2002 MainStay Independence Bowl Postgame Notes

Dec. 27, 2002

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NEBRASKA POSTGAME NOTES

Nebraska dropped to 20-21 all-time in 41 bowl appearances with the 27-24 loss in today's game. The Huskers are 2-3 in bowl games under Head Coach Frank Solich.
The loss was Nebraska's third straight to end the season, marking the first time the Huskers have lost three straight games since 1961. Nebraska finished the 2002 season with a 7-7 record, breaking its string of winning seasons at 40
Husker senior punt returner DeJuan Groce returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of today's game to give Nebraska a 17-7 lead. The touchdown was Groce's fourth via a punt return this season, tying the NCAA single-season punt return TD record. It marked the sixth punt return touchdown of Groce's career and the second straight year he has returned a punt for a score in Nebraska's bowl game, joining a 71-yard return against Miami in last year's Rose Bowl.
Nebraska has now scored via a punt return in three of its last four bowl games. Bobby Newcombe returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee in the 2000 Fiesta Bowl, followed by Groce's two touchdowns the past two years.
Groce finished the season with a school-record 732 punt return yards on 43 attemps and ended his NU career with 1,218 punt return yards on 78 returns. His career yardage total is second to only 1972 Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers
Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord set a Husker single-season total offense record in today's game. Lord rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries in the game and passed for 93 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown to Matt Herian. He finished the 2002 season with 2,774 yards of total offense, surpassing Eric Crouch's 2,265 yards last season. Lord finished the year with 1,412 yards rushing and 1,362 yards through the air. His 1,412 rushing yards finished sixth on Nebraska's single-season rushing list.
Freshman tight end Matt Herian scored on a 41-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Herian finished the year with seven receptions for 301 yards, an average of 43.0 yards per reception. Six of Herian's seven receptions covered at least 28 yards. He caught four touchdown passes this season, all covering at least 33 yards. Herian's 301 receiving yards are the most ever by a Husker freshman.
The Husker defense had four sacks of Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning. Trevor Johnson had two for 19 yards lost and Chris Kelsay had two for nine yards lost (one shared with Demoine Adams) and totaled three tackles for 10 yards lost. Kelsay was named the Defensive Player of the Game.
With 92 rushing yards tonight, Dahrran Diedrick now has 931 for the season. In his four-year career, Diedrick has 2,745 yards, moving up from ninth to eighth place on the NU season list.
Husker place-kicker Josh Brown made three field goals in today's game (29, 23, 29) to mark the third time in his career he has made three field goals in a game. Brown added two extra points. With 11 points in the game, Brown finished his career with 315 points, good for third on the NU career list. He passed 1983 Heisman winner Mike Rozier in today's game. Rozier had 312 points in his NU career.
Junior punter Kyle Larson averaged 43.8 yards on six punts, including a 58-yarder. Larson pinned Ole Miss inside its own 20 three times. He pinned the Rebels on the 1, 3 and 12-yard lines in the game.
Senior split end Wilson Thomas had three receptions for 34 yards in the game, giving him 30-353 this season. He finished his career with 68 receptions for 977 yards. His 68 catches ranks sixth on the Husker career list.
The loss ended Nebraska's streak of 11 straight wins against the Southeastern Conference and dropped the Huskers to 12-3 in bowl games against SEC foes.
Three Husker starters did not play in today's game. Offensive guard Wes Cody and rover Philip Bland missed the contest with injuries, while linebacker Scott Shanle was out because of illness.

OLE MISS POSTGAME NOTES

OLE MISS BOWL NOTES

Today's MainStay Independence Bowl marked Ole Miss' 30th all-time bowl appearance, tying Florida for the 15th most in the NCAA Division I-A history.
The Rebels are now 18-12 all-time in bowl games, with the 18 bowl victories currently tied with Florida State for 10th on the NCAA's all-time list. The Seminoles will play Georgia in the Nokia Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
This was Ole Miss' Independence Bowl-record fifth appearance. Prior to today, the Rebels' last appearance in the Independence Bowl was 1999 against Oklahoma, a 27-25 win on a last-second 39-yard field goal by Les Binkley.
Ole Miss is now 4-1 all-time in the Independence Bowl, including 4-0 versus teams currently in the Big XII Conference.
The Rebels are 5-2 all-time in bowl games against teams currently in the Big XII Conference.
Ole Miss is now 3-1 in bowl games under head coach David Cutcliffe.
The Rebels have won five of their last six bowl games dating back to a 13-0 in over Air Force in the 1992 Liberty Bowl. The only bowl loss for Ole Miss during that span was in the 2000 Music City Bowl, losing 49-38 to West Virginia.
Ole Miss is now 9-4 in bowl games played in the state of Louisiana, going 4-1 in the Independence Bowl and 5-3 in the Sugar Bowl.

SERIES NOTES

Today's 2002 MainStay Independence Bowl marked the first-ever meeting between the Ole Miss Rebels and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

TEAM NOTES

Ole Miss finishes its season 7-6, the Rebels' sixth straight winning season. It is the longest streak of winning seasons for Ole Miss since recording seven straight from 1965-1971.
The 7-6 mark gives the Rebels six straight seasons with at least seven wins for the first time since reeling off 12 consecutive from 1952-1963.
Ole Miss' 27-23 win halted Nebraska's streak of 40 consecutive winning seasons - the second longest streak in NCAA history behind Notre Dame's 42 from 1889-1932 ... The Cornhuskers finish the season with a 7-7 record to notch their 41st consecutive season with at least a .500 record.
The Rebels' 27-23 victory also gave Nebraska three straight losses for the first time since 1961.
Ole Miss has won 29 of its last 31 games against non-SEC teams dating back to a 38-0 shutout over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994.
Today's win moves Ole Miss to 6-14 (.300 winning percentage) all-time against teams currently in the Big 12 Conference.

