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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football Game Notes
11/24/2002 | Football
Nov. 24, 2002
- Live Game Audio (Thursday, 5:45 p.m., air time)
- Ole Miss Game Notes in PDF Format (updated Nov. 26)
- Ole Miss Statistics
- Press Conference Transcript
- Game Preview
- Mississippi State Game Notes in PDF Format (updated Nov. 26)
- SEC Week 14 Release in PDF Format
DATE: Thursday, November 28, 2002
TIME: 6:45 p.m. (CST)
SITE: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (60,580); Oxford, Miss.
TV: ESPN (Mike Tirico, play-by-play; Lee Corso, analyst; Kirk Herbstreit, analyst; Dr. Jerry Punch, sideline reporter).
RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter; Gary Darby, Pregame host).
POLLS: Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State will enter Thursday night's Egg Bowl unranked in both The Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Top 25.
SERIES INFO: One of the nation's most-played rivalries will be contested for the 99th time Thursday night when Ole Miss hosts arch-rival Mississippi State. The Rebels lead the series 55-37-6 dating back to 1901. The Rebel-Bulldog series is listed as tied for the 16th most-played in NCAA Division I-A history. The series is also listed as the 10th longest uninterrupted series, as the NCAA considers Thursday's game the 87th consecutive year that the two schools have faced each other. Neither team, however, field a squad in 1943 due to World War II. Thursday's game will also mark the 75th anniversary of "The Battle of the Golden Egg." The two schools started playing for the trophy in 1927. Ole Miss holds a 49-20-5 advantage in the "Egg Bowl." The home team has won three straight in the series since the visiting team reeled off five consecutive wins from 1994-1998. Mississippi State has won three of the last four encounters, and holds a 7-4 advantage since the series returned to campus sites in 1991, after being played yearly in Jackson from 1973-1990. Overall, the Rebels hold a 17-10-3 advantage in games played in Oxford, including winning 45-30 the last time the game was held at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field in 2000. The 2000 contest was Ole Miss' last win against Mississippi State, and the Bulldogs are 3-2 against the Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium since the "Egg Bowl" returned to Oxford in 1992. Mississippi State won last year's contest, 36-28 at Scott Field in Starkville.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ole Miss can secure one of the SEC's bowl slots with a win ... Junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) has a chance to equal or better five of his school season records that he set a year ago ... Both junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) and sophomore WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) need five catches to reach 50 for the season. They would become the first Rebel receiving pair to do so in the same season.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) is in his fourth full season as the head coach of the Rebels. He was named the 34th head coach at The University of Mississippi on Dec. 2, 1998 after 17 seasons as an assistant at Tennessee. He coached his first game four weeks later in the 1998 Independence Bowl and guided the Rebels to a 35-18 win over heavily-favored Texas Tech. Cutcliffe has a 28-19 record at Ole Miss. With a win, he can become the only Rebel coach besides Harry Mehre (1938-1945) to win at least six games in each of his first four full seasons at Ole Miss.
MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH JACKIE SHERRILL: Jackie Sherrill is in his 12th season at Mississippi State and has compiled a 73-64-2 record. He is 178-109-4 in his 25th season as a collegiate head coach, including stops at Washington State (1976), Pittsburgh (1977-81) and Texas A&M (1982-88).
MISSISSIPPI STATE SCOUTING REPORT: Like Ole Miss, the Bulldogs will enter Thursday's contest looking to halt a losing streak. Mississippi State has dropped four straight to Kentucky (45-24), Alabama (28-14), Tennessee (35-17) and Arkansas (26-19). The Bulldogs can also play the role of spoiler to the Rebels' bowl hopes with a win on Thursday. Mississippi State is averaging 19.5 points and 329.4 yards of offense per game. Junior QB Kevin Fant has completed 140-of-269 passes for 1,578 yards with nine TDs and nine interceptions in nine games this season. Senior SE Terrell Grindle and sophomore FL Ray Ray Bivines have each caught a team-leading 34 passes with three TDs. Grindle also has a team-best 608 yards receiving. The Bulldogs are averaging 122.9 yards rushing per game. Senior FB Justin Griffith leads the team with 431 yards on 78 carries with two scores, and freshman Jerious Norwood has 368 yards on 59 carries. Defensively, MSU is allowing an average of 28.6 points and 326.5 yards per game. Senior LB Mario Haggan leads the Bulldogs with 114 tackles (63 solo.
2002 MISSISSIPPI STATE SCHEDULE/RESULTS (3-8, 0-7 SEC)
| Aug. 31 | at Oregon | L, 13-35 |
| SEPT. 14 | JACKSONVILLE STATE | W, 51-13 |
| SEPT. 19 | AUBURN* | L, 14-42 |
| Sept. 28 | at LSU* | L, 13-31 |
| Oct. 5 | at South Carolina* | L, 10-34 |
| OCT. 12 | TROY STATE | W, 11-8 |
| Oct. 19 | at Memphis | W, 29-17 |
| NOV. 2 | KENTUCKY* | L, 24-45 |
| Nov. 9 | at Alabama* | L, 14-28 |
| NOV. 16 | TENNESSEE* | L, 17-35 |
| NOV. 23 | ARKANSAS* | L, 19-25 |
| Nov. 28 | at Ole Miss* | 6:45 p.m. |
HOME GAMES IN BOLD CAPS
All times are Central.
ELI MANNING FACT SHEET
ELI LOOKING TO JOIN 50-TD PASSING CLUB: Junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) will enter Thursday's regular-season finale against Mississippi State one TD pass shy of becoming the 17th player in SEC history, and the first in Ole Miss history, to throw 50 career TD passes. He recorded the 49th of his career on a 20-yard strike to redshirt freshman Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) this past Saturday at LSU.
MANNING LOOKING TO TOP OWN MARKS: Manning will have an opportunity Thursday night to equal or better five of his Ole Miss season records that he set a year ago as a sophomore. On his first passing attempt of Thursday's game with Mississippi State, he will break his school record of 408 passing attempts in a season. He also needs just two offensive plays (rush or pass) to equal his mark of 442 total plays in a season. Additionally, Manning is 21 completions shy of last year's mark of 259, 67 passing yards shy of last year's record of 2,948 and 76 yards of total offense away from the record of 2,957.
MANNING SETS CAREER TD MARK VERSUS ARKANSAS: With two TD passes against Arkansas on Oct. 26, Manning took sole possession of first place on the Ole Miss career list for TD passes. He entered the game tied for the record at 43 with Romaro Miller (1997-2000). He threw the record-breaking TD pass with 7:14 left in the second quarter, connecting on a 12-yard score to junior TE Justin Sawyer (Centreville, Miss.). Manning later tossed a 20-yard TD pass to junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) in the fourth quarter.
