Ole Miss Football Game Notes

Aug. 30, 2004

Ole Miss Game Notes in PDF Format
Memphis Game Notes in PDF Format
SEC Week 1 Release in PDF Format

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

DATE: Saturday, September 4, 2004
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
SITE (CAPACITY/SURFACE): Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (60,580/AstroPlay); Oxford, Miss.
TV: None
RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter).

POLLS: Neither Ole Miss or Memphis are ranked in either the preseason Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls. The Rebels did receive seven votes in the ESPN/USA Today poll and six in The AP Top 25. The Tigers garnered 56 votes in The AP Top 25 and 27 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

SERIES INFO: Saturday's meeting will be the 54th all-time between the two Mid-South rivals. Ole Miss holds a 42-9-2 lead in the series. Last year's 44-34 win by the Tigers snapped the Rebels' four-game win streak in the series, however, Ole Miss has still won nine of the last 12 meetings dating back to 1988. The Rebels are 16-1 against the Tigers in Oxford, with Memphis' lone win at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium coming in 1994, 17-16. The last game played in Oxford was in 2002, with the Rebels posting a 38-16 victory.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Saturday's game will mark the kickoff of the 110th season of football at Ole Miss ... Ole Miss has won eight straight season openers since losing 46-13 to Auburn to open the 1995 season ... Junior QB Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) will make his first career start for the Rebels in Saturday's game ... Ole Miss is 31-4 versus non-conference opponents dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994.

OLE MISS HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) is in his sixth season as the Rebels' head coach. He is 40-22 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. Cutcliffe is 2-1 against Memphis and 1-1 versus Tiger head coach Tommy West.

MEMPHIS HEAD COACH TOMMY WEST: Tommy West (Tennessee, 1976) is in his fourth season as the Tigers' head coach. He has a 17-19 record at Memphis and has a career ledger of 52-54 in nine seasons as a collegiate head coach. Last year, West led Memphis to a 9-4 record as the Tigers ended a 32-year bowl drought with a 27-17 win over North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. West has also made head coaching stops at Chattanooga and Clemson. He went 4-7 with the Mocs before being named the head coach at Clemson prior to the 1993 Peach Bowl. He guided the Clemson program for five seasons, compiling a 31-28 ledger. West received his first coaching assignment at Ole Miss in 1979, working with the running backs on former Rebel coach Steve Sloan's staff. West is 1-1 against the Rebels and Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe.

MEMPHIS SCOUTING REPORT: The Tigers return all 11 starters from an offense that averaged 30.2 points and 444.5 yards of offense per game last season. Senior QB Danny Wimprine passed for 3,174 yards and 22 TDs, completing 246-of-440 passes with 13 INTs. His favorite targets are junior WR Maurice Avery (49 rec., 742 yards, 8 TDs) and senior WR Darron White (37-525-5). Junior RB DeAngelo Williams rushed for 1,430 yards last season on 243 carries with 10 TDs. He also caught 35 passes for 384 yards and three scores, and averaged 23.0 yards per kickoff return to total 2,113 all purpose yards. Defensively, Memphis returns six starters from a unit that yielded an average of 19.2 points and 295.8 yards of offense per game. Junior DB Wesley Smith is the Tigers' leading returning tackler after tallying 98 stops (51 solo) and a team-high three interceptions. Senior DB Scott Vogel recorded 69 tackles (46 solo) and intercepted two passes. Junior PK Stephen Gostkowski led Memphis in scoring last season with 101 points, making 19-of-29 field goals and all 44 PAT attempts.

2003 MEMPHIS RESULTS
(9-4 OVERALL, 5-3 C-USA)

AUG. 30	TENNESSEE TECH	W, 40-10
SEPT. 6	OLE MISS	W, 44-34
Sept. 13	at Southern Miss*	L, 6-23
SEPT. 27	ARKANSAS STATE	W, 38-16
OCT. 4	UAB*	L, 10-24
Oct. 11	at Mississippi State	L, 27-35
Oct. 18	at Houston*	W, 45-14
Oct. 25	at Tulane*	W, 41-9
NOV. 1	EAST CAROLINA*	W, 41-24
Nov. 15	at Louisville*	W, 37-7
NOV. 22	CINCINNATI*	W, 21-16
NOV. 29	SOUTH FLORIDA*	L, 16-21
Dec. 16	North Texas -1	W, 27-17

