Ole Miss Rebels football

Ole Miss Rebels football
2015 Ole Miss Rebels football team
First season 1893
Athletic director Ross Bjork
Head coach Hugh Freeze
4th year, 34–18 (.654)
Other staff Co-Offensive Coordinators Dan Werner & Matt Luke, Co-Defensive Coordinators Dave Wommack & Jason Jones
Stadium Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Field Jerry Hollingsworth Field
Year built 1915
Seating capacity 64,038 (starting in 2016)
Largest Crowd: 62,663 (Oct. 10, 2009 vs. Alabama)
Field surface Natural Grass (starting in 2016)
Location Oxford, Mississippi
NCAA division NCAA Division I
Conference SEC
Division SEC Western Division (1992–present)
Past conferences Independent (1890–1898)
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1899–1920)
Southern Conference (1921–1932)
All-time record 655–504–35 (.563)
Bowl record 24–13 (.649)
Claimed nat'l titles 3[1][2] (1959, 1960, 1962)
Unclaimed nat'l titles 1 (1955)
Conference titles 6 (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963)
Division titles 0.5 (Co-divisional Title, did not represent the division in the SEC Title Game) (2003)
Heisman winners 0
Consensus All-Americans 12 Senquez Golson 2014 (latest consensus All American) [3]
Current uniform
Colors Navy Blue and Cardinal Red[4]
         
Fight song Forward Rebels
Mascot Rebels
Rebel Black Bear
Marching band Pride of the South
Outfitter Nike
Rivals Mississippi State Bulldogs
LSU Tigers
Memphis Tigers
Alabama Crimson Tide
Arkansas Razorbacks
Vanderbilt Commodores
Website OleMissSports.com

The Ole Miss Rebels football program represents the University of Mississippi, also known as "Ole Miss". The Rebels compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The football history of Ole Miss includes the formation of the first football team in the state and the 26th team on the list of college football's all-time winning programs.[5] The Ole Miss Rebels posted their 600th win on September 27, 2008 when they defeated the (then-ranked No. 4 and future 2008 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national champion) Florida Gators 31–30 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.[6]

Throughout the 115-year history of Ole Miss football, the Rebels have won six Southeastern Conference titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963) and three national titles (1959, 1960 and 1962). The team is currently coached by Hugh Freeze.

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 defeat against 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."[7] The College Football Data Warehouse also lists Clark as the coach for the 1894 team.[8]

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.[9]

Championships

National Championships

While the NCAA's website states that "the NCAA does not conduct a national championship in Division I-A football and is not involved in the selection process," it goes on to say that "a number of polling organizations provide a final ranking of Division I-A football teams at the end of each season." Ole Miss claims three national championships based on other polls, however only one is recognized by the NCAA (1960 shared with Minnesota).[10] The other two were retroactive selections.

Season Coach Selectors Record Bowl Result Final AP Ranking Final Coaches Ranking
1959 John Vaught Berryman, Dunkel, Sagarin 10–1 Sugar Bowl Ole Miss 21, LSU 0 #2 #2
1960 John Vaught Billingsley, Football Writers, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, NCF, Williamson 10–0–1 Sugar Bowl Ole Miss 14, Rice 6 #2 #3
1962 John Vaught Billingsley, Litkenhous, Sagarin 10–0 Sugar Bowl Ole Miss 17, Arkansas 13 #3 #3
National Championships: 3

[11][12]

The major wire service polls of the time (Associated Press & United Press), named Syracuse the National Champion in 1959, Minnesota in 1960, and USC in 1962.[13][14] Those polls were taken before the bowl games; had the 1960 poll been taken after the bowl games (as is the case today), Ole Miss would have likely won it since it was the only major-conference team in the nation to go undefeated on the field.

In 1955, the Rebels were declared National Champions by the Massey Ratings, though they are not considered to be a major poll and it is not claimed by the University.

Conference Championships

Ole Miss has won a total of 6 SEC championships.

Season Conference Coach Overall Record Conference Record
1947 SEC John Vaught 9–2 6–1
1954 SEC John Vaught 9–2 5–1
1955 SEC John Vaught 10–1 5–1
1960 SEC John Vaught 10–0–1 5–0–1
1962 SEC John Vaught 10–0 6–0
1963 SEC John Vaught 7–1–2 5–0–1
Conference Championships 6

Co-Divisional Championship

The SEC has been split into two divisions since the 1992 season with Ole Miss competing in the SEC West since that time. Ole Miss has won a share of 1 divisional title, but has yet to make an appearance in the SEC Championship Game.

Season Division SEC CG Result Opponent PF PA
2003† SEC West – N/A – –
Division Championships 0.5
† Denotes co-champions

Milestones

Notable games

Modern era head coaches

John Vaught

1947 Ole Miss media guide featuring Charlie Conerly (left) and coach Johnny Vaught (right).

John Vaught, a line coach at Ole Miss in 1946 under Harold D. "Red" Drew and a former All-American at TCU, remained in Oxford as head coach in 1947 and led the Ole Miss program to national prominence over the next 24 years, posting 23 winning records.

In his first season at the helm in 1947, the Rebels posted a 9–2 record and won the first of six SEC crowns (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963). That 1947 season also saw Ole Miss great Charlie Conerly become the first Rebel player to be a contender for the Heisman Trophy, placing fourth in the voting for the prestigious honor.

Ole Miss won the 1959 Dunkel System national crown, the 1960 Football Writers Association of America, Dunkel System, and Williamson System national championships and the 1962 Litkenhous Ratings national title. Vaught's 1962 squad remains the only undefeated team in Ole Miss football history. Vaught's 1959 squad, which was honored as the "SEC Team of the Decade," was ranked the third best collegiate football team from 1956 to 1995, according to the Jeff Sagarin Ratings released in January 1996.

