BLOG FROM THE BOX: Ole Miss 25, LSU 23 FINAL

In addition to live stats and audio, OleMissSports.com is also providing another edition of Blog From The Box with live updates and insight from the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium press box. Today's guest blogger is Steven Godfrey, an Ole Miss Alumnus and a former sports writer and Editor for Rebel Yell magazine, The Daily Mississippian, The New Albany Gazette, The Hattiesburg American and The Local Voice (Oxford). You can visit him online at www.thegodfreyshow.com

The blog will attempt to answer your questions about the game, its coverage and the teams involved. If you have a question, please e-mail webchat@olemiss.edu. The blog is also easily accessible on smartphones by typing m.olemisssports.com (no www) in the browser. Gameday updates are also available through the official Rebel Twitter account, @OleMissNow.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

In the 98th meeting of this storied rivalry, the average football fan couldn't have asked for much more suspense, although most Rebels would've prefered a little less cardiac stress. Ole Miss has beaten LSU for the second time in as many years, retaining the Magnolia Bowl trophy. The last time Ole Miss built a streak on the Tigers was 1997-99. Most of the fans have yet to leave the stadium, as Houston Nutt's team has posted up in front of the south end zone tunnel. Good night from Oxford, Mississippi, where it has been a privilige to witness a SEC football game for the ages.

Check out OleMissSports.com for more information and updates on Ole Miss Rebel football.

6:12 pm Q4 The game is over, LSU could not get to the line of scrimmage on a first down deep in Ole Miss territory after Jefferson connected with Terrance Tolliver. With one second left on the game clock the teams scrambled to get in position, but LSU was unable to snap the ball. An unbelievable, classic of a game ended in absolute mayhem. The Rebel team rushes the field and Vaught Hemingway erupts. 25-23 is the final.

6:09 pm Q4 This place is nuts. 4th and 26 for Ole Miss....

6:06 pm Q4 Emmanuel Stephens with a huge sack of Jefferson, a loss of 9 puts the ball on the Ole Miss 41.

6:05 pm Q4 LSU recovers the onsides kick. Gotta make it interesting...

6:03 pm Q4 Jefferson goes right back to the left side on almost identical play and it's bobbled out of bounds. The Rebels hold, 25-23.

6:01 pm Q4 Pass interefence results in a second try...

6:00 pm Q4 Randle hauls in a 25 yard TD pass. 2 PT attempt coming....

5:56 pm Q4 LSU driving now, crossing midfield with a pass to Terrance Tolliver. The ball is at the Ole Miss 47 with 2:15 left.

5:53 pm Q4 After much examination it has been decided that the Rebel fans are "crunker" as you go from north to south in Vaught-Hemingway. The students are at a peak level of crunk, optimal for fourth quarters.

5:51 pm Q4 How games are won in the SEC: That Ole Miss drive took 15 plays and 60 yards, but chewed 8:26 off the clock. LSU is now down 8 with 3:42 left.

5:50 pm Q4 Jevan wisely throws away a pass on a well covered second down, then Bolden rushes for little gain. Shene hits a 23-yard field goal and the Rebels go up 25-17.

5:47 pm Q4 More on Hodge: This is his fourth 100 yard game of the year, and that ties a single season Ole Miss record for 100-yard games for a receiver.

5:46 pm Q4 LSU's worst fears might becoming true - Jevan Snead is throwing the ball with accuracy and velocity. And to the right spots.

5:44 pm Q4 Shay Hodge hauls in a first down grab. He just broke 100 yards, with six catches for 103 yards and one TD.

5:43 pm Q4 False start by Bradley Sowell puts Ole Miss in a 3rd and 9.

5:40 pm Q4 Most of us were totally faked out as the Rebels converted for a first down just now. Should've known - just watch #22.

5:37 pm Q4 Now it's a Landshark defense. LSU punts on 4th and 13 on their own 21. Ole Miss declined a face mask penalty. Jefferson took some contact on the drive and got up slowly, so it will be interesting to see how he's used on their next drive.

5:35 pm Q4 Patrick Trahan forces a fumble of Williams on a carry, but several Rebels fail to grab hold of the ball. Debating the merits of scoop and score? There's your evidence.

