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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football Game Notes
9/15/2002 | Football
Sept. 15, 2002
Ole Miss Game Notes in PDF Format
Ole Miss Season StatisticsDownload Free Acrobat Reader
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
DATE: Saturday, September 21, 2002
TIME: 11:30 a.m.
SITE: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (60,580); Oxford, Miss.
TV: Saturday's game is to be televised by Jefferson-Pilot (Dave Neal, play-by-play; Dave Rowe, analyst; and Dave Baker, 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: Neither Ole Miss or Vanderbilt are ranked in either this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches of Associated Press Top 25 polls.
SERIES INFO: Saturday's game will be the 77th meeting between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. The Rebels hold a 42-32-2 advantage in the series, including a 19-3 edge in Oxford. Ole Miss has also won eight of the last nine meetings since 1993. The Commodores last win was in 1999, 37-34 in overtime in Oxford. The last three meetings between the two teams have been decided by an average of 6.3 points. Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe is 2-1 against the Commodores and this will be his first meeting against Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson. Saturday's game will be Johnson's first against the Rebels.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Saturday's game with Vanderbilt will mark the Rebels' SEC opener ... Ole Miss is 28-37-3 in SEC openers, and is looking to snap a string of nine straight losses in SEC openers ... Junior QB Eli Manning has thrown at least one TD pass in a school record 15 consecutive games.
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 25-14 record at Ole Miss, guiding the Rebels to at least seven wins in each of his first full three 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. Ole Miss' 24-14 mark since 1999 is the best in the SEC Western Division.
VANDERBILT HEAD COACH BOBBY JOHNSON: Bobby Johnson (Clemson, 1972) is in his first year at Vanderbilt after spending the previous eight seasons at Furman. He guided the Paladins to a 60-36 mark and four trips to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. Johnson was named the I-AA National Coach of the Year last season after leading Furman to a 12-3 mark and a I-AA runner-up finish, as the Paladins were edged 13-6 by Montana in the I-AA championship game. Overall, Johnson has a 61-38 career record in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.
VANDERBILT SCOUTING REPORT: The Commodores are 1-2 on the season and opened their SEC schedule last weekend with a 31-6 loss at Auburn. Vanderbilt is averaging 357.3 yards and 19.3 points per game. Freshman QB Jay Cutler has completed 32-of-59 passes for 408 yards with five interceptions and two scores. Cutler is also the team's leading rusher, having gained 163 yards on 31 carries with three scores to average 5.3 yards per carry. Senior WR Dan Stricker has been Cutler's favorite target, catching 10 passes for 188 yards and two scores. Senior LB Hunter Hillenmeyer leads the Commodore defense, having recorded 32 tackles (18 solo) with four TFLs for -12 yards and one QB sack for -6 yards. Redshirt freshman Moses Osenwegie has 17 tackles (11 solo), including six TFLs for -23 yards and two QB sacks for -16 yards. Vanderbilt is allowing an average of 397.3 yards and 31.3 points per game.
2002 VANDERBILT SCHEDULE/RESULTS
(1-2, 0-1 SEC)
| Aug. 31 | at Georgia Tech | L, 3-45 |
| SEPT. 7 | FURMAN | W, 49-18 |
| Sept. 14 | at Auburn* | L, 6-31 |
| Sept. 21 | at Ole Miss* | 11:30 a.m. |
| SEPT. 28 | SOUTH CAROLINA* | TBA |
| OCT. 12 | MIDDLE TENNESSEE | TBA |
| Oct. 19 | at Georgia* | TBA |
| OCT. 26 | CONNECTICUT | TBA |
| NOV. 2 | ALABAMA* | TBA |
| NOV. 9 | FLORIDA* | TBA |
| Nov. 16 | at Kentucky* | TBA |
| NOV. 23 | TENNESSEE* | TBA |
* - SEC game
HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
All times are Central.
ELI MANNING FACT SHEET
PRESEASON HONORS
* Named to the Playboy All-America team.
* Selected second team preseason All-America by Football Action.
* Named second team All-SEC by The Birmingham News, The Sporting News, The Southeastern Post, and at SEC Media Days.
* Named "Best Leader" in the SEC by The Birmingham News.
