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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Game Notes
10/26/2004 | Football
Oct. 26, 2004
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
DATE: Saturday, October 30, 2004
TIME: 6:45 p.m.
SITE (CAPACITY/SURFACE): Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (60,580/AstroPlay)
TV: ESPN (Ron Franklin, play-by-play; Mike Gottfried, color analyst; and Erin Andrews, sideline reporter).
RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter).
POLLS: Auburn is ranked No. 3 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 and No. 4 in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll. Ole Miss is unranked.
SERIES INFO: Saturday's meeting will be the 29th all-time between the Rebels and Tigers dating back to 1928 ... Auburn holds a 20-8 advantage in the series, including a 6-1 lead in Oxford ... Ole Miss defeated Auburn last season, 24-20, however, the Tigers have won nine of the last 11 meetings dating back to 1993 and 18-of-21 dating back to Auburn's 35-28 win in the 1971 Gator Bowl ... Ole Miss' victory last season snapped Auburn's three-game win streak in the series since the Rebels' 27-24 overtime win at Auburn in 1999 ... The Rebels' only win in Oxford came in 1992, 45-21 ... Auburn held off Ole Miss 31-24 the last time the two teams played in Oxford in 2002 ... The last five meetings have been decided by an average of 6.4 points.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) needs five points to tie former Alabama PK Michael Proctor (1992-95) for sixth place on the SEC's career scoring list with 326 points ... Ole Miss enters Saturday's game having won five of their last seven games against SEC West opponents ... Saturday's game against No. 3 (AP) Auburn will mark Ole Miss' third straight game versus a ranked opponent.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH David Cutcliffe: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) is in his sixth season as the Rebels' head coach. He is 43-26 (.623 winning pct.) 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 five seasons. Ole Miss has been Cutcliffe's only career head coaching position. Prior to taking the head coaching assignment at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe spent 17 years as an assistant at Tennessee under both Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer. Cutcliffe is 2-3 against Auburn and Tiger head coach Tommy Tuberville.
AUBURN HEAD COACH TOMMY TUBERVILLE: Tommy Tuberville is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers. He is 46-24 (.657 winning pct.) with the Tigers and has a career mark of 71-44 (.617 winning pct.) in his 10th season as a collegiate head coach. Tuberville posted a 25-20 (.556 winning pct.) mark in four seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss from 1995-1998. He is 3-2 against the Rebels and Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe.
AUBURN SCOUTING REPORT: The Tigers improved to 8-0 on the season and 5-0 in the SEC with a 42-10 win over Kentucky this past Saturday. Auburn will enter Saturday's game at Ole Miss ranked No. 3 in The Associated Press Top 25 and No. 4 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25.
Auburn leads the SEC in both scoring offense (35.4 ppg) and total offense (433.8 ypg), and ranks second in rushing offense (202.9 ypg). Senior RB Carnell Williams is third in the conference in rushing averaging 95.8 yards per game, and senior RB Ronnie Brown is eighth with an average of 84.1 yards per game. Williams has gained 766 yards on 151 carries and scored eight TDs, while Brown has netted 589 yards on 79 attempts with six TDs. Senior QB Jason Campbell has completed 101-of-153 passes for 1,490 yards with 13 TDs and two INTs. He ranks first in the SEC and third nationally with a pass efficiency rating of 176.9. Sophomore WR Courtney Taylor leads the Tigers with 22 receptions for 357 yards with three scores.
Defensively, Auburn leads the SEC in scoring defense (9.1 ppg), rushing defense (96.0 ypg), and ranks second in total defense (243.6 ypg). The Tigers rank second nationally in scoring defense and fourth in total defense. Senior S Junior Rosegreen leads the SEC with five interceptions, freshman DE Quentin Groves is second in the conference with 5.5 QB sacks. Junior LB Travis Williams has recorded a team-high 44 stops (28 solo).
Sophomore PK John Vaughn has scored a team-best 55 points, having made 7-of-9 FGs and 34-of-35 PAT attempts. Sophomore P Kody Bliss is averaging 41.6 yards on 28 punts. Williams is averaging 14.2 yards on six punt returns, with a long of 50, and has also returned three kickoffs for a 20.7 average.
