Mississippi State-Ole Miss Postgame Notes

Nov. 28, 2002

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MISSISSIPPI STATE POSTGAME NOTES
SERIES/ATTENDANCE NOTES
* Mississippi now leads the series with MSU 56-37-6, 18-10-3 in Oxford.
* The team leading at halftime in the MSU-Mississippi series has now won 70 of the 97 meetings (.722) where there was not a tie at the half.

TEAM NOTES
* MSU went winless in the SEC this season for the first time since 1988...State's nine losses this season (coming under the new 12-game schedule) mark the most setbacks for the Bulldogs since that same 1988 campaign (1-10).
* State's defense has now recorded at least one interception in 44 of its last 60 games played...MSU has posted two or more pickoffs in 24 of those 44 contests.
* The Bulldogs are 60-17-1 (.776) under Jackie Sherrill when outrushing their opponent, and now 13-48-1 (.218) when not.
* MSU is 41-9 (.820) under Jackie Sherrill when scoring 25 or more points, 25-4 (.862) since 1996...The Dogs are now just 31-56-2 (.360) during that same span when they haven't posted 25 or more points.
* Since 1994, MSU is 36-7 (.837) when recording more takeaways than its opponent...The 'Dogs are now just 8-30 (.211) during the same span when posting fewer takeways.
* Over the last five seasons (1997-02, 71 games), MSU is 32-14 (.696) when rushing for 100-plus yards...Conversely, the 'Dogs are now just 7-18 (.280) when failing to run for 100 yards.
* State is 55-13-2 (.800) under Jackie Sherrill when leading at halftime, 4-6 (.400) when tied, and now 14-46-0 (.233) when trailing at the intermission.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
* With five tackles in the game, LB Mario Haggan closed out his MSU career by moving into eighth place on MSU's career tackles list with 358 stops...He surpassed Billy Jackson Cedric Corse (355; 1984-87) on that list.
* By hitting 2-of-2 field goals tonight, PK Brent Smith ended the season 16-for-20 (.800) on field goal attempts, including a perfect 12-for-12 inside 40 yards...He ended the year by hitting seven-straight attempts, including a 53-yarder that ranks tied for the second-longest in MSU history...Smith led the SEC in field goal percentage entering the game and was second in the league in field goals made prior to tonight...His percentage of .800 this year ranks as the second-best single-season field goal percentage in MSU history (min. 15 attempts)...Only Dana Moore in 1982 (.813, 13-of-16) had a better season.
* Smith's 16 field goals made this year also moved him into a tie for 10th place on MSU's career list for successful field goals, tying Dave Marler (1977-78)...The 16 field goals also rank him in a tie for third on MSU's single-season list for field goals made.
* QB Kevin Fant set new career highs for pass completions (23) and attempts (42) in the game...His 340 yards through the air were his second-best career effort, behind his 346 yards vs. Brigham Young last season
* With 163 completions this season, Fant finished ranked tied for third on MSU's single-season completions list...His 1,918 passing yards and 191.80 yards-per-game average this year both rank as the fifth-best, single-season marks in State history in those categories.
* SE Ray Ray Bivines set career highs for both receptions (6) and receiving yardage (115) in the game.
* LB T.J. Mawhinney's interception in the game was his second of the year and third of his career.
* CB Kevin Dockery's interception in the game was the first of his career.
* DE Nathan Jackson made his first career start today, becoming the 44th different starter MSU has utilized on the offensive and defensive units in 2002.

OPPONENT NOTES
* UM receiver Chris Collins' 130 yards receiving in the game were the most by any individual against MSU this season.

OLE MISS POSTGAME NOTES
SERIES NOTES
? The crowd of 60,245 is the third largest to watch a game in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field, and the third largest to watch a game at an on-campus site. In the Ole Miss-Mississippi State series (games played in Oxford, Starkville and Jackson), the crowd is the fourth largest overall. The three crowds that are larger were all in Jackson (62,520 in 1980; 61,286 in 1982; 61,153 in 1981).
? With tonight's win, Ole Miss improves its record to 56-37-6 against Mississippi State. In the "Battle for the Golden Egg" that began in 1927, Ole Miss leads 50-20-5.
? Tonight's contest was the 99th in the Ole Miss-Mississippi State rivalry, which is tied for the 16th longest in NCAA Division I-A history. The Egg Bowl began in 1927 and tonight's game was the 75th renewal of that clash.