MANNING HAS CAREER DAY VERSUS RAZORBACKS: In addition to becoming the school's career leader in TD passes against Arkansas (10/26), Manning reached a couple of other milestones against the Razorbacks. He completed an Ole Miss single-game record 42 passes in passing for a career-high 414 yards. The 42 completions broke the previous Ole Miss mark of 37 set by Kent Austin (1981-85) against Tennessee in 1982, and ranked as the third-highest total in SEC history. The 414 yards passing is the second-highest single-game total in school history, behind only Archie Manning's (1968-70) 436 yards passing against Alabama in the classic 1969 match-up. It was also just the third 400-yard passing game in school history. John Darnell (1987-89) recorded the other with 412 yards against Arkansas State in 1989. It was also Manning's third 300-yard passing game of the season to tie Stewart Patridge's (1994, 96-97) school single-season record set in 1997. His 56 passing attempts was one shy of his school record of 57 set earlier in the year at Texas Tech (9/14).
ELI FIRST REBEL WITH BACK-TO-BACK 2,000-YARD SEASONS: With 414 yards passing against Arkansas (10/26), Manning became the first Rebel quarterback to record 2,000 yards passing in back-to-back seasons. Last year, he set a school record with 2,948 yards passing in his first season as a starter. Prior to the Arkansas contest, there had been seven 2,000-yard passing seasons in school history, and Manning also joins Romaro Miller (1997-2000) as the only Rebel quarterbacks to top the 2,000-yard mark in a season twice in a career. Miller passed for 2,273 yards in 1998 and 2,012 yards in 2000. Miller finished a yard shy of the 2,000-yard mark in 1999, passing for 1,999 yards.
MANNING AND FOURCADE FORM EXCLUSIVE CLUB: With his 413 yards of total offense against Arkansas, Manning joined John Fourcade (1978-81) as the only players in school history to have back-to-back seasons with 2,000 yards of total offense. Fourcade, who is the school's career leader with 6,713 yards of total offense, recorded 2,014 yards in 1979 and 2,299 yards in 1980. Last season, Manning set an Ole Miss single-season record with 2,957 yards of total offense and enters Thursday's game against Mississippi State with 2,784 yards this season.
CHART TOPPER: Enters the Mississippi State contest having set 20 school records (see box below).
NOTING ELI
* Named to the 2002 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.
* Named to the first team Verizon District VI All-Academic team.
* Leads the SEC in passing yards per game (261.9) and total offense per game (253.1).
* Needs one yard passing to become the third QB in school history to reach the 6,000-yard mark in career passing yards ... Can tie Kent Austin (1981-1984) for second place on the Ole Miss career list at 6,184 with 185 yards against Mississippi State.
* Needs 85 yards of total offense to become the fourth player in school history to reach the 6,000-yard mark for a career ... Is 264 yards of total offense from tying Austin for third place on the school's career list with 6,179.
* The 218 yards passing at LSU last Saturday marked the 18th 200-yard passing game of his career, one shy of the Ole Miss record of 19 set by Romaro Miller (1997-2000).
* The 20-yard TD pass to redshirt freshman WR Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) was the 50th TD (49 pass + 1 rush) he has been responsible for at Ole Miss, putting him six shy of the Ole Miss career record of 56, held by his father, Archie Manning (1968-1970).
* Ranks third among active SEC quarterbacks in TD passes (49), and completions (513) and ranks fourth in passing yardage (5,999) and total offense (5,915).
* Became the first quarterback in school history to record back-to-back 300-yard passing games, throwing for 374 yards at Texas Tech (9/14) and for 386 yards against Vanderbilt (9/21).
* The 386-yard performance against the Commodores was his fourth career 300-yard performance to set a new Ole Miss career record.
* Set a school single-game record against Vanderbilt for average yards per passing attempt at 9.4 (min. 40 attempts).
* Had completions of 79 and 78 yards against Vanderbilt, making him the only quarterback in school history to have two completions of over 70 yards in the same game ... Also joins Miller as the only quarterbacks to have at least two completions of over 70 yards in a career at Ole Miss. Miller had three career completions of over 70 yards.
* Had a streak of 110 consecutive passes without an interception, the fifth-longest streak in school history, from the second quarter of the Texas Tech contest (9/14) to the first quarter of the Arkansas State game (10/12).
MANNING IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
(through games of November 23)
| CATEGORY | NO. | RANK |
| Passing Attempts Per Game | 37.1 | 11th |
| Completions Per Game | 21.6 | 14th |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 261.9 | 15th |
| Total Offense Per Game | 253.1 | 21st |
MANNING IN THE SEC RANKINGS
| CATEGORY | NO. | RANK |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 261.9 | 1st |
| Total Offense Per Game | 253.1 | 1st |
| Completions Per Game | 21.6 | 2nd |
| Passing Attempts Per Game | 37.1 | 2nd |
| Total Plays (rush or pass) | 440 | 2nd |
| Completion Percentage | 58.3 | 3rd |
| Yards Per Offensive Play | 6.3 | 3rd |
SCHOOL RECORDS HELD BY MANNING
SINGLE GAME
Passing Attempts: 57, at Texas Tech (9/14/2002)
Completions: 42, at Arkansas (10/26/2002
Consecutive Pass Completed: 18 vs. Murray State (9/1/2001)
Completion Percentage (30-39 attempts): 80.6 (25x31) vs. Middle Tennessee (10/20/2001)
TD Passes: 6 vs. Arkansas (11/3) - broke his own record of 5 set against Murray State on Sept. 1, 2001
SEASON
Passing Yards: 2,948 (2001)
Passing Attempts: 408 (2001)
Completions: 259 (2001)
Highest Percentage of Passes for TDs: 7.60 (2001)
Pass Effic. Rating (min. 200 attempts): 144.8 (2001)
Total Offense: 2,957 (2001)
Total Offensive Plays (rush + pass): 442 (2001)
Total TDs Responsible For: 31 (2001)
Most TD Passes in a Three-Game Span: 12 from Oct. 20-Nov. 3, 2001 vs. Middle Tennessee, LSU and Arkansas
300-yard Passing Games: 3 (2002 -ties mark set by Stewart Patridge in 1997)
CAREER
Career TD Passes: 48 Consecutive Games with a TD Pass: 16, 2000 Music City Bowl - present
Consecutive 200-yard Passing Games: 11, Sept. 1, 2001- present
Consecutive 250-yard Passing Games: 6, Sept. 1-Oct. 20, 2001
Career 250-yard Passing Games: 13
Career 300-yard Passing Games: 5
MANNING'S GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS
-2000-
| Opponent | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD |
| Tulane | 1-5-0 | 4 | 0 |
| at Vanderbilt | 2-3-0 | 17 | 0 |
| Arkansas State | 3-4-0 | 25 | 0 |
| at Alabama | 5-9-0 | 36 | 0 |
| at Arkansas | 0-0-0 | 0 | 0 |
| at Georgia | 5-12-1 | 88 | 0 |
| West Virginia -1 | 12-20-1 | 167 | 3 |
-2001-
| Opponent | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD |
| Murray State* | 20-23-0 | 271 | 5 |
| at Auburn* | 24-39-1 | 265 | 1 |
| at Kentucky* | 19-36-0 | 268 | 2 |
| at Arkansas State* | 20-29-0 | 269 | 2 |
| Alabama* | 22-41-0 | 325 | 1 |
| Middle Tennessee* | 25-31-0 | 257 | 3 |
| at LSU* | 28-44-1 | 249 | 3 |
| Arkansas* | 27-42-0 | 312 | 6 |
| Georgia* | 35-47-1 | 233 | 2 |
| at Mississippi State* | 16-36-3 | 213 | 2 |
| Vanderbilt* | 23-40-3 | 286 | 4 |
-2002-
| Opponent | Cmp-Att-Int | Yds | TD |
| UL-Monroe* | 17-31-1 | 192 | 1 |
| Memphis* | 14-30-0 | 174 | 3 |
| at Texas Tech* | 34-57-1 | 374 | 3 |
| Vanderbilt* | 24-41-0 | 386 | 2 |
| Florida* | 18-33-0 | 154 | 0 |
| Arkansas State* | 14-19-1 | 290 | 3 |
| at Alabama* | 18-32-1 | 219 | 0 |
| at Arkansas* | 42-56-2 | 414 | 2 |
| Auburn* | 26-46-3 | 284 | 3 |
| at Georgia* | 12-25-2 | 176 | 0 |
| at LSU* | 19-36-2 | 218 | 1 |
1- Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn.