The Rebels were also among the winningest programs in the country under Vaught during the 1950s and 1960s. From 1950 to 1959, Ole Miss posted an 80–21–5 record (.778 winning percentage). The 77.8 winning percentage was third to only Oklahoma and Miami (OH) during that decade. In the 1960s, Vaught guided the Rebels to a 77–25–6 record and a 74.0 winning percentage, which was the ninth best during that decade. The Rebels 1962 season under Vaught is, to this day, the only undefeated season in Ole Miss history. The Rebels ended that season 10–0 and as national champions.[18]

In the 1950s and 1960s under Vaught, Ole Miss was a fixture in the national polls. The Rebels were ranked atop the Associated Press poll for three weeks during the 1960 season and one week during the 1961 campaign. In 1964, Ole Miss was ranked preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.

Vaught also made going to postseason play the norm rather than the exception for the Rebel football program. Ole Miss played in 15 consecutive bowl games from 1957 to 1971 which, at that time, was a national record. In all, Vaught led Ole Miss to 18 bowl game appearances, posting a 10–8 record in those contests. For his efforts, Vaught was named SEC Coach of the Year six times (1947, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962).

During his time at the helm, Vaught coached some of the best players ever to wear the Red & Blue. In 24 seasons, Vaught produced 26 All-America first teamers. He also coached four players who finished in the top five in the Heisman Trophy voting. Along with Conerly in 1947, Charlie Flowers (5th in 1959), Jake Gibbs (3rd in 1960) and Archie Manning (4th in 1969, 3rd in 1970) were in the running for college football's top honor.

Failing health forced Vaught to resign his position in 1970 and the reins of the Ole Miss football program were turned over to Billy Kinard.

See also: 1959 Ole Miss Rebels football team

Billy R. Kinard

Billy Kinard became the first Ole Miss alumnus to head up the football program, while Frank "Bruiser" Kinard, an offensive line coach under Vaught since 1948, was named athletic director that same year.

The Rebels went 16–9 under Billy Kinard, including a 10–2 record and a 41–18 Peach Bowl victory over Georgia Tech in his first year in 1971. Kinard's 10 victories are tied for fourth most by a first-year head coach in NCAA Division I history.

Kinard coached the Rebels through the 1972 season and through the third game of the 1973 season. After the disappointing 5–5 season in 1972, there was some pressure among the alumni to have Kinard removed. The administration bowed to this pressure after the Rebels started the 1973 season 1–2, including a shutout loss to Missouri, 17–0, and was upset by Memphis State, 17–13. Both Billy Kinard and Frank Kinard were fired, and John Vaught was rehired as both the head coach and athletic director.

Following the 1973 football season, Vaught resigned once again as head coach, but remained on as athletic director. His final record with the Rebels was 190–61–12. The 190 victories still rank Vaught in the top 25 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history, and he is the fourth-winningest coach in SEC history. In 1979, Vaught was inducted in the National College Football Hall of Fame.

Ken Cooper

Ken Cooper, an assistant under Kinard since 1971, was named head coach on Jan. 17, 1974, and took Ole Miss through the 1977 season. Cooper compiled a 21–23 record during his four years at the helm, and his tenure is probably best remembered for one hot and humid day in September 1977. In one of the most memorable games in Rebel football history, Ole Miss upset Notre Dame, 20–13 in Mississippi Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 1977, in Jackson. That loss was the Irish's lone setback of the 1977 campaign, as Notre Dame finished the season with an 11–1 record and claimed both the AP and UPI national titles. Cooper is now the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Ga.

Steve Sloan

Following the 1977 season, Steve Sloan, the former All-American quarterback at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant, was hired as the new Rebel boss and began his five-year stint in 1978. Sloan posted a 20–34 record from 1978 to 1982.

Billy Brewer

After stepping outside the Ole Miss family football tree the previous nine seasons, Ole Miss looked for a familiar face to lead the football program, and the Rebels found that person when Billy Brewer returned to Oxford to take over as head coach in December 1982.

In his first season in 1983, Brewer guided the Rebels to their first winning regular season since 1977 with a 7–4 record (Tulane win a result of forfeit). The Rebels also went to their first bowl game since 1971 losing to Air Force 9–3 in the Independence Bowl.

Brewer remained in Oxford for another ten seasons, leading the Rebels to five winning seasons and four bowls, including Ole Miss' 1990 New Year's Day Gator Bowl appearance, which was the program's first January bowl game since 1969. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1986 (8–3–1 record) and 1990 (9–3 record), and in 1986, the Rebels return to the national rankings for the first time in over a decade.

Brewer coached 11 years (1983–93) and compiled a 68–55–3 record, making him (at the time) the second winningest Ole Miss football coach behind Vaught. Brewer also led Ole Miss to eight Egg Bowl victories over rival Mississippi State.

Brewer was dismissed just prior to the 1994 season after the NCAA infractions committee found him guilty of "unethical conduct," and Ole Miss defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn took over as interim coach, directing the Rebels to a 4–7 record under difficult circumstances highlighted only by a 34–21 victory over rival LSU.

Tommy Tuberville

On Dec. 2, 1994, Tommy Tuberville was selected as the coach in charge of getting the Rebels on the right track.

After serving as an assistant coach on the collegiate level for nine seasons (eight at Miami and one at Texas A&M), Tuberville began creating excitement in his first season in 1995, finishing the campaign with a 6–5 record and an Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State.

That excitement grew in 1997, when Ole Miss recorded its best season since 1992 with an 8–4 record, a thrilling 15–14 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State and a Motor City Bowl win over Marshall University. The bowl appearance was the program's first since 1992, and the Rebels earned a final national ranking of No. 22 in both polls.

The revitalized Ole Miss program continued in its success in 1998, but suffered a setback after the Egg Bowl when Tuberville, despite repeated assurances that he would not leave – even going so far as to say "They'll have to take me out of here in a pine box"[19][20][21] -, agreed 2 days later to become the head coach at SEC West rival Auburn University.

