Ole Miss Football Game Notes

Sept. 7, 2003

Live Game Audio (Saturday 5 p.m., air time)
Monday Press Conference Transcript
Game Preview
Ole Miss Game Notes in PDF Format
Eli Manning Web Site
2003 Season Statistics
Louisiana-Monroe Game Notes in PDF Format
SEC Release (Week 3) in PDF Format

DATE: Saturday, September 13, 2003

TIME: 6:00 p.m.

SITE: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (60,580); Oxford, Miss.

TV: None

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 Louisiana-Monroe are ranked in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 or The Associated Press Top 25.

SERIES INFO: Saturday's game will be just the second meeting between the UL-Monroe Indians and the Ole Miss Rebels. The two teams met last year in the 2002 season opener, with Ole Miss winning 31-3 in Oxford.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Saturday's game will be Ole Miss' 2003 home opener and the Rebels first game on the new AstroPlay surface that was installed this past summer ... The Rebels are 90-12-5 (.864 winning pct.) all-time in home openers and have won 15 straight ... Ole Miss is looking to avoid its first 1-2 start since 1988 ... A win Saturday would be the 575th win of the program's history.

OLE MISS HEAD COACH David Cutcliffe: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) is in his fifth season as the Rebels' head coach. He is 31-20 at Ole Miss and is the only coach in school history to lead the Rebels to at least seven wins in each of his first four seasons. Ole Miss is Cutcliffe's first career head coaching position. Cutcliffe is 1-0 against UL-Monroe, and Saturday's game will mark his first-ever meeting against first-year Indian head coach Charlie Weatherbie.

UL-MONROE HEAD COACH CHARLIE WEATHERBIE: Charlie Weatherbie (Oklahoma State, 1977) is in his first season as the head coach of the Indians. He is 0-2 at ULM and has career record of 45-66 in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach. After spending 11 years as an assistant on Fisher DeBerry's staff at Air Force, Weatherbie received his first head coaching assignment at Utah State. He compiled a three-year mark of 15-19 from 1992-1994 and led the Aggies to a win in the 1993 Las Vegas Bowl. He then was the head coach at Navy from 1995-2001 and was 30-45 with the Midshipmen. He led Navy to a 9-3 record and a victory in the Aloha Bowl in 1996. Saturday's game will be Weatherbie's first-ever meeting against Ole Miss and Rebel head coach David Cutcliffe.

UL-MONROE SCOUTING REPORT: ULM has been outscored 72-28 in its two losses to LSU and Stephen F. Austin to start the season. The Indians are averaging 295.0 yards per game. Sophomore QB Steven Jyles has completed 35-of-70 passes for 381 yards with one TD and three INTs. His favorite target has been senior WR Mack Vincent, who has caught 12 passes for 170 yards with one TD. Redshirt freshman RB Kevin Payne is averaging 5.1 yards per carry, having rushed for 199 yards on 39 carries with three TDs. Senior All-America candidate LB Maurice Sonnier headlines the Indian defense. Sonnier is second on the team with 19 tackles (six solo), including one QB sack. Junior FS Chris Harris leads the team with 23 stops (six solo), and has ULM's only interception. The Indians are allowing an average of 410.0 yards per game.

2003 UL-MONROE SCHEDULE/RESULTS
(0-2 OVERALL, 0-0 SUN BELT)

Aug. 30	at LSU	L, 7-49
SEPT. 6	STEPHEN F. AUSTIN	L, 21-23
*Sept. 13*	*at Ole Miss*	*6 p.m.*
SEPT. 20	NORTHWESTERN (LA.) STATE	6 P.M.
Sept. 27	at Utah State*	7 p.m.
OCT. 4	ARKANSAS STATE*	6 P.M.
Oct. 11	at Louisiana-Lafayette*	4 p.m.
OCT. 25	NEW MEXICO STATE*	7 P.M.
Nov. 1	at Auburn*	TBA
NOV. 8	NORTH TEXAS*	4 P.M.
NOV. 15	IDAHO*	7 P.M.
Nov. 22	at Troy State**	TBA

* - Sun Belt Conference game.
** - Designated Sun Belt Conference game
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
All Times Central

