GAME NOTES: Rebels Celebrate Homecoming With UAB

Homecoming: Ole Miss (3-2, 1-2 SEC) vs. UAB (2-3, 2-1 C-USA)

TIME: October 17, 2009, 6 p.m. CT

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

TV: FS South (Bob Rathbun, play-by-play; Dave Archer analyst; Jenn Hildreth, sidelines). The game will also be available on ESPN GamePlan.

RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter); Satellite Radio: XM 201, Sirius 217.

WEB: OleMissSports.com will provide live stats and live audio on RebelVision. The official Rebel athletics website will also provide a full game recap and photo gallery at the game's conclusion. The game will also be streamed online at ESPN360.com.

POLLS: The Rebels are receiving votes this week in both the USA Today Coaches, Associated Press and Harris Interactive polls. Ole Miss rose to No. 4 in the rankings on Sept. 20 for the first time since sitting fourth in the rankings on October 12, 1970. The last time the Rebels were ranked higher than fourth was September 1964, when the team was the nation's No. 1. The Rebels' No. 4 ranking marked the highest ever by a Houston Nutt coached team. UAB is not ranked in any of the major polls.

SERIES INFO: This will mark the first ever meeting between Ole Miss and UAB, whose program is in its 19th year of existence and 14 in the FBS. The Rebels will next face UAB on Sept. 8, 2012 at legendary Legion Field in Birmingham.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Rebels have won 11 of their last 12 Homecoming games ... Ole Miss is aiming for a seventh straight non-conference home win ... The Rebels are in the midst of a three-game homestand, after playing on the road in three of the season's first four games ... Ole Miss is off to a 3-2 start for the second straight year ... The Rebel defense leads the SEC in sacks per game and ranks fourth in the nation in pass defense efficiency.

OLE MISS HEAD COACH HOUSTON NUTT: Houston Nutt (Oklahoma State, 1981) is in his second season at the Ole Miss helm, after being named the University's 36th head football coach on Nov. 28, 2007. His first season in Oxford saw him lead the Rebels to a Cotton Bowl victory and earn SEC Coach of the Year billing for the third time in his career and Region top coaching honors for the fifth time. 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 UAB as a head coach.

UAB HEAD COACH NEIL CALLAWAY: Neil Callaway (Alabama, 1978) is in his third season at UAB and third as a head coach. He has a record of 8-21 with the Blazers. He was named head coach in December, 2006 after more than 25 years as an assistant at several highly-successful programs. Most recently, Callaway had served as offensive coordinator on Mark Richt's staff at Georgia.

UAB SCOUTING REPORT: The Blazers are coming off their bye week, which followed a 30-17 home win over Southern Miss. It marked UAB's first victory over their Conference USA rival and ended a three-game skid on the year. The Blazer offense is averaging 359.4 yards per game with 228.8 coming on the ground. Senior QB Joe Web accounts for the majority of the offense, rushing for 114.0 yards per game while passing for 128.8. He has rushed for five TDs and thrown for six more. The UAB defense is allowing 453.6 yards per outing and 308.6 via the pass. UAB junior S Hiram Atwater is tied for the team lead in tackles with 29 despite playing in only four of the Blazers' five games. He was the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week after his game-clinching interception and 40-yard TD return against USM.

HOMECOMING RESULTS
• This game will be the 82nd Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924.
• The Rebels are 65-14-2 (.815 winning pct.) all-time in Homecoming games and have won 11 of their last 12.

REBELS VERSUS CONFERENCE USA: Ole Miss will enter this game versus UAB with an all-time record of 130-53-2 (.708 winning pct.) against schools that are currently members of Conference USA. Prior to the Memphis loss in 2003, Ole Miss reeled off a nine-game win streak over C-USA opponents dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on November 12, 1994. Former SEC rivals, Ole Miss and Tulane have matched up 69 times, fourth-most frequent of any Rebel opponent series.

200 FOR NUTT: This game will mark the 200th for Ole Miss' Houston Nutt as a head coach. In his 16th season as a head coach, Nutt boasts a 123-76 record (.618 pct) and ranks 17th in coaching victories among active NCAA FBS coaches. In addition, this game week includes Nutt's 52nd birthday on Wednesday (Oct. 14).

