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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Football Game Notes
11/22/2004 | Football
Nov. 22, 2004
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
DATE: Saturday, November 27, 2004
TIME: 1:00 p.m.
SITE (CAPACITY/SURFACE): Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field (60,580/Natural Grass)
TV: None
RADIO: Ole Miss Radio Network (David Kellum, play-by-play; Harry Harrison, color analyst; Stan Sandroni, sideline reporter).
POLLS: Neither Mississippi State or Ole Miss are ranked in this week's Associated Press or ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls.
SERIES INFO: Saturday's game will be the 101st meeting of one of the nation's most-played rivalries. Ole Miss holds a 57-37-6 advantage in the series dating back to 1901. The Ole Miss-Mississippi State 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 Saturday's game the 89th consecutive year that the two schools have faced each other. Neither team, however, fielded a squad in 1943 due to World War II. Saturday's game will be the 77th "Battle of the Golden Egg," as the two schools started playing for the trophy in 1927. Ole Miss holds a 51-20-5 advantage in the "Egg Bowl." The home team has won four of the last five games, as the Rebels snapped the visiting team's four-game win streak with a 31-0 victory last year in Starkville. Ole Miss has won three of the last four meetings, however, the Bulldogs own a 7-6 advantage since the series returned to campus sites in 1991, after being played yearly in Jackson from 1973-1990. Ole Miss is looking to become the first team in the series to win three straight Egg Bowls since the Rebels won three consecutive from 1988-1990. Ole Miss won 24-12 in 2002 in Oxford and 31-0 last year in Starkville. The Rebels hold a 18-10-3 advantage in games played in Oxford.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ole Miss will look to snap a four-game losing streak and avoid its first five-game skid since the 2002 season ... Senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) will enter his final career game with a streak of 20 consecutive games with at least one reception ... Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) will enter his final game as a Rebel ranked sixth on the SEC's career scoring list with 336 points and will carry a streak of 115 consecutive PATs made ... Saturday's game will mark the final game in a Rebel uniform for 25 Ole Miss seniors.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH David Cutcliffe: David Cutcliffe (Alabama, 1976) is in his sixth season as the Rebels' head coach. He is 43-29 (.597 winning pct.) at Ole Miss and is the only coach in school history to lead the Rebels to at least seven wins in each of his first five seasons. Ole Miss has been Cutcliffe's only career head coaching position. Prior to taking the head coaching assignment at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe spent 17 years as an assistant at Tennessee under both Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer. Cutcliffe is 3-2 against Mississippi State and Saturday's contest will mark his first-ever meeting against Bulldog head coach Sylvester Croom.
MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH SYLVESTER CROOM: Sylvester Croom is in his first season as the head coach at Mississippi State. He has led the Bulldogs to a 3-7 record, and this is his first career head coaching assignment. Prior to taking the position at Mississippi State, Croom spent three seasons from 2001-2003 as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers. Croom also served on NFL coaching staffs with Tampa Bay (1987-1990), Indianapolis (1991) and San Diego (1992-1996). Croom started his coaching career as a graduate assistant on Paul "Bear" Bryant's staff at Alabama in 1976. He then served as an assistant for the Crimson Tide from 1977-1986.
MISSISSIPPI STATE SCOUTING REPORT: The Bulldogs will enter Saturday's "Egg Bowl" 3-7 on the year, including 2-5 in the SEC. Mississippi State has dropped back-to-back games to Alabama (14-30) and Arkansas (21-24).
The Bulldogs are averaging 17.0 points and 311.5 yards per game. Junior RB Jerious Norwood rushed for 109 yards on 23 carries against the Razorbacks last weekend to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. He has gained 1,026 yards on 184 yards -- an average of 5.6 yards per carry -- and has scored seven TDs to lead a rushing attack that is averaging 167.4 yards per game. Sophomore QB Omarr Conner has made eight starts, and has completed 99-of-178 passes for 1,074 yards with six TDs and six interceptions. Sophomore FL Will Prosser and junior SE Tee Milons have both recorded a team-high 21 receptions.
Defensively, Mississippi State is allowing an average of 26.0 points and 359.2 yards per game. The Bulldogs are allowing an average of 181.1 yards on the ground. Senior FS Slovakia Griffith leads the team with 69 tackles (33 solo). Junior DE Willie Evans leads the team in both TFLs (10.5) and QB sacks (4.5). Sophomore SS Jeramie Johnson has intercepted a team-leading three passes.
On special teams, sophomore PK Keith Andrews has made all 21 PAT attempts and is 5-of-8 on FG attempts, including 3-of-3 from over 40 yards, with a long of 48. Senior Jared Cook is averaging 44.2 yards per punt on 42 attempts, with a long of 68. Freshman Jonathan Lowe is averaging 17.8 yards on 17 kickoff returns and 11.7 yards on 15 punt returns. He has also returned one punt for a score.
