MAGNOLIA BOWL: Ole Miss (6-4, 3-3) vs. #18 LSU (7-3, 3-3)
TIME: November 22, 2008, 2:30 p.m.CT
SITE (CAPACITY): Tiger Stadium (92,400), Baton Rouge, La.
TV: CBS (Verne Lundquist, play-by-play; Gary Danielson, color analyst; Tracy Wolfson sideline reporter).
The
CSS replay of the game will be Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
RADIO:
Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter). Satellite radio: XM 200, Sirius 218. In-Stadium Frequency: 89.9 FM.
WEB: OleMissSports.com will provide live audio through
RebelVision, live stats and an in-game blog. The official Rebel athletics website will also provide a full game recap and a photo gallery.
POLLS: LSU is ranked 18th in both the AP and USA Today Coaches’ polls. Ole Miss is receiving votes in the AP rankings. The Rebels also received votes in both week 5 polls.
SERIES INFO: This game will be the 97th all-time between the Ole Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers dating back to 1894. LSU is Ole Miss’ second-most played opponent besides Mississippi State, whom the Rebels will play for the 105th time on November 28. LSU holds a 55-37-4 advantage in the series. The Tigers have won six straight overall and three in a row at Tiger Stadium. LSU holds a 36-24-1 edge in Baton Rouge and prevailed 23-20 in overtime in 2006. Ole Miss’ last victory in the series was a 35-24 triumph in Baton Rouge in 2001.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: This will mark the first game of the
Magnolia Bowl series, established by the schools’ student governments ... The last three games played in Baton Rouge in the Ole Miss-LSU series have been decided by three points or less ... The Rebels are bowl eligible for the first time since 2003 ... Ole Miss is off to its best start and has recorded its most wins since 2003 ... The Rebels are riding their longest win streak since 2003 ... Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in both rushing offense (187.9 ypg) and rushing defense (103.4 ypg) ...
Cordera Eason has registered back-to-back 100-yard rushing games ... Groza Award semifinalist
Joshua Shene is the SEC’s most accurate kicker (87.5 percent FGs, 1.000 PATs) ...
Michael Oher is the reigning SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH HOUSTON NUTT:
Houston Nutt (Oklahoma State, 1981) is in his first season at the Ole Miss helm, after being named the University’s 36th head football coach on Nov. 28, 2007. 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 4-6 against LSU as a head coach, including last year’s 50-48 triple OT victory in Baton Rouge. LSU
HEAD COACH LES MILES: Les Miles is 41-9 in his fourth season as the head coach of the LSU Tigers. Miles guided the Tigers to a BCS Championship last season and the school’s third-straight top five ranking in as many years. He has a career mark of 69-30 in eight seasons as a collegiate head coach. Prior to LSU, Miles served four seasons as the head coach at Oklahoma State from 2001-2004, posting a 28-21 record and guiding the Cowboys to three bowl appearances. One of those postseason berths was the 2004 Cotton Bowl, where his OSU squad lost to Ole Miss 31-28 in Miles’ only confrontation with the Rebels. The 2002 Big 12 Coach of the Year, Miles served as an assistant with Michigan, Colorado and the Dallas Cowboys before taking over at OSU. He is 3-1 in his career against Ole Miss.
LSU SCOUTING REPORT: After a 4-0 start, the Tigers are 3-3 in their last six games and rallied for a 40-31 victory over Troy Saturday on homecoming. LSU ranks second in the SEC in scoring offense (32.1 ppg) and third in total offense (394.2 ypg). Junior RB Charles Scott leads the way with 1,071 yards and 14 TDs. Redshirt freshman QB Jarrett Lee has completed 139-of-257 passes for 1,824 yards with 14 TDs and 15 interceptions. Junior WR Brandon LaFell boasts 55 receptions for 772 yards and seven scores, while senior Demetrius Byrd has hauled in four TD passes. On the defensive side, junior SS Harry Coleman tops the squad with 55 total tackles. Junior LB Perry Riley has collected 42 stops with 4.0 TFLs. On the line, junior end Rahim Alem has notched 8.5 TFLs and 6.0 QB sacks. Junior K Colt David has connected on 10-of-13 field goals and 34-of-35 PAT attemps this season.
