Ole Miss Rebels football

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University of Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels
First season	1890
Athletic director	Pete Boone
Head coach	Houston Nutt
	1st year, 9–4–0
Other staff	Kent Austin (OC) Tyrone Nix (DC)
Home stadium	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Field	Hollingsworth Field
Year built	1915
Stadium capacity	60,580 Largest Crowd: 62,552 (Nov. 22, 2003 vs. LSU)
Stadium surface	AstroPlay
Location	Oxford, Mississippi
League	NCAA Division I
Conference	SEC (1932 - present)
Division	Western Division (1992 - present)
Past conferences	Independent (1890-1898) Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1899-1920) Southern Conference (1921-1932)
All-time record	605–464–35
Postseason bowl record	20–12–0
Claimed national titles	3[1][2] 1959, 1960, 1962
Conference titles	6 1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963
Division titles	1 2003
All-Americans	45
Current uniform
Colors	Harvard Crimson and Yale Blue
Fight song	Forward Rebels (Official) Dixie (Unofficial)
Mascot	None
Marching band	Pride of the South
Outfitter	Nike
Rivals	Mississippi State Bulldogs LSU Tigers Arkansas Razorbacks
Website	OleMissSports.com

The football history of the University of Mississippi (also officially known as Ole Miss), includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 31st on the list of college football's all-time winningest programs^[3]. The Ole Miss Rebels posted its 600th win on September 27, 2008 when it defeated the (then ranked #4 and future 2008 BCS National Champ) Florida Gators 31–30 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida^[4].

Throughout the 115-year history of Ole Miss football, the Rebels have won three national championships (1959, 1960 and 1962), six Southeastern Conference titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963), and one SEC Western Division title (2003 - Co-champions^[5][6][7] with LSU but LSU represented the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game because of its win over Ole Miss that year).

Contents 1 Early history 2 Houston Nutt 3 2007 season 4 2008 Season 5 Rivalries 5.1 Mississippi State 5.2 LSU 5.3 Arkansas 6 "Team of the Century" 7 Bowl history 8 Halls of fame 9 Active in the NFL 10 First round draft picks 10.1 National Football League 10.2 American Football League 11 Songs and cheers 11.1 Songs 11.2 Cheers 12 Tailgating 13 Confederate symbols 14 Retired numbers 15 Trivia and pop culture 16 See also 17 External links 18 References

[edit] Early history

In 1890, Dr. A.L. Bondurant, later the dean of the Ole Miss Graduate School, rallied Ole Miss students to help form an athletic department to encompass the sports of football, baseball and tennis. The students brought this initiative to reality and in 1893, with Bondurant as the coach, a football team came to fruition. The first team won four of five games during that inaugural football season. One of those wins was the very first football game ever played by an Ole Miss team, a 56-0 victory over Southwest Baptist University of Jackson, Tennessee (now known as Union University). This was on November 11, 1893.

The next year, 1894, Bondurant passed on his coaching duties. Ole Miss Football, a book published in 1980 by Sports Yearbook Company of Oxford, MS, says J.W.S. Rhea was the first coach at Ole Miss having been hired part-time by Bondurant and having led the 1894 team to a 6-1 record. The annual Ole Miss media guide lists C.D. Clark as the coach of the 1894 team and further says about him, "Although it has never been documented, it is thought that C.D. Clark of Tufts was the first paid football coach at Ole Miss. His name appears as manager of the team as shown in the Ole Miss Magazine dated November 1894."^[8] The College Football Data Warehouse also lists Clark as the coach for the 1894 team.^[9]

Twice in its history, Ole Miss did not field a football team. In 1897, a yellow fever epidemic cancelled the football season. In 1943, football was abolished at all Mississippi state-supported institutions by the state college Board of Trustees due to World War II.^[10]

[edit] Houston Nutt

On November 27, 2007, Houston Nutt was hired as the new head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.^[11] Nutt's hiring made him the 36th head football coach at Ole Miss.

The next day, November 28, 2007, just five weeks after having defeated Ole Miss as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Nutt was officially introduced as the new Ole Miss head football coach at a press conference at the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for Performing Arts on the Ole Miss campus.^[12] During the press conference, Nutt stated, "One thing I love about Ole Miss is the tradition," naming past players such as Archie Manning, Jake Gibbs, Frank "Bruiser" Kinard, Deuce McAllister and Eli Manning. "It's about tradition. That's the reason I am here. I feel like this place can be successful. I feel like this place can win. I can't wait to tell our players this afternoon. That's how you spell fun. The way you spell fun is “W-I-N.” That's what it is all about."^[13]

During Nutt's first season, he guided the Ole Miss Rebels to a 9-4 record with marquee victories over the eventual BCS National Champion Florida Gators squad, the reigning BCS National Champion LSU Tigers, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2009 Cotton Bowl. At the end of this season, the Rebels were ranked in the Top-15 in both major polls.