BACK IN SYNC: The 34 completions and 374 yards passing versus Texas Tech last weekend surpassed his combined totals of 31 completions and 366 yards passing during the first two games of this season against UL-Monroe and Memphis. Manning entered the Texas Tech contest coming off a 14-of-30 passing performance for 174 yards against Memphis, marking his lowest totals as a starter for both completions and passing yards.
RECORD DAY: With 374 yards passing against Texas Tech, Manning broke one school career record and tied another. The 374-yard effort was his ninth career game with at least 250 yards passing, breaking the school record of eight set by Romaro Miller (1997-2000). It also marked his third career, 300-yard passing effort, tying him with Archie Manning (1968-70), Stewart Patridge (1994, 1996-97) and Miller for the Ole Miss career mark. The 57 passing attempts against the Red Raiders also broke the school's single-game mark of 56, set by his father, Archie Manning, in a 1970 contest with Southern Miss.
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. * 34 completions against the Red Raiders rates as third-highest single-game mark in school history, three shy of Kent Austin's record of 37 against Tennessee in 1982 ... Manning also holds the second-highest single-game completion total in school history, connecting on 35 passes last year versus Georgia.
* Extended his school record streak to 15 straight games with at least one TD pass, dating back to the 2000 Music City Bowl, with three at Texas Tech ... Has thrown at least 2 TD passes in 12-of-15 games during that span.
* Entered the Texas Tech game ranked fourth among active SEC players in passing yardage (3,484), completions (306) and total offense (3,505) (updated on Tuesdays).
* Ranks in the top 10 in 14 career offensive categories at Ole Miss (see chart below).
* Is five TD passes shy of tying Romaro Miller's Ole Miss career record of 43.
MANNING IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
| CATEGORY | NO. | RANK |
| Touchdown Passes: | 7 | T-8th |
| Completions Per Game: | 21.7 | T-14th |
| Passing Attempts Per Game: | 39.3 | T-7th |
| TD-to-INT Ratio: | 3.5:1 | 27th |
| Highest Percentage of TD Passes: | 5.93 | 25th |
| Passing Yards Per Game: | 246.7 | 21st |
| Total Offense (Yards Per Game): | 250.0 ypg | 23rd |
| Lowest Percentage of Passes Intercepted: | 1.69 | T-31st |
| Average Total Player Per Game (rush+pass): | 40.3 | T-20th |
SCHOOL RECORDS HELD BY MANNING
SINGLE GAME
Passing Attempts: 57, at Texas Tech (9/14/2002) 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
CAREER
Consecutive Games with a TD Pass: 12, 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: 9
Career 300-yard Passing Games: 3 (tied with Archie Manning, Stewart Patridge and Romaro Miller)
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 |
1- Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn.
CLUTCH PERFORMER: When the game is on the line, Eli Manning has a knack for performing in the clutch during the fourth quarter. Entering Saturday's with Vanderbilt, Manning's fourth-quarter pass efficiency rating of 156.02 is the highest of any quarter (except overtime). This season, Manning has a 164.93 pass efficiency rating in the fourth quarter, over 40 points higher than his season rating of 123.95. The following chart breaks down Manning's career stats by quarter:
FIRST QUARTER
| Year | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD | Rating |
| 2000 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2001 | 59-86-0 | 638 | 3 | 142.33 |
| 2002 | 11-27-1 | 103 | 0 | 65.38 |
| TOTAL | 70-113-1 | 741 | 3 | 124.02 |
SECOND QUARTER
| Year | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD | Rating |
| 2000 | 1-3-0 | 15 | 0 | 75.33 |
| 2001 | 70-109-4 | 756 | 8 | 139.36 |
| 2002 | 20-32-1 | 232 | 4 | 158.4 |
| TOTAL | 91-144-5 | 1003 | 12 | 142.26 |
THIRD QUARTER
| Year | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD | Rating |
| 2000 | 3-5-0 | 21 | 0 | 95.28 |
| 2001 | 62-106-1 | 646 | 3 | 117.14 |
| 2002 | 16-32-0 | 207 | 0 | 104.34 |
| TOTAL | 81-143-1 | 874 | 3 | 113.51 |
FOURTH QUARTER
| Year | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD | Rating |
| 2000 | 24-45-2 | 301 | 3 | 122.63 |
| 2001 | 58-93-4 | 811 | 12 | 169.60 |
| 2002 | 18-27-0 | 198 | 3 | 164.93 |
| TOTAL | 100-165-6 | 1310 | 18 | 156.02 |
OVERTIME
| Year | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD | Rating |
| 2001 | 10-14-0 | 97 | 5 | 247.49 |
| TOTAL | 10-14-0 | 97 | 5 | 247.49 |
NOTE: Totals include the 2000 Music City Bowl
BRINGING IT BACK INTO THE FAMILY: Junior QB Eli Manning set one school record and tied another that were held by his father, Archie, last weekend against Texas Tech. Manning's 57 passing attempts versus the Red Raiders broke Archie's single-game mark of 56 passes in a 1970 game with Southern Miss. Eli's 374 passing yards marked the third, 300-yard passing game of his career to tie Archie's Ole Miss career record. Stewart Patridge (1994, 1996-97) and Romaro Miller (1997-2000) also tied the mark with three, 300-yard passing efforts during their Ole Miss careers. The following chart shows marks set by Eli last season that were also broken by Archie during his career at Ole Miss from 1968-1970.
