Postgame Notes

Sept. 7, 2002

Recap?|? Stats?|? Quotes?|? Photo Gallery | A Rebel (Defensive) Uprising

MEMPHIS POSTGAME NOTES
* Today's Memphis-Ole Miss game marks the renewal of one of the oldest series in Memphis history. The Tigers and Rebels began playing football in 1920 and have continued playing over the past 82 yards. Today's game is the first between the two schools since the 1999 season.

* True freshman safety O.C. Collins started his first collegiate contest today against Ole Miss. Collins registered seven tackles and a pass interception in the season opener against Murray State. Sophomore tight end/offensive tackle Jason Johnson also gained his first start as a Tiger in replace of Jeff Cameron, who injured his knee this week in practice. Backup tight end John Doucette suffered a neck injury during this week's practice and will not return to the team until next week.

* The Memphis Tiger captains for today's game were defensive end Treveco Lucas, defensive tackle Eric Taylor, offensive tackle Wade Smith and center Jimond Pugh.

* The Tigers opened the Ole Miss game with five wide receivers, no tight end and no running back. Darren Garcia and Tripp Higgins joined Travis Anglin, Darron White and Antoine Harden at the receiver spots. It was Garcia's first start since last year's South Florida contest. Higgins had not started a game since the 2000 season.

* Danny Wimprine's 50-yard touchdown pass to Antoine Harden was his sixth touchdown toss of the season. Wimprine threw five touchdown passes last week against Murray State. His 50-yard completion to Harden was his longest of the 2002 season.

* Antoine Harden's 50-yard touchdown reception from Danny Wimprine was his second touchdown catch of the season and the sixth of his career. Harden had a 20-yard TD reception in the season opener. His career long catch is a 73-yard TD reception against Houston last year.

* The Wimprine to Antoine Harden connection clicked again in the third period when the sophomore quarterback Danny Wimprine threw his second 50-yard touchdown stirke to Harden to cut the Ole Miss lead to 24-13. The extra point by Stephen Gostkowski was missed when the ball was moved back to the 17 yard line after Harden was flagged for unsportsman like conduct when he slapped the hand of a Tiger fan after his touchdown catch. Harden now has three touchdown catches on the season and seven for his career.

* With his second touchdown pass of the game (seventh of the year), Wimprine is currently tied with Billy Fletcher (1963-63) for fifth all-time at Memphis with 21 touchdown passes. Wimprine passed Tim Jones (1986-89), who threw for 19 career TDs.

* Stephen Gostkowski's 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was his second of the season. He made his lone attempt of the Murray State game from 50 yards. The former baseball signee from Madison, MS, is now two-for-two this season.

OLE MISS POSTGAME NOTES
NOTING ELI
14-30-0, 174 yards, 3 TDs
* Three TD passes today extended his school-record streak to 14 games with at least one TD pass dating back to the 2000 Music City Bowl.

* His three TD passes gives him 35 for his career, moving him to within eight of Romaro Miller's (1997-2000) school record of 43.

* The 174 yards passing marked his lowest output as a starter. His previous low 192 yards last week against UL-Monroe. Manning's lowest passing total last season was 213 yards against Mississippi State.

TEAM NOTES
* Today's win gave Head coach David Cutcliffe his 25th career win with the Rebels, tying him with the legendary John Vaught as the second fastest coach at Ole Miss to reach 25 victories. Cutcliffe and Vaught each recorded their 25th win in their 38th career game. Only Harry J. Mehre (1938-1945) reached 25 wins faster at Ole Miss, doing so in 31 games.

* The win also marked Ole Miss' 24th straight regular-season win over a non-conference opponent. The Rebels have not lost a regular-season non-conference game since dropping a 17-16 contest to Memphis on Nov. 5, 1994 in Oxford ...The Rebels have won 19 of the 24 games during the streak at home.

* Ole Miss also has a 25-game unbeaten streak in September games over non-SEC opponents in Oxford. The last time the Rebels lost a non-conference home game in September was Sept. 27, 1980, 26-24 to Tulane.

* The Rebels are 83-18-3 (.813 winning percentage) all-time in home games during the month of September (including home games played in Memphis and Jackson), and are 58-5-2 (.908 winning percentage) in games played in Oxford during September.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
* Senior RB Robert Williams recorded his second straight 100-yard rushing game, gaining 107 yards on 17 carries. It is also his second career 100-yard rushing game.

* Sophomore fullback Rick Razzano scored his first career TD on a 2-yard run with 3:43 left in the third quarter to give the Rebels a 24-7 lead ... Razzano also set career-highs for receptions (3) and receiving yards (32) and had a career-long 12-yard reception.

* Junior WR Chris Collins caught three passes for 35 yards and one TD to extend his streak to 11 consecutive games with at least one reception ... Collins is also now 94 yards shy of becoming the 19th player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard mark in career receiving yards.

* Ole Miss' 214 yards rushing is the most by the Rebels since recording 229 yards last year at Kentucky.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
* Senior LB Eddie Strong missed today's game due to an ankle injury suffered during a preseason scrimmage. He also did not play last week versus UL-Monroe.

* Ole Miss limited Memphis to 18 yards rushing on 20 carries, the fewest yards allowed by the Rebels since holding LSU to 15 yards on 25 carries during a 42-23 win in Baton Rouge on Oct. 30, 1999 ... It is also the first time in 21 games, since holding Kentucky to 39 yards rushing on Sept. 30, 2000, that Ole Miss has allowed fewer than 100 yards rushing in a game.

* The five sacks today by the Rebels is the most since Ole Miss registered 7 during a 45-30 Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State on Nov. 23, 2000 in Oxford.

* Junior LB Jamil Northcutt intercepted his first career pass early in the second quarter, returning the pick 19 yards to the Memphis 6 to set up Ole Miss' first score of the game, a 19-yard field goal that made it 7-3.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
* Jason Armstead set a school record with 157 punt return yards, breaking the almost 55-year old record set by Will Glover with 151 yards against Chattanooga on Nov. 15, 1947 ... Armstead's eight returns also tied the school record, set by Doug Cunningham versus Southern Miss on Oct. 15, 1966.

* Armstead's 62-yard punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was the first by a Rebel since Deuce McAllister returned a punt 87 yards against Auburn on Sept. 9, 2000.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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