NOTING ELI
25-OF-44 PASSING, 313 YARDS, 1 TDs, 0 INTs

Earned Offensive Player of the Game honors.
Became Ole Miss' career leader in passing yardage on a 12-yard completion to Bill Flowers in the second quarter. Manning finishes his junior season with 6,519 passing yards, surpassing Romaro Miller's (1997-2000) record of 6,311.
Finishes the season with 279 completions to eclipse his own school season record for completions of 259, set last year.
Recorded his 20th career game of at least 200 yards passing to become Ole Miss' career leader in 200-yard passing games. He entered the contest tied with Romaro Miller (1997-2000) for the most 200-yard passing games in Ole Miss history with 19.
The 313-yard effort was his fourth 300-yard passing game of the year to set a new Ole Miss season record ... It was his sixth career 300-yard passing effort.
Manning's 313 yards passing was the third 300-yard passing game in Ole Miss bowl history .. Mark Young passed for 343 yards against Texas Tech in the 1986 Independence Bowl and Stewart Patridge had 332 yards passing against Marshall in the 1997 Motor City Bowl.
With 44 passing attempts, Manning moved into second place on the Ole Miss career list with 922, 59 shy of Kent Austin's (1981-1985) school record of 981.
With 25 completions, Manning moved to within 12 completions of Kent Austin's (1981-1985) Ole Miss career record of 566 completions.
Finishes his junior season 301 yards of total offense shy of tying the Ole Miss career record of 6,713, currently held by John Fourcade (1978-1981).
Completes the season with 3,281 yards of total offense to become the first Ole Miss player in school history to record 3,000 yards of total offense in a season.
With one TD pass today, Manning has been responsible for 54 TDs (TDs scored + TD passes), two shy of the Ole Miss career record of 56, currently held by Eli's father, Archie Manning (1968-1970).
Recorded 50 offensive plays (44 pass, 6 rush) to go over the 1,000 mark for his career. Manning has recorded 1,002 offensive plays, ranking fifth on the school's career list.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Junior RB Ronald McClendon made his first career start at running back. McClendon is the fifth different player Ole Miss had started at running back this season.
Junior WR Kerry Johnson caught his first career TD pass on an 11-yard pass from Eli Manning in the second quarter to pull Ole Miss within 10-7 ... Johnson also finished with a career-high three receptions for 47 yards.
Senior Toward Sanford's one-yard TD run in the second quarter was his first TD of the season ... Sanford later added a one-yard TD plunge in the third quarter to give Ole Miss a 24-20 lead.
Junior WR Chris Collins and sophomore WR Bill Flowers both caught six passes today to give Ole Miss two receivers with at least 50 receptions in the same season, for the first time in school history.
Collins finished the season with 55 receptions, one shy of LeMay Thomas' 1995 school season record of 56 ... Flowers' 53 receptions this season ranks fifth on the school's season list.
The 108 combined receptions by Collins and Flowers sets a new Ole Miss record for the most combined receptions by two receivers in school history. The previous mark was 101 by LeMay Thomas (56) and Ta'Boris Fisher (45) in 1995.
With 58 yards receiving today, Collins finishes the season four receiving yards shy of Willie Green's 1989 school season record of 816.
Collins and Flowers finish the season with streaks of 22 and 19 games, respectively, with at least one reception.
Flowers' 81 career receptions and 903 career receiving yards is the most by any player in Ole Miss history through their sophomore seasons.
The four sacks allowed by Ole Miss today was a season-high ... The previous high was three by Florida (10/5) and Alabama (10/19).
Ole Miss had eight receivers catch at least one pass in today's win, including six with two or more.
The Rebels recorded 20 first downs on the afternoon to set a new school record for first downs in a season with 273, breaking the previous mark of 268 set last year ... Ole Miss recorded at least 20 first downs in 9-of-13 games this season.
The Rebels ran 76 plays today to finish the season with 899 plays for scrimmage and breaking the school record of 849 set in 1980.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Junior Von Hutchins intercepted a pass in the second quarter to give him a pick in three straight games ... The interception was also his sixth of the season to lead the team in interceptions.
Freshman Travis Johnson also had an interception in the fourth quarter as the Rebels finished the season with at least one pick in four straight games and in five of their last six contests.
Ole Miss finished the season forcing 11 turnovers in its final four games.
Nebraska's 266 yards rushing was the most allowed by the Rebels this season ... The previous high was 257 by Vanderbilt on Sept. 21.
Ole Miss held the Cornhuskers to 59 yards rushing and 97 yards of total offense in the second half.
The Cornhuskers gained just four yards rushing 12 carries in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore FS Eric Oliver led Ole Miss with 13 tackles to finish the season with a team-high 129 ... The 129 tackles is the most by an Ole Miss player since Abdul Jackson had 139 in 1994.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

DeJuan Groce's 60-yard punt return for a TD in the second quarter marked the second time this season an opponent returned a punt for a score against the Rebels. Texas Tech's Wes Welker returned a punt 72 yards for a score in the Sept. 14 game at Lubbock.
Sophomore PK Jonathan Nichols scored nine points to break Les Binkley's Ole Miss season record for points by a kicker. Nichols finishes the season with 85 points. Binkley had 78 points in 1999.
Nichols was 2-of-2 on FG attempts, making kicks of 37 and 43 yards to finish the season 15-of-20 and tying Brian Lee's 1992 record for field goals in a season.
Chris Collins returned his first career punt for 10 yards in the third quarter.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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