GAME NOTES: Rebels Look For Streak Against Auburn

GAME 9: Ole Miss (4-4, 2-3) vs. Auburn (4-4, 2-3)

TIME: November 1, 2008, 11:30 a.m. CT

SITE (CAPACITY): Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/ Hollingsworth Field (60,580); Oxford, Miss.

TV: Raycom Sports (Dave Neal, play-by-play; Dave Archer, color analyst; Dave Baker, sideline reporter; Available on ESPN Gameplan and ESPN360.com. The CSS replay of the game will be Sunday at 1 p.m.

RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Pete Cordelli, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter). Satellite radio: Sirius 211 XM 199.

WEB: OleMissSports.com will provide live audio through RebelVision, live stats and an in-game blog. The official Rebel athletics website will also provide a full game recap, a photo gallery and live postgame video.

POLLS: Neither Ole Miss nor Auburn appear in the latest top-25 polls. The Rebels received votes in both week 5 rankings, including 13 votes in the AP poll. Ole Miss last earned votes, three to be exact, in the 2006 preseason poll.

SERIES INFO: This meeting will be the 33rd all-time between the Rebels and Tigers dating back to 1928, and Auburn holds a 24-8 advantage in the series. Last season, Auburn prevailed 17-3 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers have not lost in Oxford since 1992 and own a 8-1 advantage over the Rebels in games played there, including a 23-17 victory two years ago. Overall, Auburn has won 13 of the last 15 meetings dating back to 1993 and 22 of 25 dating back to Auburn's 35-28 win in the 1971 Gator Bowl.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ole Miss is off to its best start and has equaled its most wins since 2003 ... The Rebels are seeking consecutive wins for the first time since the 2004 season ... Ole Miss is facing its third straight SEC Western Division foe ... The Rebels are making their fourth television appearance of the year ... Mike Wallace needs nine yards to reach the Ole Miss single-season record for kickoff return yards ... Jevan Snead's 12 TD passes and Shay Hodge's six TD catches are both tied for the SEC lead ... Joshua Shene has missed only kick this year and is the SEC's top statistical kicker (92.3 percent FGs, 1,000 PATs) ... Peria Jerry is the reigning SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

OLE MISS HEAD COACH HOUSTON NUTT: Houston Nutt (Oklahoma State, 1981) is in his first season at the Ole Miss helm, after being named the University's 36th head football coach on Nov. 28, 2007. During his 10 years as the head coach at Arkansas, Nutt guided the Razorbacks to eight bowl berths, three SEC Western Division titles, two SEC Championship game appearances and an average of more than seven wins per season. He also served head coaching stints at Boise State and Murray State, where he captured two OVC Championships. Nutt has never faced Arkansas as a head coach.

AUBURN HEAD COACH TOMMY TUBERVILLE: Tommy Tuberville is in his 10th season as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers. He is 84-37 with the Tigers and has a career mark of 109-57 in his 14th season as a collegiate head coach. Tuberville has led the Tigers to eight straight bowl appearances. He capped a perfect 13-0 campaign 2004 with a 16-13 win over Virginia Tech in the 2005 Sugar Bowl. Tuberville posted a 25-20 mark in four seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss from 1995-1998. He is 7-2 facing the Rebels.

AUBURN SCOUTING REPORT: After opening the year 4-1 and rising as high as No. 9 in the national polls, the Tigers have dropped three straight, including a 34-17 loss at West Virginia last Thursday. Junior RB Ben Tate has been their top offensive weapon, averaging 67.2 rushing yards per game with a pair of TDs. Junior Chris Todd and sophomore Kodi Burns have split time at quarterback with Burns getting the starting nod last time out. Todd has completed 86-of-156 for 903 yards, five TDs and six interceptions, while Burns is 30-of-63 for 309 yards, one score and four picks. Auburn ranks fifth in the SEC in total defense and fourth in pass defense. Junior DL Antonio Coleman tops the conference in sacks (6.0) and TFLs (10.5), and sophomore DB Mike McNeil is the squad's leading tackler with 43 total stops.