NUTT RETURNS: Ole Miss head coach
Houston Nutt‘s last trip to Baton Rouge supplied one of the most memorable games of the 2007 college football season. In his final contest as Arkansas head coach, Nutt guided the Razorbacks to a stunning triple-overtime upset of the top-ranked and eventual national champion LSU, 50-48. In his first year in Oxford, Nutt has directed Ole Miss to bowl eligibility for the first time since 2003 and is poised to become the fifth head coach in school history to lead the Rebels to a bowl in his debut season.
LOUISIANA REBELS: Fifteen members of the Ole Miss roster hail from the Pelican state, including
Ben Benedetto (Metairie),
Brandon Bolden (Baton Rouge),
Chris Bowers (Shreveport),
Lionel Breaux (New Orleans),
Daverin Geralds (Baton Rouge),
Marshay Green (Bastrop),
David Hankins (Shreveport),
Don Hargroder (Abbeville),
Rishaw Johnson (Hammond),
Kendrick Lewis (New Orleans),
Kentrell Lockett (Hahnville),
Jeremy McGee (New Orleans),
Patrick Trahan (Baton Rouge),
Mike Wallace (New Orleans) and
Alex Washington (Monroe).
OLE MISS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS• Ole Miss faces its fourth top-25 foe of the year and fourth on the road ... The Rebels are 1-2 thus far this season, defeating No. 4 Florida 31-30 and falling at No. 2 Alabama 24-20 and No. 20 Wake Forest 30-28.• The Rebels’ win over the Gators snapped a 15-game skid to ranked teams ... Ole Miss’ last win over a top-25 foe had been 31-28 road win at No. 25 South Carolina in 2004. • Ole Miss is 54-128-2 all-time versus ranked teams.
REBEL NOTEBOOK• The last time Ole Miss had six or more wins after 10 games was 2003, when the Rebels started 8-2 and finished with a 10-3 mark and an SEC Western Division title.• Ole Miss is riding its longest win streak since taking six in a row in 2003 ... The Rebels’ previous win streak of any length was in 2004 with two straight, which was also the last time the team had consecutive SEC victories.• Ole Miss’ victory over No. 4 Florida marked the 600th win for the Rebel football program ... Ole Miss became the 34th FBS school and eighth SEC member to reach 600 victories ... The Rebels boast an all-time record of 603-464-35 (.563 winning percentage).• With the 31-30 upset at No. 4 Florida on Sept. 27, Ole Miss earned its first victory over a top-five foe since a 20-13 triumph over No. 3 Notre Dame in 1977 in Jackson ... The Rebels' previous road win over a top-five team had been a 15-7 triumph over LSU on Nov. 3, 1962, when Ole Miss was ranked No. 6 and LSU was No. 4 ... The Rebels’ win over the Gators snapped a 15-game skid to ranked teams. • This marks the 114th football season at The University of Mississippi dating back to 1893 ... 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.
RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE: Saturday’s blowout of ULM was a win for the Rebel record book. At 59-0, Ole Miss notched its largest margin of victory since a 69-7 win over Southern Miss in 1969. The last time the Rebels scored 59 points was ironically against ULM in the 59-14 triumph in 2003. At 38-0, Ole Miss held its largest halftime lead since a 40-0 advantage on Memphis in 1980 on the way to a 61-7 Rebel victory. The last time Ole Miss scored 38 points in a half was against Southern Illinois in 1994, when the Rebels were up 38-3 en route to a 59-3 victory.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: In their first season under
Houston Nutt, the Rebels have cranked up the offense and the scoring. Ole Miss is posting 391.4 yards per outing, which ranks fourth in the SEC and is the most since 2003 when the team finished with a school-record 433.2 clip. The Rebels outgained ULM 520 yards to 131, Samford 424 to 198, Vanderbilt 385 to 202, Florida 360 to 348 and Alabama 359 to 326. Ole Miss’ 29.4 scoring clip is also the highest since 2003. The 31 points against Florida equaled the most against an SEC foe since the 43-40 win over South Carolina in 2003.
RUSHING POWER: Led by junior RB
Cordera Eason, the Ole Miss running game has risen to third in the SEC at 187.9 yards per game. The unit is averaging 291.5 yards over the last two contests. With 350 rushing yards against ULM, the Rebels topped the 300-yard mark for the first time since posting 323 against LSU in 1999. Eason is averaging 97.0 rushing yards over the last three games and has posted his first two 100-yard rushing performances in the last two outings. However Eason is not alone, as he is one of four players with more than 50 carries, including
Dexter McCluster,
Brandon Bolden and
Enrique Davis. Each has led the team in rushing in at least one game, each has two or more TDs and three boast 400 or more yards.
