Automatic

Sept. 27, 2003

Complete Final Stat Book in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Recap | Final Stats | Postgame Notes | Postgame Quotes

Chris Purser
Ole Miss Athletic Media Relations

OXFORD, Miss. - With a 24-yard split of the uprights, Jonathan Nichols placed his name solidly in the Ole Miss record books. Tied at a school-record five field goals in a game, Nichols kicked his record-breaking sixth field goal with 8:01 left in the fourth quarter. He broke the previous mark of five that he held for a span of five minutes - he kicked his fifth field goal at the 13:42 mark of the fourth quarter - with former Rebel standout Bryan Lee. But don't let the record fool you, as Nichols is quick to give credit to those who help make his job smooth.

"I have to give credit to my offensive line, my snapper, and my holder," said Nichols, whose six field goals also tied a Southeastern Conference single-game record. "I just went out there and tried to do my job."

Nichols most recent record may be impressive, but it almost didn't happen. On his final kick, Nichols needed a little luck as the ball bounced off the uprights. It just so happened to fall through, making Nichols wonder if it was blind luck or maybe a little divine intervention.

"Somebody up there is on my side," Nichols said.

Nichols finished the night a perfect 6-of-6 on field goals, not to mention a perfect 3-of-3 in his PAT attempts. In fact, Nichols has yet to miss a single kick this season, going a perfect 16-of-16 in PATs and 11-of-11 in field goals. His streak of 15 consecutive FGs, which dates back to last season, is a small number compared to a school record streak of 65 consecutive PATs.

While Ole Miss has struggled in some areas during the young season, Nichols has been a constant for the Rebels. So far this season, he kicked a career-best 54-yarder to win the Rebels' season opener at Vanderbilt, a game in which he became the first Ole Miss kicker to kick two 50-plus yard field goals in a single contest. Following that game, Nichols was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week. With his performance tonight, Nichols moved to fourth place in the school's all-time scoring list by a kicker with 193 points. That has earned the junior the respect of his teammates, knowing that they can count on him in critical situations.

"I think we did a good job of kicking field goals when we had to," said quarterback Eli Manning. "Those points are very important. It's great to have a kicker like Jonathan Nichols, who's going to put them through."

And with Nichols displaying a highly accurate foot in the early season, those points will continue to come for the Rebels.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related Videos