2004 MISSISSIPPI STATE SCHEDULE/RESULTS
(3-7 OVERALL, 2-5 SEC)
| SEPT. 4 | TULANE | W, 28-7 |
| SEPT. 11 | (#18) AUBURN* | L, 14-43 |
| SEPT. 18 | MAINE | L, 7-9 |
| Sept. 25 | at (#13) LSU* | L, 0-51 |
| at Vanderbilt* | L, 13-31 | |
| OCT. 9 | UAB | L, 13-27 |
| OCT. 23 | (#19) FLORIDA* | W, 38-31 |
| OCT. 30 | KENTUCKY* | W, 22-7 |
| Nov. 6 | at Alabama* | L, 14-30 |
| NOV. 20 | ARKANSAS* | L, 21-24 |
| Nov. 27 | at Ole Miss* | 1 p.m. |
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
All times Central
OLE MISS ANNOUNCES NEW PARKING POLICY
Parking on Highway 6 during football games is no longer allowed, but the University and City of Oxford officials have worked together to create a more efficient parking situation.
According to Oxford Police Chief Steve Bramlett, the state and the city have "total jurisdiction" over the Highway 6 bypass.
"It will be a zero tolerance ticket and tow situation," Bramlett said. "If someone decides to pull their car over and park it (along Highway 6), it won't be there when they get back."
On-campus parking is available at the following locations with shuttles provided to the stadium before and beginning 30-45 minutes after the game:
In addition, the City of Oxford will provide parking at the following locations with shuttles to the stadium before and after the game:
The City of Oxford's Double Decker bus will also shuttle fans from the Oxford Square to the intersection of Sorority Row and West Jackson Avenue.
Officials estimate this will provide up to 1,600 additional parking spaces.
REBEL GAME NOTES
REBS, 'DOGS TO MEET FOR 101ST TIME SATURDAY: The Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs will renew acquaintances for the 101st time Saturday afternoon at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field. The rivalry is tied with the North Carolina-Wake Forest series for the 16th longest in NCAA Division I-A history. The NCAA also considers the Ole Miss-Mississippi State series the 10th longest running uninterrupted series in Division I-A, though neither school fielded teams in 1943. Saturday's game will also be the 77th edition of the game that has become known as "The Battle For The Golden Egg," or simply the "Egg Bowl." Ole Miss holds a 51-20-5 advantage in "Egg Bowl" games. With a win Saturday, the Rebels can become the first team to win three straight Egg Bowls since Ole Miss won three consecutive from 1988-1990.
THE START OF THE GOLDEN EGG: The Golden Egg was first proposed by members of Sigma Iota, an Ole Miss honorary society in 1927. Sigma Iota proposed that a trophy be awarded in a dignified ceremony designed to calm excited fans, after Ole Miss fans stormed the field at Starkville's Scott Field following the Rebels' 7-6 win in the 1926 contest.
The 1926 win snapped a 13-game losing streak to then Mississippi A&M, and was just Ole Miss' fifth win in 23 tries. Following the game, Ole Miss fans made a dash for the goal posts, while Aggie fans took after them with cane bottom chairs and fights broke out. The mayhem continued until most of the chairs were splintered.
After Sigma Iota made its proposal, Mississippi A&M approved the suggestion, and Ole Miss, two weeks before the game, officially added its approval. The trophy, to be called "The Golden Egg," would be a regulation-size gold-plated football mounted on a pedestal. Cost approximately $250 would be shared by both schools.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1927, the first "Battle of the Golden Egg" was waged before a crowd of 14,000 in Oxford. The Rebels won 20-12 and the symbol of supremacy in the series was born.
ORIGINS OF THE NAME: The term "Egg Bowl" can be traced back to 1978, when Executive Sports Editor of the Clarion-Ledger Tom Patterson decided to spice up the 1978 meeting. A year earlier, the Clarion-Ledger headline on game day had been "Egg Bowl Is Up For Scramble," and the following day it was "Egg Bowl `77: State 18, Ole Miss 14." With the Rebels 4-6 and the Bulldogs 6-4 and apparently out of the bowl picture heading into the 1978 game, Patterson instructed his staff to follow the "Egg Bowl" theme throughout the week. The result was an award winning special section on Sunday, which recounted in great detail the Rebels' stunning 27-7 victory over the heavily-favored Bulldogs. While the game is still officially the "Battle of the Golden Egg," most members of the of the media now refer to the annual game simply as the "Egg Bowl."
"EGG BOWL FACT": The "Egg Bowl" will be played the Saturday following Thanksgiving for the first time since 1997, when Ole Miss posted a dramatic 15-14 win at Scott Field in Starkville. The past six years, the game was played on Thanksgiving Night and was televised nationally by ESPN. The two teams split the six meetings the game was played on Thanksgiving, with the Rebels winning the last two, 24-12 in 2002 in Oxford and 31-0 last year in Starkville.