2004 AUBURN SCHEDULE/RESULTS
(8-0 OVERALL, 5-0 SEC)
| SEPT. 4 | Louisiana-Monroe | W, 31-0 |
| Sept. 11 | at Mississippi State* | W, 43-14 |
| SEPT. 18 | LSU* | W, 10-9 |
| SEPT. 25 | The Citadel | W, 33-3 |
| Oct. 2 | at Tennessee* | W, 34-10 |
| OCT. 9 | LOUISIANA TECH | W, 52-7 |
| OCT. 16 | ARKANSAS* | W, 38-20 |
| OCT. 23 | KENTUCKY* | W, 42-10 |
| Oct. 30 | at Ole Miss* | 6:45 p.m. |
| NOV. 13 | GEORGIA* | TBA |
| Nov. 20 | at Alabama* | TBA |
* -- Southeastern Conference game
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
All times Central
REBEL GAME NOTES
REBEL NOTEBOOK:
- Ole Miss is 5-2 against SEC West opponents dating back to a 24-12 win over Mississippi State in the 2002 Egg Bowl ... The Rebels are 0-1 against the SEC West this season after losing 28-7 at Alabama on Sept. 11.
- Ole Miss is 8-4 in its last 12 home games dating back to the 24-12 win over Mississippi State in the 2002 Egg Bowl, including 5-2 in SEC games.
- The Rebels have trailed at halftime in 6-of-7 games this season. The only time Ole Miss has held the lead at the break was at South Carolina on Oct. 9, leading 21-14 en route to a 31-28 victory.
- Ole Miss was penalized a season-low 26 yards in the 21-17 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 16. The Rebels have recorded eight penalties for 56 yards in the last two games, against South Carolina and Tennessee, after averaging 8.4 penalties and 66 penalty yards per game in the first five games of the year.
MISSISSIPPI TIGERS: There are five Auburn players who call the Magnolia state home: Senior QB Jason Campbell (Taylorsville), sophomore OT Tim Duckworth (Taylorsville), freshman SS Steve Gandy (Waynesboro), redshirt freshman DE Quentin Groves (Greenville) and freshman FB Mike McLaughlin (Waynesboro).
ALABAMA REBELS: Ole Miss has eight players on its 2004 roster that call the state of Alabama home: junior WR Taye Biddle (Decatur), junior OL Tony Bonds (Russellville), junior DL McKinley Boykin (Bessemer), senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham), sophomore TE Lawrence Lilly (Montevallo), senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper), sophomore WR Matt Pierce (Mobile), and freshman RB Hiram White (Birmingham).
CUTCLIFFE AMONG REBEL COACHING ELITE: Entering Saturday's game versus Auburn, Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe trails only the legendary John Vaught (1947-1970; 1973) for the best winning percentage among Ole Miss coaches through 69 games. Vaught was 47-18-4 after 69 games for a .710 winning percentage. Cutcliffe is 43-26 for a .623 winning percentage, including his win in the 1998 Independence Bowl over Texas Tech during his Ole Miss coaching debut. Cutcliffe is also the only coach in school history to win at least seven games in each of his first five seasons with the Rebels, and joins Vaught as the only coaches to ever record five straight seven-win campaigns at any time during their tenure at the school. The following chart shows the win total of the five Ole Miss coaches who have led the Rebels in at least 69 games:
| Coach, Years | W-L-T | Pct. |
| John Vaught, 1947-1970; 1973 | 47-18-4 | .710 |
| David Cutcliffe, 1998-present | 43-26 | .623 |
| Ed Walker, 1930-1937 | 32-31-6 | .507 |
| Billy Brewer, 1983-1993 | 31-35-3 | .471 |
OVERTIME REBELS: Ole Miss' 26-23 overtime win over Vanderbilt on September 18 marked the Rebels' first overtime contest since losing 58-56 to Arkansas in the seven-overtime classic in Oxford on Nov. 3, 2001. The Vanderbilt game was the ninth overtime game in school history, which ranks second in NCAA Division I-A for the most overtime games played. The Rebels are 6-3 in overtime games, tying Missouri and North Carolina State for the most overtime wins in NCAA Division I-A. The following charts show the most overtime wins and overtime games played by NCAA Division I-A schools:
--Overtime Wins--
| School | W-L | Pct. |
| Ole Miss | 6-3 | .667 |
| Missouri | 6-3 | .667 |
| North Carolina State | 6-4 | .600 |
| Arkansas | 5-1 | .833 |
| Oklahoma State | 5-3 | .625 |
| Cincinnati | 5-4 | .556 |
--Most Overtime Games Played--
| School | No. | W-L |
| North Carolina State | 10 | 6-4 |
| Cincinnati | 9 | 5-4 |
| Missouri | 9 | 6-3 |
| Ole Miss | 9 | 6-3 |
| Oklahoma State | 8 | 5-3 |
| Southern California | 8 | 3-5 |
| Washington State | 8 | 2-6 |
REBELS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS:
- Saturday's game versus Auburn will mark the third straight ranked opponent Ole Miss has faced, and the third this season ... The Tigers are ranked No. 3 in both this week's Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25.
