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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Game Primer: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas
9/4/2019 | Football
Rebels, Razorbacks to Meet for 66th Time
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OLE MISS (0-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. ARKANSAS (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Saturday, Sept. 7 • 6:30 p.m. • Oxford, Miss. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038)  |
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| Watch • Listen • Live Stats • Buy Tickets • Gameday Info Ole Miss Game Notes • Arkansas Game Notes • SEC Game Notes |
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WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Ole Miss and Arkansas will be meeting on the field for the 66th time in a series that dates back to 1908.
• Ole Miss records show the Rebels trailing the series 27-35-1 (two wins taken away due to NCAA ruling), while Arkansas' records indicate a 36-26-1 advantage for the Razorbacks ... Arkansas claims a forfeit victory in a 1914 game that Ole Miss won 13-7.
• Arkansas holds a 16-9 edge since it joined the SEC in 1992.
• Ole Miss is 96-17-5 (.835 winning pct.) in home openers after vacations ... When playing their home opener in Oxford, the Rebels are 73-10-4 (.862 winning pct.) ... Ole Miss has won each of its last seven home openers on the field.
• Ole Miss is 96-33-3 (.739 winning pct.) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including a 71-20-2 (.774 winning percentage) mark in Sept. games played in Oxford after vacated wins.
• Ole Miss is 31-49-3 all-time in SEC openers after vacations... This is the first time since 2014 that the Rebels haven't opened up SEC play vs. Alabama.
• Transfer LB Lakia Henry tallied a game-high seven tackles vs. Memphis in his Rebel debut.
• 15 Rebels made their Ole Miss debut Saturday vs. Memphis, including five that earned starting spots.
• Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in tackles for loss after posting eight TFLs in their season opener vs. Memphis.
• Matt Luke is in his 12th season at Ole Miss and third season at the helm, taking the reins of his alma mater full time prior to the 2018 campaign as the 38th head coach in program history.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH MATT LUKE
Matt Luke (Ole Miss, 2000) is in his 12th season at Ole Miss and third season at the helm, taking the reins of his alma mater as the 38th head coach in program history. He was born a Rebel as his family has ties to Ole Miss that span three generations. During his 25 years as a player and coach at the collegiate level, Luke has risen through the ranks while learning from a number of successful veteran coaches. He has worked alongside national champion Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, Duke head coach David Cutcliffe and former Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville, among others. Luke, a four-year center for the Rebels (1995-98), spent five seasons as the team's co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach before being promoted to interim head coach for the 2017 season. During his first stop in Oxford (2002-05), he served four seasons coaching the Ole Miss tight ends and offensive line under Cutcliffe.
ARKANSAS HEAD COACH CHAD MORRIS
Chad Morris (Texas A&M, 1992) is in his second year as Arkansas' head coach and comes into Saturday's game with a 3-10 record early into his head coaching campaign in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Morris, who owns a 17-32 overall coaching record, was head coach at SMU from 2015-17 after a four-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Clemson. During his three seasons at SMU, Morris took the Mustangs from a 1-11 campaign in 2013 before he took over to the program's first bowl bid since 2012 with a 7-5 mark in 2017. Morris inherited an offense that ranked last (128th) in the FBS in scoring in 2014 (11.8) and turned it into the nation's eighth-highest scoring offense (40.1) in 2017. The 2017 SMU offense marked the fourth time and third different program that Morris has either been the head coach or offensive coordinator of that has finished in the top 10 in the FBS in scoring average at more than 40 points per game. During his four years at Clemson as offensive coordinator, Morris helped the Tigers post a 41-11 record and two BCS Orange Bowl appearances. He spent 16 years as a high school head coach in Texas, winning three state titles and earning coach of the year honors 11 times.
RAZORBACK SCOUTING REPORT
The Arkansas Razorbacks head into Oxford 1-0 after a 20-13 season-opening win over Portland State on Saturday. Touchdowns on the ground from Devwah Whaley and Rakeem Boyd, along with three Razorback interceptions, were enough to grab a win in the season opener. Arkansas racked up 395 total yards, with 204 coming on the ground. Boyd paced the Razorbacks on the ground with 114 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. SMU transfer Ben Hicks got the start at QB for Arkansas and was 14-of-29 for 143 yards. Fellow transfer Nick Starkel entered the game late for the Razorbacks and finished 4-for-5 for 48 yards and one interception. The Arkansas defense limited Portland State to 230 yards and tallied three interceptions for the first time since 2014. The Razorbacks also tallied six total sacks, including two apiece from McTelvin Agim and Kamren Curl. Connor Limpert, a 2018 Lou Groza Award semifinalist, was 2-for-2 in field goal attempts.
OLE MISS-ARKANSAS SERIES HISTORY
• Ole Miss and Arkansas will be meeting on the field for the 66th time in a series that dates back to 1908.
