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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Protecting the House: Ole Miss Welcomes Mizzou in Home Opener
9/4/2007 | Football
DATE: Saturday, September 8, 2007
TIME: 5 p.m. CT
SITE (CAPACITY): Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/ Hollingsworth Field (60,580); Oxford, Miss.
TV: The game will not be televised live. A CSS replay of the game will be Sunday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m.
RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Pete Cordelli, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter). XM Satellite Radio channel 201. Listen Online
POLLS: Missouri received votes in both preseason top-25 rankings. Ole Miss does not appear in the polls.
SERIES INFO: This meeting will be the sixth all-time between the Tigers and the Rebels and first in Oxford. Last year's encounter was the first in the series since 1979. Missouri holds a 4-1 lead in the series, with a 1-1 mark in Ole Miss home games both in Jackson. The Tigers have won three straight over the Rebels and prevailed 30-3 last season in Columbia.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: After a 23-21 opening win at Memphis, Ole Miss is in search of its first 2-0 start since 2002 ... This game will mark the home opener of the 113th season of football at Ole Miss and the third under head coach Ed Orgeron ... The Rebels are 92-14-5 (.851 winning pct.) all-time in home openers ... The Rebels are 27-5 (.844 winning pct.) against non-conference opponents in Oxford during that span ... Junior DB Dustin Mouzon is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week after notching two of the Rebels' four interceptions against Memphis and returning one 99 yards for a touchdown ... Of Ole Miss' three TDs against Memphis, one was on offense, one on defense and one on special teams.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH ED ORGERON: Ed Orgeron (Northwestern State, 1984) is in his third season as the Ole Miss head coach, having been hired on Dec. 16, 2004. He has a career coaching record of 8-16. Ole Miss is Orgeron's first career head coaching position, although he possesses over 20 years of college coaching experience, most recently as an assistant head coach on USC's 2003 and 2004 national champion teams. Orgeron is 0-1 against Missouri.
MISSOURI HEAD COACH GARY PINKEL: Gary Pinkel (Kent State, 1975) is in his seventh season as the Tigers' head coach. After picking up a 40-34 win over Illinois on Saturday, Pinkel has a 38-35 record at Mizzou and has a career ledger of 110-72-3 in 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Last year, Pinkel led Missouri to an 8-5 record as the Tigers earned a bowl bid for the third time in the last four years, falling 39-38 to Oregon State in the Sun Bowl. Pinkel was also the head coach at Toledo. He went 73-37-3 in 10 seasons with the Rockets before being named the head coach at Missouri. Missouri is 2-1 versus Southeastern Conference opponents under Pinkel. The Tigers fell to Arkansas in the 2003 Independence Bowl before defeating South Carolina in the 2005 Independence Bowl and Ole Miss last year.
MISSOURI SCOUTING REPORT: The Tigers opened the 2007 season with a 40-34 win over Illinois. Junior QB Chase Daniel was 37-of-54 for 359 yards, three TDs and two interceptions. A Davey O'Brien Award candidate, Daniel was fifth in the NCAA in total offense last year (300.5 ypg). Senior running back Tony Temple is the leading returning rusher in the Big 12, with 1,063 yds. in 2006. He was held to 33 yards against the Illini. Senior Martin Rucker is the Tigers' all-time TE record-holder for catches and receiving yards and topped the team on Saturday with 10 grabs for 86 yards. Sophomore WR Danario Alexader also shined against Illinois with nine receptions for 82 yards. The Mizzou defense, which allowed 320.2 yards per game last year, surrendered 435 in the opener. Sophomore LB Sean Weatherspoon collected a team-high 11 tackles with two TFLs and a forced fumble. Senior SS Corneliu Brown recorded an interception, blocked kick and two fumble recoveries, including one returned 100 yards for a TD. Junior DE Ziggy Hood forced two fumbles in the game. On special teams, redshirt freshman Jeremy Maclin handled all returns on Saturday and finished with 227 all-purpose yards, with a 66-yard punt return for a TD. He also had a 29-yard run and two catches for 43 yards, including a 25-yard scoring reception. Returning junior K Jeff Wolfert was 2-for-3 in FGs and 4-for-4 in PATs against Illinois.
REBEL NOTEBOOK
Of Ole Miss' three TDs against Memphis, one was on offense, one on defense and one on special teams.
The Rebels' 20-0 halftime lead was their largest since a 24-0 edge on Mississippi State in 2003 ... Ole Miss was 1-3 when leading at halftime a season ago.