OVERTIME REBELS: Ole Miss' 26-23 overtime win over Vanderbilt on September 18 marked the Rebels' first overtime contest since losing 58-56 to Arkansas in the seven-overtime classic in Oxford on Nov. 3, 2001. The Vanderbilt game was the ninth overtime game in school history, which ranks second in NCAA Division I-A for the most overtime games played. The Rebels are 6-3 in overtime games, tying Missouri and North Carolina State for the most overtime wins in NCAA Division I-A. The following charts show the most overtime wins and overtime games played by NCAA Division I-A schools:
--Overtime Wins--
| School | W-L | Pct. |
| Ole Miss | 6-3 | .667 |
| Missouri | 6-3 | .667 |
| North Carolina State | 6-4 | .600 |
| Arkansas | 5-1 | .833 |
| Oklahoma State | 5-3 | .625 |
| Cincinnati | 5-4 | .556 |
--Most Overtime Games Played--
| School | No. | W-L |
| North Carolina State | 10 | 6-4 |
| Cincinnati | 9 | 5-4 |
| Missouri | 9 | 6-3 |
| Ole Miss | 9 | 6-3 |
| Oklahoma State | 8 | 5-3 |
| Southern California | 8 | 3-5 |
| Washington State | 8 | 2-6 |
REBEL NOTEBOOK:
- Ole Miss will finish with its first losing season since going 5-6 in 1996, breaking a streak of seven consecutive winning seasons ... It was the Rebels' longest such streak since recording seven consecutive from 1965-1971.
- Ole Miss is 0-4 against the SEC West this season, and will enter Saturday's Egg Bowl looking to avoid going 0-5 against the SEC West for the first time since 1996.
- At 2-5 in the SEC, the Rebels will enter Saturday's game looking to avoid its worse conference record since finishing 2-6 in 1996.
- The Rebels will enter Saturday's game looking to halt a four-game losing streak, their longest skid since dropping five straight during the 2002 season.
- Ole Miss will enter Saturday's season finale against Mississippi State looking to avoid its first 3-8 finish since 1987.
- Ole Miss will enter Saturday's game having lost back-to-back home games to No. 13 Tennessee (10/16) and No. 3 Auburn (10/30). The Rebels have not lost three straight games in Oxford since losing four straight during the 1980 and 1981 seasons to Tulane (26-24; 9/27/1980), Florida (15-3; 10/18/1980), Georgia (37-7; 10/10/1981) and Vanderbilt (27-23; 10/24/1981).
- The Rebels have not lost three straight home games (including home games played in Jackson, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn.) since 1991 when Ole Miss dropped three straight to Georgia, 37-17 in Oxford, Vanderbilt 30-27 in Oxford and LSU, 25-22 in Jackson.
- The Rebels have trailed at halftime in 9-of-10 games this season. The only time Ole Miss held a lead at the break was at South Carolina on Oct. 9, leading 21-14 en route to a 31-28 victory.
- Ole Miss led LSU 24-20 at the end of the third quarter last Saturday, marking just the third time this season that the Rebels have held a lead after three quarters of the play. The other two games were Arkansas State (10/2) and South Carolina (10/9).
- LSU marked the fourth ranked opponent that the Rebels faced this season ... Ole Miss went 1-3 against top 25 teams (won at No. 25 South Carolina 31-28 (10/9), lost to No. 13 Tennessee 21-17 (10/16), lost to No. 3 Auburn 35-14 (10/30) and lost No. 14 LSU 27-24 (11/20).
SENIOR SALUTE: Saturday's game versus Mississippi State will mark the final appearance in a Rebel uniform for the 25 seniors on this year's team. The senior class of 2004 bring a four-year record of 23-20 (.535 winning pct.) into Saturday's game, and helped the Rebels to appearances in the 2002 MainStay Independence and 2003 SBC Cotton Bowls. The 25 members of this year's senior class are: DB Iroko Ayodele (Saucier, Miss.), DL Daniel Booth (Amory, Miss.), P Wesley Bryan (Meridian, Miss.), OL Doug Buckles (Madison, Miss.), OL James Campbell (Olive Branch, Miss.), WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.), WR Adam Hayes (Pinson, Tenn.), FB Craig Holcomb (Nashville, Tenn.), DB Tavarus Horne (Hattiesburg, Miss.), WR Kerry Johnson (Oxford, Miss.), OL Marcus Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.), OL Broderick Jones (Stone Mountain, Ga.), LB Brian Lester (Holly Springs, Miss.), PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.), DB Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.), FB Rick Razzano (Milford, Ohio), TE Eric Rice (Starkville, Miss.), P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.), LB Rob Robertson (Centreville, Miss.), DE Cory Robinson (Knoxville, Tenn.), RB Lorenzo Townsend (Monticello, Miss.), RB Marvin Vaughan (Canton, Miss.), DB Keith White (Germantown, Tenn.), QB Johnny Wickham (Clarksville, Tenn.), and K Danny Wysong (Conway, S.C.).
CUTCLIFFE AMONG REBEL COACHING ELITE: Entering Saturday's game versus Mississippi State, Ole Miss Head Coach David Cutcliffe is second only to the legendary John Vaught (1947-1970; 1973) for the best winning percentage among Ole Miss coaches through 72 games. Vaught was 48-19-5 after 72 games for a .701 winning percentage. Cutcliffe is 43-29 for a .597 winning percentage, including his win in the 1998 Independence Bowl over Texas Tech during his Ole Miss coaching debut. With last year's 10-3 campaign, Cutcliffe is the only coach in school history to win at least seven games in each of his first five seasons with the Rebels, and joins Vaught as the only coaches to ever record five straight seven-win campaigns at any time during their tenure at the school. The following chart shows the win total of the four Ole Miss coaches who have led the Rebels in at least 72 games:
| Coach, Years | W-L-T | Pct. |
| John Vaught, 1947-1970; 1973 | 48-19-5 | .701 |
| David Cutcliffe, 1998-present | 43-29 | .597 |
| Ed Walker, 1930-1937 | 33-33-6 | .500 |
| Billy Brewer, 1983-1993 | 33-36-3 | .479 |
SCHEDULE NOTES
- Ole Miss' 2004 opponents have a combined record of 65-51 (.560 winning pct.).