NOTING ELI

Ranks second in the SEC in passing yards per game (283.5) and total offense (282.0), and is tied for second in TD passes (5)
at Memphis (9/6): Passed for 292 yards, completing 26-of-48 attempts with four TDs and two INTs ... Became the school's all-time leader in passing attempts, TDs responsible for, and total offense ... Broke John Fourcade's (1978-1981) career mark for total offense, of 6,724, on a 20-yard completion to Chris Collins in the second quarter ... The 17-yard TD pass to Taye Biddle in the second quarter was his 57th career TD responsible for, breaking his father's, Archie Manning (1968-1970), career record of 56 ... Recorded the 982nd pass attempt of his career on an 11-yard completion to Kerry Johnson in the second quarter, surpassing Kent Austin's (1981-1985) career record of 981 ... Eclipsed the 7,000-yard mark in career passing yards on a 40-yard TD pass to Bill Flowers in the third quarter ... Threw his first interception of the year in the fourth quarter and snapping a streak of 133 straight attempts without a pick, which was the fourth longest streak in Ole Miss history
at Vanderbilt (8/30): Was 22-of-33 for 275 yards and a TD in the season-opening 24-21 win ... Broke Kent Austin's Ole Miss career record for completions of 566 when he connected with Mike Espy for an eight-yard reception in the third quarter ... Led the Rebels back from a 21-14 deficit in the fourth quarter to record his fifth career fourth-quarter win (either tied or trailing in the fourth)
Named to the Southeastern Conference Good Works Team

REBEL RAMBLINGS

The Rebels are aiming for the 575th win in the program's history ... Ole Miss will enter Saturday's game against UL-Monroe with an all-time record of 574-426-35 (.571 winning pct.) ... With a win, Ole Miss would become the 30th program in NCAA Division I-A history to win 575 games.
Saturday's contest will be the Rebels' 2003 home opener ... Ole Miss is 90-12-5 (.864 winning pct.) in home openers and have won 15 straight home openers since losing to Arkansas, 31-10, in Jackson on Sept. 12, 1987 (Ole Miss used to play some home games in both Jackson and Memphis) ... When playing their home opener in Oxford, the Rebels are 67-5-4 (.908 winning pct.).
This is the second straight year the Rebels are opening their home slate against the Indians ... Ole Miss defeated UL-Monroe 31-3 in last year's opener to start the 2002 season.
Saturday's game will be the latest home opener for the Rebels since 1991 when they opened their home schedule with a 38-14 win over Ohio on Sept. 21 in Oxford.
The 1991 season was also the last time Ole Miss started the year with at least two straight road games ... The Rebels actually started that campaign with three straight games away from home (at Tulane, at Memphis State and at Auburn) ... Ole Miss opened this season wth road games at Vanderbilt (W, 24-21) and at Memphis (L, 44-34).
Ole Miss is 23-4 (.852 winning pct.) in home night games since lights were installed at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium prior to 1990 ... The Rebels are 13-0 versus non-conference opponents in home night games.
The Rebels were penalized nine times for 67 yards in last weekend's 44-34 loss at Memphis. The nine infractions was the most against Ole Miss since the Rebels were flagged nine times at Georgia on November 18, 2000 ... Ole Miss has been one of the least penalized teams in the SEC the past two seasons. In 2002, the Rebels averaged an SEC-low 5.6 infractions per game (73 penalties in 13 games). The Rebels were also tied with Vanderbilt for the fewest penalty yards per game in the SEC at 47.7 yards per game. Ole Miss also averaged the fewest penalty yards per game in the SEC in 2001 at 42.3 yards per game. This season, Ole Miss is third in the SEC for the fewest penalty yards per game (41.0), and is tied fourth for the fewest number of penalties per game (5.5).
Last Saturday's 44-34 loss at Memphis snapped a nine-game win streak for the Rebels over teams that are currently members of Conference USA. Prior to last weekend, the Tigers were last C-USA team to defeat the Rebels, edging Ole Miss 17-16 at Oxford in 1994.
Ole Miss entered the 2003 season with a string of six straight seven-wins seasons, the Rebels' longest such streak since posting 12 consecutive seven-win campaigns from 1952-1963.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Nine different players caught at least one pass last Saturday at Memphis, and a total of 12 different players have caught passes during the first two games of the season.
Senior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) is tied for first in the SEC in receptions per game (6.0) and ranks seventh in receiving yards per game (72.0).
Collins' six receptions against Memphis extended his streak to 24 straight games with at least one reception. It is the second longest known streak in school history behind Willie Green's (1986-1989) 37-game streak.
Collins will enter Saturday's game needing 26 yards receiving to tie Cory Peterson (1996-1999) for fourth place on the Ole Miss career list for receiving yards with 1,842 ... He has 1,816 career receiving yards through this past weekend's game with Memphis.
With 97 yards receiving agianst Memphis, junior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) became the 20th player in Ole Miss history to reach 1,000 career receiving yards.
Redshirt freshman RB Jamal Pittman (Columbia, Miss.) saw his first career action at Memphis. He rushed for an 18-yard gain on his first career carry in the fourth quarter and finished the afternoon with three carries for 21 yards.
Sophomore RB Vashon Pearson's (Ripley, Miss.) 18-yard run in the fourth quarter was a career-long ... The 18-yard run is tied with Pittman's 18-yarder as the longest by a Rebel this season.
Ole Miss' 116 yards rushing against Memphis marked the first time in five games dating back to last season that the Rebels topped the 100-yard mark since gaining 107 yards on the ground against Georgia last November 9 in Athens ... The 116 yards on the ground is also the most by the Rebels since recording 188 yards rushing in last year's game against Arkansas State on October 12 in Oxford.
Junior OL Marcus Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.) has made 26 straight starts at right guard.