The Rebels are five wins short of 600. The program boasts an all-time record of 595-451-35 (.566 winning percentage).
Ole Miss is 37-9 versus non-conference opponents dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994 ... The Rebels are 27-5 in their last 32 non-conference games in Oxford.
This is the 113th 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.
Ole Miss returned 44 lettermen and 18 starters from last year's squad.
HOME OPENERS
Ole Miss is 92-14-5 (.851 winning pct.) in home openers and ended a two-game skid in home openers with last year's 28-25 win over Memphis.
When playing their home opener in Oxford, the Rebels are 69-7-4 (.888 winning pct.).
The Rebels had won 16 straight home openers before falling to Memphis 20-13 in 2004 ... Prior to that defeat, the Rebels' previous home-opening loss had been a 31-10 setback to Arkansas in Jackson on Sept. 12, 1987 (Ole Miss used to play some home games in both Jackson and Memphis).
SIMILAR OPENERS: Ole Miss and Missouri experienced a lot of the same oddities and situations in their respective openers last Saturday. Both teams enjoyed big third-quarter leads (Ole Miss +23, Missouri +24) and held off late rallies for the win. Both teams scored defensive TDs on field-length returns (Ole Miss - 99-yard interception, Missouri - 100-yard fumble recovery). Both games saw a blocked punt for a TD, although Mizzou was on the lesser end as Illinois had the two-yard block. However, the Tigers did score on special teams with a 66-yard punt return.
DEBUTS: Ole Miss had 14 players make their Rebel debuts at Memphis, including five true freshmen in Colby Arceneaux (DB), Lionel Breaux (DB), Johnny Brown (DB), Fon Ingram (DB) and Chris Strong (LB). Other first-time players included Christian Albarracian (Sr., K); Derrick Davis (RFr., RB); Tony Fein (Jr., LB); Reggie Hicks (RFr., RB); Ashlee Palmer (Jr., LB); Jamie Phillips (So., LB); Justin Sparks (So., P); Allen Walker (RFr., LB) and Josh Zettergren (Sr., WR).
FIRST-TIME STARTERS: Five Rebels earned their first career start in the Memphis game.
OFFENSE (2): #19- Seth Adams (Sr., QB); #71- Reid Neely (So., LG)
DEFENSE (3): #1- Kendrick Lewis (So., FS); #11- Ashlee Palmer (Jr., SLB); #53- Chris Strong (Fr., MLB)
CAPTAINS: Serving as captains for Saturday's Memphis game were Derrick Davis (RFr., RB), Marshay Green (So., WR), Michael Oher (Jr., OL) and Jamarca Sanford (Jr., DB)
SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior DB Dustin Mouzon was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. He is the first Rebel to earn weekly honors by the league since LB Rory Johnson following last year's Vanderbilt game. Against Memphis Saturday, Mouzon intercepted two passes and returned the second 99 yards for his first career TD. He became the first Rebel with two interceptions in the same game since Von Hutchins against Arkansas State in 2002. Mouzon had only one pick previously in his career. He also collected a career-high six solo stops and recovered a fumble against the Tigers.
HARDY'S EVERYWHERE: Sophomore Greg Hardy continues to put his versatility on display. As a receiver, he caught his second career pass in the Memphis game, and like the first, it was for a touchdown. Dating back to the 2006 finale against Mississippi State, Hardy has a TD catch in back-to-back games. As a defensive end, Hardy had career bests of 11 total tackles and eight solos in his hometown Saturday. Last year, he was a First Team Freshman All-American D lineman in the fall and later competed in 15 games with the Ole Miss basketball team, earning a start at LSU.
STRONG START FOR ADAMS: Making his first career start on Saturday, senior QB Seth Adams turned in the Rebels' first 200-yard passing performance since Micheal Spurlock in the 2005 Alabama game (210). Adams finished 19-of-30 for 201 yards with one TD and no interceptions. He had been announced as the starter just eight days before by head coach Ed Orgeron, winning the job over last year's starter, Brent Schaeffer, and redshirt freshman Michael Herrick. A 6-4, 225-pounder from Holly Springs, Miss., Adams walked on at Ole Miss in January of 2006 after transferring from Hinds (Miss.) Community College and appeared in six games last season as Schaeffer's back-up, completing 17-of-31 passes for 177 yards. He logged extensive playing time against LSU and Mississippi State when he replaced Schaeffer in the second half. The first action for Adams last year came against Wake Forest when he completed 8-of-11 passes for 84 yards and was named Rebel QB Club Offensive Player of the Week.