- Auburn will be the highest ranked opponent Ole Miss has faced since falling to No. 3 LSU 17-14 in Oxford on Nov. 22, 2003.
- The Rebels are 2-3 in their last five games against teams ranked in the top 10 dating back to a 41-3 loss to No. 9 Tennessee on Oct. 4, 1997. Ole Miss' two wins over top 10 teams during that stretch came at No. 8 LSU, 36-21 on Oct. 18, 1997, and against No. 6 Florida, 17-14 on Oct. 5, 2002 in Oxford.
- Ole Miss is 20-48 all-time versus teams ranked in the top 10.
- Ole Miss has won three of its last five games against top 25 teams and is 6-6 versus ranked opponents dating back to a 45-30 win over No. 25 Mississippi State in the 2000 Egg Bowl.
- The Rebels are 1-1 versus ranked opponents this season, defeating No.25 (AP) South Carolina 31-28 in Columbia on Oct. 9, and falling 21-17 to No. 13 (AP) Tennessee in Oxford on Oct. 16.
- The Rebels are 7-10 against top 25 teams under head coach David Cutcliffe, including 4-5 at home.
REBELS ON TV
- Saturday's game against Auburn, to be televised by ESPN, will mark the Rebels' fourth TV appearance of the season and their first on ESPN.
- ESPN2 aired the September 11 game at Alabama and the October 16 game against Tennessee. Ole Miss also appeared on Jefferson-Pilot against Vanderbilt on September 18.
- The Rebels are 9-8 all-time on ESPN.
- Saturday's game will mark Ole Miss' 46th TV appearance since head coach David Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999, including the 24th time on either ESPN or ESPN2.
- All-time, Saturday's game will be the Rebels' 143rd TV appearance since Ole Miss made its TV debut in the 1953 Sugar Bowl versus Georgia Tech ... Ole Miss is 67-73-2 (.479 winning pct.) all-time in TV games.
- Saturday's game will be the 15th time Ole Miss and Auburn has appeared on TV ... CBS aired the last meeting between the two teams in 2003, a 24-20 victory for Ole Miss in Auburn.
- Ole Miss is 4-10 against Auburn in TV games.
REBELS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN SEC WEST: Ole Miss was picked to finish third in the SEC Western Division in a vote by media members attending the 2004 SEC Media Days. LSU was picked to win the West, receiving 71-of-88 possible first-place votes. The Rebels garnered two first-place votes. Georgia was tabbed to win the SEC East, garnering 78-of-88 first-place votes. The Bulldogs were also picked to win the overall SEC crown, tallying 61 first-place votes. The following chart shows the predicted order of finish in both the SEC West and East.
| Western Division | Pts |
| 1. LSU (71) | 108 |
| 2. Auburn (14) | 197 |
| 3. Ole Miss (2) | 304 |
| 4. Alabama (1) | 331 |
| 5. Arkansas | 418 |
| 6. Mississippi State | 490 |
| Eastern Division | Pts |
| 1. Georgia (78) | 100 |
| 2. Florida (9) | 186 |
| 3. Tennessee | 278 |
| 4. South Carolina (1) | 375 |
| 5. Vanderbilt | 419 |
| 6. Kentucky | 490 |
SEC Champion: Georgia (61), LSU (19), Florida (5), Auburn (1), Ole Miss (1), South Carolina (1).
