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The University of Mississippi Athletics
GAME PREVIEW: Ole Miss vs. Memphis
8/25/2008 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss opens the 2008 season and its first under head coach Houston Nutt Saturday, as the Rebels welcome the Memphis Tigers to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT.
Nutt arrives in Oxford after a 10-year stint at Arkansas that saw eight bowl berths, three SEC Western Division titles and an average of more than seven wins per season.
Nutt will have history on his side Saturday, as Ole Miss' last two head coaches have been victorious in their debut. In addition, the Rebels are 5-0 all-time during the month of August.
"It's finally game week," Nutt said. "We had a good camp besides two or three injuries. The guys gave a lot of effort, and we got a lot of things done. Now it's time to put that on the field and get ready for game time."
The opener will also mark the Rebel premiere of sophomore quarterback Jevan Snead, who transferred from Texas in January 2007. In his one season with the Longhorns, he completed 26-of-49 passes for 371 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions as a true freshman.
"Jevan had a good camp, and he had a good spring," said Nutt. "He threw the ball extremely well, and I think he's become much more comfortable with the offense. He's handling himself very well and getting us in and out of formations. Now he's got to do it when the lights go on."
The Tigers are a preseason pick to finish fourth in the Conference USA East Division and return 51 lettermen and 21 starters from last year's 7-6 squad. Among the seven offensive starters back is All-C-USA receiver Duke Calhoun, who led the Tigers with 890 yards on 62 receptions a year ago.
Nine starters are back on defense, including all five defensive lineman. Leading that group is Clinton McDonald, who posted 55 total tackles, 9.5 TFLs and 4.0 sacks last season.
"Memphis has had a lot of success the last several years," said Nutt, who has 14 Memphis area natives on his roster. "They're athletic and all you have to do is look at the score the last several years, and you realize the rivalry and the competitive spirit versus one another. You know it's going to be a tough, hard fought football game."
Another highlight of the game is the unveiling of the new high definition video board at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss partnered with Daktronics Inc., to design, manufacture and install the $6 million integrated system.
