Ole Miss Football Game Notes

Sept. 12, 2005

Game 2: Ole Miss (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at Vanderbilt (2-0, 1-0 SEC)

Ole Miss Game Notes in PDF Format

DATE: Saturday, September 17, 2005

TIME: 11:30 a.m. CT

SITE (CAPACITY): Vanderbilt Stadium (39,773); Nashville, Tenn.

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; Richard Cross, pregame and postgame host)

POLLS: Neither Ole Miss nor Vanderbilt is ranked in this week's USA Today Coaches Top 25 or in the Associated Press Top 25.

SERIES INFO: This game will be the 80th meeting between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt dating back to 1894. The Rebels lead the series 45-32-2 and have won 11 of the last 12 meetings since 1992. Vanderbilt's last win in the series was a 37-34 overtime victory in Oxford back in 1999. The Commodores hold a 24-20-2 lead in games played in Nashville, although the Rebels have won the last five meetings at Vanderbilt Stadium. Ole Miss took the last meeting in Nashville, 24-21 in 2003.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The game at Vanderbilt will mark the Rebels' 2005 Southeastern Conference opener ... Ole Miss has won two of its last three SEC openers ... The Rebels are looking for their first 2-0 start since 2002 ... The average margin of victory in the last six meetings with Vanderbilt is 5.3 with a pair of overtime games ... The Rebels have rallied for three-point wins in the last two encounters against the Commodores, finishing last year's game with 16 unanswered points and closing the 2003 bout with 10 straight ... Ole Miss has won eight of its last 10 games against SEC Eastern Division opponents.

OLE MISS HEAD COACH Ed Orgeron: Ed Orgeron (Northwestern State, 1984) is in his first season as the Rebels' head coach, having been hired on Dec. 16, 2004. Ole Miss is Orgeron's first career head coaching position, although he possesses 20 years of college coaching experience, most recently as an assistant head coach on USC's 2003 and 2004 national champion teams.

VANDERBILT HEAD COACH BOBBY JOHNSON: Bobby Johnson (Clemson, 1972) is in his fourth year as the head coach of the Commodores. He is 8-29 at Vanderbilt and has a career mark of 68-65 in his 12th season as a collegiate head coach. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt, Johnson spent eight seasons at Division I-AA Furman, guiding the Paladins to a 60-36 record with four trips to the Division I-AA playoffs. Johnson is 0-3 versus Ole Miss.

VANDERBILT SCOUTING REPORT: Vanderbilt has opened the season with come-from-behind road wins over Wake Forest and Arkansas, earning the team consecutive victories for the first time since 1999. Preseason first team All-SEC QB Jay Cutler tops the SEC in total offense through the season's first two weeks, averaging 321 yards per outing. The senior is 48-of-81 with four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) with two interceptions, and he directs a Commodore offense that has been a league-best 9-for-9 in red zone scoring opportunities with six touchdowns. Senior WR Erik Davis boasts 13 receptions for 169 yards, while junior Marlon White has 12 catches for 144 yards with three TD grabs. Sophomore LBs Jonathan Goff and Moses Osemwegie are leading the defensive charge. Goff has a team-high 18 tackles (12 solo), and Osemwegie has registered 16 stops, 2.5 TFLs, a sack and an interception. In two games, Vanderbilt has been penalized just four times for 14 yards.

COACH "O" ERA BEGINS IN VICTORY: Ole Miss officially kicked off the Ed Orgeron era with a 10-6 victory at Memphis. Of the last five Rebel head coaches, Orgeron is only the second to win in his debut, joining David Cutcliffe who notched a 35-18 triumph over Texas Tech in the 1998 Independence Bowl in his first outing at Ole Miss. Orgeron was hired as the 35th head coach in the history of the University of Mississippi on December 16, 2004. Prior to coming to Ole Miss, Orgeron served the previous seven seasons as the defensive line coach at the University of Southern California and played a key role in Pete Carroll's Trojans winning back-to-back national championships in 2003 and 2004. He also served as USC's recruiting coordinator from 2001-2004 and was named assistant head coach in 2003.

REBELS OPEN SEC PLAY AT VANDERBILT
Ole Miss is 30-38-3 (.444 winning percentage) in SEC openers.
Ole Miss is 14-23-3 (.388 winning percentage) in SEC openers on the road.
Ole Miss has won two of its last three SEC openers with victories over Vanderbilt in 2002 and 2003 and a setback at Alabama last year.
The Rebels enter the game with an all-time record of 588-435-35 (.572 winning percentage).
The University of Mississippi is in its 111th football season 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.

SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior linebacker Patrick Willis (Bruceton, Tenn.) was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 6, following the Rebels' 10-6 season-opening win at Memphis. It marked the SEC's first POW selections of the 2005 season and the first of Willis' career. Making his first career start, Willis recorded a career-high 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops, with a forced fumble and two tackles for loss against the Tigers.