REBELS ON POSTSEASON AWARDS WATCH LISTS: Ole Miss has three players on preseason watch lists for postseason awards in 2004. Junior WR Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) is on the Maxwell Award Watch List for the college player of the year, senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) is on the Lou Groza Award Watch List for the nation's top placekicker. Nichols won the Groza Award last season. Senior P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) was named as one of 36 punters to the Ray Guy Award watch list, for the nation's top punter, on September 10.
REBELS IN OCTOBER
- The Rebels are 212-140-14 (.598 winning pct.) all-time in the month of October.
- Ole Miss is 12-3 (.800 winning pct.) in October since 2001, including 8-1 at home ... The Rebels went 4-0 in October last year to begin a six-game win streak, defeating Florida (20-17), Arkansas State (55-0), Alabama (43-28) and Arkansas (19-7).
- The 21-17 loss to No. 13 Tennessee on Oct. 16 snapped the Rebels' six game win streak during the month of October.
- Ole Miss is 17-5 (.773 winning pct.) under head coach David Cutcliffe during the month of October, including 9-5 (.643 winning pct.) against SEC teams ... The Rebels are 8-0 versus non-conference opponents in October under Cutcliffe.
- The Rebels are 147-55-5 (.722 winning pct.) in home games during October and 65-85-9 (.437 winning pct.) in road games.
- In SEC games played in October, Ole Miss has an overall record of 93-93-6 (.500 winning pct.) ... The Rebels 51-34-2 (.598 winning pct.) in SEC home games during October and 42-59-4 (.419 winning pct.) in SEC road games during the month.
- Against non-conference opponents in October, Ole Miss is 119-47-8 (.707 winning pct.) ... 96-21-3 (.813 winning pct.) in non-conference home games in October and 23-26-5 (.472 winning pct.) in road games versus non-SEC teams in October.
SCHEDULE NOTES
- Ole Miss' 2004 opponents have a combined record of 47-33 (.588 winning pct.).
- The Rebels' four remaining opponents -- Auburn (8-0), LSU (5-2), Arkansas (3-4) and Mississippi State (2-5) -- have a combined mark of 18-11 (.621 winning pct.).
- Three 2004 opponents are ranked in both of this week's Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls: Auburn (#3 AP/#4 ESPN), Tennessee (#11 AP/#12 ESPN) and LSU (#19 AP/#18 ESPN). Alabama and South Carolina also received votes in both of this week's polls.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
- Junior RB Brandon Jacobs (Long Beach, Miss.) has scored a rushing TD in four straight games. He is the first Ole Miss back to rush for a TD in four consecutive games since Joe Gunn (1998-2001) scored a rushing TD in four straight games during the 2001 season.
- Senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) had two receptions against Tennessee to move into a third-place tie with Ta'Boris Fisher (1993-1996) on the Ole Miss career receptions list with 139. Grant Heard (1996-2000) is second on the list with 142 career receptions ... Flowers' 139 receptions also ranks second among active SEC players.
- Ole Miss allowed a season-high four sacks against Tennessee (10/16), after having not allowed a sack in back-to-back games against Arkansas State (10/2) and South Carolina (10/9).
- The Rebels are tied with Tennessee for the fewest sacks allowed in the SEC with eight.
