Jamie Armstrong (40), 2001 94Rufus French (43)/Cory Peterson (40), 1997 83Buford McGee (42)/Mark Harmon (41), 1982 83Cory Peterson (41)/Grant Heard (40), 1998 81Bill Flowers (43)/Chris Collins (36), 2002 79
COLLINS LOOKS TO TIE SCHOOL SEASON AND CAREER TD RECEPTIONS MARK: Junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) will enter tonight's contest at Georgia 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 last weekend against Auburn, 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!: Entering last weekend's game with Auburn, Ole Miss has allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC since the 1999 season with 42, 22 less than the next team, LSU with 64. The Rebels have led the SEC in the number of the fewest sacks allowed the last two seasons. This season, Ole Miss is currently second in the SEC for the fewest sacks allowed with nine, one behind LSU at eight. The charts on the following page shows 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 | 9 | 42 |
| 2. | LSU | 25 | 12 | 19 | 8 | 64 |
| 3. | Georgia | 21 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 66 |
| 4. | Arkansas | 14 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 67 |
| 5. | Florida | 18 | 26 | 13 | 16 | 73 |
FEWEST SACKS ALLOWED IN 2002
Team No.1. LSU 81. Ole Miss 93. Auburn 114. Vanderbilt 15 South Carolina 15
FLOWERS IN ELITE COMPANY AMONG REBEL RECEIVERS: After nine games in his sophomore season, WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) is among some elite company. His 71 career receptions is the most by any receiver in school history through their sophomore season. Current junior Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) previously held that distinction with 67 following the completion of last season. Flowers' seven TD receptions is tied with Collins for third among Rebel receivers through their sophomore season, one shy of the record of eight by J.R. Ambrose (1984-1987) and Barney Poole (1942; 1946-1947). His 764 receiving yards currently ranks fourth on that list. The following charts shows the top five Rebel receivers -- following their sophomore seasons -- for receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions, and where Flowers currently stands entering tonight's game at Georgia:
RECEPTIONS
Player, Years Rec.Bill Flowers, 2001-present 71Chris Collins, 2000-present 66Grant Heard, 1996-2000* 56Ta'Boris Fisher, 1993-1996 54James Harbour, 1981-1984 53Rufus French, 1996-1998 49
RECEIVING YARDS
Player, Years YardsChris Collins, 2000-present 860Willie Green, 1986-1989* 810Grant Heard, 1996-2000 804Bill Flowers, 2001-present 764James Harbour, 1981-1984 759
TOUCHDOWNS
Player, Years No.J.R. Ambrose, 1984-87 8Barney Poole, 1942; 1946-1947 8Chris Collins, 2000-present 7Bill Flowers, 2001-present 7Willie 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. AuburnChris Collins 18 8 rec., 106 yds., 3 TDsBill Flowers 15 3 rec., 20 ydsJason Armstead 13 2 rec., 21 yds.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER THUMBNAILS
WR JASON ARMSTEAD (SR., MOSS POINT, MISS.)
* Has a reception in 13 consecutive games.
* Leads team with 726 all purpose yards (-5 rush., 264 rec., 264 PR, 220 KR), averaging 80.7 yards per game.
* Needs 142 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 last weekend versus Auburn (21 rec., 5 PR, 74 KOR).
WR CHRIS COLLINS (JR, GLOSTER, MISS.)
* Currently has a streak of 18 consecutive games with at least one reception.
* Leads Ole Miss in receiving yards (547) and TD receptions (8) ... Ranks fourth in the SEC in receiving yards per game (60.8) and fifth in the SEC in receptions per game (4.0).
* Needs four receptions to become the fifth player in school 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).
* Has recorded back-to-back 100-yard receiving games versus Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) ... Had 138 yards receiving on 10 catches versus the Razorbacks to mark his fifth career 100-yard receiving game and breaking Floyd Franks (1968-70) school career mark of four ... The 10 receptions were also a career high ... Caught eight passes for 106 yards and three scores last weekend 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 ... Ranks ninth on the Ole Miss career list with 102 career receptions.