It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Nutt and his wife Diana had committed to give a gift of $100,000 dollars to Ole Miss. Half of the contribution will create scholarships for student-athletes. The other half of the gift will be used toward the university’s Indoor Practice Facility, which opened in 2004 and cost $17 million to build.^[14]

[edit] 2007 season

The 2007 season was a historic one for Ole Miss. The Rebels went winless in the SEC for the first time since 1982 - 25 years. The Rebels, under head coach Ed Orgeron, ended the season at 3–9 (0–8 in SEC play).

Orgeron's talent as a recruiter created a buzz among Rebel fans and drew national attention when Ole Miss' 2006 signing class ranked as high as fifteenth in the rankings. His 2007 recruiting class was also listed among the best in college football (#31 according to scout.com). However, his recruiting success did not translate to on the field performance. In 2007, Ole Miss was last in the SEC in scoring offense, turnover margin, rushing offense, rushing defense, punt returns, opponent first downs, red-zone offense, opponent third-down conversions, field goal percentage, time of possession and kickoff coverage.

The 2007 season culminated with the firing of Orgeron on November 24, 2007. Three days later, Houston Nutt was hired as the next head football coach.

[edit] 2008 Season

The biggest change for the Rebels going into the 2008 football season is the head coach. Houston Nutt will begin his first season as head coach of the Rebels, replacing Ed Ogeron, who was fired after his 2007 team failed to win an SEC game.

With a new head coach also comes new assistants, including Tight ends/special teams coach James Shibest, Running game coordinator Mike Markuson, Defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, Recruiting coordinator and Safeties coach Chris Vaughn and High School Relations director Clifton Ealy, all of whom were assistants at Arkansas under Nutt last season.^[15] Tyrone Nix left his position as Defensive Coordinator of the South Carolina Gamecocks to join Nutt's staff at the same position. Before his time at South Carolina, Nix spent 10 years at Southern Mississippi.^[16]

Former Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee originally agreed to follow Nutt from Arkansas to Ole Miss, however, he later accepted an offer to become the Quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins. Upon Lee's resignation, former Ole Miss quarterback star Kent Austin was hired as offensive coordinator.

[edit] Rivalries

[edit] Mississippi State

The Battle of the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is an annual college football game between the Ole Miss Rebels and in-state fellow SEC team Mississippi State University (MSU) Bulldogs. While the 2 teams have played each other since 1901, with 2003 being the year in which the 2 teams had played each other 100 times and now having played each other a total of 105 times, the first game officially known as the "The Battle of the Golden Egg" was in 1927.^[17] While it is called a "Bowl", the game is not a postseason bowl game, but rather a regular season Southeastern Conference (SEC) game for both teams as they are both SEC members in the West Division.

[edit] LSU

Ole Miss' traditional SEC rival is LSU. Ole Miss first played LSU on December 3, 1894 winning 26–6 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and seemingly every contest had conference, and at times national, title implications - most recently in 2003 as LSU was the only team standing in the way of the Eli Manning-led Rebels being able to play for the SEC Championship.. A trophy has now been named for the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry known as the "Magnolia Bowl" which began in 2008 with a 31-13 victory by the Ole Miss Rebels.^[18].

[edit] Arkansas

Ole Miss first played Arkansas in 1908, with Arkansas winning that game 33–0. They would play each other many times, though sporadically, over the next several decades, including two meetings in the Sugar Bowl in 1963 and 1970; Ole Miss won both Sugar Bowl matchups.

The two teams have played each other annually since 1981. The rivalry heated up in 1991 when Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference, and was placed in the same division when the conference split into two divisions in 1992.

The 2001 Ole Miss-Arkansas game set a NCAA record for most overtime periods played (7). It has since been tied, but never broken. Arkansas won that game 58–56.

The rivalry was intensified in 2007 when Ole Miss hired former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt. Some have already begun to call the matchup the "Nut Bowl."

Arkansas leads the series 29–25–1 with Ole Miss winning the 2008 meeting.