BRINGING IT BACK INTO THE FAMILY: Heading into Thursday's game with Mississippi State, junior QB Eli Manning has broken 12 school records in his career that were either held by Archie Manning, who played at Ole Miss from 1968-1970, or were at one time. The following chart shows marks currently held by Eli, that were also set at one time by Archie:
| CATEGORY | ELI | ARCHIE (YEAR) | WHEN ARCHIE'S MARK FELL |
| Passing Attempts - Game | 57 | 56 (1970) | Broken by Eli versus Texas Tech (9/14) |
| Passing Yards - Season | 2,948 | 1,762 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (1,897) |
| Completions - Game | 42 | 33 (1969 | by Kent Austin w/37 vs. Tenn., in 1982 |
| Pass Attempts - Season | 408 | 265 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (286) |
| Pass Completions - Season | 259 | 154 (1969) | 1982 by Kent Austin (186) |
| Total Offense - Season | 2,957 | 2,264 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (2,299) |
| Total Plays (Rush + Pass) - Season | 442 | 389 (1969) | 1980 by John Fourcade (411) |
| TDs Responsible For - Season | 31 | 23 (1969) | 2001 by Eli Manning (31) |
| Consec. Game w/TD pass | 16 | 8** | 1999 by Romaro Miller (8) |
| Career 250-yard passing games | 13 | 6 (1968-1970) | by Kent Austin w/7 from 1981-1985 |
| Career 300-yard passing games | 5 | 3 (1968-70) | Tied by Stewart Patridge (1994, 96-97) and Romaro Miller (1997-2000) |
| Career TD Passes | 48 | 31 | Tied by Kent Austin (1981-85) |
COMPARING THE MANNINGS
The following chart compares the three Manning quarterbacks - Archie, Peyton and Eli - after 26 games in their careers, not including bowl games
| GP | Comp-Att-Int | Yards | Pct. | Avg/G | TD | Effic. | |
| Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 28 | 402-761-38 | 4,753 | .528 | 169.8 | 31 | 107.52 |
| Peyton Manning, 1994-96 | 27 | 465-729-17 | 5,962 | .638 | 220.8 | 44 | 145.93 |
| Eli Manning, 2000-present | 27 | 494-811-21 | 5,781 | .609 | 214.1 | 48 | 135.1 |
MANNING ON THE OLE MISS CAREER TOP 10 CHARTS
PASSING ATTEMPTS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-85 | 981 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 902 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 849 |
COMPLETIONS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 566 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 513 |
PASSING YARDS
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 6,311 |
| 2. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 6,184 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 5,999 |
PASSING TDs
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 49 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 43 |
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Pct. | |
| 1. | Paul Head, 1993-1996 | 61.5 |
| 2. | Stewart Patridge, 1994, 96-97 | 60.8 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 60.4 |
PASS EFFICIENCY
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Effic. | |
| 1. | Jake Gibbs, 1958-1960 | 145.3 |
| 2. | Glynn Griffing, 1960-1962 | 138.9 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 133.4 |
AVERAGE YDS/PASS ATTEMPT
(min. 210 attempts)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Eagle Day, 1953-1955 | 8.7 |
| . | ||
| . | ||
| 3. | Glynn Griffing, 1960-1962 | 7.5 |
| John Darnell, 1987-1989 | 7.5 | |
| 5. | Lawrence Adams, 1993-93, 95-96 | 7.3 |
| 6. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 7.1 |
200-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 19 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 18 |
250-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 13 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 8 |
300-YARD PASSING GAMES
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 5 |
| 2. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 3 |
| Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 3 | |
| Stewart Patridge, 1996-1997 | 3 |
TDs RESPONSIBLE FOR
| Player, Years | No. | |
| 1. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 56 |
| 2. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 50 |
TOTAL OFFENSE PER GAME
(minimum 14 career games)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 211.2 |
| 2. | Archie Manning, 1968-1970 | 199.1 |
| 3. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 183.2 |
TOTAL OFFENSE PER PLAY
(minimum 150 career plays)
| Player, Years | Avg. | |
| 1. | Doug Elmore, 1959-1961 | 6.64 |
| 2. | Glynn Griffing, 1960-1962 | 6.62 |
| 3. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 6.42 |
| 4. | Rocky Byrd, 1949-1951 | 6.37 |
TOTAL OFFENSE
| Player, Years | Yards | |
| 1. | John Fourcade, 1978-1981 | 6,713 |
| 2. | Romaro Miller, 1997-2000 | 6,413 |
| 3. | Kent Austin, 1981-1985 | 6,179 |
| 4. | Eli Manning, 2000-present | 5,915 |
HEAD COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE
Fourth year at Ole Miss
Record at Ole Miss: 28-19 (.596)
Career Record: 28-19 (.596/4 years)
AT OLE MISS (1998-PRESENT)
* Named the 34th head coach at The University of Mississippi on Dec. 2, 1998.