THRICE AS NICE: With
Shay Hodge,
Mike Wallace and
Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss has arguably the best trio of wide receivers in the SEC. The Rebels are the only team in the conference with three players in the top 10 in receiving yards per game. Each wideout has at least 26 receptions and 498 yards.
SEC OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK:
Michael Oher was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, as announced Monday. A senior tackle from Memphis, Oher graded out at 82 percent with one knockdown block and eight finishes in the 59-0 win blanking of ULM. The Rebels gained 520 total offensive yards, including 350 yards rushing against the Warhawks. In 65 offensive plays, Oher's line lost yardage on only two plays and allowed no sacks. Ole Miss scored on nine of 13 offensive drives against ULM and converted 8 of 12 on third downs. Oher picks up the Rebels' sixth weekly award from the conference this year and the first of his career. He is the second offensive lineman honoree as
Maurice Miller took home POW accolades following the Auburn game.
SNEAD AMONG SEC LEADERS: Sophomore QB
Jevan Snead ranks second in the SEC in TD passes (17) and third in both passing average (198.3 ypg) and pass efficiency (132.5). Snead has tossed multiple TD passes six times this year, including the last three, and has thrown for 200 or more yards four times. Snead is on pace for the highest yards per completion average ever by a Rebel QB (14.6) and has already completed the two longest pass plays in school history, including the record-setting 88-yard toss to
Mike Wallace on Saturday. Against ULM, Snead became the first Rebel to account for five TDs (three passing, career-high two rushing) since Eli Manning was responsible for a school record-tying six in the Arkansas seven-OT game in 2001. Against South Carolina, Snead set a season high in completions, completing 21-of-32 for 243 yards, one TD and one interception. At Wake Forest, Snead became the first Rebel with four TD passes since Eli Manning in the 2003 Memphis game. He finished 20-of-31 for 253 yards with one interception and was named the Scout.com SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
BIG PLAY MIKE: Whether on offense or special teams, senior
Mike Wallace has proved to be a big play threat for the Rebels. Last time out, Wallace scorched ULM for his fifth career 100-yard receiving game and third of the year with 111 yards on two catches, including a 23-yard TD. The other grab went for 88 yards in the longest pass play in school history. At Arkansas, Wallace posted a career-high 120 yards on five catches, including a 42-yard grab and an 11-yard TD. He also hauled in a 42-yard pass and surpassed the century mark with 101 yards on four catches against Samford. Including his record-setting heroics on kickoffs, Wallace ranks first in the SEC in yards per catch (19.2), third in all-purpose yards (124.9 ypg) and eighth in receiving yards (50.0 ypg). He piled up 222 yards at Arkansas and a career-high 238 against Vanderbilt.
SHAY FOR SIX: Despite a quiet game against ULM, junior WR
Shay Hodge is tied for the SEC lead in touchdown catches with seven and ranks seventh in receiving yards per game (54.5 ypg) and 10th in receptions (3.1 rpg). Hodge had his streak of 22 straight games with a reception snapped against ULM. Prior to that, he had hauled in at least four catches in each of the previous four games and had a TD grab in three straight. After five career games of 77 or more receiving yards, Hodge finally cracked the century mark at Florida with a career-high 133 yards on three catches. He also stamped his name in the Ole Miss record book, as his 86-yard, fourth-quarter catch was not only the go-ahead score in the upset of the No. 4 Gators, but was also the longest pass play in Rebel history at the time. Hodge’s 13 career TD grabs rank third among active SEC players and is tied for third all-time at Ole Miss.
CATCH 22: Whether in the slot or behind center in the “Wild Rebel”, junior
Dexter McCluster has truly become an all-purpose threat. A native of Largo, Fla., McCluster posted 176 all-purpose yards against Vanderbilt, 139 vs. South Carolina and 135 against Auburn. As a receiver, McCluster is eighth in the SEC in both all-purpose yards (95.5 ypg) and receptions (3.4 pg) and 10th in receiving yards per game (49.8 ypg). Against the Gamecocks, McCluster just missed his second 100-yard receiving effort of the year, finishing with six receptions for a game-high 99 yards. He recorded a career-high 132 receiving yards and equaled his career best of seven receptions against the Commodores. As a rusher, he tops the team with four TD runs and ranks second in yards with 457. He is averaging 81.0 ypg over the last two contests and tallied 78 yards last time out against ULM. McCluster has led the rushing attack in two games, totaling 60 yards at Florida and 40 against Carolina. He turned in career highs in rushing yards with 84 and carries with 14 against Auburn and ran for 64 yards against Memphis en route to a 125-yard all-purpose day.