OTHER OFFENSIVE NOTES
Ole Miss capped a 92-yard scoring drive in the first quarter Saturday with a 16-yard TD pass from Seth Adams to Greg Hardy ... It was the longest drive since the 2004 Cotton Bowl, when Eli Manning's one-yard run ended a 97-yard drive.
Sophomore WR Marshay Green posted career highs of five catches for 59 yards.
Sophomore WR Shay Hodge equaled his career best of four receptions.
Junior David Traxler saw his first career action at TE after two seasons as an OL.
Ole Miss returned 23 letterwinners on offense, including nine starters ... The only starters lost are OG Andrew Wicker and TE Lawrence Lilly.
The Ole Miss line has four of five starters back from last year, including all-star honorees Michael Oher and John Jerry ...The Rebel roster boasts a total of 74 career starts on the O line.
The receiving corps returns players who accounted for 130 of the team's 134 receptions in 2006 ... Four of the five on the receiving depth chart are sophomores, while junior Mike Wallace was the club's leading receiver a season ago with 24 grabs for 410 yards and two TDs.
RECORD RETURN: Junior DB Dustin Mouzon tied the third-longest interception return in school history with his 99-yard TD at Memphis. It was the longest by a Rebel since Louis Guy's 103-yard return in a 19-6 win over Tennessee en route to Ole Miss' only undefeated season in 1962. The Rebels' last interception return for a score was Trumaine McBride's 48-yarder in the 2004 LSU game.
IMPRESSIVE DEBUTS: The Rebel defense featured some new personnel on the field Saturday and particularly standing out were junior LB Ashlee Palmer and sophomore DB Kendrick Lewis. A JUCO transfer in his first year in the Red and Blue, Palmer topped the team with 12 tackles, including three TFLs, and notched an interception. After catching five passes as a receiver in 2006, Lewis moved from offense to defense in the spring, earned starting free safety duties in the opener and was credited with eight total tackles in addition to his TD on special teams.
OTHER DEFENSIVE NOTES
In Saturday's win over Memphis, the Rebels intercepted four passes for the first time since the 2004 Wyoming game ... Ole Miss totaled three interceptions the entire 2006 season,
Junior DB Terrell Jackson had career highs of eight total tackles and six solos.
Sophomore DE Marcus Tillman collected the first interception of his career.
Sophomore LB Jonathan Cornell posted a career-high eight total tackles.
The Rebels returned 18 letterwinners and six starters on defense ... All four starters are back on the defensive line.
Ole Miss has some experience in the defensive backfield with 32 career starts between Jamarca Sanford's 17 nods at strong safety, Nate Banks' 12 starts at cornerback and Terrell Jackson's one start as a nickle back. However, the Rebels graduated three DBs that accounted for 77 career starts.
STREAK ENDS: Ole Miss had its streak of 35 consecutive PATs made dating back to the 2005 Vanderbilt game come to an end Saturday at Memphis. It also marked the first career miss for sophomore K Joshua Shene. He was 2-3 on extra points on the day and is 22-for-23 for his career. Shene was 1-for-2 on FGs, connecting from 30 yards and missing from 28 yards on a deflected kick.
OTHER SPECIALTY NOTES
Ole Miss blocked a punt for a TD at Memphis for the first time since 1995's Indiana State game (LeMay Thomas' 6-yard TD off Mark Smith's block) ... Sophomore DB Kendrick Lewis scored the first TD of his career ... Junior DB Jamarca Sanford blocked a punt for the first time in his career.
Sophomore Justin Sparks saw the first action of his career, averaging 47.7 yards on three punts.
Senior Christian Albarracian saw the first action of his career, handling all five kickoffs.
Ole Miss returns several key positions on special teams in kicker Joshua Shene, punter/holder Rob Park and long snapper Preston Powers. In addition, Marshay Green handled all 20 punt returns, while 29 of the 43 kick returns were taken by returnees.
Sophomore Marshay Green ranked second in the SEC in kick return yardage last year (25.2 avg.) and fourth in punt return yardage (14.7 avg.).