* Coached first game in the 1998 Independence Bowl and guided the Rebels to a 35-18 win over heavily-favored Texas Tech in what was possibly the bowl season's biggest upset.
* Joins Harry J. Mehre as the only coach in school history to win at least seven games during each of his first three seasons at Ole Miss ... With a win Thursday over Mississippi State, would join Mehre as the only Rebel head coaches to win at least six games in each of their first four full seasons at the school.
* Reached the 25-win mark at Ole Miss with a 38-16 win over Memphis on Sept. 7, tying him with legendary coach John Vaught as the fastest in school history to reach the 25-victory mark.
* Thursday's game versus Mississippi State, to be televised by ESPN, will mark Ole Miss' 31st TV appearance since Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999, including the 16th on either ESPN or ESPN2.
* The 2001 team set 11 offensive team records, including most points scored with 391.
* Has had two first team All-Americans in DB Ken Lucas (2000) and OL Terrence Metcalf (2001).
* Coached 15 players to All-SEC accolades.
* Produced seven NFL draft picks, including Deuce McAllister, a first-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints in 2001.
* Coached a total of 15 players at Ole Miss that have made professional rosters in either the NFL, CFL or NFL Europe.
PRIOR TO OLE MISS
* Spent 17 years as an assistant under Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee from 1982-1998 ... Helped the Volunteers compile a 154-46-7 record during his time in Knoxville, including winning five SEC championships and one national title in 1998.
* The Volunteers went to 16 bowl games in his 17 years on the UT staff.
* Was Tennessee's offensive coordinator from 1993-1998.
* Recipient of the 1998 Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
* Coached NFL quarterbacks Heath Shuler, Peyton Manning and Tee Martin.
CUTCLIFFE RECORD BREAKDOWN
| W-L | Pct. | |
| SEC: | 14-17 | .452 |
| vs. SEC West: | 7-12 | .368 |
| vs. SEC East: | 7-5 | .583 |
| Non-Conference opponents: | 14-2 | .875 |
| Bowl Games: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Home: | 17-8 | .680 |
| Away: | 9-10 | .474 |
| Neutral: | 2-1 | .667 |
| Day Games: | 16-10 | .615 |
| Night Games (6 pm start or later): | 12-9 | .571 |
| vs. Top 25 teams | 3-8 | .273 |
| When leading at halftime: | 24-7 | .775 |
| Overtime games: | 2-1 | .667 |
REBEL GAME NOTES
SEC'S FINAL BOWL SPOT AVAILABLE FOR REBELS' TAKING: With a win Thursday night over arch-rival Mississippi State, Ole Miss can secure the SEC's seventh and final bowl spot. At 5-6, Ole Miss can become bowl eligible for the sixth straight year since 1997 with a win. The Rebels went to four straight bowls from 1997-2000 and were eligible last season for a postseason bid with a 7-4 record but weren't selected. Currently, the SEC has six bowl-eligible teams: Georgia (10-1), Florida (8-3), Arkansas (8-3), LSU (8-3), Auburn (8-4) and Tennessee (7-4). South Carolina (5-7) fell out of bowl consideration with a 27-20 loss to Clemson this past weekend, leaving the Rebels in control of their own bowl destiny. Though, Alabama (9-3) and Kentucky (7-4) have enough wins to qualify for a bowl game, neither school is eligible due to NCAA sanctions. Mississippi State and Vanderbilt do not have enough wins to reach bowl eligibility.
REBEL RAMBLINGS:
* A win Thursday would give the Rebels their sixth consecutive season with at least six wins since going 5-6 in 1996.
* The Rebels are 5-1 at home this season and have won 10 of their last 13 home games dating back to the 45-30 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 23, 2000.
* Ole Miss has a 22-4 record (.846 winning pct.) in home night games (6 p.m., start or later) since lights were installed at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field prior to 1990 season.
* Ole Miss was penalized just one time for 10 yards against LSU, the fewest number of the penalties in a game by the Rebels since being flagged one time for 10 yards during the 1997 contest at Tennessee.
* Ole Miss second-least penalized team in the SEC, averaging 49.1 penalty yards per game.
* The loss to LSU marked the first time this season that the Rebels have lost when leading after three quarters. Ole Miss is 4-1 this season when leading after the third quarter, and 23-4 (.852 winning pct.) under head coach David Cutcliffe.
* The 14-13 loss at LSU this past Saturday marked Ole Miss' first one-point contest since defeating Mississippi State, 15-14 at Starkville in 1997 ... It was the Rebels' first one-point defeat since being edged by Memphis, 17-16 in Oxford on Nov. 5, 1994.
* Ole Miss' current five-game losing streak is its longest since the Rebels lost their last five games of the 1991 campaign to Georgia, Vanderbilt, LSU, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
* The Rebels are looking to avoid their first six-game skid since 1984 (Auburn, Georgia, Southern Miss, Vanderbilt, LSU, and Tennessee).
* Ole Miss has not lost six straight SEC games since dropping eight straight to Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt, LSU, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Alabama and Georgia during a stretch covering parts of the 1982 and 1983 seasons.
* The Rebels are playing a 12th regular season game for only the second time in school history, and the first time since 1936.
SENIOR SALUTE: Thursday's game with Mississippi State will mark the final home game for 21 Ole Miss seniors, including four who had their careers cut short for medical reasons. The 2002 senior class has a four-year record of 27-19 (.587 winning percentage) and has helped the Rebels to appearances in the 1999 Independence and 2000 Music City Bowls. Thirteen of the 17 seniors have been part of the Rebel program for the past four seasons, and eight are natives of Mississippi. The members of the Class of 2002, whom will be honored prior to the game are: WR Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.), WR Ross Barkley (New Albany, Miss.), OL German Bello (Pompano Beach, Fla.), DL Justin Blake (Selbyville, Del.), RB Chico Chandler (Houston, Miss.), C Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), RB Jon Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), DB Clifton Collins (Gloster, Miss.), LB Lanier Goethie (Baxley, Ga.), DB Matt Grier (Smithville, Miss.), LB Ryan Hamilton (Miami, Fla.), OL Belton Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.), CB Desmon Johnson (Okmulgee, Okla.), DL Yahrek Johnson (Atlanta, Ga.), C A.J. Kiamie (Oxford, Miss.), DB Chris Knight (Pearl, Miss.), DE Germain Landrum (Detroit, Mich.), QB David Morris (Mobile, Ala.), RB Toward Sanford (Batesville, Miss.), LB Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.), and TE Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio).