TIGER TIES: Ole Miss defensive line coach Tracy Rocker starred as a player with Auburn from 1985-1988. As a Tiger, he was a two time All-American and a three-time All-SEC selection as a defensive tackle. As a senior, he was named SEC Player of the Year. His 354 career tackles, including 21 QB sacks and 48 TFLs earned him the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award. Rocker led the Tigers to two SEC titles during his stint at Auburn and was voted to the school's Team of the Century in 1993. The former Tiger was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and Alabama's state Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

ALABAMA REBELS: The Ole Miss roster features six players, all freshmen, from the neighboring state of Alabama, and only two scholarship athletes in redshirt freshman DT Justin Sanders (New Market) and true freshman OL Joshua Tatum (Marbury). Other Rebels from Alabama include redshirt freshman K Ben Meadows (Birmingham) and true freshmen LB Josh Lancaster (Mobile), S Griffin Littlefield (Pike Road) and WR Vincent Moss (Munford).

REBEL NOTEBOOK
The last time Ole Miss had four or more wins after eight games was 2003, when the Rebels started 8-2 and finished with a 10-3 record and an SEC Western Division title.
Ole Miss' victory over No. 4 Florida marked the 600th win for the Rebel football program ... Ole Miss became the 34th FBS school and eighth SEC member to reach 600 victories ... The Rebels boast an all-time record of 601-464-35 (.562 winning percentage).
With the 31-30 upset at No. 4 Florida on Sept. 27, Ole Miss earned its first victory over a top-five foe since a 20-13 triumph over No. 3 Notre Dame in 1977 in Jackson ... The Rebels' previous road win over a top-five team had been a 15-7 triumph over LSU on Nov. 3, 1962, when Ole Miss was ranked No. 6 and LSU was No. 4 ... The Rebels' win over the Gators snapped a 15-game skid to ranked teams.
This marks the 114th 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.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: In their first season under Houston Nutt, the Rebels have cranked up the offense and the scoring. Ole Miss is posting 377.6 yards per outing, which ranks fourth in the SEC and is the most since 2003 when the team finished with a school-record 433.2 clip. The Rebels outgained Samford 424 yards to 198, Vanderbilt 385 to 202, Florida 360 to 348 and Alabama 359 to 326. Ole Miss' 27.2 scoring clip is also the highest since 2003. The 31 points against Florida equaled the most against an SEC foe since the 43-40 win over South Carolina in 2003.

SNEAD AMONG SEC LEADERS: Sophomore QB Jevan Snead is tied for the SEC lead in TD passes (12) and ranks third in passing average (209.1 ypg) and fourth in total offense (214.0 ypg). Last time out, Snead threw multiple TD passes for the fourth time this year and topped 200 yards passing for the fourth time, completing 14-of-27 passes for 209 yards, two TDs and one interception at Arkansas. Against South Carolina, Snead set a season high in completions, completing 21-of-32 for 243 yards, one TD and one interception. At Wake Forest, Snead became the first Rebel with four TD passes since Eli Manning in the 2003 Memphis game. He finished 20-of-31 for 253 yards with one interception and was named the Scout.com SEC Offensive Player of the Week.

SHAY FOR SIX: Junior WR Shay Hodge is tied for the SEC lead in touchdown catches with six and ranks first in yards per catch (19.3) and fourth in receiving yards per game (60.4 ypg), ahead of teammate Dexter McCluster in sixth (56.4). Hodge has hauled in four catches with a TD in each of the last two outings. After five career games of 77 or more receiving yards, Hodge finally cracked the century mark at Florida with a career-high 133 yards on three catches. He also stamped his name in the Ole Miss record book, as his 86-yard, fourth-quarter catch was not only the go-ahead score in the upset of the No. 4 Gators, but was also the longest pass play in Rebel history. The previous record was 83 yards, set first in 1961 with Glynn Griffing to Charles Morris and again in 1994 from Josh Nelson to LeMay Thomas. Hodge's 12 career TD grabs rank third among active SEC players.