1 - New Orleans Bowl * -- Conference USA game. HOME GAMES IN CAPS

REBEL GAME NOTES

OLE MISS TO KICKOFF 110TH SEASON SATURDAY VERSUS MEMPHIS
Â• Saturday's game will mark the start of the 110th football season at The University of Mississippi dating back to 1893 ... Ole Miss did not field teams in 1897 due to an epidemic of yellow fever, and also in 1943 when football was abolished at all Mississippi state-supported institutions by the Board of Trustees.
Â• The Rebels enter the 2003 season with an all-time record of 583-428-35 (.574 winning percentage).
Â• Ole Miss is 81-23-5 (.766 winning percentage) in season openers.
Â• The Rebels have won eight straight season openers, including a 24-21 victory in last year's opener at Vanderbilt.
Â• The last time Ole Miss lost a season opener was on Sept. 2, 1995 when the Rebels dropped a 46-13 decision at Auburn.
Â• Ole Miss is 91-12-5 (.866 winning pct.) in home openers and has won 16 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 68-5-4 (.909 winning pct.).
Â• When the Rebels' season and home openers are one in the same, Ole Miss is 56-3-3 (.927 winning percentage) ... Ole Miss has won 12 such openers, with Texas A&M being the last school to defeat the Rebels in a season/home opener, 23-20 on Sept. 6, 1980 in Jackson ... The Rebels last opened their season at home in 2002, defeating Louisiana-Monroe 31-3.

REBEL NOTEBOOK:
Â• Ole Miss finished 10-3 in 2003 to record the sixth 10-win season in school history and the first since going 10-2 in 1971 under Billy Kinard.
Â• The Rebels are 12-3 in their last 15 games dating back to a 24-12 win over Mississippi State in the 2002 regular-season finale.
Â• Ole Miss has recorded seven straight winning seasons dating back to 1997, their longest run since recording seven consecutive from 1965-1971 ... An eighth consecutive winning campaign in 2004 would be the Rebels' longest since they recorded 13 in a row under legendary head coach John Vaught from 1951-1963.
Â• Ole Miss is 54-31 (.635 winning pct.) during their seven-year streak of winning seasons.
Â• The Rebels also enter the 2004 season with a streak of seven consecutive seven-win campaigns, their longest run since recording 12 consecutive from 1952-1963.
Â• All three of the Rebels' losses last season came to teams that won bowl games: Memphis (9-4; New Orleans Bowl), Texas Tech (8-5; Houston Bowl) and co-national champion LSU (13-1; Sugar Bowl) ... The three losses came by a total of 17 points.

OLE MISS CLAIMS SHARE OF FIRST-EVER SEC WEST TITLE IN 2003: Ole Miss completed a 7-1 Southeastern Conference season with a 31-0 victory over Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night to claim a share of its first-ever SEC Western Division title. BCS national champion LSU was also co-champions of the SEC West and represented the division in the SEC Championship Game due to the Tigers' 17-14 win over the Rebels on Nov. 22 in Oxford. The SEC West title represented Ole Miss' first SEC football championship of any kind since winning the conference in 1963.

CUTCLIFFE AMONG REBEL COACHING ELITE: Entering the 2004 season, 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 62 games. Vaught was 41-17-4 after 62 games for a .694 winning percentage. Cutcliffe is 40-22 for a .645 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 62 games:

Coach, Years	W-L-T	Pct.
John Vaught, 1947-1970; 1973	41-17-4	.694
*David Cutcliffe, 1998-present*	*40-22*	*.645*
Harry J. Mehre, 1938-1945	38-23-1	.621
Ed Walker, 1930-1937	29-28-5	.508
Billy Brewer, 1983-1993	27-32-3	.460

CUTCLIFFE EARNS COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS IN 2003: Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe was named 2003 SEC co-Coach of the Year by The Associated Press and was named the SEC Coach of the Year by a vote of his peers in the conference. He also garnered American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division I-A Region 2 Coach of the Year honors last season.

STAFF CHANGES: Ole Miss will have two new assistant coaches on head coach David Cutcliffe's staff in 2004. Jay Hopson will serve 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 will return to coaching the linebackers after coaching the defensive backs last season.