REBEL NOTEBOOK
With a total of 16 points scored, the Memphis game marked the Rebels' lowest combined scoring contest since the 3-0 victory at Memphis in 1999.
The Memphis victory gives the Rebels nine wins in their last 10 season openers ... The lone blemish was last year' 20-13 loss to Memphis.
The last two times that Ole Miss opened a season with a road win both turned into successful campaigns ... The Rebels kicked off 1999 with a 3-0 victory at Memphis and went on to post an 8-4 record, and in 2003, Ole Miss held off Vanderbilt 24-21 in Nashville and finished the season with a 10-3 mark.
The Rebels are 12-18 following an off-week since 1990.

FIRST-TIME STARTERS: Nine Rebels made their first career starts in last Monday's win at Memphis:
OFFENSE: #60- Thomas Eckers (So., RG); #85- Robert Hough (So., TE); #25- Larry Kendrick (Sr., SB); #21- Jamal Pittman (Jr., RB); #78- David Traxler (RFr., LG)
DEFENSE: #54- Jeremy Garrett (So., DT); #26- Garry Pack (So., SLB); #13- Jamarca Sanford (RFr., SS); #49- Patrick Willis (Jr., MLB)

DEBUTS: Ole Miss had 16 players make their Rebel debuts against Memphis, including four true freshmen in Quentin Taylor (LB), Antonio Turner (RB), LeRon King (DE) and Michael Oher (OL) ... Other first-time players included Matt Hinkle (So., K), Terrell Jackson (RFr., DB), Dustin Mouzon (RFr., DB), Jamarca Sanford (RFr., DB), Will Moseley (Jr., K-P), Mico McSwain (RFr., RB), Jason Cook (RFr., FB), Dontae Reed (So., LB), Marcus Cohen (So., OL), David Traxler (RFr., OL), Carlos Suggs (So., WR) and Chris Bowers (RFr., DE). Only five Ole Miss players debuted in last year's season opener.

NASHVILLE-AREA REBELS: Ole Miss has two players on its roster from the Nashville area: freshman TE LaMark Armour and junior QB Ethan Flatt. Junior LB Patrick Willis is a native of Bruceton, Tenn., which is located 105 miles west of Nashville.

REBELS VS. SEC EAST
Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 23-16 (.590 winning pct.) versus the SEC Eastern Division.
Entering the game with Vanderbilt, the Rebels have won eight of their last 10 games versus the SEC East, dating back to Ole Miss' 45-38 win over the Commodores to end the 2001 season.
Last year, Ole Miss was 2-1 against SEC East opponents, defeating Vanderbilt 26-23 (OT) and South Carolina 31-28 and losing to No. 13 Tennessee 21-17 ... In 2003, the Rebels recorded their first three-game sweep of their SEC East opponents.
Ole Miss is 11-2 against Vanderbilt since SEC began divisional play in 1992.
Ole Miss is 12-10 against SEC East teams on the road, and 11-6 against SEC East opponents at home.

OLE MISS IN SEPTEMBER
Ole Miss is 137-62-7 (.682 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September.
The Rebels have an all-time mark of 51-41-4 (.552 winning pct.) in road games during September.
The Rebels are 43-31-1 (.580 winning pct.) in September SEC games, including a 11-5 (.667 winning percentage) record in games played in Oxford.
Ole Miss is 86-21-3 (.795 winning pct.) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including a 61-8-2 (.873 winning percentage) mark in September games played in Oxford.
Ole Miss is 94-31-6 (.740 winning pct.) all-time versus non-conference opponents during the month ... The Rebels are 21-5 (.810 winning pct.) against non-SEC teams in September since 1990.
The Rebels went 1-3 in September last season (Memphis, L, 13-20; at Alabama, L, 7-28; Vanderbilt, W, 26-23; at Wyoming, L, 32-37) Prior to 2003, Ole Miss posted at least a .500 record in 14 consecutive Septembers .

OLE MISS ON TV
This game at Vanderbilt, to be carried by Jefferson-Pilot, is the Rebels' second straight TV game, as the Sept. 5 Memphis game was televised by ESPN.
This game will mark eight straight seasons that JP has carried the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt game.
The Rebels are 6-2 all-time against Vanderbilt in TV games.
Over the last four seasons, 27 of the Rebels' 38 games have been televised.
Last year, the Rebels appeared on TV five times.
All-time, this game will be the Rebels' 146th TV appearance since Ole Miss made its TV debut in the 1953 Sugar Bowl versus Georgia Tech ... Ole Miss is 68-75-2 (.476 winning pct.) all-time in TV games.
Ole Miss is 20-12 (.625 winning pct.) all-time on JP.
The Rebels have won 12 of their last 17 TV games dating back to the 24-12 win over Mississippi State in the 2002 "Egg Bowl."

GRADUATING REBELS: The Rebels have four players on this year's team who have completed their undergraduate degrees -- DT McKinley Boykin (Bessemer, Ala.), LB Kelvin Robinson (Jackson, Miss.), QB Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) and OL Tre' Stallings (Magnolia, Miss.).