David Cutcliffe

David Cutcliffe took over as head coach on Dec. 2, 1998. Cutcliffe, who came to Ole Miss from his offensive coordinator post at Tennessee, took over the reins just 29 days before the Rebels' Sanford Independence Bowl date versus Texas Tech. Despite the short preparation time for the game, Cutcliffe led the Rebels to a 35–18 victory over the Red Raiders, quite arguably the biggest upset of the 1998 bowl season.

Cutcliffe brought with him to Oxford a high-powered offensive style that energized the Rebel fanbase.

In the time from 1997 to 2003, the Rebels played in six bowl games, tied with Arkansas for the most bowl appearances among SEC Western Division schools during that span.

Cutcliffe had four winning seasons in his first five seasons at Ole Miss, in 1999 (8–4), 2000 (7–5), 2001 (7–4) and 2002 (7–6), becoming the first Rebel mentor since Harry Mehre (1938–41) to post winning marks in his first five years. Cutcliffe also directed Ole Miss to four bowl appearances in his first five seasons.

In 2003 Cutcliffe guided the Rebels to a 10–3 overall mark and a share of the SEC West title with eventual BCS National Champion LSU. Following their 31–28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Rebels finished #13 in the final poll. It was Ole Miss' first New Year's bowl since the 1991 Gator Bowl against Michigan.

Despite his 44–29 record, five straight winning seasons, and guiding the team to its first 10 win season in over 30 years, Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss's Athletic Director Pete Boone in December 2004 after the team posted a disappointing 4–7 record and three consecutive losses to LSU.

Ed Orgeron

Ed Orgeron

Ed Orgeron, regarded as one of college football's premier defensive line coaches and recruiters, was named the 35th head football coach in the history of the University of Mississippi on December 16, 2004.[22] Orgeron, who took control of the Ole Miss program after serving the previous seven seasons as defensive line coach at the University of Southern California, and played a role in Pete Carroll's Trojan championship in 2004. He also served as USC's recruiting coordinator from 2001 to 2004 and was named assistant head coach in 2003. Orgeron was named the 2004 National Recruiter of the Year by The Sporting News and Rivals.com.

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 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 Orgeron, ended the season at 3–9 (0–8 in SEC play).

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.

Houston Nutt

Houston Nutt

On November 27, 2007, Houston Nutt was hired as the new head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.[23] 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.[24] 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."[25]

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 Classic. 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 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.[26]

On November 7, 2011 it was announced that Coach Nutt would resign from the position of head coach at Ole Miss. His resignation became official once the season came to a close as he finished his final 3 games at the university.[27]

Hugh Freeze

On December 5, 2011, Hugh Freeze was announced as the new head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football team. Freeze was previously the head coach at Arkansas State and had previously been the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator from 2005–2007. In his first year he went 7–6 and finished the regular season with a win over rival Mississippi State. The Rebels won their bowl game against Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl. In Freeze's second year, the Rebels went 8–5 (3–5). The 2013 Rebels defeated then-sixth-ranked LSU on a last-second field goal in Oxford and capped off the season with a 25–17 victory over Georgia Tech in the Music City Bowl.

In 2014, Freeze led Ole Miss to one of its strongest seasons in four decades. The Rebels spent most of the season in the top 10, rising as high as third in October—their highest ranking at that late stage in the season in almost half a century. They ultimately finished 9–3, only the third time since Vaught's tenure that a Rebel team has won as many as nine games. This garnered them a berth in the 2014 Peach Bowl—their first major-bowl appearance since 1969. Freeze followed that up with a 10-3 record in 2015, a season that included a second-straight win over Alabama and was capped off with a 48-20 win over Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl.

Current coaching staff

Name Position
Hugh Freeze Head Coach of Football
Dan Werner Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Grant Heard Wide Receivers
Maurice Harris Recruiting/Tight Ends
Matt Luke Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line
Derrick Nix Running Backs
Paul Jackson Strength and Conditioning
Dave Wommack Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Jason Jones Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks
Chris Kiffin Defensive Line
Corey Batoon Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties

Recruiting

Ole Miss Rebels Football Scout.com team recruiting rankings:

Class Scout.com Rank Commits Top Commit
2016 5 24 Shea Patterson
2015 16 22 DeMarkus Lodge
2014 18 26 Roderick Taylor
2013 10 26 Robert Nkemdiche
2012 58 18 Channing Ward
2011 20 28 C.J. Johnson
2010 15 25 Wayne Dorsey
2009 17 37 Pat Patterson
2008 38 31 Patrick Trahan
2007 31 22 A.J. Jackson
2006 15 30 Jerrell Powe
2005 29 28 Michael Oher
2004 39 23 Chris Herring
2003 32 23 Robert Lane
2002 26 18 Ronald McClendon

Recent history

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 defeats to LSU (27–41) and Mississippi State (14–17) which resulted in the firing of Orgeron the following day. Three days later, Houston Nutt was hired as the next head football coach.

2008 season

With new coach Houston Nutt at the helm, Ole Miss showed significant improvement in their team throughout the 2008 season. The Rebels began the season with a 41–24 victory over Memphis before losing a thriller on the road against #20 Wake Forest. After soundly beating Samford at home, Ole Miss lost its SEC opener against Vanderbilt, 23–17.

The Rebels entered the game against #4 Florida as overwhelming underdogs, but managed to pull off a monumental upset in Gainesville by beating the Gators, 31–30. Ole Miss would lose its next two games against South Carolina by a score of 31–24 and against #2 Alabama by a score of 24–20. However, the loss against Alabama would be Ole Miss's last of the season, as they would win their last five games, which included wins against Arkansas, Auburn, Louisiana-Monroe, and a road upset against #18 LSU. Ole Miss entered the final game of the regular season ranked #25, which was the first time Ole Miss was ranked in the Top 25 since 2003. Ole Miss dominated Mississippi State in the final game of the regular season, beating the Bulldogs by a score of 45–0. Ole Miss finished the regular season with a #20 ranking and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl, where they beat Texas Tech by a score of 47–34. The Rebels finished the season ranked #14.