BIG PLAY MIKE: Whether on offense or special teams, senior Mike Wallace has proved to be a big play threat for the Rebels. Last time out at Arkansas, Wallace posted the fourth 100-yard receiving game of his career and second of the year with a career-high 120 yards on five catches, including a 42-yard grab and an 11-yard TD, his first of the year. He also hauled in a 42-yard pass and surpassed the century mark with 101 yards on four catches against Samford. Including his record-setting heroics on kickoffs, Wallace ranks third in the SEC in all-purpose yards at 133.9 per game. He piled up 222 yards at Arkansas and a career-high 238 against Vanderbilt.

CATCH 22: Whether in the slot or behind center in the "Wild Rebel", junior Dexter McCluster has truly become an all-purpose threat. A native of Largo, Fla., McCluster posted 176 all-purpose yards against Vanderbilt and 139 vs. South Carolina. As a receiver, McCluster is sixth in the SEC in receiving yards per game (56.4 ypg) and eighth in receptions (3.8 per game). Against the Gamecocks, McCluster just missed his second 100-yard receiving effort of the year, finishing with six receptions for a game-high 99 yards. He recorded a career-high 132 receiving yards and equaled his career best of seven receptions against the Commodores. As a rusher, he tops the team with three TD runs and has led the rushing attack in two games, totaling 60 yards at Florida and 40 against Carolina. McCluster also ran for 64 yards against Memphis en route to a 125-yard all-purpose day.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
Ole Miss is 4-0 when turning the ball over two times or fewer ... The Rebels had just one turnover at Arkansas.
The Rebels have scored first in seven of eight games this season ... Ole Miss is 4-3 in those games.
For the first time this season, the Rebels led in time of possession at Arkansas, at 33:50 to 26:10.
Ole Miss ranks fifth in the SEC in rushing offense (162.0 ypg) but has no individuals among the league's top 10 runners ... Four players have 40 or more attempts, each has led the team in rushing in at least one game, each has two or more TDs and three boast 295 or more yards, led by junior RB Cordera Easons 335 yards and 81 carries.
Junior RB Cordera Eason had a career-high 19 carries, totaling a team-high 81 yards at Arkansas.
Junior Dexter McCluster equaled his career-high of 11 carries, posting 52 yards against the Razorbacks ... McCluster also hauled in two passes for 19 yards
After no receptions in four of the first five games, sophomore WR Lionel Breaux has eight catches for 99 yards over the last three games ... He totaled a career-high 55 receiving yards on a pair of catches against the Crimson Tide.
Ole Miss' 359 yards and 158 rushing yards marked the most surrendered this season by the Alabama defense, which entered the game giving up 262.2 yards per contest and 50.8 on the ground ... The Rebels outrushed the Tide 158-107 and was the first time Alabama had been outrushed this year.
Ole Miss' 361 yards against South Carolina was the most allowed this year by the then top-ranked Gamecock defense, which entered the game giving up 221.4 yards per contest.

SEC DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK AGAIN: For the second time this year, Peria Jerry was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week Monday. A senior tackle from Batesville, Miss., Jerry was credited with five total tackles, including career highs of two sacks and two quarterback pressures. The Rebel defense held Arkansas to 104 net rushing yards with 38 yards lost on tackles for losses. Jerry also earned SEC defensive lineman honors following the Vanderbilt game, when he scored his first career touchdown on a 13-yard fumble return, marking the first by a Rebel since 2005. He posted six total tackles, including 2.5 TFLs and helped limit the Commodores to 202 yards of total offense.