ALABAMA REBELS: The Ole Miss roster features six players from the neighboring state of Alabama, including redshirt freshman LB Josh Lancaster (Mobile), redshirt freshman S Griffin Littlefield (Pike Road), sophomore WR Vincent Moss (Munford), freshman RB Tim Simon (Cordova), freshman LB D.T. Shackelford (Decatur) and redshirt freshman OL Joshua Tatum (Marbury).

REBEL NOTEBOOK
• Ole Miss is 44-11 versus non-conference opponents dating back to a 38-0 win over Tulane on Nov. 12, 1994.
• The Rebels are 33-6 in their last 39 non-conference games in Oxford and have won six straight.
• For the second straight year, Ole Miss has opened the year at 3-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play ... A win over UAB would give the Rebels their best start since opening the 2003 campaign 4-2 overall.
• The South Carolina loss snapped an eight-game win streak, which was the Rebels' longest streak since reeling off 10 consecutive triumphs during the 1971-72 seasons ... It was the second-longest win streak in the nation ... Ole Miss' previous loss was the 24-20 setback at No. 2 Alabama last year.

PASS DEFENSE IMPROVEMENT: After ranking 10th in the league in pass defense efficiency a year ago, Ole Miss stands third in the SEC and fourth in the nation in that category after five games, limiting the opposition to an 86.8 efficiency rating. The Rebels also rank fifth in pass defense, allowing only 158.6 yards per game. The Rebel defense has surrendered just two passing TDs, while recording five interceptions. Ole Miss held Vanderbilt without a pass completion in the first half and limited the Commodores to just 69 passing yards. Alabama QB Greg McElroy entered Saturday's game as the nation's sixth-most efficient passer with a 165.48 rating and was held to 15-of-34 passing and an 80.44 efficiency rating.

SACK MASTERS: After a slow start, the Rebels have been terrorizing quarterbacks of late. Ole Miss leads the SEC in sacks per game at 2.80 and is second in total with 14. The Rebels are averaging 3.33 per game over the last three games and posted four at Vanderbilt. Ole Miss notched a pair against Alabama and was also credited with seven QB pressures. The Rebel defense is the only unit in the conference with three players among the top 11 in sacks with Kentrell Lockett (4th, 3.5), Patrick Trahan (T7th, 3.0) and Greg Hardy (T7th, 3.0).

STINGY DEFENSE
• Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 13.0 points per game this year.
• Dating back to last season, the Rebels are holding opponents to just 12.4 points over the last nine games ... The Rebel defense has posted two shutouts in this span.
• Ole Miss has held the opposition under 300 yards of total offense three times this year, including two SEC games, and eight times under head coach Houston Nutt ... The Rebels limited Vanderbilt to 240 yards (69 passing) and South Carolina to 285 (65 rushing).
• Ole Miss is the SEC leader in third down conversion defense, holding the opposition to just a 22.9-percent success rate.
• The Rebels have allowed only three points in the first quarter this year and those came in game five against Alabama.

REB ZONE: Ole Miss has been near perfect in the red zone thus far this season, ranking second in the SEC in both red zone offense and red zone defense. In their 16 offensive trips inside the 20 yard line, the Rebels have totaled 12 touchdowns and three field goals. Of the 12 TDs, five were rushing and seven passing. In 20 red zone opportunities for the opposition, the Rebels have surrendered just four TDs, held the foe to a field goal 10 times and forced three turnovers.

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION
• Despite Saturday's tough outing, Ole Miss is averaging 35.0 points per outing, while holding the opposition to just 12.4 points over its last nine games ... Included in this span of games is a 59-0 blanking of Louisiana-Monroe, which was Ole Miss' largest margin of victory since 1969.
• The South Carolina game snapped a school-record streak of four straight games with 45 or more points.

PICK SIX: Dating back to last year, Ole Miss has notched multiple interceptions in seven of the last 10 games and posted an interception return for a TD in three of the last six. Against Southeastern Louisiana, Cassius Vaughn and D.T. Shackelford collected picks, and Shackelford returned his first career INT 58 yards for his first career TD. In the opener at Memphis, Fon Ingram and Johnny Brown each intercepted passes, and Ingram returned his 38 yards for the score. In the 2009 Cotton Bowl, Marshay Green notched a 65-yard interception return for a TD en route to earning Defensive MVP honors. Ole Miss totaled 16 picks in 2008, led by Kendrick Lewis' four and Vaughn's three.