2009 season

The 2009 season was one of ups and downs for the Rebels, as the team entered the year with some of the highest expectations of any Ole Miss team in almost half a century. Ultimately, the Rebels failed to meet those lofty expectations. The Rebels finished with an 8–4 (4–4 SEC) record and an invitation to the Cotton Bowl Classic, a respectable showing but far short of the results that the team, its fans and the national media had anticipated before the season.

The Rebels began the 2009 season ranked No. 8 by the Associated Press Poll and No. 10 by the USA Today Coaches Poll. Ole Miss started the season with wins over Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana, and after some key early-season losses by other top-10 schools, the AP poll put the Rebels at No. 4 in week 3—the team's highest ranking since 1970.

On a Thursday night, September 24, the Rebels were defeated by an unranked University of South Carolina Gamecocks squad in Columbia, S.C., by a score of 16–10, before a nationally televised ESPN audience.[28] The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Rebels, dating back to late in the 2008 season, and sent them tumbling to #21 in the AP Poll. Ole Miss would rise no further than 20th in the poll for the remainder of the 2009 campaign.

The Rebels bounced back to beat Vanderbilt on the road, but then fell to #3 Alabama at home the next week. Ole Miss recovered to win consecutive home games against UAB and Arkansas in impressive fashion before losing at Auburn in another uneven performance, establishing what would become a signature pattern for the Rebels in 2009: strong play at home but weak efforts on the road.

Following the Auburn loss, the Rebels won three straight home games, including quality wins over Tennessee and LSU. Entering the final week of the season, the team was back in the rankings (no. 20) and seemed set for another winning record in the SEC and a trip to the Capital One Bowl, the SEC's highest-paying bowl destination outside of the BCS. Those plans were dashed, however, when the Rebels lost to Mississippi State in Starkville, 41–27, finishing the regular season at 8–4 overall and 4–4 in conference play.

One week later Ole Miss accepted an invitation to play in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, marking the team's second consecutive trip to Dallas and the program's first back-to-back January bowl berths in 40 years. Ole Miss defeated Oklahoma State 21–7.

2010 season

Following two consecutive Cotton Bowl victories, the 2010 Ole Miss team didn't enter the season with expectations as high as last season. The Rebels started the season with a shocking loss to Jacksonville State in double overtime, but rebounded by defeating Tulane on the road by two touchdowns. The Rebels would fall to Vanderbilt in their SEC opener, 28–14 before winning the next two games against Fresno State and Kentucky, scoring 40+ points in both.

After starting 3–2, Ole Miss would lose their next three games, including road losses against #8 Alabama by a score of 23–10, #21 Arkansas by a score of 38–24 and at home against eventual national champion #3 Auburn by a score of 51–31. The Rebels would improve their record to 4–5 after beating Louisiana-Lafayette at home by a score of 43–21, but would lose the rest of their games, including a blow out road loss against Tennessee with a score of 52–14, a thriller on the road against #5 LSU and a home loss in the Egg Bowl against #25 Mississippi State, 31–23. The Rebels would finish the season with a record of 4–8 and only one SEC win.

2011 season

The 2011 Ole Miss football team was the worst since 2007, despite managing a top 20 recruiting class. The Rebels opened the season at home against BYU, who they lost to in a very close game, 14–13. Ole Miss rebounded by beating the FCS's Southern Illinois at home, by a score of 42–24. Ole Miss would get blown out in its SEC opener against Vanderbilt on the road, losing by a score of 30–7. Ole Miss returned home for its home SEC opener against Georgia where they lost 27–13.

Ole Miss bounced back from two straight losses with a double digit road win against Fresno State, but lost its next game to eventual national champion, #2 Alabama by a score of 52–7. The Rebels hosted #10 Arkansas in its next game, and, despite playing the Razorbacks relatively close, Ole Miss fell short by a score of 29–24. The Rebels would lose their next three games, including two double digit road losses against Auburn and Kentucky before returning home and getting blown out by Louisiana Tech, in a game where they lost by 20 points. Ole Miss then played host to eventual SEC champion, #1 LSU, where they lost 52–3. This game would come to be the biggest blowout in the history of the Magnolia Bowl. Ole Miss finished the regular season by getting blown out on the road against rival Mississippi State by a final score of 31–3. Ole Miss finished the season with a record of 2–10 and 0–8 in SEC play.

2012 season

Following the firing of coach Houston Nutt, Ole Miss hired new head coach Hugh Freeze from Arkansas State University. With Freeze at the helm, Ole Miss opened the season with wins against the University of Central Arkansas and UTEP before getting beaten soundly at home by the University of Texas by a score of 66 to 31. The following week Ole Miss traveled to New Orleans and defeated Tulane.

Ole Miss then lost two competitive games at #1-ranked Alabama and Texas A&M before reeling off two wins against Auburn and at Arkansas. Ole Miss then lost an away game to #7-ranked Georgia and a heartbreaker to Vanderbilt at home and another at #8 LSU. Now at 5 wins and 6 losses, Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State at home by a score of 41–24 to earn a bowl-game berth for the first time since 2009. Ole Miss defeated the University of Pittsburgh 38–17 in the BBVA Compass Bowl to finish the 2012 season with a record of 7–6. Ole Miss also managed to reel in a stellar recruiting class, ranked as #10 by Rivals and headlined by Robert Nkemdiche.

2013 season

Ole Miss opened the 2013 season with one of the best recruiting classes in the country, ranking at number four according to 247sports.[29] Ole Miss's 2013 class was headlined by the number one and number three overall recruits, Robert Nkemdiche and Laremy Tunsil. Hugh Freeze and the Rebels opened the 2013 season with three straight wins over Vanderbilt, Southeast Missouri State and Texas. With a 3–0 record, Ole Miss had a #21 ranking which was the first time that the Rebels were nationally ranked since 2009.