IN THE BACKFIELD: After just four TFLs and one sack in the opener, the Rebel defense has totaled 59 TFLs (7.4 per game) and 17 sacks (2.1 pg) over the seven games since. Ole Miss posted 12 TFLs against Samford and 11 against Vanderbilt, and sacked Wake's Riley Skinner four times and Florida's Tim Tebow three. Senior DT Peria Jerry leads the team and is fourth in the SEC with 9.0 TFLs, and sophomore NT Ted Laurent is tied for 10th in the league with 7.0. Jerry has 4.5 TFLs in his last two games.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
Ole Miss boasts 11 sacks in the last four games ... The Rebels notched three sacks at Arkansas, including a career-high two by Peria Jerry.
Against the Razorbacks, sophomore S Fon Ingram notched his first career interception and returned it 38 yards in the final seconds of the first half.
Junior S Kendrick Lewis topped the team at Arkansas with eight tackles, including a career high tying six solos.
Senior S Jamarca Sanford has recorded double-figure tackles in two of the last four games and 10 times in his career ... He led the team and equaled his career high of 13 tackles against South Carolina ... Sanford is tied for seventh in the SEC in tackles per game (8.0) and is the league's active career leader (269 total stops).

STREAKING SHENE: Junior K Joshua Shene has quietly emerged as the top kicker in the SEC, ranking first in field goal percentage (92.3) and tied for first in PATs (1.000). Since his lone missed kick of the year at Vanderbilt on a 47-yard try, Shene has made eight straight FGs and is 12-of-13 overall. He matched his career bests at Arkansas, connecting on three field goals from 28, 34 and 39 yards, and scoring 11 points. Shene is a perfect 26-for-26 on PATs this year to extend his streak to 50 consecutive extra points converted, which is fourth-longest in school history. He has connected on 70-of-71 career PATs.

RECORD BREAKING MIKE: With his 85 kickoff return yards at Arkansas, senior Mike Wallace became the Rebels' all-time leader with 1,174, breaking Paul Hofer's career record of 1,133 yards (1972-75). With two more attempts, Wallace will equal Hofer and Freddie Williams (1976-79) for most returns with 51, and Wallace will likely break another record. After no kickoff returns in the first three games, Wallace has needed only five contests to pile up 643 yards, and nine more will match the single-season record, currently held by Deuce McAllister with 652 in 1999. Wallace ranks fourth in the SEC in average at 26.8 yards per return, and he has posted three of the top-11 single-game totals in school history, including the best ever. Against Vanderbilt, the New Orleans native earned his first kickoff returns of the year and responded with 202 KR yards, easily shattering the Ole Miss record (Marshay Green's 159 against Florida in 2007) and notching the fourth-highest total in SEC history. Wallace also registered the second kickoff return TD of his career and the fifth-longest in school history with his 98-yard score. At Florida, Wallace followed up with the seventh-best total ever by a Rebel with five returns for 140 yards against the Gators, including a long of 40. His 129 kickoff return yards against the Gamecocks ranks 11th on the Ole Miss all-time single game chart.

TRULY SPECIAL TEAMS: The Rebels' special teams has provided some major highlights this season. Ole Miss registered TDs in the return game on back-to-back Saturdays with Marshay Green's 77-yard punt return against Samford and Mike Wallace's 98-yard kickoff return against Vanderbilt. At Florida, the kickblock unit took its turn, as Kentrell Lockett broke through to block the Gators' potential game-tying extra point with 3:28 left in the game. It was Lockett's first career kick block and the Rebels' first extra point block since John Jerry's block in the 2006 LSU game in Baton Rouge. At Alabama, Ole Miss scored off a faked field goal with Jason Cook catching a nine-yard TD pass from Rob Park in the third quarter. In the Arkansas win, Joshua Shene highlighted his outstanding season by connecting on all three field goal tries, including what would prove to be the game-clinching 28-yarder with 1:45 left.

GRADUATING REBELS: Four student-athletes on the Ole Miss football team have already received their undergraduate degrees. DE Chris Bowers has earned his B.A. in real estate, while RB Jason Cook has his B.A. in English. OL Darryl Harris has completed his B.S. in exercise science, and TE David Traxler has his B.A. in accountancy. The Ole Miss football team was well represented at the University's graduation ceremonies in May, as 12 Rebels earned degrees in the past year.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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