- Three 2004 opponents were ranked in both of last week's Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls: Auburn (#3 AP/#3 ESPN), LSU (#12 ESPN/#14 AP), and Tennessee (#15 AP/#15 ESPN). Alabama and Memphis received votes in The AP Top 25, and the Crimson Tide also received a vote in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.
- Ole Miss played seven opponents this season that are eligible for a bowl game: Alabama (6-5), Auburn (11-0), LSU (8-2), Memphis (7-3), South Carolina (6-5), Tennessee (8-2) and Wyoming (6-5).
REBELS IN NOVEMBER
- Ole Miss has an all-time record of 190-157-13 (.546 winning percentage) during the month of November.
- The Rebels are 112-65-5 (.629 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 65-26-4 (.705 winning percentage).
- Ole Miss is 78-92-8 (.461 winning percentage) in road games during November.
- In SEC games played in November, Ole Miss has an overall record of 80-84-7 (.488 winning pct.).
- In SEC home games during November, the Rebels are 49-43-2 (.527 winning pct.), including home games played in Jackson and Memphis ... In SEC home games played in Oxford during November, Ole Miss is 18-20-1 (.474 winning pct.).
- In SEC road games during November, Ole Miss is 31-41-5 (.435 winning percentage).
- Ole Miss is 7-13 (.350 winning pct.) in November under head coach David Cutcliffe.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
- The 212 yards rushing by redshirt freshman QB Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) is the most by an Ole Miss quarterback since Tom Luke (1989-1991) set the school rushing record for a quarterback with 519 yards in 1990.
- Ole Miss scored on its opening offensive possession for the second time in 10 games this season, when the Rebels marched 61 yards in 11 plays, capped by a 49-yard field goal by senior Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.), at LSU. The other time Ole Miss scored on its opening drive was against Arkansas State on Oct. 2, going 90 yards in 11 plays for a Nichols' 23-yard field goal.
- The Rebels have averaged 25:13 in time of possession the last two games against Arkansas and LSU after having a streak of four straight games with over 30 minutes of possession time.
- Ole Miss allowed five sacks against LSU and have allowed a total of 18 in the last four games, including a season-high seven to Auburn on Oct. 30.
- The Rebels have converted on 21-of-82 third downs (25.6 percent) in the last six games ... Ole Miss hit on 5-of-15 third downs last Saturday at LSU, their best performance since going 6-of-15 at Wyoming on Sept. 25.
- The Rebels managed only 98 yards passing versus LSU, marking the first time since Sept. 4, 1999 against Memphis (99) that the Rebels were held to less than 100 yards passing.
FLOWERS SECOND IN CAREER RECEPTIONS, SIXTH IN CAREER RECEIVING YARDS AT OLE MISS: Senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) will enter his final game at Ole Miss ranked second on the Ole Miss career list for receptions with 149 and sixth in career receiving yards with 1,795. He caught three passes for 21 yards in this past weekend's game at No. 14 LSU. Flowers needs 47 yards receiving Saturday against Mississippi State to tie Cory Peterson (1996-1999) for fifth place on the school's career list for receiving yards with 1,842.
FLOWERS EXTENDS STREAK TO 20: Senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) will carry a streak of 20 consecutive games with at least one reception into his final career game Saturday versus Mississippi State. Flowers missed two games this season against Wyoming (9/25) and Arkansas State (10/2) due to injury, however, games missed due to injury due to not effect streaks. The 20-game streak is a career long, as he also had a 19-game streak from Oct. 20, 2001-Dec. 27, 2002. The last game in which Flowers did not catch a pass was in last year's season opener at Vanderbilt. For his career, Flowers has caught at least one pass in 40-of-45 career games played.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS: Entering Saturday's game versus Mississippi State, Ole Miss will have three players on its offensive line that have made at least 30 consecutive starts. Senior Marcus Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.) has made 47 consecutive starts. He made 39 straight starts at right guard before injuries on the offensive line forced him to move over to right tackle against Vanderbilt on September 18. He made three starts at right tackle before returning to right guard against South Carolina on October 2. Senior Doug Buckles (Madison, Miss.) has made 37 consecutive starts on the offensive line, and junior Tre' Stallings (Magnolia, Miss.) has drawn 36 straight starts on the offensive line.