Despite starting 3–0, Ole Miss lost the next three games, including a shutout loss against top-ranked Alabama, eventual SEC Champion Auburn and a heartbreaker at home to #9 Texas A&M. The Rebels' three game losing streak was snapped after holding off #6 LSU at home, and they went on to win the next three games (all by double digits) and returned to the top 25 with a #24 ranking entering a matchup against #8 Missouri, who they lost to by a score of 24–10. Ole Miss lost the final game of the regular season against Mississippi State in overtime, and finished the regular season with a 7–5 record. The Rebels were invited to play in the Music City Bowl against Georgia Tech, who they beat 25–17.

2014 season

After winning consecutive bowl games, expectations rose for Ole Miss entering the 2014 season. Hugh Freeze managed to pull off the number 14 recruiting class, which was still impressive despite managing the number four recruiting class a year ago. Ole Miss entered the 2014 season with a #18 ranking, which was the first time Ole Miss started the season as a ranked team since 2009. After beating Boise State on a neutral field by 22 points and blowing out rival Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Lafayette, the Rebels rose to #10 in the AP Poll. After a close call against Memphis, Ole Miss fell one slot in the rankings to #11.

Ole Miss then hosted #3 Alabama, which was the first time the Rebels ever hosted College Gameday. Ole Miss pulled a major upset by beating the Crimson Tide by a score of 23–17, which was only the tenth time Ole Miss has ever beaten Alabama and the first time they beat them in ten years. Following the upset, Ole Miss rose to #3 in the AP Poll and traveled to #14 Texas A&M, which, with a crowd of 110,633, was the largest crowd Ole Miss has ever played in front of.[30] The Rebels beat the Aggies by a score of 35–20, and led by as many as 28 points. This also marked the first time that Ole Miss has ever beaten back to back ranked opponents. After beating Tennessee soundly at home, the Rebels had a 7–0 record for the first time since 1962. However, Ole Miss's undefeated season would come to an end after losing on the road to #24 LSU by a score of 10–7. Despite coming off of a loss, Ole Miss still ranked in the top four of the first ever College Football Playoff rankings, and played host to the third-ranked Auburn Tigers, where they lost in heartbreaking fashion, 35–31. Following a 48–0 blow out of Presbyterian, Ole Miss was shutout on the road against Arkansas, where they lost 30–0. The Rebels fell to #18 in the AP Poll entering their final regular season matchup against #4 Mississippi State, who they beat by a score of 31–17. Having beat then–no. 3 Alabama and now #4 Mississippi State, this was the first time since 1969 that the Rebels had beaten two teams ranked in the top 5 in the same season. Ole Miss finished the regular season with a #9 ranking and they were invited to play in the Peach Bowl against #6 TCU, which was one of the New Year's Six bowl games. However, TCU beat the Rebels easily by a score of 42–3, and Ole Miss finished the season with a #17 ranking.

2015 season

The Rebels headed into the 2015 season with yet another top-20 recruiting class, ranking at #15 according to 247 sports. The Rebels started the season ranked #17 in the AP Poll, and for the second straight season, played every game as a ranked team. The Rebels opened the season against FCS foe Tennessee–Martin, who they beat behind strong quarterback play by JUCO transfer Chad Kelly, who led his Rebels offense to a 76–3 victory, which was the most points scored by any Ole Miss team since 1935. They followed with 73–21 rout of Fresno State, once again led by strong offensive production by Kelly.

Ole Miss's third game was against the second-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, while Ole Miss entered the game ranked #15. Despite being nearly double digit underdogs, the Rebels led by as many as 20 points and as many as 19 in the fourth quarter. Despite Alabama's furious comeback, Ole Miss held on to get their first ever win against an AP top 2 team beating the Tide 43–37. This was also the first time Ole Miss had ever beaten Alabama in back to back seasons and only their second–ever win on the road against Alabama (the first one came in 1988 under Billy Brewer). The Rebels jumped to #3 in the AP Poll the following week, which was the first time Ole Miss was ranked in the top 3 in consecutive seasons since 1963–64. In the next game against rival Vanderbilt, Ole Miss was 25 point favorites, but struggled mightily against a much–improved Vanderbilt defense. The Rebels limped to a 27–16 win, their first home win against the Commodores since 2006. The next week, Ole Miss maintained its #3 ranking and traveled to the #25 Florida Gators, where they were 7 point favorites. The Rebels were blown out, however, losing 38–10 and falling to #14 in the AP Poll. Ole Miss rebounded with an easy win over New Mexico State then surprisingly lost to an unranked Memphis team on the road, entering the game at #13. Ole Miss fell to #24 then easily cruised to a 23–3 victory over #15 Texas A&M and moved up to #19 in the AP Poll. Ole Miss then beat Auburn on the road, by a score of 27–19 which marked the first time that Ole Miss has ever beaten Alabama and Auburn on the road in the same season. The Rebels were then ranked #18 entering a matchup against an unranked Arkansas team and controlled their own destiny in the SEC West. Arkansas, however, pulled the upset on a miracle 4th & 25 conversion in overtime after Ole Miss scored the first touchdown in the overtime period. Ole Miss then finally got a week off, and played their next game ranked #22 in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into a game against a rival, #15 LSU. The Rebels trounced the Tigers, 38–17 and led by as many as 24 points. This was the first time ever that the Rebels had beaten Alabama, Auburn and LSU in the same year. Ole Miss moved up to #18 in the rankings heading into the Egg Bowl, where they faced #21 Mississippi State, who they hadn't beaten on the road since 2003. The Rebels won in Starkville 38–27, secured their third win over the Bulldogs in four years and marked the first time since 2008 that they had beaten Mississippi State and LSU in the same season. Ole Miss then earned their first Sugar Bowl birth since 1970, where they dominated #12 Oklahoma State, 48–20. This was arguably Ole Miss's best season since the Vaught era, their first ten win season since 2003, and the Rebels finished at #10 in the final AP Poll. The 2013 recruiting class played a large part in this success, as well as the crippling sanctions handed down by the NCAA.