The Rebels were among the SEC's best on special teams in 2006. Below charts how they fared:
Field Goal Accuracy (2nd in SEC): 85.4%
PAT Kicking (T-1st in SEC): 100.0%
Kickoff Returns (4th in SEC, 24th in NCAA): 22.7 yds/ret
Punt Returns (5th in SEC, 31st in NCAA): 11.2 yds/ret
GREEN-ELLIS AIMS ALL-AMERICAN SEASON: BenJarvus Green-Ellis entered his senior season as one of the nation's top tailbacks after leading the Rebel ground game in 2006 and earning first team All-SEC honors. Green-Ellis topped Ole Miss in rushing in all 12 games with a career-high 135 in the Rebels' loss to Georgia. Green-Ellis posted his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season with 116 yards on 14 carries in Ole Miss' win over Northwestern State. He ranked second in the SEC with 83.3 yards per game. With 1,000 yards in 12 games, the New Orleans native became Ole Miss' first 1,000-yard rusher since Deuce McAllister recorded 1,082 yards on 212 rushes during the 1998 season. During the 112 years of Ole Miss football, the Rebels have only had three players go over 1,000 yards rushing in Green-Ellis (1,000 yards in 2006) McAllister (1,082 yards in 1998) and Kayo Dottley (1,355 yards in 1949 and 1,057 yards in 1950).
REBELS ALL-TIME VERSUS BIG XII: Ole Miss is 7-16 all-time versus schools currently in the Big XII Conference heading into Saturday's game against Missouri. The Rebels were 1-1 against Big XII teams in 2003, losing 49-45 to Texas Tech on Sept. 27 before downing Oklahoma State 31-28 in the 2004 SBC Cotton Bowl.
REBELS ON WATCH LISTS: Three Rebels have been named to preseason watch lists for some of college football's most prestigious awards. Junior Michael Oher has been listed as an early candidate for both the Rotary Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy. The Lombardi Award recognizes the nation's top lineman, while the Outland Trophy honors the best interior lineman. Senior BenJarvus Green-Ellis was named to the Watch List for the Maxwell Award, which is presented to the outstanding collegiate football player in America, and this week, he was among the candidates for the Doak Walker Award as the top running back. Senior Corey Actis was in the field of 54 on the updated Watch List for the Dave Rimington Trophy, which is in its eighth year of recognizing the most outstanding Center in the country.
REBTALK ON THURSDAYS: Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron's weekly call-in radio show, Reb Talk, airs Thursdays from 7 to 8 p.m. CT from the Oxford University Club on the Oxford Square.
CLOSE CALLS: The Rebels are coming off a 4-8 campaign that came so close to being 8-4. Ole Miss lost four games by six points or less, including two in overtime at Alabama and LSU. The Rebels suffered a five-point setback to Georgia and a six-point decision to Auburn. Eight of the 12 opponents in 2006 went to bowl games.
SOPHOMORE STUDS: Ole Miss is looking for a handful of talented sophomores to build on strong rookie years. Four Rebel freshmen received All-America honors in 2006. Defensive linemen Greg Hardy and Marcus Tillman were both named first team freshman All-Americans by Rivals.com and second team selections by Scout.com. Offensive lineman John Jerry and kicker Joshua Shene were both honored as first team freshman All-Americans by Scout.com and second team picks by Rivals.com.
NEWCOMERS THROWN INTO ACTION: During the 2006 season, 22 members of the 2006 signing class saw game action, including 17 true freshmen. Ole Miss tied for second in the country with its 17 true freshmen seeing action. Temple had 19 first-year players see action and Illinois also fielded 17.
GRADUATING REBELS: Five student-athletes on the Ole Miss football team have already received their undergraduate degrees. K Christian Albarracian has earned his B.A. in accountancy, while OL Marcus Cohen has his B.A. in African American studies. Both OL Thomas Eckers and DL Jeremy Garrett have completed their B.B.A in management, and TE Robert Hough has his B.S in criminal justice.
CHUCKY MULLINS COURAGE AWARD: DL Jeremy Garrett has been selected as the 2007 recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award, which goes to a rising senior defensive player each year. The award, sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, honors the late Chucky Mullins, who had his Ole Miss career come to an end during the 1989 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt when he was paralyzed after making a tackle. After returning to his studies at Ole Miss, Mullins passed away on May 6, 1991. Garrett, who wears No. 54, will have the honor of wearing a "38" patch on his jersey during his senior campaign. Mullins wore No. 38 as a player at Ole Miss.