100-YARD RUSHER, 100-YARD RECEIVER: The 139 yards rushing by junior Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) and the 142 yards receiving by junior WR Mario Hill (Meridian, Miss.) at Wyoming on Sept. 25 gave Ole Miss its first 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver combo since last year against South Carolina, when Tremaine Turner (1999-2003) rushed for 117 and Chris Collins (2000-2003) had 125 yards receiving in the Rebels' 43-40 win over the Gamecocks. Pearson and Hill are the sixth recorded 100-yard rushing and 100-yard receiving combo in school history. The following chart shows Ole Miss' six 100-yard rushing and 100-yard receiving single-game tandems:
Rusher/Receiver, OpponentVashon Pearson (139 rush); Mario Hill (142 rec.) at Wyoming (2004)Tremaine Turner (117 rush); Chris Collins (125 rec). vs. S. Carolina (2003)Joe Gunn (113 rush); Chris Collins (119 rec.) at Kentucky (2001)Joe Gunn (102 rush); Doug Zeigler (102 rec.) vs. Arkansas (2001)Dou Innocent (137 rush); Ta'Boris Fisher (101 rec.) at Auburn (1995)Dou Innocent (102 rush); Roell Preston (150 rec.) vs. Miss. State (1994)
BALL CONTROL: After possessing the ball for less than 24 minutes in each of the first two games of the season, Ole Miss has controlled the football much better over the last five games. They maintained possession for a season-high 32:09 against Arkansas State on Oct. 2 and have had possession of the ball for over 30 minutes in three-straight games and in four of the last five.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS: Entering Saturday's game versus Auburn, Ole Miss has three players on its offensive line that have made at least 30 consecutive starts. Senior Marcus Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.) made his 44th consecutive start Oct. 16 against Tennessee, drawing the start at right guard. He had made 39 straight starts at right guard before injuries on the offensive line forced him to move over to right tackle against Vanderbilt on September 18. Johnson made three starts at right tackle against the Commodores, Wyoming (9/25) and Arkansas State (10/2) before switching back to right guard against South Carolina (10/9). Senior Doug Buckles (Madison, Miss.) and junior Tre' Stallings (Magnolia, Miss.) have both made 33 consecutive starts on the offensive line entering Saturday's contest versus Auburn.
PEARSON AVERAGING OVER 100 YARDS RUSHING OVER LAST FIVE GAMES: Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) has netted 506 yards on 96 carries with two TDs in the Rebels' last five outings. Pearson gained at least 100 yards rushing in three straight games versus Vanderbilt (9/18), Wyoming (9/25) and Arkansas State (10/2) to become the first Ole Miss back to record three consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Deuce McAllister (1997-2000) recorded five straight 100-yard rushing games to close out the 1999 campaign.
In the past five games, Pearson has rushed for 506 yards on 96 carries -- an average of 101.2 yards per game. For the season, he has rushed for 608 yards on 122 carries with three TDs and ranks sixth in the SEC in rushing, averaging 86.9 yards per game.
The following chart shows Pearson's performance in the past five contests:
| Opponent (Date) | Att. | Yds | TD | Avg. |
| Vanderbilt (9/18) | 17 | 111 | 1 | 6.5 |
| at Wyoming (9/25) | 21 | 139 | 0 | 6.6 |
| Arkansas State (10/2) | 24 | 129 | 0 | 5.4 |
| at South Carolina (10/9) | 21 | 96 | 1 | 4.6 |
| Tennessee (10/16) | 13 | 31 | 0 | 2.4 |
| Totals | 96 | 506 | 2 | 5.3 |
Average Yards Per Game In Last 5 Games: 101.2
QUARTERBACK ROTATION: Ole Miss used all three of their quarterbacks -- sophomore Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.), junior Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) and redshirt freshman Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) -- in the last two games against South Carolina (10/9) and Tennessee (10/16). Against the Volunteers, Flatt drew the start and recorded 42 snaps under center. Lane took 16 snaps and Spurlock 10. The following chart shows the three quarterback's production against the Volunteers:
| Rushing | Passing | Total Off. | |
| Quarterback | Att-Yds-TD | Att-Cmp-Int-Yds-TD | Plys-Yds |
| Ethan Flatt | 4-(-17)-0 | 20-10-2-147-0 | 24-130 |
| Robert Lane | 7-44-0 | 3-2-0-17-0 | 10-61 |
| Micheal Spurlock | 3-12-0 | 3-2-0-4-0 | 6-16 |
| Totals | 14-39-0 | 26-14-2-168-0 | 40-207 |
DEFENSIVE NOTES
- The 34-yard interception return for a TD against Tennessee by sophomore Bryan Brown (Corinth, Miss.) marked his first career interception and TD.
- Brown's TD marked the first time a Rebel had returned an interception for a TD since current junior Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) returned a pick six yards for a score last year against LSU.