Uniforms

The Ole Miss Rebels currently have four combinations of uniforms that they are known to sport. All combinations involve gray pants with stripes of red and blue. The Rebels use blue jerseys for their primary home uniforms and red jerseys as alternates; both have bold white numbers and white shoulder stripes. White jerseys with red numbers and stripes are used on the road.

On October 30, 2010, the Rebels wore all-gray uniforms for the first time in their annual bout with the #1 Auburn Tigers. The gray jerseys are adorned with blue and red shoulder stripes and blue numbers outlined in red. Although worn at home, Mississippi's all-gray uniforms are considered white jerseys (rather than colored); consequently, visiting opponents will wear their home, colored jerseys while the Rebels wear all-gray. The Rebels broke out the all-gray combination again for their 2012 game at Alabama.

Announced on April 13, 2013 were new uniforms sporting blue pants with "REBELS" in white print on the sidings to go along with white a silver pants. White away jerseys were also added with the stripes and numbers colored in blue rather than the usual red. One notable combination is blue on blue.

Rivalries

Mississippi State

Ole Miss and MSU meet during a 1970s Egg Bowl
Main article: Egg Bowl

The Battle for 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 112 times, the first game officially known as "The Battle of the Golden Egg" was in 1927.[31] While it is called a "Bowl", the game is not a postseason bowl game, but rather a regular season Southeastern Conference (SEC) game. Ole Miss leads the series with 63 wins to MSU's 43 wins. There have been 6 ties. The Egg Bowl has not been as much in the spotlight as other college football rivalries, but as of late, the game has gained more national attention.

In 2012, which was Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze's first Egg Bowl, Ole Miss beat #25 Mississippi State to clinch their first bowl game since 2009. The following year, Mississippi State reclaimed the Golden Egg with an overtime win in Starkville, by beating the Rebels, 17–10.

In 2014, the game gained much more national attention due to the postseason implications the game possessed. Mississippi State entered the game with a #4 ranking in College Football Playoff, and had a spot in the Playoff on the line entering the game against Ole Miss, who was ranked #19. This marked only the fifth time in the rivalry's history that both teams entered the game ranked. MSU also had a chance at making the SEC title game, where they needed a win and an Alabama loss. In an upset, Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 31–17 and took back the Golden Egg and jumped from #19 to #9 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Both schools got New Year's Six bowl games.

Ole Miss entered the 2015 Egg Bowl with a #18 ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings, and MSU was #21, which marked the first time ever that both teams entered the game ranked two seasons in a row, and it was only the sixth time in this rivalry's history that this was accomplished. The winner was widely believed to get a birth in the Sugar Bowl, which is regarded as the most prestigious SEC bowl destination other than the College Football Playoff. This was also the final home game for Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, widely regarded as the best player in MSU football history. Ole Miss entered the game as only two point favorites but won the Egg Bowl convincingly 38–27 and led by 25 points at halftime. This was Ole Miss's first road win against Mississippi State since 2003 and it was the first time that the Rebels beat the Bulldogs two years in a row since 2003–04.

Neither team has experienced much recent success on the road in this rivalry, as Ole Miss has won seven of their last eight home games against MSU and the Bulldogs have won five of their last seven home games against Ole Miss.

LSU

Main article: Magnolia Bowl

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 – a tradition recently renewed, as the 2003 matchup decided the SEC Western Division Champion, and helped propel LSU to a national 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. The 2009 game was also won by Ole Miss 25–23.[32] The 2010 edition was another classic, typical of the games between these two, with LSU scoring with under a minute left to prevail 43–36, which was LSU's first win in the series since the creation of the Magnolia Bowl.

The 100th meeting of the series in 2011 was forgettable for the Rebels in every regard. LSU humiliated the Rebels 52–3 at Oxford, and could have made the score even more lopsided if not for Tigers coach Les Miles ordering third string quarterback Zach Mettenberger to take a knee four times after LSU gained a first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 1-yard line with five minutes to play. 2012 issued another Bayou Classic with LSU winning 41–35 via a 1 yd TD plunge by Jeremy Hill with less than one minute to go in the contest.

On October 19, 2013 the much-favored ranked number 6 LSU Tigers faced off against a Rebel team that had just came off a three-game losing streak to defeat the Tigers 27–24 on a last-second 46-yard field goal. 2014 was another very memorable classic; however, this one featured better defensive play by both teams. Ole Miss entered with a #3 ranking and as favorites in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1999. #24 LSU pulled the upset by beating the Rebels 10–7 on a last–minute interception thrown by Rebels' quarterback Bo Wallace, which catapulted LSU ten spots in the AP Poll.

In 2015, Ole Miss entered the game with a #22 ranking in the College Football Playoff while the Tigers were #15. However, Strong offensive production by Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly and turnovers forced by the Ole Miss defense led the Rebels to a 38–17 rout of the Tigers, which was Ole Miss's largest margin of victory over LSU since 1992. LSU leads the overall series over Ole Miss 59–41–4, but since the creation of the Magnolia Bowl, the series is tied, 4–4.

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.

In the 1980s, Arkansas dominated the Rebels; however, the 1990 edition produced one of the greatest moments in Ole Miss football history. Having the ball inside the Ole Miss 20 and trailing by 4 with seconds remaining, Arkansas needed a score. The Hogs chose to run the option play. The ball was pitched to Ron Dickerson who seemed to have a clean shot at the endzone. At the 2, Safety and Mullins award winner Chris Mitchell produced what is simply known in Oxford as "the hit". Dickerson fell limp at the one, and time expired, preserving the Ole Miss victory.

In 1991, Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference, and was placed in the same division as Ole Miss when the conference split into two divisions in 1992. Ole Miss won the first conference contest in Little Rock by a score of 17–3.