• Ole Miss records show the Rebels trailing the series 27-35-1 (two wins taken away due to NCAA ruling), while Arkansas' records indicate a 36-26-1 advantage for the Razorbacks ... Arkansas claims a forfeit victory in a 1914 game that Ole Miss won 13-7.
• Arkansas holds a 16-9 edge since it joined the SEC in 1992 after vacated wins.
• The last four games between Ole Miss and Arkansas have been decided by four or less points.
• This is the first time that the Rebels and Razorbacks have played each other in an SEC opener for both teams.
HOME OPENERS
Ole Miss is 96-17-5 (.835 winning pct.) in home openers during its 125 seasons of fielding a football team after vacated wins. The Rebels did not have a home game during the 1900 season. When playing their home opener in Oxford, the Rebels are 73-10-4 (.862 winning pct.). Ole Miss has won each of its last seven home openers on the field. The Rebels' last season-opening loss came in 2011 when BYU beat Ole Miss 14-13 in Oxford.
OLE MISS IN SEPTEMBER
• Ole Miss is 152-89-7 (.627 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September after vacated wins.
• Ole Miss is 96-33-3 (.739 winning pct.) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including a 71-20-2 (.774 winning percentage) mark in September games played in Oxford.
ARKANSAS REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features three players who hail from Arkansas: ILB Andrew Griffith (Bentonville), WR Jadon Jackson (Centerton) and OL Darius Thomas (Jonesboro).
REBEL-RAZORBACK CONNECTIONS
• DB Jaylon Jones and QB Grant Tisdale, along with the Razorbacks' Connor Limpert all attended Allen High School in Allen, Texas.
• Freshman wideout Josh Ricketts and K Cale Nation played with Arkansas TE Grayson Gunter at Madison Central High in Madison, Mississippi.
• ILB Lakia Henry and Arkansas' Chad Stephens played together at Dodge City Community College.
• Senior ILB Willie Hibbler and QB K.J. Jefferson both attended North Panola HS in Sardis, Mississippi.
• OL Chandler Tuitt and the Razorbacks' Nicholas Fulwider were teammates at Sandy Creek HS in Fayetteville, Georgia.
• OL Darius Thomas attended Jonesboro HS in Jonesboro, Arkansas, along with the Razorbacks' Noah Gatlin, Logan Orr, Asa Shearin.
FIRST-TIME STARTERS
Nine Rebels made their first career starts against Memphis: (Offense) Matt Corral (QB), Dontario Drummond (WR), Michael Howard (OL), Eli Johnson (OL), Jonathan Mingo (WR), Royce Newman (OL); (Defense) Jon Haynes (DB), Lakia Henry (ILB), Sam Williams (OLB).
DEBUTS
Fifteen players made their Ole Miss debut in the season opener: Nick Broeker (OL), Ashanti Cistrunk (DB), Snoop Conner (RB), Jalen Cunningham (OL), Dontario Drummond (WR), Jerrion Ealy (RB), A.J. Finley (DB), Demarcus Gregory (WR), Casey Griffith (K), Jon Haynes (DB), Lakia Henry (OLB), Jalen Jordan (DB), Jonathan Mingo (WR), Deantre Prince (DB), Sam Williams (OLB).
BROTHERLY COMPANY
Ole Miss is one of only nine FBS schools in the country to have brothers on the same coaching staff as running backs coach Derrick Nix enters his 12th year at Ole Miss and Tyrone Nix is in his fifth overall season (second stint) coaching outside linebackers. If you include support staff, Matt and Tom Luke (Assistant A.D. for Player Devolpment), the Rebels are the only school in the country to have two sets of brothers on staff.
• Jeff, Brian & Greg Brohm (HC, OC, Ops) - Purdue
• Travis & Trent Greene (GAs) - Syracuse
• Thomas & Tyquan Hammock (HC & GA) - Northern Illinois
• Willy & Colton Korn (Co-OC & Def. GA) - South Alabama
• Matt & Tom Luke (HC & Player Dev.) - Ole Miss
• Joey & Kevin Lynch (AHC/OC & RB) - Ball State
• Derrick & Tyrone Nix (RB & OLB) - Ole Miss
• Jake & Zac Spavital (HC & DC) - Texas State
• Matt & Luke Wells (HC & TE/IR) - Texas Tech
• Kyle & Freddie Whittingham (HC & TE) - Utah
WATCH LIST REBELS
Ole Miss players have garnered a bunch of preseason honors this year, including several players tabbed Preseason All-America and Preseason All-SEC by media outlets. The following Rebels have been recognized on watch lists for some of the biggest awards in college football:
• Mac Brown: Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, Wuerffel Tropy
• Octavious Cooley: Mackey Award
• Matt Corral: FWAA Freshman All-America Team
• Jerrion Ealy: FWAA Freshman All-America Team
• Luke Logan: Lous Groza Award
• Scottie Phillips: Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award
• MoMo Sanogo: Butkus Award
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Three Rebels tallied their first career receptions vs. Memphis:
- TE Jason Pellerin: 15-yard grab during the second quarter.