Arlington Nunn also joins Cutcliffe's coaching staff in 2004 and will serve as the running backs coach. Nunn replaces 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.

REBELS VERSUS CONFERENCE USA: Ole Miss will enter Saturday's game versus Memphis with an all-time record of 121-47-2 (.718 winning pct.) versus schools that are currently members of Conference USA. Last year's 44-34 win by Memphis snapped Ole Miss' nine-game win streak over C-USA opponents, dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on November 12, 1994. Head Coach David Cutcliffe is 4-1 against Conference USA teams at Ole Miss. The following chart shows Ole Miss' all-time record against teams currently in Conference USA:

School	W-L	Pct.	Last Game
Houston	15-3-0	.833	1970
*Memphis*	42-9-2	*.811*	*2003*
Southern Miss	18-6-0	.750	1984
TCU	5-1-0	.833	1983
Tulane	41-28-0	.594	2000

REBELS IN SEPTEMBER

Ole Miss is 135-59-7 (.689 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September.
Ole Miss is 85-20-3 (.801 winning pct.) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including a 60-7-2 (.884 winning percentage) mark in September games played in Oxford.
The Rebels have an all-time mark of 50-39-4 (.559 winning pct.) in road games during September.
Ole Miss is 93-29-6 (.750 winning pct.) all-time versus non-conference opponents during the month ... The Rebels are 20-3 (.870 winning pct.) against non-SEC teams in September since 1990.
The Rebels are 42-30-1 (.582 winning pct.) in September SEC games, including a 10-5 (.667 winning percentage) record in games played in Oxford.
Ole Miss is 11-6 (.647 winning pct.) in September under head coach David Cutcliffe.
The Rebels went 1-2 in September last season (Memphis, L, 34-44; Louisiana-Monroe, W, 59-14; Texas Tech, L, 45-49) to snap a streak seven straight years in which Ole Miss posted a winning record during the month. It also stopped a streak of 14 consecutive years in which the Rebels posted at least a .500 record in September.

CUTCLIFFE, WEST FOLLOW SIMILAR CAREER PATHS: Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe and Memphis head coach Tommy West will not be strangers to one another when their two teams meet Saturday evening at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field. Both Cutcliffe and West were members of Johnny Majors' coaching staff at Tennessee during the 1990 season. West coached the running backs while Cutcliffe worked with the quarterbacks. The two have also followed similar career paths as both have been coordinators at SEC schools. West was the defensive coordinator at South Carolina from 1991-1992 (the Gamecocks' first year in the SEC was 1992), and Cutcliffe served as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee from 1993-1998. Like Cutcliffe, West also made his NCAA Division I-A head coaching debut in a bowl game and guided his team to a win. West coached Clemson to a 14-13 win over Kentucky in the 1993 Peach Bowl.

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 and junior C Chris Spencer (Madison, Miss.) is on watch lists for the Lombardi Award, presented to the nation's top lineman/linebacker, and the Rimington Award for the nation's top center. Nichols won the Groza Award last season.

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.) will serve as team captains for the 2004 season.

MEMPHIS-AREA REBELS: Ole Miss has seven players on its roster from the Memphis area: redshirt freshman DE Brandon Jenkins (Memphis), redshirt freshman WR Daryl London (Memphis), freshman DE Corey Mills (Memphis), redshirt freshman DB Dontae Reed (Memphis), sophomore OL Antonio Sanders (Memphis), redshirt freshman WR Carlos Suggs (Memphis), senior DB Keith White (Germantown).

SCHEDULE NOTES

Ole Miss' September 25 game at Wyoming will mark the Rebels' fourth game against a current member of the Mountain West Conference and the first since a 43-40 win over UNLV in Oxford during the 2000 season.
Tennessee appears on Ole Miss' schedule for the first time since 1997, when the Volunteers defeated the Rebels 31-17 in Knoxville ... It will also be Tennessee's first visit to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium since recording a 20-12 win over the Rebels in 1988.
The Volunteers replace Florida on this year's schedule after the Rebels and Gators met in 2002 and 2003.
Ole Miss is 6-1 against the SEC Eastern Division dating back to a 38-27 win over Vanderbilt on Dec. 1, 2001 in Oxford.
Ole Miss is 31-4 (.886 winning pct.) versus non-SEC teams dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994.
The Rebels will face five teams that advanced to bowl games last season: Memphis, Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas and LSU.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The following chart compares Ole Miss' final statistics from its 7-6 season in 2002 to its 10-3 campaign in 2003:

Category	2002	2003	Diff.
Scoring Offense	27.0	34.0	+7.0
Rushing Offense	94.3	147.2	+52.9
Yards Per Carry	3.0	3.9	+0.9
Rushing TDs	20	18	-2
Passing Offense	264.4	286.0	+21.6
TD Passes	21	31	+10
Interceptions Thrown	15	10	-5
Total Offense PG	358.7	433.2	+74.5
Scoring Defense	25.5	21.9	-3.6
Rushing Defense	160.0	102.5	-57.5
Yards Per Carry Allowed	4.0	3.2	-0.8
Rushing TDs Allowed	18	11	-7
Passing Defense	187.3	276.1	+88.8
TD Passes Allowed	17	26	+9
Interceptions	18	15	-3
Total Defense	347.3	378.5	-31.2
Takeaway/Giveaway Ratio	+5	+6	+1
3rd Down Conversions	35.1%	45.6%	+10.5%

OFFENSIVE NOTES:

Ole Miss recorded 295 first downs last season to break the school season record of 273 set in 2002.
The Rebels scored 40 or more points in five games last season to break the school record for 40-point games in a season set by the 1959, 1961 and 1971 teams with four.
Ole Miss led the SEC in red-zone offense last season, scoring on 90.0-percent (54-of-60) of its red-zone opportunities. The Rebels scored 34 TDs and 20 FGs inside the red zone.
The Rebels led the SEC last season in scoring (34.0 ppg), passing (286.0 ypg) and total offense (433.2 ypg).
Ole Miss scored 442 points in 13 games last season to set a new school single-season scoring record, breaking the previous mark of 391 set in 2001. The Rebels' average of 34.0 points per game ranked second on the school's season list, behind the 2001 team's average of 35.5 points per game.
The Rebels also set new school season records last season for total offense (5,631) and total offense per game (433.2 ypg).

ELI MAY BE GONE, BUT PLENTY OF WEAPONS RETURN FOR PASSING ATTACK: Whoever takes over the reigns at quarterback for Eli Manning will still have plenty of weapons to choose from in the passing game. Despite the loss of Chris Collins to graduation, who led the SEC in receptions per game at 5.92, the Rebels return four players -- senior Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.), junior Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.), senior Kerry Johnson (Oxford, Miss.) and junior Taye Biddle (Decatur, Ala.) -- that caught 25 or more passes last season. All total, Ole Miss returns 13 players that caught at least one pass last season, including its top receivers out of the backfield in senior FB Lorenzo Townsend (Monticello, Miss.), who caught 15 passes for 148 yards and two TDs. The following chart shows Ole Miss' top returning receivers heading into 2004:

Player	Rec.	Yards	TD	Avg.
Bill Flowers	39	543	1	13.9
Mike Espy	30	542	3	18.1
Kerry Johnson	28	399	5	14.2
Taye Biddle	26	460	4	17.7

REBEL "RUNNING BACK COMMITTEE" LOOKS TO REPLACE KEY COG: With the emergence of RB Tremaine Turner, Ole Miss' rushing attack improved from an average of 94.3 yards per game in 2002 to an average of 147.2 yards per game in 2003. Turner paced the Rebels' "Running Back Committee," that included current junior Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.), the departed Ronald McClendon, current sophomore Jamal Pittman (Columbia, Miss.) and current junior Brandon Jacobs (Long Beach, Miss.), with 809 yards on 173 carries and four TDs. Turner accounted for 42.2-percent of the Rebels' rushing output from a year ago, and Ole Miss must replace nearly two-thirds of rushing attack last season.