The two teams have played each other annually since 1981 yet the intensity of the rivalry pretty much died from the early 1970s until 2007.

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 off a 2-point Rebel conversion that got stopped just short of the goal-line.

The end of 2007 saw the rivalry return to a heated one when after Houston Nutt resigned as the head coach for Arkansas, only to be hired as Ole Miss' head coach a week later.

2008 saw the first game between Ole Miss and Arkansas in which Nutt returned to Arkansas in his first game against his former team. Emotions were high, and pads popped throughout the game. Ole Miss kicked a field goal with less than 3 minutes remaining to go up 23–14, seemingly icing the victory. Not to be outdone, Arkansas took one minute to march down the field, and scored with a minute left. After a replay review, Arkansas was awarded with the recovery of an onside kick. Unfortunately for the Hogs, a controversial offensive interference was called, pushing them back, and ultimately turned the ball over on downs. Ole Miss and Nutt won 23–21.

The following season, 2009, Arkansas went to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Ole Miss again won, 30–17, this time at the hands of an all-world performance by Dexter McCluster, who had over 200 all purpose yards, including a 60 yd touchdown bolt in the 3rd that broke the game open.

In 2010, Arkansas was able to finally claim a win over their former head coach Houston Nutt with a 38–24 decision in Fayetteville that was dominated by sloppy play and sloppier weather. 2011 proved to be another thriller with the Hogs escaping Oxford with a 29–24 victory. Ole Miss returned the favor in 2012 by traveling to Little Rock and scoring a last-second FG to win 30–27.

In 2013, Arkansas went to Oxford to play the Rebels in a game where the Razorbacks were heavy underdogs, and the Rebels were fresh off of an upset win over then-no. 6 LSU and a blowout win over Idaho. Ole Miss won decisively, beating the Razorbacks by ten points, 34–24. The next year, in 2014, Ole Miss entered as favorites again and with a #8 ranking against an Arkansas team who had a record of 5–5 and needing a win to clinch a bowl game. Due to poor offensive production and multiple injuries, the Rebels got blown out by the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, 30–0, which sent Ole Miss tumbling eleven spots in the College Football Playoff rankings to #19.

The 2015 game in this series was of particular importance to Ole Miss because at the time of the game, the Rebels controlled their own destiny in the SEC West, and were once again big favorites over the Razorbacks. This game featured multiple lead changes, and needed overtime to decide a winner. In the extra period, Ole Miss scored the first touchdown, which put Arkansas in a situation where they needed to also needed to score a touchdown to avoid a loss. The Razorbacks were faced with a 4th & 25, and quarterback Brandon Allen found tight end Hunter Henry who caught the ball short of the first down, but heaved it backwards before being tackled. The ball was recovered by running back Alex Collins who ran it for 31 yards and converted the fourth and 25. On the next play, the Razorbacks scored a touchdown and instead of tying the game with an extra point, the decided to go for the win by going for the two point conversion. The Rebels appeared to have won the game by stopping the two point attempt, but a facemask penalty gave the Razorbacks another try. Arkansas converted, winning the game 53–52 in one of the most heartbreaking losses in Hugh Freeze's tenure at Ole Miss.

Alabama

The Alabama–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and both have competed in the SEC Western Division since the 1992 season.

It has been one of the conference's most lopsided rivalries, with Alabama officially leading the series 48–11–2 (50–9–2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits). From 2004–2013, Alabama won every single game in this rivalry, six of which were won by double digits.

In 2014, however, Ole Miss got its first win over Alabama since 2003 when the #11 Ole Miss Rebels got one of their most signature victories in the history of their football program by beating then–no.3 Alabama, 23–17. The game was sealed by an interception by Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson and catapulted Ole Miss to third in the AP Poll, their highest ranking since 1964.

The very next year, Ole Miss played Alabama as nearly double digit underdogs, having won only one road game against Alabama in the history of their program, in 1988. Ole Miss once again managed to upset the second–ranked Crimson Tide, 43–37, thanks in part to an explosive Rebel offense led by quarterback Chad Kelly in a game where the Rebels never trailed and led by as many as twenty points and as many as nineteen in the fourth quarter. This marked the first time Ole Miss had ever beaten Alabama in back to back seasons, and, following this massive upset aided by two incredible fluke plays (and one questionable play) for touchdowns and five Alabama turnovers, Ole Miss once again jumped to #3 in the AP Poll, marking the first time since 1963–64 that Ole Miss had been ranked in the top three in consecutive seasons.

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have played annually since 1942. When the SEC split into divisions in 1992, the Commodores and Rebels were selected as permanent cross-division rivals. Though Vanderbilt won the first 18 games in the rivalry, Ole Miss leads the all-time series 50–38–2. As of late, this rivalry hasn't gotten as much attention as other rivalries in the SEC, especially since the Rebels have currently won three straight and have won 16 of the last 23, nine of which were won by double digits.

In 2008, the Rebels entered their game against the Commodores looking to get their 600th all–time win, but Vanderbilt beat the Rebels in Oxford, 23–17, just one week before Ole Miss's monumental upset against fourth-ranked Florida Gators on the road. In 2009, Ole Miss entered their matchup against Vanderbilt coming off of an upset loss to South Carolina, which sent them from #4 in the rankings to #21. The Rebels rebounded from a loss to the Gamecocks by beating Vanderbilt 23–7, their first win against the Commodores after two straight losses.

Vanderbilt would win the next three games in this series, two of which were by double digits. The 2012 matchup was one where the Commodores won and the Rebels were in search of their sixth win to become bowl–eligible for the first time since 2009, but the Commodores beat the Rebels in heartbreaking fashion, 27–26. The next season, in 2013, Ole Miss was looking to end its three-game losing streak against the Commodores, and did so successfully, beating Vanderbilt 39–35 in a thriller. This put the Rebels in the rankings at #25 the next week which was the first time Ole Miss was ranked since 2009. In 2014, Ole Miss blew out Vanderbilt, 41–3 in Nashville.