SONIC YOUTH: The Rebels' 2009 signing class is already making its mark on the Ole Miss program. Offensively, WR Pat Patterson ranks third on the team in receiving with seven catches for 104 yards, and he was among three true freshmen that scored touchdowns against Southeastern Louisiana, including WR Jesse Grandy on a 46-yard run and LB D.T. Shackelford on a 58-yard interception return. On special teams, K Andrew Ritter is averaging 65.1 yards per kickoff with five touchbacks in 26 attempts, while P Tyler Campbell has taken over punting duties the last three games, averaging 45.0 yards in 13 attempts with four inside the 20 yard line.

DEBUTS: A total of 31 Rebels have made their debut in the Red and Blue this season: Ferbia Allen (RFr., TE), Tyler Campbell (Fr., P), Craig Drummond (Fr., DL), E.J. Epperson (RFr., TE), Jesse Grandy (Fr., WR), H.R. Greer (RFr., FB), Melvin Harris (RFr., WR), A.J. Hawkins (Fr., OL), Lekenwic Haynes (RFr., LB), Dan Hoffman (So., FB), Jason Jones (RFr., LB), Layton Jones (Jr., TE), Joel Kight (Fr., LB), Josh Lancaster (RFr., LB), Colby Landers (Sr., FB), J.D. Lawson (Sr., WR), Bobby Massie (Fr., OL), Jared Mitchell (RFr., S), Pat Patterson (Fr., WR), Andrew Ritter (Fr., K), Gerald Rivers (RFr., DE), Bryson Rose (RFr., K), Brandon Sanders (RFr., LB), Rodney Scott (Fr., RB), D.T. Shackelford (Fr., LB), Tim Simon (Fr., RB), Nathan Stanley (RFr., QB), Rodney Steen (Jr., DE), Trey Tripp (So., LB), Julian Whitehead (RFr., CB), Rudy Wilson (RFr., DB).

STARTERS: Eight Rebels have made their first career start this season. Alabama: Pat Patterson (Fr., WR); Vanderbilt: Mark Jean-Louis (Sr., FB); South Carolina: Derrick Davis (Jr., FB); Southeastern Louisiana: Rishaw Johnson (So., RG), Jerrell Powe (Jr., NT), Jeremy McGee (Jr., RCB); Memphis: Brandon Bolden (So., RB), Bradley Sowell (So., LT), Ferbia Allen (RFr., TE). In addition, senior Dexter McCluster made his first career start at running back at Vanderbilt.

BALANCED BOLDEN: Sophomore RB Brandon Bolden continues to find different ways to contribute for the Rebels. He current ranks ninth in the SEC in all-purpose yards at 113.6 per game. The Baton Rouge native posted 127 all-purpose yards against Alabama. He notched career bests of four receptions and 76 receiving yards against the Tide and boasts seven catches for 98 yards over his last two games. As a rusher, Bolden has led the team in rushing in three of the five games this year and tops the squad with an average of 61.6 ypg. He topped the 100-yard mark for the second time in his career with 105 yards on 13 carries against Southeastern Louisiana. At Vanderbilt, he ran for 89 yards on a career-high 16 carries. Bolden has also contributed in the return game with an average of 23.1 ypr in his team-high seven kickoff returns.

MORE OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Junior QB Jevan Snead has passed for multiple TD passes in nine of the last 11 games, including three against Vanderbilt ... He has topped 200 yards passing eight times in his two seasons as a Rebel, including at Vanderbilt with 237 ... Snead had his streak of 13 straight games with a TD completion come to end against Alabama. His streak ranks second on the Rebel all-time list (three short) behind Eli Manning's school record ... Snead led the team in rushing for the first time in his career with a career-high 44 yards ... He has totaled 72 rushing yards over the last two games, including a career-long run of 24 yards at Vanderbilt.
• Senior WR Shay Hodge notched his second career 100-yard receiving game and first of the year at Vanderbilt with a career-high eight receptions for season-high 122 yards and two TDs, which tied his career high ... Hodge's team-high three scoring grabs this year move him alone into second on the Ole Miss all-time TD receptions list with 17 ... Hodge is eighth in the SEC in receiving yards (58.0 ypg) and ninth in receptions (3.8 rpg).
• Senior Dexter McCluster ranks second on the team in both rushing (32.6 ypg) and receiving (14 rec, 177 yds) ... McCluster led the team in rushing against South Carolina for the first time this year with season highs of 15 carries for 85 yards ... In the season opener at Memphis, McCluster posted 115 all-purpose yards (nine rushes for 50, six passes for 65) and two TDs (one rushing, one receiving, both in the fourth quarter).
• A total of 11 Rebels have scored TDs this season, led by Hodge's three scoring catches ... Sophomore RB Enrique Davis leads the team in rushing TDs with two … Junior WR Markeith Summers is second on the team in TD receptions with a pair ... Bolden and McCluster each have one rushing and one receiving.

