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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Football Prepares For SEC Showdown With LSU
11/17/2003 | Football
Nov. 17, 2003
Chris Purser
Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations
Fresh off it's first bye weekend in seven weeks, the Ole Miss Rebels return to action this Saturday against the LSU Tigers. Kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. with CBS televising the game before a national audience.
Ole Miss, the SEC's top scoring offense with 36.6 points per game, will face the conference's leading scoring defense in LSU. It will be the 92nd meeting between the two rivals, and this weekend's game could very easily determine the outcome of the SEC's Western Division. Ole Miss can clinch the division with a win over the Tigers, while LSU needs to win it's final two remaining games. Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe says that while the eyes of the nation are focused on the Rebels, his team must remain focused on LSU.
"We have a big challenge in front of us with this LSU team," said Cutcliffe. "It's the most balanced team that I have seen in a long time from a standpoint of size and speed on defense and on offense. They are as balanced and as good a football team that I have seen in a long time."
Ole Miss will host Senior Day this Saturday as it will be the final game in Vaught-Hemingway for 21 Ole Miss seniors, including quarterback Eli Manning. Manning enters his final home game leading the SEC in passing yards per game (288.1) and total offense per game (287.4) despite not playing last week. Manning currently owns 45 school records. In his last performance against Auburn, Manning went 19-of-30 for 218 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. That performance earned him his second straight SEC Offensive Player of the Week award. But despite all the records Manning has amassed during his tenure with the Rebels, both he and Cutcliffe know that you can throw the record books out the window when it comes to Ole Miss and LSU.
"It is a great challenge," Cutcliffe said. "Our offensive line against their defensive line will be a great matchup. They are the biggest, most physical team we have seen up front, and they can run."
While Manning has posted career numbers this season, his receivers have definitely kept up the pace. Entering Saturday's game, Ole Miss has seven players with over a 100 yards receiving and an average of 10 or more yards per catch. Senior Chris Collins leads all Rebels with 722 yards and six TDs. Collins currently leads the SEC in receptions with 58 catches this season. Junior Kerry Johnson and sophomore Taye Biddle are second and third behind Collins in TD catches with five and four respectively.
When the Rebels are not throwing the ball, senior Tremaine Turner has been leading a rushing attack that is averaging 159.7 yards per game this season. That is a far bigger number than the 94.3 that Ole Miss averaged last season. Turner leads the Rebels in total yards rushing (579) and attempts (127). Sophomore Vashon Pearson leads the team in rushing TDs with four.
Special teams for the Rebels have been just that, with junior Jonathan Nichols named as one of the finalists for the Lou Groza Award, given out each year to the best placekicker in college football. Nichols has hit 95.8 percent of his field goals this season, going 23-of-24, including a career long 54-yarder in the season opener against Vanderbilt. Nichols enters Saturday's game having hit all 39 of his PAT attempts.
Defensively, the Rebels continue to hold their own when it comes to stopping the run, ranking fourth in the SEC and 14th nationally at stopping the run. Junior Eric Oliver leads the team in tackles with 82, including 60 solo stops. Senior end Charlie Anderson leads the team in quarterback sacks with five as well as TFLs with nine for (-50) yards. Senior Von Hutchins and Travis Johnson are tied for the team lead in interceptions with three each.
LSU enters Saturday's game with an overall record of 9-1, 5-1 SEC. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 348-89. LSU leads the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to an average of 8.9 points per game. In fact, the Tigers are fourth in the nation in total defense, holding their opposition to a meager 259.7 yards per game. Offensively, the Tigers are averaging 34.8 points per game, second in the SEC to Ole Miss. Junior QB Matt Mauck leads the SEC in pass efficiency with a 154.1 rating, connecting on 171-of-266 passes for 2,175 yards and eight TDs. The Tigers are averaging 174.6 yards rushing, with freshman Joseph Addai leading LSU with 466 yards and five TDs. Defensively, LSU is led by LaRon Landry with 59 tackles, including 41 solo stops and three TFLs (-30). Senior Chad Lavalais leads the Tigers in QB sacks with six. Jack Hunt leads LSU in interceptions with three.
