Ole Miss Football Game Notes

Nov. 8, 2004

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DATE: Saturday, November 14, 2004

TIME: 11:30 a.m.

SITE (CAPACITY/SURFACE): Donald W. Reynolds Stadium; Fayetteville, Ark. (72,000/Natural Grass)

TV: Jefferson-Pilot (Dave Neal, play-by-play; Dave Rowe, color analyst; Dave Baker, sideline reporter).

RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter).

POLLS: Neither Ole Miss or Arkansas are ranked in this week's Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls.

SERIES INFO: Saturday's game will mark the 51st meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Arkansas dating back to 1908. Ole Miss records show the Rebels trailing the series 24-25-1, while Arkansas' records indicate a 26-23-1 advantage for the Razorbacks. Arkansas claims a forfeit victory in a 1914 game that Ole Miss won 13-7. The two teams met almost yearly from 1937-1969 before the series took a hiatus until 1981. The two schools have played yearly since then, and Ole Miss is 9-13-1 against Arkansas since the series resumed. The two teams have split the 12 meetings since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992. The Rebels are 1-6 all-time in Fayetteville, with their only win coming in 2000, 38-24. Arkansas won the last meeting played in Fayetteville, 48-28, in 2002.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Both teams will enter Saturday's game needing a win to stay alive for a possible bowl berth ... Senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) enters Saturday's game with at least one reception in 18 straight games ... Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss. ) needs three points to tie former Alabama PK Michael Proctor (1992-1995) for sixth place on the SEC's career scoring list with 326 career points.

OLE MISS HEAD COACH David Cutcliffe: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) is in his sixth season as the Rebels' head coach. He is 43-27 (.614 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 3-2 versus Arkansas and Razorback Head Coach Houston Nutt.

ARKANSAS HEAD COACH HOUSTON NUTT: Houston Nutt is in his seventh season as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. He is 51-32 (.614 winning pct.) with the Razorbacks and has a career mark of 87-54 (.617 winning pct.) in 12 seasons a collegiate head coach. Prior to Arkansas, Nutt served four seasons as the head coach at Murray State from 1993-1996, posting a 31-16 record, and coached Boise State for one season in 1997, leading the Broncos to a 5-6 mark. Nutt is 3-3 against Ole Miss, and 2-3 versus Rebel Head Coach David Cutcliffe.

ARKANSAS SCOUTING REPORT: The Razorbacks will enter Saturday's game having dropped four straight after starting the year 3-1. Arkansas lost its last two games to Georgia (20-14) and South Carolina (35-32) by a combined nine points.

The Razorbacks are averaging 31.9 points and 412.0 yards per game. Senior QB Matt Jones ranks second in the SEC in total offense, averaging 262.1 yards per game. Jones has completed 110-of-192 passes for 1,598 yards with 11 TDs and nine INTs, and is the team's leading rusher, having gained 499 yards on 63 carries with four scores. He is averaging 7.9 yards per rush. Freshman SE Marcus Monk leads the team with 28 receptions for 442 yards with six TDs. Senior TB DeCori Birmingham has totaled a team-high 694 all purpose yards. He has rushed for 361 yards on 84 carries, caught 13 passes for 157 yards, returned five kickoffs 107 yards, and 12 punts for 69 yards.

Defensively, Arkansas is allowing an average of 25.4 points and 399.2 yards per game. The Razorbacks are allowing an average of 170.4 yards rushing and 228.9 yards through the air. Junior S Lerinezo Robinson has totaled a team-best 51 tackles (30 solo), and is tied for the team lead with two interceptions. Senior DE Jeb Huckeba leads the team with 10 TFLS (-42 yards) and has recorded a team-high five QB sacks (-34 yards).

On special teams, junior PK Chris Balseiro leads Arkansas with 39 points. He has converted 30-of-31 PAT attempts and 3-of-5 FG attempts. Sophomore P Jacob Skinner is averaging 36.6 yards per punt on 29 attempts and freshman Jeremy Davis has recorded a 39.6-yard average on 14 attempts.

