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The University of Mississippi Athletics
GAMEDAY PREVIEW: Ole Miss at No. 8 Alabama
10/16/2010 | Football
Oct. 16, 2010
Gameday Central | Scouting Report
TV: ESPN2 | Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network (Sirius 216, XM 201; In-Stadium Frequency: 89.7 FM)
WEB: Video: ESPN3.com | Audio: RebelVision
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - A string of three straight games against current top-15 ranked opponents kicks off for Ole Miss today as the Rebels (3-2, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) visit the defending national champion, No. 8 Alabama (5-1, 2-1).
Game time is 8 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It will be televised on ESPN2 and can also be seen on ESPN3.com.
The Rebels follow today's matchup with an Oct. 23 date at No. 12 Arkansas before returning home to host No. 7 Auburn on Oct. 30.
Ole Miss has had two weeks to prepare for the defending champs. The team had a bye following its 42-35 victory over Kentucky.
"The bye came at a really good time for us," said Rebel head coach Houston Nutt. "We know what kind of atmosphere we're getting ready to walk into. We know the environment and how good they are. Nick [Saban] and their football team is good and we know that. I'm excited about our guys being back on the field."
Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) against the Wildcats, while Brandon Bolden registered his second straight 100-yard effort on the ground to help the Rebels notch their first SEC win of the season.
Jesse Grandy was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after he racked up 112 return yards against Kentucky, including a career-long 73-yard punt return. The return to the UK 7-yardline inside the final minute of the third quarter set up the Ole Miss' final touchdown of the game and marked his second straight week with a return of 50-plus yards.
Overall, Ole Miss owns the No. 1 scoring offense in the SEC, averaging 37.2 points per game.
Alabama suffered its first regular-season loss since 2007 when South Carolina upset the top-ranked Tide 35-21 this past Saturday in Columbia, S.C. Nick Saban's team had been No. 1 in the polls since the preseason.
"In the kind of league we're in, anybody can beat anybody," Nutt said. "That was a tough environment. I challenge anybody in the country to go play [Alabama's] schedule and see what happens one out of three times."
While the Rebels are first in the SEC in scoring offense, the Crimson Tide leads the league in scoring defense, allowing just 13.3 points per contest. Alabama averages 35 points per game on offense.
The two-headed running game features defending Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram (404 yards on 56 carries, six touchdowns) and Trent Richardson, who actually leads the team in rushing with 455 yards on 63 carries, adding four touchdowns. Both runners average more than seven yards per carry.
Alabama leads the all-time series 46-9-2 and has a commanding 23-1 lead in games played in Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss' only win there came in the 1988 season.