- Ole Miss has intercepted a pass in 5-of-7 games this season.
- Sophomore WS Charles Clark (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) leads the Rebels in tackles with 48, which is tied for fourth in the SEC among defensive backs. He is also tied for ninth overall in the SEC in tackles, averaging 6.9 per game.
- Senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) needs three tackles to reach 300 for his career.
McBRIDE, JOHNSON RANK 1-2 IN THE SEC IN PASSES DEFENSED: Sophomore CB Trumaine McBride (Clarksdale, Miss.) and junior CB Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) rank first and second, respectively, in the SEC in passes defensed. McBride is averaging an SEC best 1.43 passes defensed per game, having recorded 10 pass deflections and two interceptions in seven games. Johnson is second in the SEC with an average of 1.33 passes defensed per game. In six games this season, Johnson has recorded eight pass deflections.
In Ole Miss' last outing against Tennessee, McBride recorded two pass deflections, while Johnson tallied one.
OLIVER, JOHNSON AMONG SEC ACTIVE CAREER DEFENSIVE LEADERS: Entering Saturday's game versus Auburn, senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) and junior CB Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) both rank among the SEC's active career defensive leaders. Oliver leads all active SEC players in career tackles with 297, 34 more than Georgia senior DE David Pollack with 263. Johnson is third among active SEC players in pass deflections with 28.
OLIVER WEARS CHUCKY MULLINS' NO. 38 IN 2004: Senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) is this year's recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award and as a result is wearing the late Mullins' No. 38. Prior to the honor, Oliver wore No. 26. Oliver led the Rebels in tackles in each of the past two season, recording 129 (80 solo) in 2002 and 104 (73 solo) last season.
SPECIALTY NOTES
- Ole Miss ranks first in the SEC in kickoff coverage, allowing 15.5 yards per return.
- Senior P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) ranks sixth on the Ole Miss career list for punting average, averaging 42.1 yards per punt.
NICHOLS LEADS SEC IN FIELD GOALS, SCORING: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) leads the SEC in scoring and field goals made. Nichols is averaging 8.0 points per game after scoring five points in Ole Miss' 21-17 lost to No. 13 Tennessee. Nichols has converted on 14-of-20 field goal tries, for an average of 2.0 field goals made per game this season, which also ranks third nationally.
NICHOLS CRACKS SEC'S TOP 10 CAREER SCORING LIST: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) scored five points in Ole Miss' last outing against Tennessee to give him 321 career points to rank seventh on the SEC's career scoring list. Nichols entered the Tennessee game one point shy of former Volunteer PK John Becksvoort (1991-1994) for eighth place with 317 points and two points shy of former LSU RB Kevin Faulk (1995-1998) for seventh place with 318 points. He passed both with his two PATs and one field goal against the Volunteers. Nichols will enter Saturday's game versus Auburn five points shy of former Alabama PK Michael Proctor (1992-95) who sits at sixth on the chart with 326 points. The following chart shows the SEC's top 10 career scorers:
| Player, School (Years) | No. |
| 1. Billy Bennett, Georgia (2000-2003) | 409 |
| 2. Jeff Hall, Tennessee (1995-1998) | 371 |
| 3. Jeff Chandler, Florida (1997-2001) | 368 |
| 4. Kevin Butler, Georgia (1981-1984) | 353 |
| 5. Philip Doyle, Alabama (1987-1990) | 345 |
| 6. Michael Proctor, Alabama (1992-1995) | 326 |
| 7. Jonathan Nichols, Ole Miss (2001-present) | 321 |
| 8. Kevin Faulk, LSU (1995-1998) | 318 |
| 9. John Becksvoort, Tennessee (1991-1994) | 317 |
| 10. Herschel Walker, Georgia (1980-1982) | 314 |
| Fuad Reveiz, Tennessee (1981-1984) | 314 |
NICHOLS EXTENDS PAT STREAK: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) converted both PAT attempts against Tennessee (10/16) to extend his school-record streak to 112 consecutive PATs made. The streak is also the longest active streak in the country. The following chart shows the top active streaks in the nation for PATs made:
| Kicker, School | No. |
| 1. Jonathan Nichols, Ole Miss | 112 |
| 2. Stephen Gostkowski, Memphis | 82 |
| 3. Matt Leach, Florida | 81 |
| 4. Xavier Beitia, Florida State | 70 |
| 5. Taylor Begley, Kentucky | 68 |
| 6. Mike Nugent, Ohio State | 65 |
RIDGEWAY LEADS SEC IN PUNTING: Senior P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) leads the SEC in punting with an average of 42.6 yards per punt on 42 attempts this season. Ridgeway averaged 38.7 yards on seven punts in the Rebels' 21-17 loss to No. 13 Tennessee in his last outing.