2004 ARKANSAS SCHEDULE/RESULTS
(3-5 OVERALL, 1-4 SEC)

SEPT. 4	NEW MEXICO STATE	W, 63-13
SEPT. 11	TEXAS	L, 20-22
Sept. 18	Louisiana-Monroe -1	W, 49-20
SEPT. 25	ALABAMA*	W, 27-10
Oct. 2	at Florida*	L, 30-45
Oct. 16	at Auburn*	L, 20-38
OCT. 23	GEORGIA*	L, 14-20
Nov. 6	at South Carolina*	L, 32-35
*NOV. 13*	OLE MISS*	*11:30 A.M.*
Nov. 20	at Mississippi State*	TBA
NOV. 26	LSU*	1:30 P.M.

* -- Southeastern Conference game
1 -- at Little Rock, Ark.
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
All times Central

REBEL GAME NOTES
REBEL NOTEBOOK:

The Rebels are 0-2 against SEC West opponents this season, having lost 28-7 at Alabama on Sept. 11 and 35-14 to Auburn on Oct. 30.
Ole Miss will enter Saturday's game at Arkansas having dropped back-to-back games to Tennessee and Auburn, and is looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak since dropping five straight during the 2002 season.
The Rebels have trailed at halftime in 7-of-8 games this season. The only time Ole Miss held a 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-high 104 yards during the 35-14 loss to Auburn on Oct. 30. It marked the first time since against Tulane in 2000 that the Rebels had recorded more than 100 yards of penalties in a game.

REBELS PUT STREAK ON THE LINE: With a 3-5 record entering Saturday's game at Arkansas, Ole Miss needs a win to avoid recording its first losing season since finishing 1996 with a 5-6 mark. The Rebels entered the 2004 season having recorded seven consecutive winning seasons, their longest such streak since notching seven straight from 1965-1971.

ARCHIE MANNING TO RECEIVE 4TH ANNUAL DAVEY O'BRIEN LEGENDS AWARD: Former Ole Miss All-America QB Archie Manning (1968-70) has been selected to be the fourth recipient of the Davey O'Brien Legends Award. He will be honored at the 28th annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner on Feb. 21, 2005 at the Fort Worth Club in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The Davey O'Brien Legends Award recognizes a quarterback who has made a significant contribution to the game of football, distinguished himself as an extraordinary leader, and demonstrates exemplary conduct and reputation both on and off the field. Manning's youngest son, Eli, was the Rebels' starting quarterback from 2001-2003, and helped Ole Miss to a share of the SEC Western Division title in 2003.

SUGAR BOWL ANNOUNCES CREATION OF MANNING AWARD: In honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, the Sugar Bowl Committee announced the creation of the Manning Award, to be presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback. The first Manning Award recipient will be honored at a presentation ceremony in January. The winner will be determined by a select national panel of media covering college football. Also voting will be each of the Mannings, along with a former Sugar Bowl MVP quarterback, which will rotate annually. Voting for the award will take place immediately following the holiday season.

ARKANSAS REBELS: Ole Miss has one player on its 2004 roster that calls the state of Arkansas home: freshman OL Maurice Miller (West Helena, Ark.).

MISSISSIPPI RAZORBACKS: Arkansas has one player on its 2004 roster that calls the state of Mississippi home: senior OL Gene Perry (Starkville).

CUTCLIFFE AMONG REBEL COACHING ELITE: Entering Saturday's game at Arkansas, 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 70 games. Vaught was 47-19-4 after 70 games for a .700 winning percentage. Cutcliffe is 43-27 for a .614 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	47-19-4	.700
*David Cutcliffe, 1998-present*	*43-27*	*.614*
Ed Walker, 1930-1937	33-31-6	.514
Billy Brewer, 1983-1993	32-35-3	.479