BIG SHOES TO FILL: The Rebels lost all three starters in the linebacking corps and are replacing a pair currently in the NFL ranks in Patrick Willis and Rory Johnson. A consensus All-American, Willis is the most decorated defensive player in Rebel football history. The 2006 Butkus Award and Lambert Trophy winner completed his four-year Ole Miss career by leading the Rebels in tackles his final two seasons, including 137 during his senior campaign. Willis also led the Southeastern Conference in tackles both years and was a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
SCHEDULE NOTES
Ole Miss will face seven teams that went to bowl games last year, including BSC national Champion Florida. In addition, the Rebels encounter Missouri (Sun), Georgia (Peach), Alabama (Independence), Arkansas (Capitol One), Auburn (Cotton) and LSU (Sugar).
For the second straight year, Ole Miss plays seven home games, hosting Missouri (Sept. 8), Florida (Sept. 22), Louisiana Tech (Oct. 6), Alabama (Oct. 13), Arkansas (Oct. 20), Northwestern State (Nov. 3) and LSU (Nov. 17).
OLE MISS IN SEPTEMBER
Ole Miss is 139-68-7 (.666 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September.
Ole Miss is 96-34-6 (.728 winning pct.) all-time versus non-conference opponents during the month.
Ole Miss is 87-24-3 (.776 winning pct.) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including a 62-11-2 (.840 winning percentage) mark in September games played in Oxford.
The Rebels have an all-time mark of 52-44-4 (.540 winning pct.) in road games during September.
The Rebels are 43-34-1 (.558 winning pct.) in September SEC games, including a 11-6 (.647 winning percentage) record in games played in Oxford.
The Rebels went 1-4 in September last season (Memphis, W, 28-25; at Missouri, L, 7-34; at Kentucky, L, 14-31; Wake Forest, L, 3-27; Georgia, L, 9-14). Prior to 2003, Ole Miss posted at least a .500 record in 14 consecutive Septembers.
2008 SCHEDULE, TEXAS SERIES ANNOUNCED: Athletics Director Pete Boone recently announced the addition of a two-game football series between the Rebels and the University of Texas. The first game in the Ole Miss-Texas series is set for Sept. 15, 2012 in Oxford, while the return game to Austin is scheduled for Sept. 14, 2013. The addition of Texas follows an earlier announcement that Ole Miss had added home-and-home series with Georgia Tech (2010 & 2011) and Clemson (2015 & 2016).
Boone also announced Thursday the complete Ole Miss schedule for 2008. The Rebels will open the season at home on Aug. 30 against the University of Memphis. Other home dates will be with Samford, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Auburn, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Road trips in 2008 will be to Wake Forest, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and LSU, with open dates scheduled for Oct. 11 and Nov. 8. Below is the complete 2008 Rebel slate:
Aug. 30 Memphis, Oxford
Sept. 6 Wake Forest, Winston-Salem
Sept. 13 Samford, Oxford
Sept. 20 Vanderbilt, Oxford
Sept. 27 Florida, Gainesville
Oct. 4 South Carolina, Oxford
Oct. 18 Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Oct. 25 Arkansas, Fayetteville
Nov. 1 Auburn, Oxford
Nov. 15 Louisiana-Monroe, Oxford
Nov. 22 LSU, Baton Rouge
Nov. 28 Mississippi State, Oxford
HALL OF FAME REBEL: On Aug. 4, former Rebel Gene Hickerson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The 6-foot-3, 248 pounder lettered three years at Ole Miss (1955-57) before anchoring the Cleveland Browns' offensive line for 15 seasons. Drafted in the sixth round in 1957, Hickerson was named an All-Pro five straight years (1966-70) and was voted to the Pro Bowl six consecutive seasons (1966-71). During his time in Cleveland, the Browns never had a losing record. Hickerson's son, Bob, accepted on behalf of his father, before Gene was brought onto the stage in a wheelchair guided by former teammates Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly and Bobby Mitchell all running backs he helped get into the hall.
400 AND COUNTING: Saturday's opener at Memphis marked the 400th straight Ole Miss football game attended by devoted Rebel fan Mitch Lavinghouze. He began the streak in Memphis on Sept. 16, 1972 with the season opener against the Tigers, a 34-29 Rebel victory. Lavinghouze's son, Stephen, was in his first of four years (1972-75) of lettering as a kicker for Ole Miss. After Stephen's final year, Lavinghouze's other son, Robin, also lettered as a kicker the following two years (1976-77).