| 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) |
| 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 | 13 | 8** | 1999 by Romaro Miller (8) |
| Career 250-yard passing games | 9 | 6 (1968-1970) | by Kent Austin w/7 from 1981-1985 |
| Career 300-yard passing games | 3 | 3 (1968-70) | Tied by Stewart Patridge (1994, 96-97) and Romaro Miller (1997-2000) |
** - Archie and Romaro Miller were tied for the record when it was broken by Eli.
COMPARING THE MANNINGS
The following chart compares the three Manning quarterbacks -- Archie, Peyton and Eli -- through their sophomore seasons in college. Archie's statistics are for just his sophomore year in 1968 as freshman were ineligible to participate at that time.
| GP | Comp-Att-Int | Yards | Pct. | Avg/G | TD | Long | Effic. | |
| Archie Manning, 1968 | 10 | 127-263-17 | 1,510 | .483 | 151.0 | 8 | 65 | 93.63 |
| Peyton Manning, 1994-95 | 22 | 333-524-10 | 4,095 | .635 | 186.1 | 33 | 80 | 146.2 |
| Eli Manning, 2000-2001 | 17 | 275-441-10 | 3,118 | .624 | 183.4 | 31 | 56 | 140.4 |
MANNING ON THE OLE MISS CAREER TOP 10 CHARTS
PASSING ATTEMPTS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-85 | 981 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 5. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 761 |
| 6. | Russ Shows, 1989-1992 | 560 |
| 7. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 559 |
COMPLETIONS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 566 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 5. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 402 |
| 6. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 340 |
PASSING YARDS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 6,311 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 5. | Archie Manning, 1968-70 | 4,753 |
| 6. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 3,858 |
PASSING TDs
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 43 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 38 |
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Pct. | |
| 1. | Paul Head, 1993-1996 | 61.5 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 60.8 |
| 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 | 136.9 |
AVERAGE YDS/PASS ATTEMPT
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Eagle Day, 1953-1955 | 8.7 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 4. | Glynn Griffing, 1960-1962 | 7.5 |
| John Darnell, 1987-1989 | 7.5 | |
| 6. | Lawrence Adams, 1993-93, 95-96 | 7.3 |
| 7. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 7.0 |
| Stewart Patridge, 1994, 1996-97 | 7.0 | |
| 9. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 6.9 |
200-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 19 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 12 |
250-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 9 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 8 |
300-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 3 |
| Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 3 | |
| Stewart Patridge, 1996-1997 | 3 | |
| Eli Manning, 2000-present | 3 |
TDs RESPONSIBLE FOR
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 56 |
| 2. | John Fourcade, 1978-1981 | 47 |
| 3. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 46 |
| 4. | Deuce McAllister, 1997-2000 | 42 |
| 5. | Mark Young, 1985-1988 | 38 |
| Eli Manning, 2000-present | 38 |
TOTAL OFFENSE PER GAME
(minimum 14 career games)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 199.1 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 194.1 |
| 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 | 6.44 |
| 4. | Rocky Byrd, 1949-1951 | 6.37 |
TOTAL OFFENSE
| Player, Years | Yards | |
| 1. | John Fourcade, 1978-1981 | 6,713 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 5. | Mark Young, 1985-1988 | 5,031 |
| 6. | Russ Shows, 1989-1992 | 3,919 |
| 8. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 3,881 |
HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE
Fourth year at Ole Miss
Record at Ole Miss: 25-14 (.641)
Career Record: 25-14 (.641/4 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 24-14 record since 1999 ranks as the best in the SEC Western Division.