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 ON TV

Saturday's game at Arkansas, to be televised by Jefferson-Pilot, will mark the Rebels' fifth TV appearance of the season and their second on JP ... JP carried the Rebels' game against Vanderbilt on September 18.
This is the ninth straight year, dating back to 1996, that Ole Miss has made at least five TV appearances in a season.
Ole Miss has also made appearances this season on ESPN and ESPN2. ESPN2 televised Ole Miss' September 11 game at Alabama and the October 16 game versus Tennessee. ESPN aired the Rebels' October 30 game versus Auburn.
The Rebels are 1-3 in TV games this season, losing 28-7 to Alabama, beating Vanderbilt 26-23 in overtime, and losing 21-17 to Tennessee and 35-14 to Auburn.
Saturday's game will mark Ole Miss' 47th TV appearance since head coach David Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999, including the 17th on JP.
All-time, Saturday's game will be the Rebels' 144th TV appearance since Ole Miss made its TV debut in the 1953 Sugar Bowl versus Georgia Tech ... Ole Miss is 67-74-2 (.476 winning pct.) all-time in TV games.
Ole Miss is 20-11 (.645 winning pct.) all-time on Jefferson-Pilot, including 1-1 against Arkansas.
The Rebels are 9-2 (.818 winning pct.) all-time against the Razorbacks in TV games. Last year's 19-7 Ole Miss win in Oxford was televised by ESPN2.

REBELS IN NOVEMBER

Ole Miss has an all-time record of 190-155-13 (.549 winning percentage) during the month of November.
The Rebels are 112-65-5 (.629 winning percentage) in home games during November, including home contests played in Jackson and Memphis ... In home games played in Oxford during November, the Rebels are 65-26-4 (.705 winning percentage).
Ole Miss is 78-90-8 (.466 winning percentage) in road games during November.
In SEC games played in November, Ole Miss has an overall record of 80-82-7 (.494 winning pct.).
In SEC home games during November, the Rebels are 49-43-2 (.527 winning pct.), including home games played in Jackson and Memphis ... In SEC home games played in Oxford during November, Ole Miss is 18-20-1 (.474 winning pct.).
In SEC road games during November, Ole Miss is 31-39-5 (.447 winning percentage).
Ole Miss is 7-11 (.389 winning pct.) in November under head coach David Cutcliffe.
The Rebels went 3-1 in November last season to post their first winning November since going 3-1 in 1997.

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).

SCHEDULE NOTES

Ole Miss' 2004 opponents have a combined record of 55-41 (.573 winning pct.).
The Rebels' three remaining opponents -- Arkansas (3-5), LSU (6-2) and Mississippi State (3-6) -- have a combined mark of 12-13 (.480 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/#3 ESPN), Tennessee (#15 AP/#18 ESPN) and LSU (#15 ESPN/#17 AP). Alabama and South Carolina also received votes in both of this week's polls.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

Senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) caught two passes against Auburn to take over sole possession of third place on the school's career list for receptions with 141 ... He will need one reception against Arkansas to tie Grant Heard (1996-2000) for second place on the career list with 142.
The Rebels allowed 11 QB sacks in the last two games versus Tennessee (10/16) and Auburn (10/30), after having allowed a total of four in the season's first six games ... Ole Miss allowed a season-high seven sacks in the 35-14 loss to the Tigers.
Ole Miss has recorded 20 or more first downs in five of the last six games, averaging 22.7 first downs per game during that span.
The 433 yards of total offense against Auburn was the Rebels' second-highest output of the season, behind the 567 yards of total offense against Wyoming (9/25) ... Ole Miss also averaged a season-high 6.0 yards per play against the Tigers.
Ole Miss recorded a season-high 36:03 time of possession against Auburn, marking the Rebels' fourth straight game in which they held an advantage in possession time ... The Rebels are averaging 32:40 time of possession during the last four games.
The 64-yard TD pass from sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) to Flowers against Auburn was the Rebels' longest play from scrimmage this season. The previous long was a 54-yard TD run by junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) against Vanderbilt back on September 18.