ESPY RANKS FIRST IN THE SEC IN KICKOFF RETURNS: Junior Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) ranks first in the SEC in kickoff returns, averaging 21.1 yards per return. Espy has returned 15 kickoffs this season for 316 yards, with a long of 44.
--2004 SEASON REVIEW NOTES--
STAFF CHANGES: Ole Miss added two new assistant coaches on head coach David Cutcliffe's staff for the 2004 season. Jay Hopson is serving as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator after spending the last three years as an assistant at Southern Miss. Hopson replaces Jim Knowles who resigned to become the head coach at Cornell University. Third-year defensive coordinator Chuck Driesbach has returned to coaching the linebackers after coaching the defensive backs last season.
Arlington Nunn also joins Cutcliffe's coaching staff in 2004 and is serving as the running backs coach. Nunn replaced Ron Middleton, who accepted a position with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. Prior to coming to Ole Miss, Nunn spent the three seasons coaching the wide receivers at Troy State.
2004 CAPTAINS: Senior OL Doug Buckles (Madison, Miss.), senior WR Kerry Johnson (Oxford, Miss.), senior OL Marcus Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.), senior DB Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) and senior LB Rob Robertson (Centreville, Miss.) are serving as team captains for the 2004 season.
NICHOLS NAMED TO THE SEC GOOD WORKS TEAM: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) has been named to the 2004 SEC Good Works Team and was featured during Jefferson-Piliot Sports telecast of the Vanderbilt-Ole Miss contest. Nichols participates in "Reading with the Rebels" program in elementary and pre-schools and visits patients at North Mississippi Regional Center. He has also visited senior citizens at Azalea Gardens, has been a mentor at Scott Center and is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Campus Crusade for Christ. Nichols has also been nominated for the National Football Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship.
BOYKIN TWICE EARNS SEC DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES: Junior DT McKinley Boykin (Bessemer, Ala.) has twice earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. He received the award following his performance in the Rebels' 26-23 overtime win over Vanderbilt on Sept. 18, registering five solo stops, including two TFLs (-9 yards) and one QB sack (-6 yards). He then again won the award following Ole Miss' 31-28 victory at No. 25 South Carolina on Oct. 9, recording six solo hits. He also had two TFLs (-11 yards) and registered one of the Rebels' four QB sacks on the afternoon.
NICHOLS NAMED SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) was named the Southeastern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by the conference office following the Wyoming contest on Sept. 25. Nichols totaled 14 points in last Saturday's 37-32 loss to the Cowboys, connecting on 4-of-4 field goal attempts and 2-of-2 PAT tries. Nichols made field goals of 37, 26, 30 and 43 yards en route to becoming the 14th player in SEC history to reach the 300-mark for career points scored.
--2004 SEASON GAME-BY-GAME NOTES--
GAME #1 - MEMPHIS 20, OLE MISS 13
- Ole Miss dropped its season opener for the first time since 1995 as Memphis downed the Rebels 20-13 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field ... The loss also snapped the Rebels' streak of 16 consecutive wins in home openers.
- The crowd of 61,112 was the third largest in school history.
- Junior QB Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) made his first career start.
GAME #2 - ALABAMA 28, OLE MISS 7
- Ole Miss dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 1987 following a 28-7 loss at Alabama.
- QB Brodie Croyle completed 14-of-22 passes for 169 yards and two TDs and RB Ray Hudson rushed for 116 yards and a score to lead the Alabama offense.
- Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) directed Ole Miss' only scoring drive, marching the Rebels 66 yards in 10 plays capped by his six-yard TD pass to senior TE Eric Rice (Starkville, Miss.).