[edit] "Team of the Century"

1883–1992

Offense OE- Floyd Franks OE- Barney Poole OL- Jim Dunaway OL- Gene Hickerson OL- Stan Hinedman OL- Everett Lindsey OL- Marvin Terrell OC- Dawson Pruett QB- Archie Manning QB- Charlie Conerly RB- John Dotley RB- Charlie Flowers PK- Robert Khayat

Defense DL- Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinnard DL- Kelvin Pritchett DL- Ben Williams DL- Freddie Joe Nunn LB- Tony Bennett LB- Kenny Dill LB- Larry Grantham DB- Billy Brewer DB- Glenn Cannon DB- Chris Mitchell DB - Jimmy Patton DB- Todd Sandroni P- Jim Miller

[edit] Bowl history

Ole Miss has participated in 32 bowl games with a record of 20 wins and 12 losses. Notably, Ole Miss' win percentage of 0.625 ranks third all-time among football programs that have played in 25 or more bowl games (behind USC and Penn State). Twenty bowl wins also ranks 12th all-time.

Date Played	Bowl game	Winning team		Losing team
January 1, 1936	Orange	Catholic University	20	Ole Miss	19
January 1, 1948	Delta	Ole Miss	13	TCU	9
January 1, 1953	Sugar	Georgia Tech	24	Ole Miss	7
January 1, 1955	Sugar	Navy	21	Ole Miss	0
January 2, 1956	Cotton	Ole Miss	14	TCU	13
January 1, 1958	Sugar	Ole Miss	39	Texas	7
December 27, 1958	Gator	Ole Miss	7	Florida	3
January 1, 1960	Sugar	Ole Miss	21	LSU	0
January 2, 1961	Sugar	Ole Miss	14	Rice University	6
January 1, 1962	Cotton	Texas	12	Ole Miss	7
January 1, 1963	Sugar	Ole Miss	17	Arkansas	13
January 1, 1964	Sugar	Alabama	12	Ole Miss	7
December 19, 1964	Bluebonnet	Tulsa	14	Ole Miss	7
December 28, 1965	Liberty	Ole Miss	13	Auburn	7
December 17, 1966	Bluebonnet	Texas	19	Ole Miss	0
December 30, 1967	Sun	U. Texas-El Paso	14	Ole Miss	7
December 14, 1968	Liberty	Ole Miss	34	Virginia Tech	17
January 1, 1970	Sugar	Ole Miss	27	Arkansas	22
January 2, 1971	Gator	Auburn	35	Ole Miss	28
December 30, 1971	Peach	Ole Miss	41	Georgia Tech	18
December 10, 1983	Independence	Air Force	9	Ole Miss	3
December 20, 1986	Independence	Ole Miss	20	Texas Tech	17
December 28, 1989	Liberty	Ole Miss	42	Air Force	29
January 1, 1991	Gator	Michigan	35	Ole Miss	3
December 31, 1992	Liberty	Ole Miss	13	Air Force	0
December 26, 1997	Motor City	Ole Miss	34	Marshall	31
December 31, 1998	Independence	Ole Miss	35	Texas Tech	18
December 31, 1999	Independence	Ole Miss	27	Oklahoma	25
December 28, 2000	Music City	West Virginia	49	Ole Miss	38
December 27, 2002	Independence	Ole Miss	27	Nebraska	23
January 2, 2004	Cotton	Ole Miss	31	Oklahoma State	28
January 2, 2009	Cotton	Ole Miss	47	Texas Tech	34

[edit] Halls of fame

Ole Miss has ten former players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame.

• 1951 Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard
• 1965 Charles "Charlie" Conerly
• 1974 Barney Poole
• 1979 John Vaught
• 1984 Doug Kenna
• 1987 Thad “Pie” Vann
• 1989 Archie Manning
• 1991 Parker Hall
• 1995 Jake Gibbs
• 1997 Charlie Flowers

Ole Miss has two former players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• 1970 Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard
• 2007 Gene Hickerson

Ole Miss has three former players in the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame.

• 1955 Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard
• 1959 Charles "Charlie" Conerly
• 1966 Barney Poole

Ole Miss has one former player in the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.