* Saturday's game, to be televised by Jefferson-Pilot, will be Ole Miss' 25th TV appearance during Cutcliffe's three-plus full seasons, including the 10th on JP.
* The 2001 team set 12 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: | 12-12 | .500 |
| vs. SEC West: | 7-8 | .467 |
| vs. SEC East: | 5-4 | .556 |
| Non-Conference opponents: | 13-2 | .867 |
| Bowl Games: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Home: | 14-7 | .667 |
| Away: | 9-6 | .600 |
| Neutral: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Day Games: | 13-7 | .650 |
| Night Games (6 pm start or later): | 12-7 | .632 |
| vs. Top 25 teams | 2-5 | .286 |
| When leading at halftime: | 22-6 | .786 |
| Overtime games: | 2-1 | .667 |
REBEL GAME NOTES
REBELS IN SEPTEMBER
* Ole Miss is 133-57-7 (.693 winning percentage) all-time during the month of September.
* Ole Miss is 83-18-3 (.813 winning percentage) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including 58-5-2 (.910 winning percentage) in September games played in Oxford.
* The Rebels have an all-time mark of 50-39-4 (.559) in road games during September.
* Ole Miss is 41-30-1 (.576 winning percentage) in September SEC games, including a 9-4 (.690 winning percentage) record in games played in Oxford.
* Ole Miss is 9-4 (.692 winning percentage) in September under head coach David Cutcliffe.
* Ole Miss is 6-3 (.667 winning percentage) versus Vanderbilt in September, including 2-1 in Oxford.
* A win today would give Ole Miss its seventh straight winning record in September, and its 14th consecutive September with at least a .500 record.
REBELS ON TV:
* Saturday's game, to be televised by Jefferson-Pilot, is the third of four scheduled TV games for the Rebels this season, and concludes a three-week stretch in which Ole Miss appeared on TV. JP carried the Rebels' 38-16 win over Memphis on Sept. 7 and ABC aired last week's game at Texas Tech.
* Ole Miss will also appear on TV Thanksgiving Night, Nov. 28, as ESPN will televise the annual Egg Bowl battle with Mississippi State for the fifth straight year.
* Saturday's game will mark the 25th time Ole Miss has appeared on TV under head coach David Cutcliffe since 1999, including its 10th on JP.
* All-time, it will be the Rebels' 122nd TV appearance. Ole Miss has an all-time record of 54-65-2 in TV games, including a 13-11 mark on JP.
* The Rebels are 3-2 all-time versus the Commodores on TV, and the last four Ole Miss Vanderbilt games have been carried by JP.
CUTCLIFFE NOTCHES WIN NO. 25: Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe earned his 25th career win at Ole Miss during the Rebels' 38-16 win over Memphis on Sept. 7 in Oxford. Cutcliffe tied legendary Ole Miss coach John Vaught as the second-fastest to reach the 25-win plateau at the school, doing so in 38 games. Only Hary J. Mehre reached 25 wins faster, doing so in 31 games from 1938 through the final game of 1940.
BEST IN THE WEST: Since David Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999, Ole Miss has recorded more wins (24) and has the best winning percentage (.649) than any other SEC Western Division school. The Rebels are also the only SEC Western Division team to have recorded five straight seasons with at least seven wins since 1997. The chart on the following page shows the overall standings of the SEC Western Division since 1999 (records include bowl games):
| School | W-L | Pct. |
| Ole Miss | 24-14 | .632 |
| Arkansas | 23-15 | .605 |
| Mississippi State | 22-15 | .594 |
| Auburn | 23-16 | .590 |
| LSU | 23-16 | .590 |
| Alabama | 22-17 | .564 |
STAFF CHANGES: Ole Miss welcomes two new full-time assistants to the coaching staff in 2002. Chuck Driesbach was named the Rebels' new defensive coordinator and linebacker coach this past February, after serving as the defensive coordinator/inside linebacker coach at TCU in 2001. Former Rebel center Matt Luke was hired as the new tight ends coach last spring, replacing Richard Bisaccia, who joined Jon Gruden's coaching staff with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke will also assist with the offensive line. Fourth-year assistant Ron Middleton, who coached the tight ends his first three years in Oxford, will now coach the running backs and special teams.