REBELS TO FINISH TOUGH SIX-GAME STRETCH WITH ARCH-RIVAL: Thursday night's game with Mississippi State will conclude a six-game stretch for Ole Miss in which they will have faced five teams with at least a .500-record or better at the time of the contest, including three teams -- Alabama, Georgia and LSU -- that were ranked in the top 25. While the Bulldogs will be the only team the Rebels have faced that are below .500 during this stretch, records are always thrown out the window in rivalry games. The following chart shows Ole Miss' opponents' record and national ranking at the time of the contest, and result during this six-game stretch:
="">| School | W-L* | Rank* | Next Game/Score | vs. UM/Site |
| Alabama> | 4-2 | 24/NR | L, 7-42 | Tuscaloosa |
| Arkansas | 3-3 | -/- | L, 28-48 | Fayetteville |
| Auburn | 5-3 | RV/RV | L, 24-31 | Oxford |
| Georgia | 8-1 | 7/8 | L, 17-31 | Athens |
| LSU | 7-3 | 21/20 | Sat. vs. Ole Miss | Baton Rouge> |
| Miss. State | 3-8 | -/- | Thurs. at Ole Miss | Nov. 28 (H) |
* - At time of the game
NOTE: The home (H) and away (A) designation reflects if it is a home or away game for Ole Miss ... The first ranking reflects The AP poll and the second the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25.
REBELS' SEASON A TALE OF THE TURNOVER: If one stat can tell the story of a team's season, for Ole Miss it would be turnovers in 2002. During the first six games of the year, the Rebels were a +7 in takeaway/giveaway ratio and had scored 56 points off 15 opponent turnovers. The second half of the season has seen that trend go the opposite way. In the last five games, Ole Miss has a -5 takeaway/giveaway ratio, committing 14 turnovers that have led to 45 points for the opposition. The following chart breaksdown the Rebels' turnover story in 2002:
| Games | Takeaways | Turnovers | Ratio | Points Off Turnovers |
| 1-6 | 15 | 8 | +7 | UM 56, Opp. 29 |
| 7-11 | 9 | 14 | -5 | Opp. 45, UM 27 |
| Totals | 24 | 22 | +2 | UM 83, Opp. 74 |
REBELS IN NOVEMBER
* Ole Miss has an all-time record of 186-154-13 (.545 winning percentage) during the month of November.
* The Rebels are 110-64-5 (.628 winning percentage) in home games during November, including home contests played in Jackson and Memphis ... In home games played in Oxford during November, the Rebels are 63-25-4 (.707 winning percentage).
* Ole Miss is 76-90-8 (.460 winning percentage) in road games during November.
* In SEC games played in November, Ole Miss has an overall record of 76-81-7 (.485 winning pct.).
* In SEC home games during November, the Rebels are 47-42-2 (.527 winning percentage), including home games played in Jackson and Memphis ... In SEC home games played in Oxford during November, Ole Miss is 16-19-1 (.458 winning percentage).
* In SEC road games during November, Ole Miss is 29-39-5 (.432 winning percentage).
REBELS ON TV:
* Thursday's game with Mississippi State, to be televised by ESPN, will mark the Rebels' 128th TV appearance (not including local or pay-per-view broadcasts) of all-time since making their TV debut in the 1953 Sugar Bowl versus Georgia Tech ... Ole Miss is 56-69-2 (.445 winning percentage) in TV games.
* The Rebels are 6-8 (.429 winning percentage) all-time on ESPN.
* Thursday's game will be the Rebels' ninth TV appearance of the season to eclipse the previous school season record of eight during the 2000 campaign ... It will be Ole Miss' third game shown on either ESPN or ESPN2 this season.
* ESPN is televising the Egg Bowl for the fifth consecutive year.
* Ole Miss has a 5-5 ledger against Mississippi State in TV games.
* The broadcast will also be the 31st time Ole Miss has played on TV since head coach David Cutcliffe's first full season in 1999.
* Three Ole Miss games this season have been televised by one of the four national networks (ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC), with the Rebels appearing twice on CBS and once on ABC, marking the first time since 1979 that Ole Miss has made at least two appearances in the same season on one of the four major networks.
M*A*S*H UNIT
* Senior TE Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio) was lost for the season after suffering a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg during the first half of the Sept. 21 game with Vanderbilt. He underwent successful surgery later that night. The Rebels' starting tight end the last three seasons, Zeigler had 48 career receptions for 612 yards and five TDs in 33 games.
* Senior LB Lanier Goethie (Baxley, Ga.) has not seen action since suffering a broken bone in his left foot during the Sept. 21 contest against Vanderbilt ... Goethie was third on the team in tackles entering the game with the Commodores and was this year's recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award.
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
* The Rebels enter Thursday's game having scored 300 points on the season, marking the first time in school history they have reached the 300-point mark in three consecutive seasons.
* Ole Miss is first in the SEC in passing offense, averaging 265.2 yards in the air per game.
* Ole Miss has tallied a school record 144 first downs by passing this season, bettering the previous record of 141 set last year.
* Ole Miss has had 18 different players catch at least one pass this season, including eight with 10 or more receptions.
* Junior Justin Sawyer (Centreville, Miss.) drew his first career start at tight end at LSU. Earlier this season, he started the Texas Tech (9/14) contest at center in place of senior center Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), who was hobbled with an injury suffered in the previous week's game with Memphis (9/7).
FLOWERS, COLLINS FORMING ONE OF TOP RECEIVING DUOS IN SCHOOL HISTORY: Junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) and sophomore WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) have combined for 90 receptions for 1,109 yards and 11 TDs this season to rank as one of the top receiving tandems in school history. The 90 combined catches ranks fourth among receiving duos in Ole Miss history, 11 shy of the school record of 101 set by the 1995 pair of LeMay Thomas (56 rec., 801 yards, 3 TDs) and Ta'Boris Fisher (45-493-4). Against Arkansas on Oct. 26, Flowers and Collins combined to become first Rebel receivers to each catch at least 10 passes in a game. Collins and Flowers have both caught 45 passes this season, with Collins also leading the team in receiving yards (624) and TD receptions (8). Flowers has 485 yards receiving and has caught three TD passes. The following chart shows the top receiving tandems in school history, in terms of receptions:
| Receivers, Year | No. |
| LeMay Thomas (56)/Ta'Boris Fisher (45), 1995 | 101 |
| Floyd Franks (54)/Barney Poole (43), 1969 | 97 |
| Chris Collins (54)/Jamie Armstrong (40), 2001 | 94 |
| Chris Collins (45)/Bill Flowers (45), 2002 | 90 |
| Rufus French (43)/Cory Peterson (40), 1997 | 83 |
| Buford McGee (42)/Mark Harmon (41), 1982 | 83 |
REBEL RECEIVING DUO LOOKING TO RECORD A FIRST: Entering Thursday's game, the receiving duo of junior Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) and sophomore WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) are both within reach of recording 50 receptions for the season. They will enter the game with Mississippi State tied for the team lead in receptions with 45, and if they can both grab five passes each, they will give the Rebels' their first pair of 50-reception receivers in the same season. Currently, there have been only four seasons in which Ole Miss has had one receiver catch 50 passes in a season, including Collins with 54 last year. If Collins should reach the 50-reception mark, he would be the first player in school history to have two seasons with at least 50 catches.
