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The University of Mississippi Athletics
2004 Cotton Bowl TV Capsule
1/2/2004 | Football
By RICK FREEMAN
AP Sports Writer
Friday, Jan. 2
Cotton Bowl
At Dallas
FOX
No. 16 Mississippi (9-3) vs.
No. 21 Oklahoma State (9-3), 2 p.m.
Opening Line
Mississippi by 2?.
Series Record
First meeting.
Last Meeting
First meeting.
Bowl Records
Mississippi 18-12
Oklahoma State 10-4.
Last Bowl Appearance
Mississippi beat 27-23 Nebraska in the 2002 Independence Bowl.
Oklahoma State beat Southern Mississippi 33-23 in the 2002 Houston Bowl.
What to Watch
Ole Miss QB Eli Manning will be playing in his final game with the Rebels after leading the SEC in passing with 3,341 yards. Manning, a second-team All-American who finished third in the Heisman voting, also threw 27 TD passes.
Oklahoma State QB Josh Fields threw for 2,187 yards and 20 TD passes this season. WR Rashaun Woods is the Cowboys' main offensive threat, with 66 catches for 1,144 yards and 14 TDs - seven of which came in one game. RB Tatum Bell has 1,240 yards on just 199 carries for the Cowboys, who scored 36.6 points per game.
Ole Miss averaged 34.3 points. WR Chris Collins is, by far, Manning's favorite target. He leads the Rebels with 69 catches, almost twice as many as their second-leading receiver, Bill Flowers with 37 catches. Collins also caught 7 TDs.
Oklahoma State CB Darrent Williams, who leads the Cowboys with six INTs, will probably match up with Collins.
Streaks, Stats and Notes
- Mississippi Jonathan Nichols won the Lou Groza award this season. He made 24 of 28 field goal attempts and all 45 of his extra points.
- Woods' seven-TD game was against SMU.
- Oklahoma State is playing its first January bowl game since beating William and Mary in the 1949 Delta Bowl.
- The Cowboys are appearing in consecutive bowls for the first time since 1987-88.