GAME #3 - OLE MISS 26, VANDERBILT 23 (OT)
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols' (Greenwood, Miss.) 35-yard FG in overtime lifted Ole Miss to its first win of 2004 with a 26-23 victory over Vanderbilt in front of 55,824 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field ... Nichols made 4-of-6 field goal tries on the afternoon, also making kicks of 40, 26 and 34 yards.
- The Rebels trailed 23-10 after Matthew Tant scored from three yards out with 7:20 left in the third quarter ... The 13-point deficit marked Ole Miss' largest come-from-behind win since rallying from 17 points down to defeat the Commodores 38-27 in Oxford on Dec. 1, 2001.
- Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) made his starting debut and connected on 21-of-32 passes for 187 yards ... He was 8-of-10 passing for 64 yards in engineering two fourth-quarter scoring drives to force overtime.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game, netting 111 yards on 17 carries, including a 54-yard TD run to give the Rebels a 10-3 lead in the first quarter.
GAME #4 - WYOMING 37, OLE MISS 32
- Ole Miss totaled a season-high 567 yards but committed five turnovers in a 37-32 loss at Wyoming.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) rushed for a career-high 139 yards on 21 carries to record his second straight 100-yard rushing effort.
- Junior WR Mario Hill (Meridian, Miss.) caught a career-high eight passes for 142 yards to record his first career 100-yard receiving game.
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) made 4-of-4 field goal attempts and both PAT tries to become the 14th player in SEC history to score 300 career points.
- Ole Miss pulled to within 37-32 on junior RB Brandon Jacobs (Long Beach, Miss.) one-yard TD run with 1:38 left in the game and the Rebels then recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt.
- However, the Rebels failed to convert on a fourth-and-seven from the Ole Miss 42 to give the ball back to Wyoming with 33 seconds remaining.
GAME #5 - OLE MISS 28, ARKANSAS STATE 21
- Ole Miss converted two second-half turnovers by Arkansas State into 15 points to post a 28-21 Homecoming win over the Indians.
- Junior DE Jayme Mitchell (Jackson, Miss.) intercepted a screen pass and returned it 31 yards to set-up a sophomore QB Ethan Flatt's (Nashville, Tenn.) nine-yard TD pass to senior FB Lorenzo Townsend (Monticello, Miss.) and put the Rebels up 20-14.
- Flatt finished 18-of-24 passing for 179 yards with two TDs and one INT. He also connected with Townsend for an 11-yard TD strike in the second quarter to put the Rebels up 13-7.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) notched his third straight 100-yard rushing effort gaining 129 yards on 24 carries.
GAME #6 - OLE MISS 31, (#25) SOUTH CAROLINA 28
- The announced crowd of 62,028 was the second largest crowd in stadium history, behind the crowd of 62,552 last year against LSU.
- Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) found senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) in the corner of the end zone for a 29-yard TD pass on fourth down with 1:05 remaining to lift Ole Miss to a 31-28 road win over No. 25 (AP) South Carolina.
- The Rebels played all three QBs in the game -- Flatt, junior Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) and redshirt freshman Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) ... Lane, in his first career action, scored his first career TD on a five-yard run in the first quarter to put Ole Miss up 14-0.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) just missed his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game, netting 96 yards on 21 carries, including scoring on a 17-yard run with 7:24 left in the first half to extend the Ole Miss lead to 21-7.
GAME #7 - (#13/14) TENNESSEE 21, OLE MISS 17
- Junior RB Brandon Jacobs (Long Beach, Miss.) scored a rushing TD for the fourth straight game when he scored from one-yard out in the second quarter, becoming the first Ole Miss back to score a rushing TD in four consecutive games since Joe Gunn in 2001.
- Sophomore DB Bryan Brown (Corinth, Miss.) recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter when he intercepted Erik Ainge's pass and returned it 34 yards for a TD.
- The Rebels continued to use all three QBs -- sophomore Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) took 42 snaps, redshirt freshman Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) had 16 snaps and junior Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) had 10.
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) converted both PAT attempts on the evening to extend his school record streak to 112 consecutive PATs made, which is also the longest active streak in the nation.