COLLINS LOOKS TO TIE SCHOOL SEASON AND CAREER TD RECEPTIONS MARK: Junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) will enter the Egg Bowl needing one TD reception to tie both the Ole Miss single-season and career marks. His eight TD receptions this season is one shy of the record of nine, set by Ken Toler (1978-1980) in 1980 and later tied by Grant Heard (1997-2000) in 2000. His 15 career TD receptions is one off of Heard's mark of 16.
COLLINS TIES SINGLE-GAME MARK VERSUS AUBURN: With three TD receptions against Auburn on Nov. 2 in Oxford, junior WR Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) tied the Ole Miss single-game record, set five times previously, including once by Collins in last year's season opener versus Murray State. Prior to last Saturday, current senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.), against Arkansas last season, was the player to have three TD receptions in a game. The others to catch three TD passes in a game were Johnny Brewer (1960 vs. Tulane), Louis Guy (1962 vs. Houston) and Pat Coleman (1989 vs. Arkansas State).
HANDS OFF!: Entering last weekend's game at LSU, Ole Miss ranked as having allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC since 1999 with 44, 23 less than the next team, LSU with 67. The Rebels were also tied with the Tigers for having allowed the fewest sacks in the SEC this season with 11. The Rebels have led the SEC in the number of fewest sacks allowed in each of the last two seasons. The following charts show the top five teams for the fewest sacks allowed in the SEC since 1999 and for this season (updated Monday afternoon):
FEWEST SACKS ALLOWED SINCE 1999
| Team | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | Total | |
| 1. | Ole Miss | 16 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 44 |
| 2. | LSU | 25 | 12 | 19 | 11 | 67 |
| 3. | Georgia | 21 | 12 | 15 | 23 | 71 |
| 4. | Arkansas | 14 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 72 |
| 5. | Florida | 18 | 26 | 13 | 17 | 74 |
FEWEST SACKS ALLOWED IN 2002
FLOWERS IN ELITE COMPANY AMONG REBEL RECEIVERS:
| Team | No. | |
| 1. | Ole Miss | 11 |
| LSU | 11 | |
| 3. | Auburn | 13 |
| 4. | Florida | 17 |
| 5. | Vanderbilt | 18 |
--RECEPTIONS--
| Player, Years | Rec. |
| Bill Flowers, 2001-present | 73 |
| Chris Collins, 2000-present | 66 |
| Grant Heard, 1996-2000* | 56 |
| Ta'Boris Fisher, 1993-1996 | 54 |
| James Harbour, 1981-1984 | 53 |
--RECEIVING YARDS--
| Player, Years | Yards |
| Chris Collins, 2000-present | 860 |
| Willie Green, 1986-1989* | 810 |
| Grant Heard, 1996-2000 | 804 |
| Bill Flowers, 2001-present | 800 |
| James Harbour, 1981-1984 | 759 |
--TOUCHDOWNS--
| Player, Years | No. |
| J.R. Ambrose, 1984-87 | 8 |
| Barney Poole, 1942; 1946-1947 | 8 |
| Chris Collins, 2000-present | 7 |
| Bill Flowers, 2001-present | 7 |
| Willie Green, 1986-1989 | 5 |
STREAKING REBELS: Ole Miss has three players -- junior Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.), sophomore Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) and senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) -- with streaks of at least 10 games with a reception:
| Receiver | Streak | vs. LSU |
| Chris Collins | 20 | 5 rec., 39 yds |
| Bill Flowers | 17 | 1 rec., 10 yds |
| Jason Armstead | 15 | 2 rec., 45 yds |
OFFENSIVE PLAYER NOTES
WR JASON ARMSTEAD (SR., MOSS POINT, MISS.)
* Leads team with 890 all purpose yards (-5 rush., 307 rec., 283 PR, 305 KR), averaging 80.9 yards per game.
* Had 96 all purpose yards (45 rec., 51 ret.) at LSU this past weekend to go over the 2,000-yard mark for his career (2,022).
WR CHRIS COLLINS (JR, GLOSTER, MISS.)
* Tied with sophomore Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) for the team lead in receptions with 45 ... Leads the Rebels in receiving yards (624) and TD receptions (8) ... 45 receptions is tied for eighth on the Ole Miss single-season list.
* Tied for fourth in the SEC in receptions per game (4.09) and is fifth in receiving yards per game (56.7).
* Eight TD receptions is tied for third in the SEC.
* Is the fifth player in Ole Miss history to record back-to-back seasons with at least 40 receptions, joining Floyd Franks (1969-1970), Michael Harmon (1981-1982), Ta'Boris Fisher (1994-1996) and Cory Peterson (1997-1999).
* Ninth on the Ole Miss career lists for both receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,484).
* Has caught 30 passes for 382 yards and four TDs in the last five games versus Alabama (10/19), Arkansas (10/26), Auburn (11/2), Georgia (11/9) and LSU (11/23).
WR BILL FLOWERS (SO., PELHAM, ALA.)
* Tied for the junior Chris Collins (Gloster, Miss.) for the team lead in receptions with 45 ... 45 receptions is tied for eighth on the Ole Miss single-season list.
* Is tied for fourth in the SEC in receptions per game (4.09).
RB TREMAINE TURNER (SPRINGFIELD, TENN.)
* Has rushed for 133 yards on 31 carries -- an average of 4.3 yards per carry -- in the last two games against Georgia (11/9) and LSU (11/23).
* Rushed for a career-high 89 yards on 19 attempts with two TDs against the Bulldogs ... The 19 carries is tied with redshirt freshman Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) for the most by a Rebel back this season.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
* The Rebels recorded two QB sacks against LSU to give them 25 through 11 games, nine more than their total of 16 in 11 games last year.
* Ole Miss has at least one sack in all 11 games this season, and in 31 of its last 32 contests.
* The Rebels have recorded 79 TFLs this season, 24 more than their total of 55 last season. * Ole Miss' 13 interceptions this season is two more than its total of 11 last season. * The 14-13 loss to LSU marked the first time under head coach David Cutcliffe that the Rebels have lost a game when allowing less than 20 points. Ole Miss is 17-1 under Cutcliffe when holding the opposition to under 20.
* The 134 yards rushing by LSU was the fewest allowed by Ole Miss since yielding a 133 to Arkansas State on Oct. 12 ... The Rebels also snapped a string of four straight games of allowing a 100-yard rusher.
* Ole Miss equaled a season high with three fumble recoveries against LSU and also tied a season high by forcing four Tiger turnovers. Ole Miss also recovered three fumbles against Vanderbilt on Sept. 21 and forced Florida into four turnovers on Oct. 5 in its 17-14 upset of the No. 6 Gators.