THE DRIESBACH FILE
* While serving as the defensive coordinator at TCU, the Horned Frogs ranked 10th nationally against the run and 24th in the NCAA against the pass.
* Defensive coordinator at Western Michigan from 1997-2000 ... Also coached outside linebackers and safeties ... The Broncos finished fourth in the nation in scoring defense and ninth in total defense in 2000.
* Defensive coordinator at Cornell from 1990-1992 and at Pittsburgh from 1993-1996.
* Coached running backs and the secondary at Ole Miss in 1989 .. Coached the late Chucky Mullins.
* Served as running backs coach at East Carolina during the 1987 and 1988 seasons.
* From 1984-1986 at Wake Forest, coached the defensive line, receivers and tight ends.
* Served as an assistant at Kansas State from 1976-1983, where he coached the tight ends, tackles, receivers and the secondary during his tenure in Manhattan, Kan.
THE LUKE FILE
* Spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons coaching with former Ole Miss assistant Joe Pannunzio at Murray State.
* After his playing career at Ole Miss, served as a student assistant coach with the Rebels in 1999, working with the centers and guards.
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 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.
This past weekend's attendance against Memphis was 54,718, making it the second-largest figure in the stadium's history.
STADIUM TIMELINE
* Ole Miss has won 78.5 percent of its home games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field, compiling an all-time mark of 208-58-8.
1915: The stadium, known as Hemingway Stadium for much of its existence, began its historic life when students helped in construction of the first football grandstand at the site of the present field ... The construction of the stadium and its permanent foundation was a three-year, federally-sponsored project and had an original capacity listed at 24,000 ... The facility was named after the late Judge William Hemingway (1869-1937), professor of law and longtime chairman of the University's Committee on Athletics.
1950: One of the nation's longest press boxes, measuring 80 yards, was added.
1970: Astroturf was installed on the playing surface in 1970.
1971: Blue fiber glass seating was added to the West side stands in 1971 and later to the East stands in 1973.
1980: Permanent aluminum bleachers were installed in both end zones in 1980, enlarging capacity to 41,000.
OCT. 16, 1982: John Howard Vaught saw his name added to the stadium. The legendary Rebel coach compiled an impressive 190-61-12 record as head football coach at Ole Miss and brought the Rebels national championships in 1959, 1960 and 1962.
SUMMER, 1984: The astroturf was removed and replaced with prescription athletic turf.
SUMMER, 1988: The stadium received a major facelift, including a new press box, new aluminum sideline seating, restrooms and concessions stands, plus a club level section for 700 people.
1990: Lights were added.
1997: A new Sony JumboTron scoreboard/message center was installed.
1998: The Guy C. Billups Rebel Club was completed prior to the season, which included a special seating section with an enclosed concession and lounge area. The addition pushed capacity to over 50,000.
SEPT 5, 1998: The field was named in honor of Dr. Jerry Hollingsworth for his continuing generous support to the entire athletic department.
NOV. 11, 2000: A then-record crowd of 52,476 witnessed Ole Miss host LSU.
NOVEMBER 2000: Construction began on bowling in the south end zone following Ole Miss' 45-30 win over Mississippi State in the regular-season finale.
AUG. 31, 2001: In the first game since the bowling in of the south end zone, a stadium record 58,151 watched Ole Miss down Louisiana-Monroe 31-3.
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).
SEC OPENERS:
* Saturday's game with Vanderbilt will mark the opening of the Rebels' SEC schedule.
* Ole Miss is 28-37-3 all-time (.434 winning percentage) in SEC openers.
* The Rebels are looking to snap a nine-game losing streak in SEC openers. The last time Ole Miss won its conference opener was in 1992, 45-21 against Auburn in Oxford ... The Rebels lost to the Tigers 27-21 in Auburn last year to open their SEC slate.