ELI MANNING NOTES
16-of-29 passing, 207 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
? Eli Manning's first TD pass - a 28-yard strike to Chris Collins in the second quarter - was the 50th of his career. He is the first quarterback in Ole Miss to reach that plateau and is also the 17th player in SEC history to do so.
? Eli Manning's 207 yards passing tonight gives him 3,088 yards for the season to break his own Ole Miss season record of 2,948 last season.
? Eli Manning's 77-yard TD toss to Chris Collins in the third quarter is tied for the 11th longest pass play in Ole Miss history.
? With the 77-yard TD toss to Chris Colllins, Eli Manning threw three passes of 75 yards or longer in the same season, becoming the first quarterback in Ole Miss history to do so. Earlier this year vs. Vanderbilt, Manning connected on TD passes of 79 and 78 yards. The 79-yard TD pass - tied for the 6th longest in Ole Miss history - was a scoring strike to Collins, and the 78-yard TD - tied for the 8th longest - was a connection with Mike Espy.
? Manning also joins Romaro Miller (1997-2000) as the only quarterback in school history with three completions of longer than 70 yards in his career.
? Finished with 208 yards of total offense tonight (207 pass, 1 rush) to finish the regular season with 3,165 yards and break his own record of 2,957 set last season.
? On his first pass attempt tonight, Manning broke his own school season record of 408. He passed 29 times tonight to finish the regular season with 437 passing attempts.
? He also had 30 offensive plays tonight (29 pass, 1 rush) to finish the regular season with 470 offensive plays, a new Ole Miss season record. He breaks his mark of 442 last year.
? The one-yard QB sneak in the fourth quarter marked his second career rushing TD. His first came on a one-yard sneak at Arkansas on Oct. 26.

TEAM NOTES
? Tonight's win makes the Rebels' bowl eligible for the sixth straight season, and secures a fifth bowl berth in the last six years. The Rebels entered tonight's game as the only SEC team that could secure the conference's seventh and final bowl spot.
? Tonight's 24-12 win snapped the Rebels' five-game losing streak, their longest since losing the last five games of 1991.
? Ole Miss finished the season 6-1 at home, and has won 11 of its last 14 home games dating back to the 45-30 win over Mississippi State in the 2000 Egg Bowl.
? Ole Miss is 23-4 all-time in home night games (6 p.m., start or later), since lights were installed at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium prior to the 1990 season.
? Tonight's game marked the final home game for 21 Ole Miss seniors.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
? Junior WR Chris Collins scored on TD receptions of 28 and 77 yards to set new Ole Miss single-season and career records for TD receptions. Collins finished the regular season with 10 TD receptions to break the previous mark of nine set by Ken Toler in 1980 and later tied by Grant Heard in 2000. He now has 17 TD receptions on his career to break Heard's mark of 16.
? Collins' 130 yards receiving marked his seventh career 100-yard receiving game.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
? Senior DB Matt Grier and junior DB Von Hutchins both intercepted their fifth passes of the season.
? Freshman DB Travis Johnson intercepted his second pass of the year in the fourth quarter and returned it 21 yards to the Bulldogs four and set-up Ole Miss' final TD of the game.
? Ole Miss limited Mississippi State to 79 yards rushing snapping a streak of six straight games in which opponents recorded at least 130 on the ground against the Rebels. It is also the fewest rushing yards allowed by Ole Miss since Texas Tech had 39 yards on 27 carries in the Sept. 14 game at Lubbock.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
? Jonathan Nichols moved to within two points of the Ole Miss single-season record for kick-scoring. With his 3 PATs and one FG vs. Mississippi State tonight, he now has 76 for the season. The Rebel single-season record is 78 points by Les Binkley in the 1999 campaign.
? Nichols has converted on 46 consecutive PAT attempts, the third longest streak in school history.
? Armstead had 149 return yards tonight, 100 on three punt returns and 49 on kickoff return yards.
? Armstead's 100 punt return yards tonight marked the second game this season he has totaled at least 100 punt returns in a game. Earlier this season against Memphis, he set a school single-game record with 157 punt return yards on eight attempts.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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