5:32 pm Q4 News of the understated: The V-H south end zone is very, very, very loud right now. I've heard airliners take off with more discretion.

5:29 pm Q4 Talk about a record breaking play! Dexter hits his first completion and touchdown as a passer, hitting Shay Hodge all by himself for a 27-yard score. Dex was 0-4 last year as a passer in the Wild Rebel formation. Needless to say that the coaches simply should have rolled him out more. (Sarcasm)

5:24 pm Q4 Jefferson throws up a hail mary but can't find anyone. The punt from the Tiger 9-yard-line is fair-caught by Marshay Green at the LSU 44-yard line. The Tigers showed no fear on that drive, taking shots deep down field. This is the best Jefferson has looked as a passer all year.

5:18 pm Q3 A scoreless third quarter ends. When we return LSU will face a 2nd and 17 on their own 4-yard line, and with the change of quarters the Tigers will be up against the student section in the north end zone. Time to out-holler the reputation of Death Valley.

5:17 pm Q3 LSU escapes punting from their own 2 yard line with a pass interference call on Cassius Vaughn. Adding injury to insult, the flag thrown actually hits Vaughn in the midsection.

5:13 pm Q3 Snead can't hook up with Shay Hodge for a touchdown pass on third down. Tyler Campbell's punt is downed on the one yard line by Lionel Breaux with a great grab.

5:10 pm Q3 Dexter defies the logic of football. How he manages to escape the wrath of some of the best linebackers and linemen in the nation boggles the mind. First down, Ole Miss.

5:07 pm Q3 Tigers are about to punt on 4th and 18 after a delay of game penalty and a Marcus Tillman sack slowed their progress. Still no scoring in the third quarter. One would wonder if this game will come down to a late field goal, as history has a habit of repeating itself in this rivalry.

5:03 pm Q3 Today's attendance at Vaught-Hemginway Stadium: 61,752. That's the fourth largest crowd in the stadium's history.

5:02 pm Q3 Jordan Jefferson has moved with no apparent restrictions. For a high ankle sprain, he's looked pretty mobile.

4:59 pm Q3 Just in from your Rebel press box - Dexter McCluster breaks 100 yards rushing for the second straight game and the fourth consecutive SEC game this year. A feather in the cap of Northern Arizona, surely. Then again, he had two carries in that game.

4:57 pm Q3 Snead can't connect on third down, but a generous bounce gives Tyler Campbell a 56 yard punt. Now the Tigers are pinned down on their own 6.

4:55 pm Q3 No greater example of the difference in the talent of LSU and Tennessee's defenses than McCluster's 16 yard run just now. The UT defenders couldn't catch DMc in the secondary, and the Tigers most certainly can.

4:52 pm Q3 Marshay Green fair-catches a 36-yard punt after LSU comes three yards short on a third down pass. Almost halfway through the third quarter and both defenses have seemed to calm down. If it's adjustments or simply an absence of jitters, the pacing now favors a low scoring game.

4:45 pm Q3 Markieth Summers drops a pass on 3rd and 6 to stall the Rebels for a matching 3-and-out. Tyler Campbell booms a 37-yard punt. Per the CBS broadcast, the game is officially brought to you by "The Blind Side." Synergy in marketing.

4:41 pm Q3 Picture time! Picture time! Check out our latest photo uploads - it's like you're at the game, or if you're actually attending, it's like you've got better seats.

4:40 pm Q3 The Rebels force a 3-and-out for the first time today. So far this game has featured only punt today until this point.

4:38 pm Q3 Kentrell Lockett wants your fins in the air, sacking Jefferson on second down of the half's opening drive.

4:33 pm Q3 Second half is about to start, as most of the daylight has faded on this fine, rain-free Saturday afternoon in Oxford. Techno music is rattling Vaught-Hemingway.

4:29 pm HALF Hard to tell which of the two penalties hurt Ole Miss more. Right now there's a spirited debate about whether or not Shay Hodge was pushed out of bounds by the LSU defender. And by spirited, I mean grumpy and dejected.

4:27 pm HALF Ole Miss is 0-3 when trailing at the half this season. I've got good odds our friends at CBS throw this fun fact up in the third quarter.