100-YARD RUSHER, 100-YARD RECEIVER: The 139 yards rushing by junior Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) and the 142 yards receiving by junior WR Mario Hill (Meridian, Miss.) at Wyoming on Sept. 25 gave Ole Miss its first 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver combo since last year against South Carolina, when Tremaine Turner (1999-2003) rushed for 117 and Chris Collins (2000-2003) had 125 yards receiving in the Rebels' 43-40 win over the Gamecocks. Pearson and Hill are the sixth recorded 100-yard rushing and 100-yard receiving combo in school history. The following chart shows Ole Miss' six 100-yard rushing and 100-yard receiving single-game tandems:
Rusher/Receiver, Opponent
Vashon Pearson (139 rush); Mario Hill (142 rec.) at Wyoming (2004)
Tremaine Turner (117 rush); Chris Collins (125 rec). vs. S. Carolina (2003)
Joe Gunn (113 rush); Chris Collins (119 rec.) at Kentucky (2001)
Joe Gunn (102 rush); Doug Zeigler (102 rec.) vs. Arkansas (2001)
Dou Innocent (137 rush); Ta'Boris Fisher (101 rec.) at Auburn (1995)
Dou Innocent (102 rush); Roell Preston (150 rec.) vs. Miss. State (1994)
DEFENSIVE NOTES
- Ole Miss recorded three sacks against LSU last Saturday, the most by the Rebels since registering four in the 31-28 win at No. 25 South Carolina on Oct. 9 ... Ole Miss entered last Saturday's game having tallied one sack in its last three games, including not recording one in back-to-back games against Auburn (10/30) and Arkansas (11/13).
- The Rebels have returned two interceptions for TDs this season. Sophomore DB Bryan Brown (Corinth, Miss.) returned a pick 34 yards for a score against Tennessee on Oct. 30, and sophomore CB Trumaine McBride (Clarksdale, Miss.) had a 48-yard interception return for a TD this past Saturday night at No. 14 LSU.
- Ole Miss limited LSU to 81 yards on 8-of-24 passing last Saturday, marking the first time that the Rebels held allowed less than 100 yards passing since holding Mississippi State to 91 yards through the air in last year's Egg Bowl ... The 81 yards passing was also the fewest allowed by Ole Miss since Arkansas completed 7-of-15 passes for 79 yards in 2001.
- Ole Miss has allowed the opposition to score on its opening drive in 5-of-10 games this season (4 TDs, 1 FG) after LSU took the opening kickoff and went 74 yards in eight plays for a TD this past Saturday night ... The Rebels will enter Saturday's game having allowed a score on its first defensive series in three of the past four games (3 TDs).
- The Rebels have allowed a 100-yard rusher in 8-of-10 games this season.
McBRIDE, JOHNSON RANK 1-2 IN THE SEC IN PASSES DEFENSED: Sophomore CB Trumaine McBride (Clarksdale, Miss.) and junior CB Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) rank first and second, respectively, in the SEC in passes defensed. McBride is averaging 1.60 passes defensed per game in 10 games, and Johnson is averaging 1.44 in nine games this season.
McBride is also tied for fifth in the SEC in interceptions after picking off his third pass of the season last Saturday at LSU.
McBride recorded three passes defensed at LSU, recording one interception and two pass deflections. Johnson was credited with two pass deflections against the Tigers.
STOPPERS: Both sophomore LB Patrick Willis (Bruceton, Tenn.) and senior LB Rob Robertson (Centreville, Miss.) have recorded double digits in tackles in the past two games against Arkansas (11/13) and LSU (11/20). Willis has made 25 stops (14 solo) in the past two games, including five TFLs (-25 yards) and two QB sacks (-13 yards). Willis registered a career-high 13 stops (eight solo) against the Razorbacks and had a career-high two sacks last Saturday night versus the Tigers. Robertson tallied a career-high 11 stops against both Arkansas and LSU. The following chart shows the two players individual performances in the past two games:
--Patrick Willis--
| Opponent | UT-AT | TT | TFL | Sacks |
| Arkansas | 8-5 | 13 | 2.0-5 | -- |
| LSU | 6-6 | 12 | 3.0-20 | 2.0-13 |
| Totals | 14-11 | 25 | 5.0-25 | 2.0-13 |
--Rob Robertson--
| UT-AT | TT | TFL | Sacks | |
| Arkansas | 7-4 | 11 | 0.5-1 | 0-0 |
| LSU | 1-10 | 11 | -- | -- |
| Totals | 8-14 | 22 | 0.5-1 | 0-0 |
OLIVER, JOHNSON AMONG SEC ACTIVE CAREER DEFENSIVE LEADERS: Entering last Saturday's game at LSU, senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) and junior CB Travis Johnson (Shannon, Miss.) both ranked among the SEC's active career defensive leaders. Oliver led all active SEC players in career tackles with 315, 33 more than Georgia senior DE David Pollack with 282. Johnson was third among active SEC players in pass deflections with 30.
OLIVER WEARS CHUCKY MULLINS' NO. 38 IN 2004: Senior FS Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) is this year's recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award and as a result is wearing the late Mullins' No. 38. Prior to the honor, Oliver wore No. 26. Oliver led the Rebels in tackles in each of the past two season, recording 129 (80 solo) in 2002 and 104 (73 solo) last season.
SPECIALTY NOTES
- Senior P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.) is 100 punting yards shy of becoming the third player in school history to record 10,000 career punting yards, joining Jim Miller (1976-1979) with 11,549 and Bill Smith (1983-1986) with 11,260.
- Ridgeway is sixth on the Ole Miss career list for punting average, averaging 42.1 yards per punt.
- Ridgeway ranks third in the SEC in punting, averaging 42.5 yards per punt.