MORE DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss is averaging 6.00 tackles for loss per game and notched a season-high 10.0 at Memphis ... The Rebels tied for the nation's lead in TFLs in 2008 averaging 8.62 pg.
• Five different Rebels have posted interceptions this year.
• Junior S Johnny Brown tops the team and ranks eighth in the SEC in tackles at 7.8 per game ... He is also tied for eighth in the conference in passes defended at 1.00 per game (4 PB, 1 INT) ... Brown has posted a pair of double-digit tackle performances, including 10 against Alabama ... In the season opener against Memphis, Brown made his first start since his freshman year, topped the team with a career-high 15 tackles and recorded his second career interception.
• Senior LB Patrick Trahan has totaled 17 stops in the last two games ... He led the team in stops at Vanderbilt with a career-high 11.
• Junior DE Kentrell Lockett has been credited with at least a half TFL in each game and leads the team with 5.0 ... Lockett also boasts team highs of 3.5 sacks and six QB pressures.
• Senior DE Greg Hardy has notched 1.0 TFL in each of the four games in which he has played ... Of his seven credited tackles, 4.0 are TFLs and 3.0 sacks.
• Senior S Kendrick Lewis ranks second on the team in tackles at 6.2 per game ... He totaled seven tackles, one TFL and two pass break-ups against Alabama.
• Senior CB Cassius Vaughn is fifth in the SEC in passes defended at 1.20 per game ... Vaughn has recorded five pass break-ups and his third career interception.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Freshman P Tyler Campbell posted a 71-yard punt against Alabama, which is the longest by a Rebel since Cody Ridgeway's 75-yarder in the 2001 Georgia game ... Since taking over punting duties the last three games, Campbell is averaging 45.0 yards in eight attempts with four inside the 20 yard line and two longer than 50.
• Senior K Joshua Shene has converted all five of his FG attempts this year, having drilled his 25-yarder against Alabama ... His streak of 88 straight PATs which stands as the second-longest in school history, came to an end at Vanderbilt as his third extra point attempt of the game was blocked ... It marks Shene's only missed kick of the year.
• Ole Miss ranks fourth in the SEC in kickoff coverage with a net of 45.1-yard average per kick ... Freshman K Andrew Ritter is averaging 65.1 yards per kickoff with five touchbacks in 26 attempts.
• Senior Marshay Green ranks third in the SEC in punt return average at 9.9 ypr ... Green had a season-long 36-yard punt return at South Carolina.
• Senior Dexter McCluster returned his first punt of the year with a nine-yarder against Alabama ... It marked his first return of any sort since the 2007 season.
• Five different Rebels have returned kickoffs this year ... Brandon Bolden has seven returns this season for a 23.1-yard average ... Freshman Jesse Grandy registered his five career kick returns against Alabama with a 23.0-yard clip ... Cordera Eason has notched his first three career kickoff returns (20.0 ypr), Derrick Herman had the first of his career (23 yards against Southeastern Louisiana) and Reggie Hicks his second (14 yards against South Carolina).

OLE MISS ON TV
• All five of the Rebels' games this season have been televised ... Two games have been on ESPN and one each on CBS, ESPNU and CSS.
• A total of 89 Ole Miss games have been on TV over the past 13 seasons ... Last year, the Rebels appeared on TV seven times, posting a 5-2 mark.
• All-time, this game will be the Rebels' 174th TV appearance since Ole Miss made its network TV debut in the 1953 Sugar Bowl versus Georgia Tech ... Ole Miss is 78-93-2 all-time in TV games.

SOLD OUT: Eleven days before the season even started, Ole Miss officials announced that football season tickets were sold out. It is believed to be the first time the Rebels have sold out of season tickets. The approximately 51,019 season tickets sold easily smashed the previous high mark of 48,180 in 2004.

GRADUATING REBELS: Four student-athletes on the Ole Miss football team have already received their undergraduate degrees. DT LaMark Armour, WR J.D. Lawhorn and K-P Justin Sparks are currently working on a second degree, while QB Billy Tapp is enrolled in graduate school.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related News

Related Videos