* Ole Miss is 15-15 when opening its SEC schedule at home (including home games played in Jackson and Memphis) ... The Rebels have a 5-7 record (.417 winning percentage) when opening their SEC schedule in Oxford.
* Saturday's game will mark just the second time that Ole Miss has opened its SEC schedule with Vanderbilt. The last time was 1999, when the Commodores edged the Rebels 37-34 in an overtime game played in Oxford.
REBEL RAMBLINGS:
* Last weekend's 42-28 loss at Texas Tech stopped Ole Miss' bid for its first 3-0 start since 1989.
* A win Saturday over Vanderbilt would give the Rebels their seventh consecutive 3-1 start.
* After averaging 71.5 penalty yards per game during the first two games of the season, Ole Miss was penalized five times for a season-low 45 yards last weekend at Texas Tech. The Rebels are averaging 62.7 yards in penalties this season, after leading the SEC last season in the fewest penalty yards per game with 42.3.
* Ole Miss has yet to score a point during the first quarter this season, having been outscored 20-0. The Rebels, however, are outscoring the opposition 97-41 after the first quarter, including 45-18 in the second quarter.
REBELS VS. SEC EAST: Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 16-14 (.533 winning percentage) versus the SEC Eastern Division. The Rebels are 8-2 against the Commodores since divisional play started in 1992. Ole Miss is 9-5 (.643 winning percentage) versus the SEC East in games played in Oxford. The chart on the following page shows Ole Miss' record versus SEC Eastern Division opponents, since the conference started divisional play in 1992.
| School | W-L | Pct. | Last Game |
| Florida | 0-2 | .000 | 1995 |
| Georgia | 3-7 | .300 | 2001 |
| Kentucky | 3-1 | .750 | 2001 |
| South Carolina | 2-0 | 1.000 | 1999 |
| Tennessee | 0-2 | .000 | 1997 |
| Vanderbilt | 8-2 | .800 | 2001 |
THE STREAK IS OVER: Ole Miss' 42-28 loss at Texas Tech last Saturday snapped the Rebels' 24-game regular-season win streak over non-conference opponents. Prior to last Saturday, the last time Ole Miss lost a regular season non-SEC game was on Nov. 5, 1994, 17-16 to Memphis. The loss to the Red Raiders' was also Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe's first regular-season loss to a non-SEC opponents in 12 games. During the 24-game streak, Ole Miss posted an average margin of victory of 19.6 points. The following chart shows the results of Ole Miss' 24-game win streak in the regular season over non-conference opponents, that started with a 38-0 shutout at Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994.
| Opponent (Date) | Score |
| at Tulane (11-12-94) | W, 38-0 |
| Indiana State (9-9-95) | W, 56-10 |
| Tulane (10-7-95) | W, 20-17 |
| at Memphis (11-4-95) | W, 34-3 |
| Idaho State (8-31-96) | W, 38-14 |
| VMI (9-7-96) | W, 31-7 |
| Arkansas State (10-26-96) | W, 38-21 |
| Central Florida (8-30-97) | W, 24-23 (ot) |
| SMU (9-6-97) | W, 23-15 |
| at Tulane (11-15-97) | W, 41-24 |
| Memphis (9-5-98) | W, 30-10 |
| at SMU (9-26-98) | W, 48-41 (ot) |
| Arkansas State (10-24-98) | W, 30-17 |
| at Memphis (9-4-99) | W, 3-0 |
| Arkansas State (9-11-99) | W, 38-14 |
| Tulane (10-9-99) | W, 20-13 |
| Tulane (9-2-2000) | W, 49-20 |
| Arkansas State (10-7-2000) | W, 35-10 |
| UNLV (10-28-2000) | W, 43-40 (ot) |
| Murray State (9-1-2001) | W, 49-14 |
| at Arkansas State (10-6-2001) | W, 35-17 |
| Middle Tennessee (10-20-2001) | W, 45-17 |
| Louisiana-Monroe (8-31-2002) | W, 31-3 |
| Memphis (9-7-2002) | W, 38-16 |
REBELS ON POSTSEASON AWARDS WATCH LISTS: Ole Miss has four players on preseason watch lists for postseason awards in 2002:
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
FWAA ALL-AMERICA WATCH LIST: In addition to junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) four other Rebels have been named to the Football Writers' Association of America's All-America watch list: senior center Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.), senior LB Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.) and senior TE Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio).