* The 322 yards of total offense by LSU was the fewest the Rebels have allowed since limiting Arkansas State to 264 yards on Oct. 12.
* Redshirt freshman Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) has recovered fumbles in back-to-back games against Georgia (11/9) and LSU (11/23).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER NOTES
SS MATT GRIER (SR., SMITHVILLE, MISS.)
* Leads team with 11.0 TFLs (-42 yards).
* Tied for the team lead in QB sacks (3.0-25 yards), interceptions (4) and forced fumbles (2).
* Tied for sixth in the SEC in interceptions, averaging 0.36 per game.
* Made a season-high nine stops (five solo), including 2.0 TFLs (-5 yards) versus Florida ... Intercepted two passes, returning the second 24 yards for what proved to be the game-winning TD in the third quarter ... Also had one pass deflection ... Was named the SEC and Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.
WS VON HUTCHINS (JR., NATCHEZ, MISS.)
* Intercepted his fourth pass of the season at LSU to tie senior Matt Grier for the team lead.
* Tied for fourth in the SEC in interceptions per game, averaging 0.4 per contest.
* Suffered a fracture in his left hand during practice on Oct. 22 and underwent surgery on Oct. 23 ... Did not start but saw action versus Arkansas (10/26) and Auburn (11/2) ... Did not play versus Georgia (11/9).
FS ERIC OLIVER (SO., JASPER, ALA.)
* Leads Ole Miss with 109 tackles (70 solo).
* Recorded at least 10 tackles in five of the last seven contests.
LB EDDIE STRONG (SR., BATESVILLE, MISS.)
* Started the last seven games after being hampered by an ankle injury suffered during the preseason ... Only appearance of the season prior to the Florida contest came in limited action at Texas Tech (9/14).
* Ranks second on the team in tackles in the last seven games with 45 (30 solo) ... Also has 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 QB sacks, three pass break-ups and three fumble recoveries since returning to full-time action.
* Credited with a season-high 13 stops (eight solo), with 1.0 TFL, a 0.5 QB sack, one pass deflection, one QB pressure and one fumble recovery last Saturday at LSU.
GOETHIE WEARS CHUCKY MULLINS' NO. 38: Senior LB Lanier Goethie (Baxley, GA) was named this year's winner of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award in April, and as a result is wearing the late Mullins' No. 38 this season. He was No. 2 last season. Goethie has not seen action since suffering a broken bone in his left foot during the fourth game of the year against Vanderbilt on Sept. 21. In four games this season, he had recorded 22 tackles (14 solo) with two TFLs for -4 yards, and was credited with one pass deflection, one quarterback pressure and one forced fumble.
SPECIALTY NOTES
* The Rebels have not had a punt blocked in 42straight games since the Sept. 25, 1999 game at Auburn.
* Senior Jason Armstead's (Moss Point, Miss.) 479 career punt return yards ranks ninth on the Ole Miss career list.
* Sophomore punter Cody Ridgeway's (Jackson, Tenn.) career average of 40.8 yards per punt is seventh on the Ole Miss career list.
* Junior Ronald McClendon (Ponchatoula, La.) tied an Ole Miss single-game record with six kickoff returns versus Alabama (10/19). He shares the record with Rick Kimbrough (1974 vs. Alabama), Tyrone Ashley (1989 vs. Alabama), Vincent Brownlee (1991 vs. Georgia), Deuce McAllister (1999 vs. Alabama and 2000 vs. Georgia).
* Ole Miss has returned at least one kick (kickoff or punt) for a score in each of the last four seasons. Deuce McAllister (1997-2000) returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score against Arkansas in 1999, and returned a punt 87 yards for a TD versus Auburn in 2000, senior Robert Williams (Gadsden, Ala.) returned a kickoff 97 yards for a score against the Razorbacks in 2000, and senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score last season versus Murray State and had a 62-yard punt return for a TD this season versus Memphis on Sept. 7.
REBELS RECORD RARE FEAT VERSUS ARKANSAS STATE: For only the third time in school history, Ole Miss did not attempt a punt in the 52-17 win over Arkansas State on Oct. 12. The previous two occasions came in a 45-0 win over North Texas in 1956 and during a 35-9 win over Mississippi State in 1960.
SPECIAL TEAMS THUMBNAILS
PK JONATHAN NICHOLS (GREENWOOD, MISS.)
* Leads Ole Miss with 70 points scored, the second highest total by a kicker in school history ... Is eight points shy of Les Binkley's (1999-2000) Ole Miss single-season record for points by a kicker of 78 set in 1999.
* Is second among SEC kickers in scoring, averaging 6.4 points per game, and is fourth overall in the SEC in scoring.
* Made all 34 PAT attempts this season, and the 34 PATs made is fourth on the school's single-season list.
* Has made 43 consecutive extra points, the fourth longest streak in school history.
* Made 10 of his last 11 field goal tries dating back to the Sept. 21 game with Vanderbilt ... His only miss during that span was a 19-yarder that was blocked by Georgia in the Nov. 9 game at Athens.
* Is 5-of-5 on field goals 40 yards or longer this season.
* 126 career points ranks ninth on the Ole Miss career scoring list for kickers.
ARMSTEAD EARNS SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Senior Jason Armstead (Moss Point, Miss.) was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the weekend of Sept. 7 after turning in a school-record breaking performance in a 38-16 win over Memphis. Armstead returned eight punts for 157 yards and one TD against the Tigers to break Will Glover's 55-year old school single-game record record of 151 punt return yards, set on Nov. 15, 1947 versus Chattanooga. The 157 punt return yards was also tied for the sixth-highest single-game total in SEC history. In addition, Armstead's eight punt returns tied the school single-game record, which was set previously by Doug Cunningham against Southern Miss on Oct. 16, 1966, and tied him for fifth on the SEC's single-game list.
Armstead returned his final punt against the Tigers 62 yards for a score with 2:47 left in the game to seal the Rebels' 38-16 win. He is the first Rebel since Deuce McAllister against Auburn in 2000 to return a punt for a score.
NICHOLS EARNS SEC HONOR AS WELL: Sophomore PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) became the second Rebel this season to be named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, as he was garnered the honor following his 13-point performance against Vanderbilt on Sept. 21. Nichols converted all four PAT attempts and all three of his field goals attempts on the afternoon. He made field goals of 40, 42 and 28 yards. The 13 points is tied for the fourth-highest single-game total by a kicker in school history.
2002 CAPTAINS: Seniors center Ben Claxton (Dublin, Ga.), linebacker Lanier Goethie (Baxley, Ga.), linebacker Eddie Strong (Batesville, Miss.), and tight end Doug Zeigler (Wilmington, Ohio) have been selected as the four permanent team captains for the 2002 season.