OFFENSIVE NOTES• The Rebels are 6-0 when turning the ball over two times or fewer, including the last three outings ... Ole Miss had no turnovers against ULM for the third time this season and second straight game.• The Rebels have scored first in nine of 10 games this season ... Ole Miss is 6-3 in those games.• Sophomore RB
Derrick Davis has notched a three-yard scoring reception in the last two games ... It marks the only two receptions and touchdowns of his career.• Junior TE
Gerald Harris hauled in his second TD pass of the season on a 22-yard toss against ULM.• Freshman WR
Andrew Harris collected a career-high two receptions for 34 yards against ULM.• The Rebels’ 520 yards of total offense against ULM is the most since piling up 534 against Missouri in 2007.• Ole Miss’ 359 yards and 158 rushing yards was then the most surrendered by the Alabama defense, which entered the game giving up 262.2 yards per contest and 50.8 on the ground ... The Rebels outrushed the Tide 158-107 and was the first time Alabama had been outrushed this year.• Ole Miss’ 361 yards against South Carolina was the most allowed by the then top-ranked Gamecock defense, which entered the game giving up 221.4 per contest.
RUN STOPPERS: The Rebel defense has proved to be tough on the run, ranking third in the SEC and 13th in the nation in fewest rushing yards allowed (103.4 ypg). Ole Miss has held the opposition under 82 rushing yards five times this season and in the last two contests. The Rebels limited ULM to 72 yards on the ground and Auburn to 75.
IN THE BACKFIELD: Ole Miss has risen to No. 1 in the SEC and sixth in the nation in TFLs at 8.10 per game. After just four TFLs and one sack in the opener, the Rebel defense has totaled 76 TFLs (8.4 per game) and 20 sacks (2.2 pg) over the nine games since. Ole Miss posted 12 TFLs against Samford, 11 against both Vanderbilt and Auburn, and sacked Wake’s Riley Skinner four times and Florida’s Tim Tebow three. Senior DT
Peria Jerry is fifth in the SEC with 10.5 TFLs and has 6.0 in his last four games.
DEFENSIVE NOTES• The Rebels contained ULM to 131 total yards, the fewest since holding The Citadel to 81 in 2005 ... ULM’s seven first downs were also the least since that game, in which The Citadel tallied only four ... ULM’s 59 passing yards were the least by a Rebel foe since Wake Forest in 2006 (43).• Senior DE
Chris Bowers was credited with a career-high and team-leading six total tackles, including 1.5 sacks, against ULM ... His only previous sack came in 2006.• Junior DE
Greg Hardy collected his first career interception against ULM ... Hardy finished with three tackles, including a sack to raise his team-high total to 4.5.• Ole Miss' three interceptions against Auburn marked the most since picking off Memphis four times in the 2007 season opener ... It marked the second game this season with multiple interceptions, having picked off two passes against Memphis ... Junior cornerbacks
Cassius Vaughn and
Marshay Green notched their first career interceptions, while junior S
Kendrick Lewis collected his team-high third interception of the year.• Senior S
Jamarca Sanford has recorded double-figure tackles thrice this year and 10 times in his career ... He led the team and equaled his career high of 13 tackles against South Carolina ... Sanford is 11th in the SEC in tackles per game (7.1) and is the league’s active career leader (276 total stops).
STREAKING SHENE: Junior K
Joshua Shene, who was recently named as one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, has now converted 58 straight PATs, which is the third-longest streak in school history, passing Steve Lavinghouze’s 54 straight (1973-75). Against ULM, Shene tied the school record with eight extra points made and tied his career high with 11 points scored. The Oklahoma City native ranks first in the SEC in field goal percentage (14-of-16, 87.5) and tied for first in PATs (36-for-36, 1.000). Shene matched his career bests at Arkansas, connecting on three field goals from 28, 34 and 39 yards, and scoring 11 points. He has connected on 80-of-81 career
PATs.RECORD BREAKING MIKE: Despite no kickoff returns in the first three games, senior
Mike Wallace has already established an Ole Miss single-season record with 680 kickoff return yards on the year. The previous record was Deuce's McAllister's 1999 total of 652. Wallace became the Rebel all-time career leader at Arkansas and now boasts 1,211 career KR yards. Wallace ranks fourth in the SEC in average at 25.2 yards per return, and he has posted three of the top-11 single-game totals in school history, including the best ever. Against Vanderbilt, the New Orleans native earned his first kickoff returns of the year and responded with 202 KR yards, easily shattering the Ole Miss record (
Marshay Green’s 159 against Florida in 2007) and notching the fourth-highest total in SEC history. Wallace also registered the second kickoff return TD of his career and the fifth-longest in school history with his 98-yard score. At Florida, Wallace followed up with the seventh-best total ever by a Rebel with five returns for 140 yards against the Gators, including a long of 40. His 129 KR yards against the Gamecocks ranks 11th on the Ole Miss all-time single game chart.