CLAXTON TABBED FIRST TEAM PRESEASON ALL-SEC: Senior center Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.) was named to the first team preseason All-SEC team at the SEC Media Days. In addition, he earned first team preseason All-SEC honors from Athlon, The Sporting News, Street & Smith's, The Southeastern Post, and Lindy's, as well as second team honors from The Birmingham News. Claxton is also a preseason second team All-America selection by Lindy's and a third-team pick by Athlon and Street & Smith's.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
* Sophomore WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) had a career-high eight receptions for 91 yards against Texas Tech. The 91 yards was also an Ole Miss season high, and six yards shy of his career high of 97 yards set last season against Arkansas.
* Sophomore WR Trey Fryfogle (Lucedale, Miss.) caught his first career TD pass on a seven-yard pass from Eli Manning in the fourth quarter against Texas Tech ... Fryfogle also finished the game with career highs for receptions (3) and receiving yards (24).
* Junior OL Justin Sawyer (Centreville, Miss.) made his first career start at center last Saturday. Sawyer filled in for senior Ben Claxton, who was injured in the previous week game versus Memphis. Claxton also did see playing time versus the Red Raiders.
CHRIS COLLINS (SR., WR, GLOSTER, MISS.)
* Extended his streak to 12 consecutive games with at least one reception, catching six passes for 54 yards - both season highs - against Texas Tech.
* Needs 40 yards receiving to become the 19th player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving yards.
* Is currently tied with Floyd Franks (1968-1970) for the Ole Miss career record for 100-yard receiving games with four.
RICK RAZZANO (SO., FB, MILFORD, OHIO)
* Tied his career high with three receptions and set a career high with 44 receiving yards versus the Red Raiders. He also had three receptions versus Memphis on Sept. 7.
* Rushed twice for seven yards to give him a career-high 51 yards from scrimmage against Texas Tech.
ROBERT WILLIAMS (SR., RB, GADSDEN, ALA.)
* Set career highs for receptions (4) and receiving yards (29) against Texas Tech, and had a career-long 21-yard reception versus the Red Raiders.
* Totaled 86 (57 rushing, 29 receiving) yards from scrimmage on 16 attempts (12 rush., 4 rec.) against the Red Raiders, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt from scrimmage.
* Also returned one kickoff for 29 yards to give him 115 all-purpose yards.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: Ole Miss had 10 different receivers catch at least one pass in last Saturday's game with Texas Tech, including eight recording multiple catches. The following chart shows the Rebels' individual receiving statistics against the Red Raiders:
| Receiver | No. | Yds | TD |
| Bill Flowers | 8 | 91 | 0 |
| Chris Collins | 6 | 54 | 2 |
| Doug Zeigler | 4 | 43 | 0 |
| Robert Williams | 4 | 29 | 0 |
| Rick Razzano | 3 | 44 | 0 |
| Trey Fryfogle | 3 | 24 | 1 |
| Taye Biddle | 2 | 35 | 0 |
| Mike Espy | 2 | 26 | 0 |
| Tremaine Turner | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Jason Armstead | 1 | 10 | 0 |
HANDS OFF!: Since the start of the 1999 season, Ole Miss has allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC with 33, 17 less than the next team, Georgia and Arkansas with 50. The Rebels have led the SEC in the fewest sacks allowed the last two seasons, yielding seven in 2000 and 10 in 2001. Ole Miss has not allowed a sack in three games this season. The following chart shows the top five teams for the fewest sacks allowed in the SEC since 1999 (will be updated on Monday):
| Team | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | Total | ||
| 1. | Ole Miss | 16 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 33 |
| 2. | Georgia | 21 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 50 |
| 3. | Arkansas | 14 | 17 | 19 | 2 | 52 |
| 4. | LSU | 25 | 12 | 19 | 4 | 60 |
| 5. | Florida | 18 | 26 | 13 | 4 | 61 |
DEFENSIVE NOTES
* Texas Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury's two-yard plunge for a TD in the second quarter last Saturday marked the first rushing TD allowed by the Rebels this season.