OFFENSIVE NOTES
Making his third career start, senior QB Micheal Spurlock established new career highs for completions and passing yards against Memphis, finishing 14-of-27 for 184 yards ... Spurlock's previous career game was last year vs. Memphis when he was 11-of-31 for 182 yards.
Spurlock's 12-yard touchdown run in the third quarter at Memphis marked the second rushing TD of his career ... His 17-yard scamper in the fourth quarter was his longest career rush.
Senior WR Mario Hill recorded his second career 100-yard receiving game with 132 yards at Memphis, while matching his career-high for receptions with eight grabs.
Redshirt freshman RB Mico McSwain led the team with 30 yards rushing on six carries in his first career action.
With his start at right tackle at Memphis, senior OL Tre' Stallings extended his stretch of consecutive starts to 38, which is the third-longest active streak in the SEC.
Ole Miss returns 19 letterwinners, including four starters, on offense this year.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
Dating back to last year's season finale vs. Mississippi State, the Rebels have a streak of eight straight quarters without surrendering a touchdown.
In Monday's win at Memphis, the Ole Miss defense held All-American senior running back DeAngelo Williams under 100 yards rushing for only the third time in his last 23 games.
The Rebel defense forced Memphis into three-downs-and-out on six of 12 possessions and surrendered just 268 total offensive yards on 67 attempts.
Making his first career start, junior LB Patrick Willis led Ole Miss at Memphis with a career-high 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops, with a forced fumble and two tackles for loss, in earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Senior DL Michael Bozeman was credited with a career-high eight tackles against Memphis, including three solo, and had 2 1/2 tackles for loss.
Ole Miss has recorded an interception in eight of the last 10 games, dating back to last year's Vanderbilt game.
Making his first career start, sophomore LB Garry Pack's goalline interception in the final 20 seconds of the victory at Memphis marked the first pick of his career.
Junior DB Trumaine McBride recorded his fourth career interception in the third quarter at Memphis and second against the Tigers, having registered a pick in last year's meeting.
Ole Miss returns 19 letterwinners on defense, including seven starters, this season.

SPECIALTY NOTES
Junior P-K Will Moseley's PAT in the third quarter extended the Rebels' streak of consecutive extra points made to 118, which is the longest active streak by a team in the nation ... The previous 117 were recorded by PK Jonathan Nichols, who ended his career with the fifth-longest streak in SEC history.
Redshirt freshman PK Matt Hinkle's was good on his first career field goal attempt, connecting from 35 yards out in the first quarter.
Senior Mike Espy was one short of his career-high for punt returns in a game with five vs. Memphis for 37 yards ... Espy ranked eighth in the SEC in punt returns a year ago with an average of 5.6 yards on 27 returns ... He also finished second in the SEC in kickoff returns, averaging 20.0 yards per return.
Ole Miss must replace both PK Jonathan Nichols and P Cody Ridgeway, both of whom were mainstays of the Rebel special teams unit for the past three seasons.
Nichols graduated holding 15 Ole Miss records and was the 2003 Lou Groza Award recipient for the nation's top place kicker ... His 344 career points ranked sixth on the SEC's career scoring list.
Ridgeway ended his career with 10,021 career punting yards to become the third player in school history to record 10,000 career punting yards. He also finished sixth on the school's career list for punting average, averaging 42.1 yards on 238 career kicks.

ROBINSON WEARS CHUCKY MULLINS' NO. 38 IN 2005: Senior LB Kelvin Robinson (Jackson, Miss.) 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, Robinson wore No. 39. Before switching to linebacker in the spring, Robinson started all but one game over the last two years at strong safety, and boasts 153 career tackles and 15 TFLs.

2005 TEAM CAPTAINS: On August 29, Ed Orgeron announced his two permanent team captains for the 2005 campaign. A pair of linemen will wear the title -- OL Tre' Stallings (Magnolia, Miss.) and DL Michael Bozeman (Hawkinsville, Ga.).

REBELS ON POSTSEASON AWARDS WATCH LISTS: Ole Miss has a pair of players on preseason watch lists for postseason awards in 2004. Senior C Tony Bonds (Russellville, Ala.) is on the Rimington Award watch list for the nation's top center, while senior DT McKinley Boykin (Bessemer, Ala.) is on the watch list for the Rotary Lombardi Award, presented to the nation's top lineman/linebacker.

SCHEDULE NOTES
Ole Miss is facing six teams that went to bowl games in 2004: Memphis (GMAC), Wyoming (Las Vegas), Tennessee (Cotton), Alabama (Music City), Auburn (Sugar) and LSU (Capital One).
The Rebels are opening the season with back-to-back road games at Memphis (Sept. 5) and Vanderbilt (Sept. 17).
Ole Miss plays six home games in 2005, hosting Wyoming (Sept. 24), The Citadel (Oct. 8), Alabama (Oct. 15), Kentucky (Oct. 22), Arkansas (Nov. 12) and LSU (Nov. 19).

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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