GAME NOTES: No. 18 Rebels Face Road Test At Vanderbilt

#18/21 Ole Miss (2-1, 0-1) vs. Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-2)

TIME: October 3, 2009, 6:05 p.m. CT

SITE (CAPACITY/SURFACE): Vanderbilt Stadium (39,773); Nashville, Tenn.

TV: ESPNU (Eric Collins, play-by-play; Brock Huard, analyst). 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 199, Sirius 214.

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.

POLLS: The Rebels are 18th in this week's USA Today Coaches' poll, 21st in the Associated Press poll and 18th in the first Harris Interactive Poll of 2009. 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. Vanderbilt does not appear in this week's polls.

SERIES INFO: This game will be the 84th meeting between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt dating back to 1894. The Rebels lead the series 46-35-2 and have won 12 of the last 16 meetings since 1992, despite last year's 23-17 setback in Oxford. The Commdores hold a 26-20-2 advantage in games played in Nashville. although the Rebels have taken five of the last seven. The Dores won the last two at Vanderbilt Stadium. Ole Miss leads 46-17-2 in SEC games versus VU. Vanderbilt won the first 19 games in the series, with Ole Miss having won 46 of the last 64 games played between the two teams.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ole Miss faces its third road test in the season's first four games ... The Rebels are shooting for their first 3-1 start since 2002 ... Ole Miss looks to bounce back from its first loss following an eight-game win streak ... The Rebels are attempting to split their first two SEC games for the second straight year ... Ole Miss is averaging 41.3 points over its last seven games ... Jevan Snead has completed a TD pass in 12 straight games.

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 is 1-2 against Vanderbilt as a head coach.

VANDERBILT HEAD COACH BOBBY JOHNSON: Bobby Johnson (Clemson, 1972) is in his eighth year as the head coach of the Commodores. He is 29-58 at Vanderbilt and has a career mark of 89-94 in his 16th season as a collegiate head coach. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt, Johnson spent eight seasons at Division I-AA Furman, guiding the Paladins to a 60-36 record with four trips to the Division I-AA playoffs. Johnson is 3-4 against Ole Miss.

VANDERBILT SCOUTING REPORT: The Commodores snapped a two-game skid with a 36-17 road win at Rice on Saturday. Freshman RB Warren Norman ran for 119 yards and a touchdown and his been Vanderbilt's top offensive weapon this year, rushing for 250 yards and three TDs. He also ranks fifth in the SEC in kickoff returns at 25.1 ypr. The Commodores top the conference in pass defense (106.2 ypg) and rank second in pass defense efficiency (80.2 effic.).

REBEL NOTEBOOK
• The last time the Rebels started the year 3-1 was 2002, when Ole Miss opened with a 5-1 mark.
• 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.

OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION
• Over its last seven games, Ole Miss is averaging 41.3 points per outing, while holding the opposition to just 11.9 points ... 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.

REB ZONE: Ole Miss has been practically perfect in the red zone thus far this season. In their 10 trips inside the 20 yard line, the Rebels have totaled nine touchdowns and one field goal. Of the nine TDs, five were rushing and four passing. Ole Miss is tied for the SEC lead in red zone production.

STINGY DEFENSE
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 12.0 points per game this year.
• Dating back to last season, the Rebels are holding opponents to just 11.9 points over the last seven games ... The Rebel defense has posted two shutouts in this span.
• Ole Miss has held the opposition under 300 yards of total offense twice this year and seven times under head coach Houston Nutt ... The Rebels limited South Carolina to 285 yards, including just 65 on the ground.

PASS DEFENSE IMPROVEMENT: After ranking 10th in pass defense efficiency a year ago, Ole Miss stands fourth in the SEC in that category after two games, limiting the opposition to an 94.3 efficiency rating. The Rebel defense has surrendered just one passing TD, while recording four interceptions.

TURNOVER MARGIN: Thus far this season, Ole Miss is +3 in turnover margin, which is tied for fourth in the SEC. Ole Miss has forced nine total turnovers this year with five by fumble and four via interception. Against Southeastern Louisiana, the Rebel defense recovered three fumbles for the first time since the 2005 Kentucky game.

PICK SIX: Dating back to last year, Ole Miss has posted an interception return for a TD in three of the last four games and notched multiple interceptions in seven of the last eight. 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. Three true freshmen scored touchdowns against Southeastern Louisiana: WR Pat Patterson on a 29-yard catch, WR Jesse Grandy on a 46-yard run and LB D.T. Shackelford on a 58-yard interception return. In addition, K Andrew Ritter is averaging 65.4 yards per kickoff with five touchbacks in 16 attempts, while P Tyler Campbell handled punting duties against South Carolina, averaging 43.4 yards in five attempts with two 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).