ANOTHER STREAK FOR FLOWERS: Senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) will enter Saturday's contest at Arkansas having recorded at least one reception in 18 straight games. Flowers missed two games this season against Wyoming (9/25) and Arkansas State (10/2), however, games missed due to injury due to not effect sreaks. The last game in which Flowers did not catch a pass was in last year's season opener at Vanderbilt, which also snapped a career-long 19-game streak with at least one reception.

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)

CONSECUTIVE STARTS: Entering Saturday's game at Arkansas, Ole Miss will have three players on its offensive line that have made at least 30 consecutive starts. Senior Marcus Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.) has made 45 consecutive starts. He 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. He made three starts at right tackle before returning to right guard against South Carolina on October 2. Senior Doug Buckles (Madison, Miss.) has made 35 consecutive starts on the offensive line, and junior Tre' Stallings (Magnolia, Miss.) has drawn 34 straight starts on the offensive line.

QUARTERBACK ROTATION: Ole Miss has 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 three games against South Carolina (10/9), Tennessee (10/16) and Auburn (10/30). Flatt has been the starter in all three games and took 44 snaps under center against the Tigers. Lane was under center for 25 plays and Spurlock three against Auburn. The three quarterbacks combined for 286 yards passing, completing 18-of-30 passes with two TDs and one INT, and recorded a total of 293 yard of total offense. The following chart shows the three quarterback's production in the contest against Auburn:

	Rushing	Passing	Total Off.
Quarterback	Att-Yds-TD	Att-Cmp-Int-Yds-TD	Plys-Yds
Ethan Flatt	4-(-8)-0	20-12-0-225-2	24-217
Robert Lane	10-15-0	9-5-1-52-0	19-67
Micheal Spurlock	0-0-0	1-1-0-9-0	1-9
Totals	14-7-0	30-18-1-286-2	44-293

DEFENSIVE NOTES

Senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) recorded a season-high 10 tackles against Auburn to surpass the 300-mark for his career. He will enter Saturday's game at Arkansas with 307 career tackles.
The Rebels have intercepted at least one pass in 6-of-8 games this season.
The 99-yard scoring drive by Auburn in the second quarter marked the third time this season an opponent had a scoring drive of at least 90 yards against Ole Miss (Alabama 98; South Carolina 92).

REBEL "D" BEING STINGY ON THIRD DOWN: Over the last five games, Ole Miss has allowed opponents to convert on third down 31.9-percent of the time (23-of-72), compared to the first three games of the year when opponents were converting 46.5-percent (20-of-43) of the time on third down. For the season, Ole Miss is allowing opponents to convert on third down 37.4-percent, which ranks seventh in the SEC. The following chart shows Ole Miss' defensive third-down efficiency in the last five games.

Opponent (Date)	Conv.-Att.	Pct.
Wyoming	3-13	23.1
Arkansas State	5-15	33.3
South Carolina	4-15	26.7
Tennessee	8-18	44.4
Auburn	3-11	27.3
Last Five Games	23-72	31.9
First Three Games	20-43	46.5
Season Totals	43-115	37.4

McBRIDE RANKS FIRST, JOHNSON THIRD IN THE SEC IN PASSES DEFENSED: Sophomore CB Trumaine McBride (Clarksdale, Miss.) and junior CB Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) ranks first and third, respectively, in the SEC in passes defensed. McBride is averaging 1.38 passes defensed per game in eight games, and Johnson is averaging 1.29 in seven games this season.

OLIVER, JOHNSON AMONG SEC ACTIVE CAREER DEFENSIVE LEADERS: Entering Saturday's game at Arkansas, 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 307, 30 more than Georgia senior DE David Pollack with 277. 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

Senior P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) ranks sixth on the Ole Miss career list for punting average, averaging 42.0 yards per punt.
Ridgeway is tied for third in the SEC in punting, averaging 42.2 yards per kick on 50 attempts.
Junior Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) is seventh on the school's career list for punt return yards with 517. He needs 62 yards to tie Jason Armstead (2001-2002) for sixth place with 579.
Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in kickoff returns, averaging 21.8 yards per return on 26 attempts this season.