* Is ninth on the school's career list for receiving yards with 1,407.
* Needs one TD reception to tie both the Ole Miss single-season and career marks for TD receptions.
WR BILL FLOWERS (SO., PELHAM, ALA.)
* Leads Ole Miss in receptions with 43 ... 43 receptions is tied for the 10th on the school single-season list and is 13 shy of the Ole Miss season record of 56 set by LeMay Thomas (1992-1995) in 1995.
* Is third in the SEC in receptions per game at 4.78.
* Has caught a pass in 15 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.
RB ROBERT WILLIAMS (SR., GADSEN, ALA.)
* Rebels' leading rusher with 307 yards on 61 carries, for a 5.0 average per carry, and four TDs.
* Has missed four games this season ... Did not play versus Florida (10/5) and Arkansas State (10/12) due to a high ankle sprain suffered against Vanderbilt (9/21) ... Has not played in the last two games versus Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) since sustaining a shoulder injury versus Alabama (10/19).
* Opened the season with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games versus Louisiana-Monroe (18-100-2) and Memphis (17-107-0) ... The 107 yards versus the Tigers was a career-high.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
* The Rebels enter tonight's game tied for third in the SEC with 22 sacks, and tied for fourth in TFLs (66) and interceptions (11).
* Senior LB Eddie Strong's (Batesville, Miss.) sack in the first quarter versus Auburn was the Rebels' 22nd of the year, six better than their total of 16 in 11 games last season.
* Ole Miss has registered at least one QB sack in 29 of its last 30 games.
* Ole Miss' 11 interceptions is one shy of last year's total of 12.
* 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 54 tackles (37 solo).
* Leads team with four interceptions, tying for third in the SEC ... Six career interceptions was tied for eighth among active SEC players, entering last weekend.
* Leads team with 9.0 TFLs (-37 yards) and is tied for the team lead with 3.0 QB sacks (-25 yards) ... Tied for ninth in the SEC in TFLs.
* 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).
WS VON HUTCHINS (JR., NATCHEZ, MISS.)
* Second on the team with three interceptions, tying for fifth in the SEC.
* 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).
* Has not started, but has seen limited action, in the last two games versus Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) after suffering a fracture in his left hand during an Oct. 22 practice ... Underwent surgery to repair the fracture on Oct. 23.
FS ERIC OLIVER (SO., JASPER, ALA.)
* Leads Ole Miss with 88 tackles (54 solo), ranking ninth in the SEC.
* Credited with 13 stops (seven solo) last weekend versus Auburn, giving 10 or more tackles in four of the last five games.
* 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).
LB EDDIE STRONG (SR., BATESVILLE, MISS.)
* Started the last five 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).
* 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 last weekend versus Auburn ... The sack was the 10th of his career.
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 40straight games since the Sept. 25, 1999 game at Auburn.
* Senior Jason Armstead's (Moss Point, Miss.) 460 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. 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 58 points scored and ranks sixth in the SEC in scoring ... Ranks third among SEC kickers in scoring.
* 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.
* Tied for first in the SEC in PAT percentage, having converted all 31 attempts this season.
* Has made 40 consecutive extra points, tying Jimmy Keyes (1965-67) for the fourth longest streak in school history.
* Made a 47-yard field goal against Arkansas to put him 5-of-5 on field goals 40 yards or longer this season.
* Kicked a 30-yard field goal against Auburn to mark his seventh consecutive made field goal since missing a 36-yarder against Memphis (9/7).
* Became the ninth kicker to reach 100 career points at Alabama (10/19).
P CODY RIDGEWAY (JACKSON, TENN.)
* Ranks eighth nationally in punting, averaging 43.4 yards per punt.
* Placed 10 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
* Career average of 40.9 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.
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)
--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: TBA
Defense: TBA
Special Teams: TBA
--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)
--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)