Heading into spring drills, Pearson and Jacobs were listed No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart. The following chart shows the Rebels' top returning rushers from a year ago:

Player	GP	Att-Yds-TD	Avg.	Avg/G
Vashon Pearson	12	94-398-4	4.2	33.2
Jamal Pittman	5	42-214-1	5.1	42.8
Brandon Jacobs	13	39-123-4	3.2	9.5

DEFENSIVE NOTES:

The Rebels return 22 letterwinners on defense but must replace seven starters.
Senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) returns after leading Ole Miss in tackles the past two seasons. Oliver recorded 104 hits (73 solo) to record 100 stops for the second straight season. He was credited with 129 tackles (80 solo) to lead the team in 2002 ... Oliver enters 2004 as the SEC's active career leader in tackles with 258.
Junior CB Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) returns after tying for the team lead in interceptions with four and recording a team-high 14 pass deflections ... Johnson enters 2004 third among active SEC players in passes defensed with 20.
The Rebels recorded three sacks against Oklahoma State in the 2004 SBC Cotton Bowl Classic to bring a streak of 29 straight games with at least one sack into the 2004 season.
Ole Miss scored three defensive TDs last season, all via an interception return. Johnson returned a pick 45 yards for a score against Louisiana-Monroe (9/13) and had a six-yard interception return for a TD against LSU (11/22). Current junior SS Kelvin Robinson (Jackson, Miss.) returned an interception 80 yards for a score against Texas Tech (9/27).

After allowing 661 yards passing to Texas Tech QB B.J. Symons on Sept. 27, the Rebels allowed an average of 214.9 yards passing per game over the final nine games of 2003.

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 has 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.) ranked third in the SEC and 11th nationally in punting last season, averaging 44.2 yards per punt.
The Rebels led the SEC in kickoff returns in 2003, averaging 23.7 yards per return.
Ole Miss was tied with LSU for first in the SEC in net punting, recording a 39.0-yard average per punt.

NICHOLS WINS 2003 GROZA AWARD: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) was named the 2003 winner of the Lou Groza Award for the nation's top place kicker. Last year as a junior, Nichols set a school season record with 124 points scored, making 25-of-29 field goal attempts and 49-of-49 PAT tries.

NICHOLS TOPS SEC IN THREE CATEGORIES: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) led the SEC last season in scoring per game (9.5 ppg), field goal percentage (86.2) and tied for first in PAT percentage (1.000). Nichols ` 9.5 points-per-game average also ranked ninth in the nation. He also ranked second in the SEC and fourth in the nation in field goals per game, averaging 1.92 per game.

NICHOLS CLIMBS SEC SINGLE-SEASON LIST FOR FIELD GOALS IN 2003: Jonathan Nichols' (Greenwood, Miss.) 25 field goals made last season ranked fourth on the SEC's single-season list. Georgia's Billy Bennett set the SEC single-season mark last year with 31 field goals made, breaking the previous mark of 27 set by Tennessee's Fuad Reveiz in 1982. The following chart shows the SEC single-season list for field goals made:

Player, School, Year (attempts)	No.
1. Billy Bennett, Georgia, 2003 (36 attempts)	31
2. Fuad Reveiz, Tennessee, 1982 (31 attempts)	27
3. Billy Bennett, Georgia, 2002 (33 attempts)	26
*4. Jonathan Nichols, Ole Miss, 2003 (28 attempts)*	25
5. Carlos Reveiz, Tennessee, 1985 (28 attempts)	24
Philip Doyle, Alabama, 1990 (29 attempts)	24

--2003 SEASON GAME-BY-GAME NOTES--
GAME #1 - OLE MISS 24, VANDERBILT 21

Junior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) made a 54-yard FG with 3:52 left in the game to break a 21-21 tie and lift the Rebels to a 24-21 season-opening win over the Commodores.
Ole Miss scored the game's final 10 points to rally from a 21-14 deficit in the fourth quarter.
Senior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans) finished the afternoon 22-of-33 passing for 275 yards and a TD to break Kent Austin's (1981-1985) school career completion record of 566 ... Manning connected with sophomore WR Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) on a 23-yard scoring strike with 9:24 left in the game to tie the game at 21-21.

GAME #2 - MEMPHIS 44, OLE MISS 34

Memphis scored the game's final 23 points to earn a 44-34 win at the Liberty Bowl on September 6.
The Tigers took the lead with 6:12 left in the game when QB Danny Wimprine connected with Tavarious Davis on a 92-yard TD reception to put Memphis up 38-34 ... Memphis would later add two Stephen Gostkowski field goals.
Memphis out-gained Ole Miss 258-76 in the fourth quarter.
The two teams combined for 914 yards of total offense, including 681 in the air, with Memphis holding a 506-408 advantage.
Senior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) completed 26-of-48 passes for 292 yards with four TDs and two interceptions en route to becoming the Ole Miss career leader for passing attempts, TDs responsible for and total offense.