ESPY LEADS SEC IN KICKOFF RETURNS: Junior Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) leads the SEC in kickoff returns, averaging 20.6 yards per return. Espy has returned 17 kickoffs for 351 yards with a long of 44. He also ranks eighth in the SEC in punt returns, averaging 5.7 yards per return on 21 attempts.

NICHOLS LEADS SEC IN FIELD GOALS; RANKS THIRD IN SCORING: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) leads the SEC, and ranks eighth nationally, in field goals, averaging 1.75 per game. He has converted on 14-of-20 field goal attempts this season. Nichols is also third in the SEC in scoring, averaging 7.2 points per game.

NICHOLS LOOKS TO MOVE UP SEC CAREER SCORING LIST: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) will enter Saturday's game at Arkansas ranked seventh on the SEC's career scoring list with 323 points. He needs three points against the Razorbacks to tie former Alabama PK Michael Proctor (1987-1990) for sixth place with 326 points. The following chart shows the SEC's top 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)*	*323*
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 Auburn to extend his school-record streak to 114 consecutive PATs made. The streak is also the longest active streak in the country, and ranks as the fifth-longest in SEC history. The following chart shows the top active streaks in the nation for PATs made:

Kicker, School	No.
*1. Jonathan Nichols, Ole Miss*	*114*
2. Matt Leach, Florida	88
3. Stephen Gostkowski, Memphis	86
4. Xavier Beitia, Florida State	72
5. Taylor Begley, Kentucky	71
Mike Nugent, Ohio State	71

NICHOLS HOLDS 15 SCHOOL RECORDS: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) will enter Saturday's game at Arkansas with 15 school records to his credit. The following chart shows the 15 Ole Miss records set by Nichols during his career:

Scoring (Career) - 323 (2001-)
Scoring (Season) - 124 (2003)
Points Kicking (Career) - 323 (2001-)
Points Kicking (Season) - 124 (2003)
Points Kicking (Game) - 21, vs. Texas Tech (9/27/2003)
PATs Made (Game) - 8, vs. Louisiana-Monroe (9/13/2003)
PATs Made (Career) - 152 (2001-)
PATs Attempted (Career) - 154 (2001-)
Consecutive PATs Made - 114 (current)
Field Goals Made (Game) - 6, vs. Texas Tech (9/27/2003)*
Field Goals Made (Season) - 24 (2003)
50-yard Field Goals (Game) - 2, vs. Vanderbilt (8/31/2003)
50-yard Field Goals (Season) - 3 (2003)
50-yard Field Goals (Career) - 4 (2001-)

* -- Tied SEC record.

--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.

PEARSON RECORDS THREE STRAIGHT 100-YARD RUSHING GAMES: Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) recorded three straight 100-yard rushing games, earlier this season, against Vanderbilt (9/18), Wyoming (9/25) and Arkansas (10/2) to become the first Ole Miss back to record three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances since Deuce McAllister (1997-2000) recorded five straight to close out the 1999 campaign. During that three-game stretch, Pearson rushed for 379 yards on 62 carries. 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
Totals	62	379	1	6.1

--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

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.

GAME #8 - (#3/4) AUBURN 35, OLE MISS 14

No. 3 Auburn scored the game's final 14 points to pull away from Ole Miss and post a 35-14 win in front of 60,787 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field and an ESPN national TV audience ... The crowd of 60,787 was the sixth-largest in stadium history.
Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) completed 12-of-20 passes for 225 yards with two TDs ... He hit senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) for a 64-yard scoring strike in the second quarter to pull the Rebels within 14-7 ... Flatt later connected with junior WR Taye Biddle (Decatur, Ala.) on a 25-yard scoring pass early in the fourth quarter to make it 21-14.
The contest marked the Rebels' third straight game against a ranked opponent ... Ole Miss defeated No. 25 South Carolina 31-28 on Oct. 9 and lost 21-17 to No. 13 Tennessee on Oct. 16.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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