4:22 pm HALF At the half, here's some fun with numbers - Run DMc (lawsuit likely pending) has 85 yards rushing on 13 carries and 18 yards receiving on 3 grabs. Snead is 10 of 13 for 155 yards. Notably, Snead hasn't thrown an interception... yet. Brandon Bolden has a serviceable 25 yards on seven carries.

4:11 pm 2Q Halftime. Take a breath, have a beverage, stretch your legs. Tell a loved one that they're exactly that.

4:09 pm 2Q Ole Miss seems content to burn the clock. Clearly they don't subscribe to my personal offensive philsophy on Madden '09.

4:07 pm 2Q This just in to the Ole Miss press box: Per the well-timed cheering of the crowd and the musical stylings on the speakers, love is officially gone.

4:06 pm 2Q Emmanuel Stephens hits Jordan Jefferson for a big sack on third down. Eight yards lost and LSU must punt on 4th and 14. Given that the Tigers get the ball back in the second half, it's a huge stop if the Rebs can create some points with 1:39 remaining.

4:03 pm 2Q Keiland Williams continues to command the LSU rushing game between the tackles. If Jefferson stays on point passing the ball, LSU could roll with that kind of balance on offense.

3:58 pm 2Q That "Zombie" electro song fires up the crowd. Nothing says tradition and excitement for America's greatest game than imported European dance music.

3:57pm 2Q Success, finally. Jesse Grandy rushes in from the right side for a three yard touchdown keyed by great blocking by Andy Hartman and Bobby Massie. The 2-point conversion fails on a mess pass attempt by Snead. 5 plays, 47 yards, 1:43. LSU leads 17-15.

3:56pm 2Q Timeout by the Rebels, and CBS takes one as well. The Rebels are gathered on the West side of the LSU 25 yard line and the student section is making what I'd consider "anxious" noise.

3:54 pm 2Q The Rebels get to the LSU 8-yard-line on a Shay Hodge reception. Again, deep in the red zone. Can they get the elusive six?

3:53 pm 2Q Jevan Snead hits Shay Hodge for a reception, but the receiver fumbles. The plays goes under review after the ruling on the field is that LSU recovers. Video review overturns the call on the field and the crowd erupts. Small victories, Rebels.

3:52 pm 2Q LSU tries for an onsides kick, but the Rebels take possession when the kick bounces out of bounds. LSU is penalized five yards and now the Rebels sit with great position.

3:50 pm 2Q Dexter McCluster should consider a political career at this point. His touchdown rush against Tennessee was just named the favorite play of the last decade for Ole Miss fans, topping the Florida upset in 2008 and many a LSU and Mississippi State game.

3:47 pm 2Q Josh Jasper hits a 50 yard field goal to extend the LSU lead. The Tigers are now ahead 17-9, but only shave 2:15 off the clock.

3:45pm 2Q The home crowd finally roars back to life, and LSU is penalized for delay of game. UPDATED: Then they aren't, as the officials wave off the flag and say LSU coach Les Miles called timeout. Just what the home office in Birmingham needed this weekend - another game with zebras front and center.

3:42pm 2Q More fun with lies and statistics: Ole Miss has outrushed the Tigers by double thus far...

3:40pm 2Q Speculation abounds in the press box if a potential jersey change for the Rebels would cause a penalty, and whether or not that penalty would be worth it. Ole Miss has not scored a touchdown wearing red jerseys in 2009.

3:38 pm 2Q Terrance Tolliver snags a perfectly thrown 31-yard pass from Jefferson, as LSU drives down the field. Jefferson looks like a new man since his first quarter interception, and Ole Miss' defensive front has been gashed by Keiland Williams on first down.

3:36 pm 2Q Misleading stat thus far? Time of possession. Ole Miss leads 14:58 to 6:11. Field goals versus touchdowns....

3:31 pm 2Q The liveblog jinx ju-ju is STRONG. False start by Bobby Massie stalls the drive and Joshua Shene hits a 33-yard field goal attempt to shorten the LSU lead to 14-9. 12 plays, 45 yards, 6:11. Once again the Rebels look disjointed in the red zone. LSU has keyed on McCluster, not surprisingly, so it's up to the Rebels to either stretch the field with Snead's arm or find some balance in the backfield.