* Ole Miss has allowed only 57 yards rushing on 47 carries in the last two games against Memphis and Texas Tech ... The Rebels limited the Tigers to 18 yards on 20 carries back in the Sept. 7 contest. It was the first time in 21 games since holding Kentucky to 39 yards rushing on Sept. 30, 2000 that Ole Miss held the opposition to under 100 yards rushing in a game.
* The Rebels rank eighth in the nation in rushing defense, allowing an average of 58.3 yards per game. Opponents are averaging 1.9 yards per carry against Ole Miss, having rushed 90 times for 175 yards and one TD.
* Ole Miss sacked Texas Tech QB Kliff Kingsbury twice in last weekend's game to give the Rebels at least one sack in 23 of Ole Miss' last 24 games.
EDDIE STRONG (SR., LB, BATESVILLE, MISS.)
* Senior LB Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.) saw his first action of the season against Texas Tech, after missing the first two games of the season due to an ankle injury suffered during a preseason scrimmage.
* Strong led the Rebels in tackles last season with 105, becoming the first Ole Miss player since current Green Bay Packer linebacker Nate Wayne to record over 100 stops in a season.
* Strong entered the Texas Tech game tied for third among active SEC players in sacks with eight, and fourth among active SEC players in tackles with 243 (updated on Tuesdays).
STATS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY: The 42 points scored by Texas Tech last Saturday doesn't portray an accurate picture of the Rebel defense's performance. Texas Tech returned both a punt and an interception for a TD, and had two scoring drives of 11 yards or less that led to 25 points.
The Ole Miss defense held the Red Raiders to 39 net yards rushing on 27 carries and held Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury to 85 yards less than his 355.0 yards per game he was averaging entering the contest.
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.
SPECIALTY NOTES
* Sophomore Wesley Bryan (Marion, Miss.) averaged 44.0 yards on two punts, including a long of 53 against Texas Tech, in what his first career action. Bryan took over punting duties for sophomore Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) sustained an injury when he was tackled after recovering a high snap that sailed over his head.
* Senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) did not have an opportunity to return a punt against Texas Tech, as Red Raider punter Clinton Greathouse placed four punts inside the Rebel 10-yard line. Armstead broke a 55-year old school record the previous week against Memphis, when he returned eight punts for 157 yards and a score.
* With Armstead's 62-yard punt return for a score versus Memphis, the Rebels have returned at least one kick for a score in each of the last four seasons. Deuce McAllister 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, Robert Williams returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score against the Razorbacks in 2000, and Armstead returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score last season versus Murray State.
NASHVILLE REBELS: Ole Miss has three players on its roster that list Nashville, Tenn., as their hometown: junior LB Ian Bass, freshman QB Ethan Flatt and redshirt freshman FB Craig Holcomb.
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.
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.
ALL-AMERICA SPRINGS: Two redshirt freshman enjoyed All-America springs for Ole Miss off the gridiron this past year. WR Taye Biddle (Decatur, Ala.) earned All-America honors in track as a member of the Rebels' 4x100-meter relay team that set an Ole Miss record by turning in a 39.57 at the NCAA Outdoor Champion-ships. QB Seth Smith (Jackson, Miss.) was the starting right fielder on the Rebel baseball team and garnered first team Freshman All-America accolades from Collegiate Baseball. Smith became the first Rebel since 1997 to hit over .400 for the season, turning in a .402 average and set school freshman records for batting average, hits (82), singles (67), total bases (107), RBI (52) and on-base average (.452). He was also named the SEC's Freshman of the Year and was a first team All-SEC selection. Biddle and Smith were two of five two-sport Rebels last year. Sophomore WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) also ran track, and sophomore RB Chad Pilcher (West Monroe, La.) and redshirt freshman QB Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) were members of the baseball team.
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON COMPANY: Ole Miss has six players with the last name of Johnson on its roster, though, only two are related: offensive linemen Belton and Marcus from Coffeeville, Miss. The other four Johnsons are: Desmon, a senior cornerback from Okmulgee, Okla.; Kerry, a sophomore WR from Oxford, Miss.; Travis, a redshirt freshman defensive back from Shannon, Miss.; and Yahrek, a senior defensive lineman from Atlanta, Ga. Last season, Belton and Marcus started all 11 games for the Rebels on the offensive line, playing right next to each other. Belton, a senior, played right tackle, and Marcus, now a sophomore, played at right guard.