- RB Snoop Cooner: Six-yard reception during the third quarter.
- WR Miles Battle: Five-yard reception during the third quarter.
• RB Scottie Phillips carried the ball 19 times for 62 yards and one touchdown in the season opener vs. the Tigers.
• Phillips has now tallied a TD in eight of his 12 games in an Ole Miss uniform.
• WR Elijah Moore hauled in four catches for 60 yards, including a long of 36 yards.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• The 13 points (safety doesn't count towards defense) given up by the Ole Miss defense to Memphis were the fewest allowed by an Rebel defense unit since 2016 when Ole Miss beat Wofford 38-13.
• Ole Miss ranks third in the conference and 22nd nationally with eight tackles for loss
• ILB Lakia Henry recorded a team-high seven total tackles in his Ole Miss debut at Memphis.
• DL Benito Jones tallied his first career interception with a pick during the third quarter vs. the Tigers.
• DL Josiah Coatney posted a career-high seven solo tackles against Memphis.
• DB Keidron Smith had a career-high seven total tackles, six of which were solo stops.
• The Ole Miss defense recorded eight tackles for loss vs. Memphis, including two TFLs by Luke Knox and Jaylon Jones.
• DE Ryder Anderson had a career-high in solo stops (7) at Memphis.
SPECIAL TEAM NOTES
• P Mac Brown punted five times for an average of 46.8 yards per punt, including a long of 54 yards.
• Brown ranks third in the SEC and 15th nationally with an average of 46.8 yards per punt.
• K Luke Logan was 1-of-2 on field goals, including a 35-yard field goal in the third quarter.
MAC BROWN RAISES NEARLY 70K FOR ALS
When he was in seventh grade, Ole Miss punter Mac Brown had a modest goal of raising $500 for a childhood friend's dad who had been diagnosed with ALS. Along with a group of neighborhood friends, Brown started a lemonade stand, Awesome Lemonade Stand, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, to help his friend's family. Eight years later, that $500 goal has ballooned to nearly $70,000 raised by Brown and his friends for ALS research. The Awesome Lemonade Stand is held on a late day in June and this year's fundraiser raised more than $17,000 alone.
125 SEASONS OF OLE MISS FOOTBALL
This year is the 125th season of football at Ole Miss and the third under head coach Matt Luke. The Rebels boast an all-time record of 638-525-35 (.547 winning percentage) after vacated wins. Ole Miss did not field teams in 1897 due to an epidemic of yellow fever, and also in 1943 when football was abolished at all Mississippi state-supported institutions by the Board of Trustees.
HEAD COACHING EXPERIENCE
After the 2018 campaign, Matt Luke found himself in the market for both an offensive and defensive coordinator, and he delivered in a big way. Mike MacIntyre, a two-time national coach of the year and coaching veteran with nearly three decades of experience, will take over the reigns as the Rebels' defensive coordinator while Rich Rodriguez, considered one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football, will serve as Ole Miss' offensive coordinator. Ole Miss is one of only two teams in the nation, along with Alabama, to have three coaches with Power 5 head coaching experience.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
A large portion of Ole Miss' experience is on the defensive side of the ball as the Rebels brought back 33 letterwinners and eight starters from the 2018 Landshark defense. Nearly half of the returning defensive players, 19, have starting experience and provide quality depth for Mike MacIntyre as the Rebels transitioned to a 3-4 base defensive system. Seniors Benito Jones and Josiah Coatney help anchor the Rebel defensive line. Coatney finished third on the team in 2018 with 63 total tackles, while Jones was a load on the inside, recording nine tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries. Linebacker MoMo Sanogo returned for his junior campaign after leading Ole Miss in tackles last season with 112. The Rebels also returned some key starters and additional depth in the secondary. Myles Hartsfield and Jalen Julius are back for their senior seasons, while cornerback and return specialist Jaylon Jones also return from injury to help add experience in the Rebel defensive backfield.
CHUCKY MULLINS COURAGE AWARD
In the spring, senior DE Austrian Robinson became the 29th different Rebel to be awarded the Chucky Mullins Courage Award, which goes to a standout defensive player each year. The award honors the late Chucky Mullins, who had his Ole Miss career come to an end during the 1989 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt when he was paralyzed after making a tackle. After returning to his studies at Ole Miss, Mullins passed away May 6, 1991. Robinson wears the No. 38 jersey in Mullins' honor this season.
LUKE'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW ON TUESDAYS
RebTalk, the official weekly radio show of Ole Miss Athletics, is moving to a new day and location for this season. Beginning Aug. 27, RebTalk will be broadcast each Tuesday this fall at Bouré in downtown Oxford from 7-8 p.m. The show, which is hosted by the "Voice of the Rebels" David Kellum and includes special guests, will air live on the Ole Miss IMG Sports Network. Ole Miss Football head coach Matt Luke and select players will join the broadcast each Tuesday throughout the season.