3:30 pm 2Q Ole Miss sits at the LSU 11-yard line after a McCluster rush. Can they convert for a touchdown? These shorter red zones have given them trouble this afternoon.

3:24 pm 2Q Just a reminder here people - you can email comments and questions directly to yours truly. I anxiously await your queries. Email webchat@olemiss.edu

3:21 pm The first quarter ends with a round of boos from the home fans, still stinging from two touchdowns called off by the officials. In happier, less emotional news, former Rebel baseball great Chris Coglahn was honored during the commercial break for his recent NL Rookie of the Year honor.

3:16 pm Jordan Jefferson connects with Reuben Randle for a 17 yard touchdown reception on 3rd and 14, capping a balanced scoring drive helped. 8 plays and 53 yards in 3:13.

3:07 pm Joshua Shene rebounds from his previous blocked kick to hit a 25 yarder. Ole Miss trails LSU 7-6. The Rebels have stalled twice in the red zones on otherwise strong drives. 8 plays for 62 yards, on 4:09.

3:05 pm Wild Rebel makes its first appearance of the day, as McCluster holds and rushes for a single yard.

3:01 pm Momentum swings, as Snead hooks with freshman wideout Markeith Summers for a 42 yard completion.

2:59 pm Vaught Hemingway has fallen silent during the commercial break.

2:56 pm Patrick Peterson of LSU returns a blocked field goal 52 yards for LSU and the Tigers take a 7-3 lead. The attempt was from 45 yards out. Ole Miss has had two touchdowns waved off in the last three minutes, which should only serve to further the ire of the "SEC conspiracy" cause. Al Woods of LSU on the block.

2:54 pm The officials have found themselves involved early and often. Jevan Snead's pass to Shay Hodge on 3rd and 16 was waved off as incomplete because Hodge stepped out of bounds. The pass would have been a touchdown.

2:50 pm Penalties negate an Ole Miss interception return for a touchdown. The combo of unsportsmanlike conduct and a block in the back result in a six yard INT return by senior Cassius Vaughn. Shades of Travis Johnson in 2003 are wiped away by flags. As far as omens go, Rebel fans would do well to stay away from that heartbreaker.

2:47 pm The crowd has filled to capacity after a small lull early in the game, with LSU blocking out half of the south end zone in addition to the designated visitor's section.

2:40 pm Snead fumbles the ball foward on a 3rd down scramble, bringing up 4th and 6. Joshua Shene hits a 45-yard field goal by the grace of a crossbar. Had Snead not gained his single yard on the previous play, Shene's kick would've fallen short. 3-0 Rebels on a 6 plays, 53, 2:13 off the clock.

2:38 pm All-everything WR/RB Dexter McCluster rushes for 57 yards on 2nd down of the opening drive.

2:36 pm Temperature at kickoff is 51 degrees with overcast skies. Sun has just broken through.

2:35 pm Sandra Bullock, star of "The Blind Side," leads the Ole Miss fans in Hotty Toddy. Bullock has appeared as a Rebel in two films now, after portraying a law student and daughter of Ole Miss graduates in the 1996 adaptation of John Grisham's "A Time To Kill."

2:32 pm: LSU wins the coin toss, but defers to the second half. Ole Miss will receive.

2:31 pm: Good afternoon from Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. 27 Rebel seniors will take the field for the last time, as Ole Miss takes on No. 8 LSU in the 2009 home footbal finale. The Rebels have just exited the tunnel with red jerseys, having changed from blue during pregame warm-ups. This is the second time this season Ole Miss has worn red, the first coming against Alabama.

2:15 pm: Among the presentations today, Ole Miss will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first national championship by welcoming the 1959 team to the field during pre-game ceremonies. The 1960 SEC Champion Rebel baseball team will also be honored prior to kickoff, in addition to senior ceremonies when 27 members of this year's senior class will be recognized.

At halftime, the SEC Champion Ole Miss tennis team and NCAA Champion Devin Britton will be honored. Former Rebel baseball player and reigning National League Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan will also be distinguished during the game. Following the game, the student body president of the winning school will present the Magnolia Bowl trophy to their team.

A number of bowls are represented in the press box today, including the Sugar, Capital One, Cotton, Outback and Chick-fil-A Bowls.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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