FIVE REBELS EARN VERIZON DISTRICT VI ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS: Ole Miss had five players named to the Verizon District VI All-Academic team on Nov. 14, marking the third straight year the Rebels have placed at least three players on the academic all-district squad. Junior QB Eli Manning (New Orleans, La.) and sophomore punter Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) were named to the first team and will be placed on the ballot for the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America team. Named to the second were sophomore place kicker Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.), sophomore linebacker Rob Robertson (Centreville, Miss.) and junior DB Wes Scott (Jackson, Tenn.).
JOHNSON AND JOHNSON COMPANY: Ole Miss has six players with the last name of Johnson on its roster, though, only two are related: offensive linemen Belton and Marcus from Coffeeville, Miss. The other four Johnsons are: Desmon, a senior cornerback from Okmulgee, Okla.; Kerry, a sophomore WR from Oxford, Miss.; Travis, a redshirt freshman defensive back from Shannon, Miss.; and Yahrek, a senior defensive lineman from Atlanta, Ga. Belton and Marcus have started 22 straight games right next to each other on the offensive line, with Belton, a senior, at right tackle, and Marcus, a sophomore, at right guard.
WELCOME TO THE NEWLY-EXPANDED VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY STADIUM/HOLLINGSWORTH FIELD
The Aug. 31 season opener with Louisiana-Monroe marked the unveiling of the newly expanded Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field. The nearly two-year construction project, that began following the 2000 season, saw the bowling in of the south end zone. The construction raised the stadium's capacity from 50,577 in 2000 to 60,580, making it the largest on-campus facility in the state of Mississippi. A then-stadium record crowd of 58,151 watched the Rebels defeat the Indians 31-3, breaking the old attendance record of 52,476 set on Nov. 11, 2000 against LSU.
The record of 58,151 was eclipsed on Oct. 5 when a standing-room only crowd of 61,140 watched the Rebels defeat No. 6 Florida, 17-14.
Ole Miss has won 77.9 percent of its home games at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field, compiling an all-time mark of 211-57-8.
STADIUM TIMELINE
1915: The stadium, known as Hemingway Stadium for much of its existence, began its historic life when students helped in construction of the first football grandstand at the site of the present field ... The construction of the stadium and its permanent foundation was a three-year, federally-sponsored project and had an original capacity listed at 24,000 ... The facility was named after the late Judge William Hemingway (1869-1937), professor of law and longtime chairman of the University's Committee on Athletics.
1950: One of the nation's longest press boxes, measuring 80 yards, was added.
1970: Astroturf was installed on the playing surface in 1970.
1971: Blue fiber glass seating was added to the West side stands in 1971 and later to the East stands in 1973.
1980: Permanent aluminum bleachers were installed in both end zones in 1980, enlarging capacity to 41,000.
OCT. 16, 1982: John Howard Vaught saw his name added to the stadium. The legendary Rebel coach compiled an impressive 190-61-12 record as head football coach at Ole Miss and brought the Rebels national championships in 1959, 1960 and 1962.
SUMMER, 1984: The astroturf was removed and replaced with prescription athletic turf.
SUMMER, 1988: The stadium received a major facelift, including a new press box, new aluminum sideline seating, restrooms and concessions stands, plus a club level section for 700 people.
1990: Lights were added.
1997: A new Sony JumboTron scoreboard/message center was installed.
1998: The Guy C. Billups Rebel Club was completed prior to the season, which included a special seating section with an enclosed concession and lounge area. The addition pushed capacity to over 50,000.
SEPT 5, 1998: The field was named in honor of Dr. Jerry Hollingsworth for his continuing generous support to the entire athletic department.
NOVEMBER 2000: Construction began on bowling in the south end zone following Ole Miss' 45-30 win over Mississippi State in the regular-season finale.
AUG. 31, 2002: In the first game since the bowling in of the south end zone, a stadium record 58,151 watched Ole Miss down Louisiana-Monroe 31-3.
OCT. 5, 2002: Ole Miss defeated No. 6 Florida 17-14 in front of a standing-room only crowd of 61,140 to break the stadium single-game record of 58,151 set in the season opener versus UL-Monroe.
2002 SEASON HONORS
--AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM--
Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
--BRONKO NAGURSKI NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK--
Matt Grier (10/5 vs. Florida)
--FWAA TEAM OF THE WEEK--
Ole Miss (10/5 vs. Florida)
--QUARTERBACK CLUB PLAYERS OF THE WEEK--
vs. Louisiana-Monroe (8/31)
Offense: Robert Williams (Sr., RB)
Defense: Matt Grier (Sr., DB)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (So., PK)
vs. Memphis (9/7)
Offense: Rick Razzano (Soph., FB)
Defense: Charlie Anderson (Jr., DE)
Special Teams: Jason Armstead (Sr., KR/PR)
vs. Texas Tech (9/14)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: Jesse Mitchell (Jr., NT)
Special Teams: Wesley Bryan (So., P)
vs. Vanderbilt (9/21)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: L.P. Spence (Jr., LB)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
vs. Florida (10/5
Offense: Vashon Pearson (Fr.,RB)
Defense: Matt Grier (Sr., SS)
Special Teams: Cody Ridgeway (Soph., P)
vs. Arkansas State (10/12)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: Von Hutchins (Jr., WS)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
vs. Alabama (10/19)
Offense: Ben Claxton (Sr., C)
Defense: Jesse Mitchell (Jr., NT)
Special Teams: A.J. Kiamie (Sr., LS)
vs. Arkansas (10/26)
Offense: Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Defense: Jesse Mitchell (Jr., NT)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
vs. Auburn (11/2)
Offense: Chris Collins (Jr., WR)
Defense: Eddie Strong (Sr., LB)
Special Teams: Cody Ridgeway (Soph., P)
vs. Georgia (11/9)
Offense: Tremaine Turner (Jr., RB)
Defense: Eric Oliver (Soph., FS)
Special Teams: Rob Robertson (Soph).
vs. LSU (11/23)
Offense: Mike Espy (Fr., WR)
Defense: Eddie Strong (Sr., LB)
Special Teams: Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
--SEC GOOD WORKS TEAM--
Lanier Goethie (Sr., LB)
--SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK--
Special Teams
Jason Armstead (9/7 vs. Memphis)
Jonathan Nichols (9/21 vs. Vanderbilt)
Defense
Matt Grier (10/5 vs. Florida)
VERIZON DISTRICT VI ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
First Team
Eli Manning (Jr., QB)
Cody Ridgeway (Soph., P)
Second Team
Jonathan Nichols (Soph., PK)
Rob Robertson (Soph., LB)
Wes Scott (Jr., DB)