TRULY SPECIAL TEAMS: The Rebels’ special teams has provided some major highlights this season. Ole Miss registered TDs in the return game on back-to-back Saturdays with
Marshay Green’s 77-yard punt return against Samford and
Mike Wallace’s 98-yard kickoff return against Vanderbilt. At Florida, the kickblock unit took its turn, as
Kentrell Lockett broke through to block the Gators’ potential game-tying extra point with 3:28 left in the game. It was Lockett’s first career kick block and the Rebels' first extra point block since
John Jerry's block in the 2006 LSU game in Baton Rouge. At Alabama, Ole Miss scored off a faked field goal with
Jason Cook catching a nine-yard TD pass from
Rob Park in the third quarter. In the Arkansas win,
Joshua Shene highlighted his outstanding season by connecting on all three field goal tries, including what would prove to be the game-clinching 28-yarder with 1:45 left.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES• Senior P
Rob Park has notched six punts of 50-plus yards including his 51-yarder against ULM.• After the Rebels had no touchbacks on kickoffs last season, junior K-P
Justin Sparks has recorded 10 this year ... Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in kickoff coverage with a 45.7-yard net average, a vast improvement from the 34.9-yard clip that was last in the league a year ago.
ROCKER, SHIBEST UP FOR COACHING HONORS: Defensive line coach
Tracy Rocker and special teams coordinator
James Shibest are among the finalists for the new Muscle Milk and FootballScoop.com Coaches of the Year awards, which are given to 14 different position coaches in college football. Candidates were nominated by their colleagues and evaluated by a panel of former coaches, who will utilize the fan vote on www.footballscoop.com to determine the winners. Voting runs from now until Dec. 5, and the winning candidates will be announced on Dec. 7.
OLE MISS ON TV• Ole Miss is making its fifth television appearance of the season and second on CBS, which also carried the Alabama game ... The Wake Forest game was televised by ABC/ESPN2 and Florida by Raycom. • This game will mark the Rebels’ 19th appearance all-time on CBS ... Ole Miss is 6-12 all-time on the network after dropping the last five. • A total of 81 Ole Miss games have been on TV over the past 12 seasons ... Last year, the Rebels appeared on TV five times.• All-time, this game will be the Rebels’ 166th TV appearance since Ole Miss made its network TV debut in the 1953 Sugar Bowl versus Georgia Tech ... Ole Miss is 72-91-2 all-time in TV games.• The Rebels’ season finale will also be televised as the Ole Miss-Mississippi State “Egg Bowl” will be carried by Raycom Sports.
GRADUATING REBELS: Four student-athletes on the Ole Miss football team have already received their undergraduate degrees. DE
Chris Bowers has earned his B.A. in real estate, while RB
Jason Cook has his B.A. in English. OL
Darryl Harris has completed his B.S. in exercise science, and TE
David Traxler has his B.A. in accountancy. The Ole Miss football team was well represented at the University’s graduation ceremonies in May, as 12 Rebels earned degrees in the past year.
DEBUTS: A total of 20 players have made their Ole Miss debuts this season, including seven true freshmen in
Brandon Bolden (RB),
Enrique Davis (RB),
Andrew Harris (WR),
Derrick Herman (DB),
Justin Smith (DL),
Marcus Temple (CB) and
Devin Thomas (RB). Other players seeing their first action include
Brandon Green (Jr., C);
Gerald Harris (Jr., TE);
Rishaw Johnson (RFr., OL);
Jeremy McGee (So., CB);
Jermey Parnell (Sr., DE);
Jerrell Powe (So., DT);
Garrett Ryan (Jr., DE);
Jevan Snead (So., QB);
Bradley Sowell (RFr., OL);
Emmanuel Stephens (Jr., DE);
Billy Tapp (Jr., QB);
Patrick Trahan (Jr., LB) and
Alex Washington (RFr., OL).