GAME #3 - OLE MISS 59, LOUISIANA-MONROE 14

Ole Miss won the first game on its new AstroPlay surface at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field, 59-14 over Louisiana-Monroe.
After the Indians tied the game at 7-7 with 5:30 left in the first quarter, Ole Miss scored the game's next 45 points.
The Rebels finished with 612 yards of total offense, the second highest single-game total in school history and 11 yards shy of the record of 623 set against Auburn in 1951. It also marked the first time Ole Miss has totaled over 600 yards of offense in a game since 1971 against Chattanooga (601).

GAME #4 - TEXAS TECH 49, OLE MISS 45

Texas Tech scored on a nine-yard TD pass from B.J. Symons to Carlos Francis with 1:04 left to rally for a 49-45 win.
The Red Raiders scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes to rally from a 45-34 deficit.
The two teams combined for 1,291 yards of total offense, including 1,070 through the air. Symons passed for 661 yards on 44-of-64 passing with six TDs and one interception. Rebel QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) was 29-of-49 passing for 409 yards with three TDs and two interceptions.
The 94 combined points was tied for the second-highest scoring game in school history since 1933, behind only the 58-56 seven-overtime loss to Arkansas in 2001.

GAME #5 - OLE MISS 20, (#24) FLORIDA 17

Ole Miss upset Florida for the second straight year as sophomore RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) scored on a one-yard run with 1:10 remaining in the game to lift the Rebels to a 20-17 win over the No. 24 Gators.
The Rebels drove 50 yards on eight plays in 4:02 for the game-winning TD. Senior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) was 2-of-2 passing for 30 yards on the drive. He hit senior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) for 18 yards to the Gator 16, and following a five-yard delay of game penalty, he connected with Collins again for 12 yards to the Florida 9.
The win was the Rebels' first over a ranked opponent on the road since a 36-21 win at No. 8 LSU in 1997.
Senior RB Ronald McClendon (Ponchatoula, La.) recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game with 107 yards on eight carries, including a career-long 52-yard TD run in the second quarter to pull Ole Miss within 14-10.
Ole Miss intercepted Florida QB Chris Leak three times in the fourth quarter.

GAME #6 - OLE MISS 55, ARKANSAS STATE 0

Ole Miss recorded its first shutout since 1999 with a 55-0 win over Arkansas State in the 2003 Homecoming game.
The 55-point win was the Rebels' largest margin of victory since a 59-3 win over Southern Illinois in 1994, and the largest in a shutout since blanking Chattanooga 58-0 in 1959.
Junior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) scored 13 points to break the Ole Miss career record for points by a kicker, previously held by Brian Lee (1989-1992) with 207.
Senior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) recorded his third 300-yard passing game of the season with a 306-yard effort, and senior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) recorded his second 100-yard receiving game of the year with eight catches for 146 yards and a TD.
The Rebels totaled over 500 yards of offense for the third time in four games, recording 582 yards which ranks as the eighth-highest single-game total in school history.

GAME #7 - OLE MISS 43, ALABAMA 28

Ole Miss recorded its first 3-0 SEC start since Archie Manning's senior year at quarterback with a 43-28 win over Alabama in Oxford.
The win was the second in three years over the Crimson Tide since snapping a 10-game on-the-field losing streak to Alabama in 2001.
The Rebels scored 24 first-quarter points to lead 24-0 after the first and 31-10 at halftime.
Ole Miss rushed for 216 yards on 50 carries after being held to four yards on 28 attempts in last year's 42-7 loss at Tuscaloosa.
The blocked punt by Alabama in the third quarter marked the first time in 51 games, since Sept. 25,1999 at Auburn, that Ole Miss had a punt blocked.

GAME #8 - OLE MISS 19, (#20) ARKANSAS 7

With the 19-7 win, the Rebels won their fourth straight game and notched their first 4-0 SEC start since 1970.
Ole Miss limited Arkansas' powerful rushing attack to 82 yards on 32 carries, 143 yards below the Razorbacks' average of 225 yards entering the game.
Junior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) scored 13 points to break his own school season record for points by a kicker, set last year with 85.