• 2004 Archie Manning

[edit] Active in the NFL

• Charlie Anderson, LB, Miami Dolphins
• Stacy Andrews, OT, Philadelphia Eagles
• Taye Biddle, WR, New York Giants
• McKinley Boykin, DT, New Orleans Saints
• Michael Bozeman, DL, Denver Broncos
• Derrick Burgess, DE, Oakland Raiders
• Kendrick Clancy, DL, New Orleans Saints
• Josh Cooper, DL, New Orleans Saints
• BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB, New England Patriots
• Von Hutchins, DB, Atlanta Falcons
• Peria Jerry, DL, Atlanta Falcons
• Marcus Johnson, OL, Minnesota Vikings
• Rory Johnson, LB, New York Giants
• Ken Lucas, CB, Carolina Panthers
• Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
• Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans Saints
• Trumaine McBride, DB, Chicago Bears
• Terrence Metcalf, OL, Chicago Bears
• Jayme Mitchell, DL, Minnesota Vikings
• Michael Oher, OL, Baltimore Ravens
• Tutan Reyes, OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
• Jamarca Sanford, DB, Minnesota Vikings
• Chris Spencer, C, Seattle Seahawks
• Micheal Spurlock, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tre' Stallings, OL, Kansas City Chiefs
• Fred Thomas, DB, New Orleans Saints
• Keydrick Vincent, OL, Carolina Panthers
• Todd Wade, OL, Washington Redskins
• Mike Wallace, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers

[edit] First round draft picks

Ole Miss has had seventeen players drafted in professional football first round drafts.

[edit] National Football League

• 1939 - drafted #3 - Parker Hall - Cleveland Rams
• 1942 - drafted #8 - Merle Hapes - New York Giants
• 1954 - drafted #10 - Ed Beatty - Los Angeles Rams
• 1961 - drafted #10 - Bobby Crespino - Cleveland Browns
• 1963 - drafted #3 - Jim Dunaway - Minnesota Vikings
• 1966 - drafted #11 - Stan Hindman - San Francisco 49ers
• 1971 - drafted #2 - Archie Manning - New Orleans Saints
• 1985 - drafted #18 - Freddie Joe Nunn - St. Louis Cardinals
• 1990 - drafted #18 - Tony Bennett - Green Bay Packers
• 1991 - drafted #20 - Kelvin Pritchett - Dallas Cowboys
• 1994 - drafted #20 - Tim Bowens - Miami Dolphins
• 1998 - drafted #29 - John Avery - Miami Dolphins
• 2001 - drafted #23 - Deuce McAllister - New Orleans Saints
• 2004 - drafted #1 - Eli Manning - San Diego Chargers*
• 2005 - drafted #26 - Chris Spencer - Seattle Seahawks
• 2007 - drafted #11 - Patrick Willis - San Francisco 49ers
• 2009 - drafted #23 - Michael Oher - Baltimore Ravens**
• 2009 - drafted #24 - Peria Jerry - Atlanta Falcons**

*see Manning-Rivers trade

**2009 marks the first time in school history Ole Miss has had two players taken in the first round of the same NFL draft.

[edit] American Football League

• 1966 - drafted #8 - Mike Dennis - Buffalo Bills

[edit] Songs and cheers

[edit] Songs

The school's fight song is Forward Rebels.

The song, Dixie is an unofficial fight song still popular with a large number of fans and alumni, and although not played as often as in the past, it is still performed by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band during the pre-game celebations in The Grove and at least once during home games.

A modification of Dixie called Dixie Fanfare is also played by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band.

A modification of the Elvis Presley song An American Trilogy, now known as From Dixie with Love, is also played during football games, both home and away. Students and fans often refer to it as Slow Dixie. The song was officially dedicated to Ole Miss fans when it was played before the Ole Miss versus LSU football game in 2003, which is to date the largest crowd at a football game ever in the State of Mississippi.

[edit] Cheers

The school cheer is entitled Hotty Toddy:

Are you ready?
Hell yes! Damn Right!
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty
Who the hell are we, Hey!
Flim Flam, Bim Bam
OLE MISS BY DAMN!

[edit] Tailgating

[edit] Confederate symbols

Since 1983, the administration has distanced itself from Confederate symbols, including barring faculty from displaying any Confederate imagery in their offices. In 1997, the university student senate passed a resolution requesting fans not to display the Confederate battle flag at university athletic events. Using this action as encouragement, the university then banned sticks under the guise of fan safety, to discourage fans from displaying the Confederate flag at football games and other athletic events. This controversy began when head coach Tommy Tuberville complained that the battle flag had hampered his attempts to recruit a few top-notch black athletes.

A couple of coaches prior to Tuberville expressed concerns about the difficulty of recruiting top-notch black athletes.

In 1972, Ole Miss' first black football player, Ben Williams, was signed and began playing. The defensive tackle, recruited out of a small school in the Delta region of Mississippi, eventually claimed All-SEC honors and had a long and successful NFL career following his stint at Ole Miss.