- Junior Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) is seventh on the school's career list for punt return yards with 538. He needs 41 yards to tie Jason Armstead (2001-2002) for sixth place with 579.
- The 65-yard kickoff return by junior Larry Kendrick (Haines City, Fla.) in the second quarter against LSU was the longest by a Rebel this season, and was the longest by an Ole Miss player since Jason Armstead (2001-2002) returned a kickoff 93 yards for a TD in the 2001 season opener versus Murray State.
ESPY LEADS SEC IN KICKOFF RETURNS: Junior Mike Espy (Madison, Miss.) leads the SEC in kickoff returns, averaging 20.4 yards per return. Espy has returned 19 kickoffs for 387 yards with a long of 44. He also ranks ninth in the SEC in punt returns, averaging 5.6 yards per return on 25 attempts.
NICHOLS LEADS SEC IN FIELD GOALS; RANKS THIRD IN SCORING: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) leads the SEC, and ranks seventh nationally, in field goals made, averaging 1.8 per game. He has made 18-of-24 field goal attempts this season after making attempts of 49, 27 and 22 yards this past Saturday night at LSU. Nichols is also fourth in the SEC in scoring, averaging 7.1 points per game.
NICHOLS LOOKS TO MOVE UP SEC CAREER SCORING LIST: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) will enter his final career game at Ole Miss ranked sixth on the SEC's career scoring list with 336 points. He scored 10 points last Saturday at LSU (3 FGs, 1 PAT) to take over sole possession of sixth place on the list. He entered the LSU contest tied with former Alabama PK Michael Proctor (1987-1990) for sixth place with 326 career points. The following chart shows the SEC's top career scorers:
| Player, School (Years) | No. |
| 1. Billy Bennett, Georgia (2000-2003) | 409 |
| 2. Jeff Hall, Tennessee (1995-1998) | 371 |
| 3. Jeff Chandler, Florida (1997-2001) | 368 |
| 4. Kevin Butler, Georgia (1981-1984) | 353 |
| 5. Philip Doyle, Alabama (1987-1990) | 345 |
| 6. Jonathan Nichols, Ole Miss (2001-present) | 336 |
| 7. Michael Proctor, Alabama (1992-1995) | 326 |
NICHOLS EXTENDS PAT STREAK: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) will enter Saturday's season finale against Mississippi State with the nation's longest active streak for PATs made with 115. The streak also ranked as the fifth-longest in SEC history. The following chart shows the top active streaks in the nation for PATs made:
| Kicker, School | No. |
| 1. Jonathan Nichols, Ole Miss | 115 |
| 2. Matt Leach, Florida | 96 |
| 3. Mike Nugent, Ohio State | 77 |
| 4. Taylor Begley, Kentucky | 73 |
| Xavier Beitia, Florida State | 73 |
NICHOLS HOLDS 15 SCHOOL RECORDS: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) will enter his final career game at Ole Miss with 15 school records to his credit. The following chart shows the 15 Ole Miss records set by Nichols during his career:
--2004 SEASON REVIEW NOTES--
STAFF CHANGES: Ole Miss added two new assistant coaches on head coach David Cutcliffe's staff for the 2004 season. Jay Hopson is serving as the secondary coach and recruiting coordinator after spending the last three years as an assistant at Southern Miss. Hopson replaces Jim Knowles who resigned to become the head coach at Cornell University. Third-year defensive coordinator Chuck Driesbach has returned to coaching the linebackers after coaching the defensive backs last season.
Arlington Nunn also joins Cutcliffe's coaching staff in 2004 and is serving as the running backs coach. Nunn replaced Ron Middleton, who accepted a position with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February. Prior to coming to Ole Miss, Nunn spent the three seasons coaching the wide receivers at Troy State.
2004 CAPTAINS: Senior OL Doug Buckles (Madison, Miss.), senior WR Kerry Johnson (Oxford, Miss.), senior OL Marcus Johnson (Coffeeville, Miss.), senior DB Eric Oliver (Jasper, Ala.) and senior LB Rob Robertson (Centreville, Miss.) are serving as team captains for the 2004 season.
NICHOLS NAMED TO THE SEC GOOD WORKS TEAM: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) has been named to the 2004 SEC Good Works Team and was featured during Jefferson-Pilot Sports telecast of the Vanderbilt-Ole Miss contest. Nichols participates in "Reading with the Rebels" program in elementary and pre-schools and visits patients at North Mississippi Regional Center. He has also visited senior citizens at Azalea Gardens, has been a mentor at Scott Center and is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and Campus Crusade for Christ. Nichols has also been nominated for the National Football Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship.
BOYKIN TWICE EARNS SEC DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES: Junior DT McKinley Boykin (Bessemer, Ala.) has twice earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. He received the award following his performance in the Rebels' 26-23 overtime win over Vanderbilt on Sept. 18, registering five solo stops, including two TFLs (-9 yards) and one QB sack (-6 yards). He then again won the award following Ole Miss' 31-28 victory at No. 25 South Carolina on Oct. 9, recording six solo hits. He also had two TFLs (-11 yards) and registered one of the Rebels' four QB sacks on the afternoon.