FIRST-TIME STARTERS: Seven Rebels have made their first career start this season. 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).

OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Junior QB Jevan Snead has completed at least one TD pass in 12 consecutive games, which is four short of Eli Manning's school record ... Snead had his school-record streak of multiple TD passes end at eight with the South Carolina game ... Snead has topped 200 yards passing seven times in his two seasons as a Rebel, including against Southeastern Louisiana this season ... He has not thrown an interception in the last two games.
• Senior Dexter McCluster led the team in rushing against South Carolina for the first time this year with season highs of 15 carries for 85 yards ... He failed to collect a reception for the first time in five games ... 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) ... He totaled three catches for 48 yards against Southeastern Louisiana.
• Sophomore RB Brandon Bolden led the team in rushing in the first two games of the season ... He ranks ninth in the SEC in rushing at 69.3 ypg ... Bolden topped the 100-yard mark for the second time in his career with 105 yards on 13 carries against Southeastern Louisiana.
• Junior WR Markeith Summers topped the team in receiving at South Carolina with two grabs for 60 yards and a TD ... He is the team leader in TD receptions with a pair.
• With his TD catch against Southeastern Louisiana, senior WR Shay Hodge collected the 15th of his career, which ties him with Mike Wallace for third on the Ole Miss all-time list … Hodge leads the team this year with nine receptions and 147 receiving yards.
• Sophomore RB Enrique Davis has rushed for a TD in two of the first three games and leads the team in rushing scores … Davis boasts five career touchdowns.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
• The South Carolina game marked the first time in 10 outings that the Rebel defense did not record an interception.
• Junior S Johnny Brown ranks third in the SEC in tackles at 8.7 per game ... In the season opener against Memphis, Brown made his first start since his freshman year and recorded his second career interception ... Brown also topped the team with a career-high 15 tackles.
• Senior S Kendrick Lewis topped the team in tackles at South Carolina with eight along with a pair of pass break-ups ... Lewis is averaging 7.3 stops per game, which ranks 10th in the SEC.
•Junior DT Jerrell Powe, who moved into the starting lineup in the second game of the year, has notched a team-high 4.0 TFLs ... Powe posted a career-high 2.0 in the season opener against Memphis, as the Rebel defense totaled 10 TFLs.
• Like Powe, junior DE Kentrell Lockett has been credited with at least one TFL in each of the first three games ... Lockett boasts 3.5 TFLs and team highs of 2.0 sacks and four QB pressures.
• Through three games, senior CB Cassius Vaughn boasts four pass break-ups and his third career interception ... Vaughn has registered two picks in the last four games, dating back to last season.
• At South Carolina, senior DE Greg Hardy tallied two tackles, a sack, two pressures and a pass break-up..
• At South Carolina, senior DE Emmanuel Stephens posted four tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack, a forced fumble and a QB pressure.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC in kickoff coverage with a net of 47.3-yard average per kick ... Freshman K Andrew Ritter is averaging 65.1 yards per kickoff with five touchbacks in 19 attempts.
• Senior K Joshua Shene remains perfect on the season, connecting on all 12 PATs and three FGs, including a pair of 42-yarders ... Shene has extended his streak of successful PATs to 86, which is second on the all-time Rebel charts.
• Senior Marshay Green had a season-long 36-yard punt return at South Carolina ... Green ranks second in the SEC in PR average at 11.2 ypr.
• Making his Rebel debut at South Carolina, freshman P Tyler Campbell punted five times for 217 yards with two inside the 20 yard line.
• After going 3-for-3 on fakes last year, Ole Miss was unable to convert its first of 2009, as Derrick Davis' second-quarter catch from holder Justin Sparks off a faked FG fell a yard shy of the first down.
• Four different Rebels have returned kickoffs this year ... Brandon Bolden, who totaled seven returns last year, has four returns this season, including three at South Carolina, for a 22.5-yard average ... 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 VS. SEC EAST
• Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 26-25 versus the SEC Eastern Division.
• Ole Miss is 12-5 during this time against Vanderbilt, who is the Rebels' permanent East opponent.
• In 2003, the Rebels recorded their first three-game sweep of their SEC East opponents with wins over Vanderbilt, Florida and South Carolina.

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

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