GAME #9 - OLE MISS 43, SOUTH CAROLINA 40

Ole Miss withstood a furious South Carolina rally to hold on for a 43-40 win and match its longest winning streak since 2001 at five games.
The victory also gave the Rebels their first 5-0 SEC start since 1963.
Senior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) passed for 391 yards and three TDs, including going 20-of-26 for 260 yards and three TDs in the first half as the Rebels built a 30-14 halftime advantage.
Senior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) caught 10 passes for 125 yards to become Ole Miss' career leader in receiving yards, breaking the mark of 2,274 set by Willie Green (1986-1989).
With the win, Ole Miss also recorded its first three-game sweep of its SEC East opponents since the conference started divisional play in 1992.

GAME #10 - OLE MISS 24, AUBURN 20

Sophomore RB Brandon Jacobs (Long Beach, Miss.) capped off a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a one-yard TD run to lift Ole Miss to a 24-20 win.
Senior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) was 4-of-5 passing for 72 yards on the game-winning TD drive, including connecting with junior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) on a 16-yard pass on a 3rd-and-11 and with junior FB Lorenzo Townsend (Monticello, Miss.) for a 48-yard reception on a 3rd-and-5 to the Auburn 12 ... Manning also had a two-yard QB sneak to convert a 3rd-and-1 and set-up Jacobs' TD run.
Ole Miss had to stop Auburn on four plays from the 10 yard line in the game's final minute. Junior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) broke-up a fourth-down pass in the end zone to seal the win.
With the win, the Rebels improved to 6-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1962 ... The win was also Ole Miss' sixth consecutive to post its longest win streak since winning seven-in-a-row in 1990.

GAME #11 - (#3) LSU 17, OLE MISS 14

LSU's 17-14 win snapped Ole Miss' six-game win streak and handed the Rebels' their first SEC loss of the season.
Ole Miss set a Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field attendance record with 62,552, breaking the previous mark of 61,140 set last year versus Florida ... The game was also televised nationally by CBS.
The Tigers held the Rebels to season lows for points, rushing yards (27), total offense (227), total plays (57) and time of possession (24:11).
Sophomore CB Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) gave Ole Miss an early 7-0 lead when he returned an interception six yards for a score on LSU's first play from scrimmage ... The interception return for a TD was his second of the season.

GAME #12 - OLE MISS 31, MISSISSIPPI STATE 0

Ole Miss retained the Golden Egg for the second straight year for the first time since holding the trophy for three consecutive seasons from 1988-1990 with a 31-0 shutout on Thanksgiving night.
The shutout was the Rebels' first in the series since a 48-0 win at Starkville in 1971.
The victory secured Ole Miss a share of its first-ever SEC Western Division title.
After Mississippi State recorded two first downs on its opening series, the Rebels held the Bulldogs to without a first down for eight straight possessions until the third quarter ... Ole Miss also stopped Mississippi State on 10 consecutive third-down opportunities.
The Ole Miss defense held Mississippi State to 100 yards of total offense until 12:27 left in the game.
Senior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) caught eight passes for 113 yards and TD. It was his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the year to tie his own school record set in 2001. He also broke the Ole Miss season record for receiving yards of 816 set by Willie Green (1986-1989) in 1989.

GAME #13 - 2004 SBC COTTON BOWL CLASSIC
OLE MISS 31, (#21) OKLAHOMA STATE 28

Ole Miss defeated No. 21 Oklahoma State 31-28 in the Rebels' first Cotton Bowl appearance since 1962.
It was also the Rebels' first victory in a traditional New Year's Day Bowl since senior QB Eli Manning's father, Archie Manning, guided the Rebels to a 27-22 win over Arkansas in the 1970 Sugar Bowl.
Manning completed 22-of-31 passes for 259 yards with two TDs and one INT to earn the game's Outstanding Offensive Player Award ... Manning also scored on a one-yard QB sneak with 12:32 remaining to give the Rebels a 31-14 lead.
Senior DE Josh Cooper (Marietta, Ga.) recorded two solo tackles -- both for sacks -- to earn the game's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award.
Senior RB Tremaine Turner (Springfield, Tenn.) finished his career by rushing for a career-high 133 yards on 20 carries to record his second career 100-yard rushing game.
Senior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) caught eight passes for 75 yards to finish his career with a reception in 35 straight games, the second-longest known streak in school history behind Willie Green's 37-game streak.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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