NICHOLS NAMED SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) was named the Southeastern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by the conference office following the Wyoming contest on Sept. 25. Nichols totaled 14 points in last Saturday's 37-32 loss to the Cowboys, connecting on 4-of-4 field goal attempts and 2-of-2 PAT tries. Nichols made field goals of 37, 26, 30 and 43 yards en route to becoming the 14th player in SEC history to reach the 300-mark for career points scored.
PEARSON RECORDS THREE STRAIGHT 100-YARD RUSHING GAMES: Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) recorded three straight 100-yard rushing games, earlier this season, against Vanderbilt (9/18), Wyoming (9/25) and Arkansas (10/2) to become the first Ole Miss back to record three consecutive 100-yard rushing performances since Deuce McAllister (1997-2000) recorded five straight to close out the 1999 campaign. During that three-game stretch, Pearson rushed for 379 yards on 62 carries. The following chart shows Pearson's individual game performance during that stretch:
| Opponent (Date) | Att. | Yds | TD | Avg. |
| Vanderbilt (9/18) | 17 | 111 | 1 | 6.5 |
| at Wyoming (9/25) | 21 | 139 | 0 | 6.6 |
| Arkansas State (10/2) | 24 | 129 | 0 | 5.4 |
| Totals | 62 | 379 | 1 | 6.1 |
ARCHIE MANNING TO RECEIVE 4TH ANNUAL DAVEY O'BRIEN LEGENDS AWARD: Former Ole Miss All-America QB Archie Manning (1968-70) has been selected to be the fourth recipient of the Davey O'Brien Legends Award. He will be honored at the 28th annual Davey O'Brien Awards Dinner on Feb. 21, 2005 at the Fort Worth Club in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The Davey O'Brien Legends Award recognizes a quarterback who has made a significant contribution to the game of football, distinguished himself as an extraordinary leader, and demonstrates exemplary conduct and reputation both on and off the field. Manning's youngest son, Eli, was the Rebels' starting quarterback from 2001-2003, and helped Ole Miss to a share of the SEC Western Division title in 2003.
SUGAR BOWL ANNOUNCES CREATION OF MANNING AWARD: In honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, the Sugar Bowl Committee announced the creation of the Manning Award, to be presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback. The first Manning Award recipient will be honored at a presentation ceremony in January. The winner will be determined by a select national panel of media covering college football. Also voting will be each of the Mannings, along with a former Sugar Bowl MVP quarterback, which will rotate annually. Voting for the award will take place immediately following the holiday season.
SEVEN REBELS EARN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT VI HONORS: Ole Miss had seven players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VI team, released this past Thursday. Earning first team honors were senior DL Daniel Booth (Amory, Miss.), who holds a 3.43 GPA in International Studies, senior P Cody Ridgeway (Jackson, Tenn.), with a 3.82 GPA in Banking/Finance, senior LB Rob Robertson (Centreville, Miss.), with a 3.95 GPA in Biology, and sophomore DB Trumaine McBride (Clarksdale, Miss.), with a 3.67 GPA in Liberal Arts.
Named to the second team was redshirt freshman DL Jeremy Garrett (Senatobia, Miss.), with a 3.22 GPA in Management, junior long snapper Sidney McLaurin (Brandon, Miss.), with a 3.66 GPA in Political Science, and senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.), carrying a 3.47 GPA in International Business.
--2004 SEASON GAME-BY-GAME NOTES--
GAME #1 - MEMPHIS 20, OLE MISS 13
- Ole Miss dropped its season opener for the first time since 1995 as Memphis downed the Rebels 20-13 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field ... The loss also snapped the Rebels' streak of 16 consecutive wins in home openers.
- The crowd of 61,112 was the third largest in school history.
- Junior QB Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) made his first career start.
GAME #2 - ALABAMA 28, OLE MISS 7
- Ole Miss dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 1987 following a 28-7 loss at Alabama.
- QB Brodie Croyle completed 14-of-22 passes for 169 yards and two TDs and RB Ray Hudson rushed for 116 yards and a score to lead the Alabama offense.
- Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) directed Ole Miss' only scoring drive, marching the Rebels 66 yards in 10 plays capped by his six-yard TD pass to senior TE Eric Rice (Starkville, Miss.).
GAME #3 - OLE MISS 26, VANDERBILT 23 (OT)
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols' (Greenwood, Miss.) 35-yard FG in overtime lifted Ole Miss to its first win of 2004 with a 26-23 victory over Vanderbilt in front of 55,824 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field ... Nichols made 4-of-6 field goal tries on the afternoon, also making kicks of 40, 26 and 34 yards.
- The Rebels trailed 23-10 after Matthew Tant scored from three yards out with 7:20 left in the third quarter ... The 13-point deficit marked Ole Miss' largest come-from-behind win since rallying from 17 points down to defeat the Commodores 38-27 in Oxford on Dec. 1, 2001.
- Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) made his starting debut and connected on 21-of-32 passes for 187 yards ... He was 8-of-10 passing for 64 yards in engineering two fourth-quarter scoring drives to force overtime.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game, netting 111 yards on 17 carries, including a 54-yard TD run to give the Rebels a 10-3 lead in the first quarter.
GAME #4 - WYOMING 37, OLE MISS 32
- Ole Miss totaled a season-high 567 yards but committed five turnovers in a 37-32 loss at Wyoming.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) rushed for a career-high 139 yards on 21 carries to record his second straight 100-yard rushing effort.