In 2003, the school's mascot, Colonel Reb, was discontinued from official participation in athletic events by the school.^[19] The school solicited ideas to replace Colonel Reb, but after an exceedingly lackluster response, decided to go without a mascot, and remains the only SEC school without at least one mascot. The Colonel Reb mascot still makes appearances in The Grove, Ole Miss' tailgating area, before home games. The Colonel Reb logo is still licensed by Ole Miss for use on merchandise and can still be found adorning hats, shirts, jackets and numerous other items for sale at various retail outlets.

[edit] Retired numbers

The numbers 18 for Archie Manning and 38 for Chucky Mullins are the only two retired numbers in Ole Miss football history.

[edit] Trivia and pop culture

• The most points ever scored in a game by the Ole Miss Rebels was 114 when Ole Miss defeated Union College 114–0 on October 29, 1904.
• Ole Miss' only undefeated season was in 1962 when the Rebels went 10–0 under head coach John Vaught.
• The speed limit on the Ole Miss campus is 18 miles per hour in honor of Archie Manning, who wore the same number during his playing days at Ole Miss.
• Rapper Snoop Dogg donned an Ole Miss jersey and made a video that was played on the stadium's JumboTron to kick off the 2003 game against Arkansas.^[20]
• A motorcycle by Orange County Choppers was commissioned by Ole Miss for the football program.^[21]

[edit] See also

• Ole Miss Rebels
• University of Mississippi
• Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
• Egg Bowl
• Manning-Rivers trade
• Eli Manning
• Archie Manning
• 2008 Ole Miss Rebels football team
• 2009 Ole Miss Rebels football team

[edit] External links

• Official Website of Ole Miss football

[edit] References

v • d • e The University of Mississippi ~ Ole Miss Academics Daniel Jones (chancellor) • University of Mississippi Academics • Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College • Golden Lamp of Knowledge • University of Mississippi School of Engineering • University of Mississippi School of Business Administration • Croft Institute for International Studies • National Center for Remote Sensing, Air and Space Law • Center for the Study of Southern Culture Athletics Ole Miss Rebels • Football • Baseball • Tennis • The Pride of the South Football Rivalries: Egg Bowl (w/ MSU) • Magnolia Bowl (w/ LSU) • Arkansas–Ole Miss rivalry • Alabama–Ole Miss rivalry Post-season Bowl Records: Bowl history Facilities: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium • Tad Smith Coliseum • Swayze Field • Ole Miss Soccer Stadium • Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center • Ole Miss Track & Field Complex • Ole Miss Softball Complex • Gillom Sports Center • University Golf Course Staff: Pete Boone • Houston Nutt • Andy Kennedy • Mike Bianco Notables: Archie Manning • Eli Manning • Deuce McAllister • John Vaught • David Dellucci • Devin Britton Campus Main: University, Mississippi • Lyceum-The Circle Historic District • Old Gym • University of Mississippi Museum • Rowan Oak • Barnard Observatory • Kennon Observatory • The Grove Other: University of Mississippi Medical Center • University of Mississippi School of Medicine Student life The Daily Mississippian • WUMS Rebels Radio • Notable Ole Miss Alumni Traditions Colonel Reb • Forward Rebels • Hotty Toddy! Outreach Mississippi Teacher Corps Endowment: $472 million • Students: 17,546 • Faculty: 697

v • d • e Ole Miss Rebels Bowl History Orange Bowl 1936 Delta Bowl 1948 Sugar Bowl 1953, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1970       See also: 1959 Ole Miss Rebels football team Cotton Bowl 1956, 1962, 2004, 2009 Gator Bowl 1958, 1971, 1991 Bluebonnet Bowl 1964, 1966 Liberty Bowl 1965, 1968, 1989, 1992 Sun Bowl 1967 Peach Bowl 1971 Independence Bowl 1983, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2002 Motor City Bowl 1997 Music City Bowl 2000

v • d • e Ole Miss Rebels Football 1960 FWAA National Champions Bookie Bolin | Johnny Brewer | Bobby Crespino | Jim Dunaway | Doug Elmore | Jake Gibbs | Glynn Griffing | A. J. Holloway Head Coach Johnny Vaught Coaches Johnny Cain | Roland Dale | Jim Poole | Ray Poole

v • d • e Southeastern Conference football teams Eastern Division Florida Gators • Georgia Bulldogs • Kentucky Wildcats • South Carolina Gamecocks • Tennessee Volunteers • Vanderbilt Commodores Western Division Alabama Crimson Tide • Arkansas Razorbacks • Auburn Tigers • LSU Tigers • Ole Miss Rebels • Mississippi State Bulldogs