COLLINS NEARS CAREER RECEPTION MARK: With his six catches against Memphis, senior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) took over sole possession of fourth place on the Ole Miss career list for receptions with 133. He entered last weekend's game with the Tigers tied with Floyd Franks (1968-1970) at 127. Collins will enter this Saturday's game versus UL-Monroe nine receptions shy of tying the school career mark of 142 currently held by Grant Heard (1996-2000). With two receptions, Collins will tie Cory Peterson (1996-1999) for third place on the list with 135, and he needs six catches to tie Ta'Boris Fisher (1993-1996) for second place at 139 career receptions.

Collins is already the Ole Miss career record holder for TD receptions (17) and 100-yard receiving games (7). He also owns the school season record for TD receptions at 10, and has twice tied the single-game mark with three.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Ole Miss saw its streak of consecutive quarters without allowing a rushing TD snapped at 20 when Memphis' DeAngelo Williams scored on a 43-yard run in the second quarter last Saturday.
Senior DE Josh Cooper's (Marietta, Ga.) sack in the first quarter last Saturday extended the Rebels' streak to 18 straight games with at least one sack ... Ole Miss has also recorded a sack in 35 of its last 36 games.
Ole Miss did not intercept a pass for the first time in six games during this past Saturday's game at Memphis.
The 506 yards of total offense by Memphis marked the first time the Ole Miss defense had given up over 500 yards in a regulation game since Marshall totaled 507 yards in the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl ... Arkansas recorded 531 yards of offense during the seven-overtime game in Oxford on Novmber 3, 2001, though, 157 yards came during the overtime sessions.
The Rebels are 18-1 under head coach David Cutcliffe when allowing less than 20 points in a game ... The only time Ole Miss has lost a game during the Cutcliffe era when allowing less than 20 points was last November 23 to LSU 14-13 in Baton Rouge.

SPECIALTY NOTES

The Rebels have not had a punt blocked in 46 straight games since the September 25, 1999, game at Auburn.
Junior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) made field goal attempts of 25 and 30 yards last weekend at Memphis and has now made his last eight attempts. Nichols' last miss came in last year's Egg Bowl versus Mississippi State when he had a 32-yard attempt blocked in the second quarter.
Dating back to last season, Nichols has made his last eight kicks of over 40 yards, and for his career he is 8-for-9 (.889) on field goal attempts of over 40 yards. His only miss was on a 46-yarder on his first career field goal attempt at Arkansas State on October 6, 2001.
Nichols scored 10 points against Memphis to move into fifth place on the Ole Miss career list for points by a kicker and into sixth place on the overall scoring list with 161 points.
Nichols is second in the SEC and fourth nationally in field goals made per game (2.5).
Nichols ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring, averaging 10.0 points per game.
Junior P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) hit a season-long 64-yard punt in the second quarter at Memphis last Saturday. His career long was a 75-yard kick against Georgia in 2001.
Ole Miss entered 2003 having returned at least one kick (kickoff or punt) for a score in each of the last four seasons. Deuce McAllister (1997-2000) 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 (1999-2002) returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score against the Razorbacks in 2000, and Jason Armstead (2001-2002) returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score in the 2001 season opener versus Murray State and had a 62-yard punt return for a TD last season versus Memphis on Sept. 7.

NICHOLS TIES CAREER PAT RECORD: Junior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) made all four of his PAT attempts at Memphis last weekend to tie the Ole Miss career record of 92 set by Bryan Owen (1985-1988). Nichols is 92-of-94 on PAT attempts in his career, with the 94 attempts ranking second on the school's all-time list. Owen holds the all-time record for PAT attempts with 98.

54 AND COUNTING: Junior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) will carry a streak of 54 consecutive PATs made into Saturday's game versus UL-Monroe. The streak is tied for the second longest in school history and five shy of the record of 59 set by Steve Lavinghouze (1973-1975).

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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