- Junior WR Mario Hill (Meridian, Miss.) caught a career-high eight passes for 142 yards to record his first career 100-yard receiving game.
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) made 4-of-4 field goal attempts and both PAT tries to become the 14th player in SEC history to score 300 career points.
- Ole Miss pulled to within 37-32 on junior RB Brandon Jacobs (Long Beach, Miss.) one-yard TD run with 1:38 left in the game and the Rebels then recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt. However, the Rebels failed to convert on a fourth-and-seven from the Ole Miss 42 to give the ball back to Wyoming with 33 seconds remaining.
GAME #5 - OLE MISS 28, ARKANSAS STATE 21
- Ole Miss converted two second-half turnovers by Arkansas State into 15 points to post a 28-21 Homecoming win over the Indians.
- Junior DE Jayme Mitchell (Jackson, Miss.) intercepted a screen pass and returned it 31 yards to set-up a sophomore QB Ethan Flatt's (Nashville, Tenn.) nine-yard TD pass to senior FB Lorenzo Townsend (Monticello, Miss.) and put the Rebels up 20-14.
- Flatt finished 18-of-24 passing for 179 yards with two TDs and one INT. He also connected with Townsend for an 11-yard TD strike in the second quarter to put the Rebels up 13-7.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) notched his third straight 100-yard rushing effort, gaining 129 yards on 24 carries.
GAME #6 - OLE MISS 31, (#25) SOUTH CAROLINA 28
- Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) found senior WR Bill Flowers (Pelham, Ala.) in the corner of the end zone for a 29-yard TD pass on fourth down with 1:05 remaining to lift Ole Miss to a 31-28 road win over No. 25 (AP) South Carolina.
- The Rebels played all three QBs in the game -- Flatt, junior Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) and redshirt freshman Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) ... Lane, in his first career action, scored his first career TD on a five-yard run in the first quarter to put Ole Miss up 14-0.
- Junior RB Vashon Pearson (Ripley, Miss.) just missed his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game, netting 96 yards on 21 carries, including scoring on a 17-yard run with 7:24 left in the first half to extend the Ole Miss lead to 21-7.
GAME #7 - (#13/14) TENNESSEE 21, OLE MISS 17
- The announced crowd of 62,028 was the second largest crowd in stadium history, behind the crowd of 62,552 last year against LSU.
- Junior RB Brandon Jacobs (Long Beach, Miss.) scored a rushing TD for the fourth straight game when he scored from one-yard out in the second quarter, becoming the first Ole Miss back to score a rushing TD in four consecutive games since Joe Gunn in 2001.
- Sophomore DB Bryan Brown (Corinth, Miss.) recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter when he intercepted Erik Ainge's pass and returned it 34 yards for a TD.
- The Rebels continued to use all three QBs -- sophomore Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) took 42 snaps, redshirt freshman Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) had 16 snaps and junior Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) had 10.
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) converted both PAT attempts on the evening to extend his school record streak to 112 consecutive PATs made, which is also the longest active streak in the nation.
GAME #8 - (#3/4) AUBURN 35, OLE MISS 14
- No. 3 Auburn scored the game's final 14 points to pull away from Ole Miss and post a 35-14 win in front of 60,787 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field and an ESPN national TV audience ... The crowd of 60,787 was the sixth-largest in stadium history.
- Sophomore QB Ethan Flatt (Nashville, Tenn.) took 42 snaps, redshirt freshman Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) had 16 snaps and junior Micheal Spurlock (Indianola, Miss.) had 10.
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) converted both PAT attempts on the evening to extend his school record streak to 112 consecutive PATs made, which is also the longest active streak in the nation.
GAME #9 - ARKANSAS 35, OLE MISS 3
- Arkansas rolled up 297 yards rushing, including 126 yards by senior QB Matt Jones, en route to a 35-3 win over Ole Miss in front of 63,474 at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
- It marked the first time since a 20-9 loss to LSU on Nov. 11, 2000 in Oxford that the Rebels failed to score a TD in a game.
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) accounted for Ole Miss' only points of the game, making a 33-yard FG just prior to halftime.
- Redshirt freshman QB Robert Lane (Monroe, La.) rushed for 94 yards on nine carries, including breaking a season-long 50-yarder.
- The loss makes the Rebels ineligible for a bowl game for the first time since 1996.
GAME #10 - (#14/#14) LSU 27 • OLE MISS 24
- LSU sophomore TB Alley Broussard rushed for 250 yards on 26 carries with three TDs, including scoring the go-ahead TD on a seven-yard run with 10:51 left in the game as the Tigers rallied for a 27-24 win in front of 91,413 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
- The Tigers recorded a total of 360 yards on the ground, and outgained the Rebels 441-254.
- Sophomore CB Trumaine McBride (Clarksdale, Miss.) put the Rebels up 24-17 when he returned an interception 48 yards for a score in the third quarter.
- Senior PK Jonathan Nichols (Greenwood, Miss.) scored 10 points, making field goals of 49, 27, and 22 yards, and converting his lone PAT attempt.
- The loss was the Rebels' fourth straight, marking their longest losing streak since dropping five in a row during the 2002 season.