In 2015, Ole Miss entered with a #3 ranking and were 26 point favorites against Vanderbilt. However, the Commodores stingy defense challenged Ole Miss, and although they couldn't quite win, they tested the Rebels in a game Ole Miss won 27–16. This was Ole Miss's first home win against Vanderbilt since 2006.

Memphis

The Ole Miss–Memphis football rivalry has also been a far less competitive rivalry series. The Rebels hold a 48–11–2 advantage over the Tigers in the series. The two schools have met 60 times from 1921–2014.

This rivalry has was temporarily terminated from 2010–2013, with Ole Miss winning every game from 2005–09. The rivalry was resumed in 2014 when Ole Miss entered ranked #10 in the AP Poll and Memphis was unranked and heavy underdogs. The Rebels played host to the Tigers, and although Memphis played Ole Miss competitively through the first three quarters, the Rebels ultimately pulled away in the fourth quarter after only holding a 7–3 after the end of the third. Ole Miss won the game 24–3 to increase their winning streak against Memphis to six straight.

The 2015 game of this rivalry was of particular importance, especially to Memphis. This was one of the most anticipated games in the history of Memphis football as they hosted then–no.13 Ole Miss. It appeared as if the Rebels were going to blowout the Tigers after taking a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, but Memphis answered with 24 straight points before halftime. The Tigers extended their lead to 31–14 after scoring on the first possession of the third quarter, and held onto their lead for the rest of the game, upsetting Ole Miss, 37–24. The Rebels fell eleven spots in the AP Poll to #24 and Memphis entered the rankings at #18.[33]

Team of the Century

In 1992, to commemorate the 100th year of Ole Miss football, the Ole Miss Athletic Department put together a so-called "Team of the Century," recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of 27 different players. (The term "team" is used loosely, as 12 and 13 players were chosen to represent offense and defense, respectively, rather than 11, which would reflect the number of players on the field.)

The head coach for the Team of the Century was John Vaught, who coached Ole Miss from 1947–70 and again in 1973.

Offense

Position Player Years Hometown
QB Archie Manning 1968–70 Drew, MS
RB Charlie Conerly 1942, 46–47 Clarksdale, MS
RB John "Kayo" Dottley 1947–50 McGehee, AR
RB Charlie Flowers 1957–59 Marianna, AR
E Floyd Franks 1968–70 Biloxi, MS
E Barney Poole 1942, 47–48 Gloster, MS
C Dawson Pruett 1987–90 Mobile, AL
OL Jim Dunaway 1960–62 Columbia, MS
OL Gene Hickerson 1955–57 Atwood, TN
OL Stan Hindman 1963–65 Newton, MS
OL Everett Lindsay 1989–92 Raleigh, NC
OL Marvin Terrell 1957–59 Indianola, MS

Defense

Position Player Years Hometown
DL Frank "Bruiser" Kinard 1935–37 Jackson, MS
DL Kelvin Pritchett 1988–90 Atlanta, GA
DL Ben Williams 1972–75 Yazoo City, MS
LB Tony Bennett 1986–89 Alligator, MS
LB Kenny Dill 1961–63 West Point, MS
LB Larry Grantham 1957–59 Crystal Springs, MS
LB Freddie Joe Nunn 1981–84 Noxubee Co., MS
DB Billy Brewer 1957–59 Columbus, MS
DB Glenn Cannon 1967–69 Gulfport, MS
DB Chris Mitchell 1987–90 Town Creek, AL
DB Jimmy Patton 1952–54 Greenville, MS
DB Todd Sandroni 1987–89 Shaw, MS

Special Teams

Position Player Years Hometown
PK Robert Khayat 1957–59 Moss Point, MS
P Jim Miller 1976–79 Ripley, MS

[34]

Bowl games

Eli Manning
Season Bowl Game Result Opponent Score Bowl Record
1935 Orange Bowl L Catholic University 19–20 0–1
1948[35] Delta Bowl W TCU 13–9 1–1
1952 Sugar Bowl L Georgia Tech 7–24 1–2
1954 Sugar Bowl L Navy 0–21 1–3
1955 Cotton Bowl W TCU 14–13 2–3
1957 Sugar Bowl W Texas 39–7 3–3
1958 Gator Bowl W Florida 7–3 4–3
1959 Sugar Bowl W LSU 21–0 5–3
1960 Sugar Bowl W Rice 14–6 6–3
1961 Cotton Bowl L Texas 7–12 6–4
1962 Sugar Bowl W Arkansas 17–13 7–4
1963 Sugar Bowl L Alabama 7–12 7–5
1964 Bluebonnet Bowl L Tulsa 7–14 7–6
1965 Liberty Bowl W Auburn 13–7 8–6
1966 Bluebonnet Bowl L Texas 0–19 8–7
1967 Sun Bowl L UTEP 7–14 8–8
1968 Liberty Bowl W Virginia Tech 34–17 9–8
1969 Sugar Bowl W Arkansas 27–22 10–8
1970 Gator Bowl L Auburn 28–35 10–9
1971 Peach Bowl W Georgia Tech 41–18 11–9
1983 Independence Bowl L Air Force 3–9 11–10
1986 Independence Bowl W Texas Tech 20–17 12–10
1989 Liberty Bowl W Air Force 42–29 13–10
1990 Gator Bowl L Michigan 3–35 13–11
1992 Liberty Bowl W Air Force 13–0 14–11
1997 Motor City Bowl W Marshall 34–31 15–11
1998 Independence Bowl W Texas Tech 35–18 16–11
1999 Independence Bowl W Oklahoma 27–25 17–11
2000 Music City Bowl L West Virginia 38–49 17–12
2002 Independence Bowl W Nebraska 27–23 18–12
2003 Cotton Bowl W Oklahoma State 31–28 19–12
2008 Cotton Bowl W Texas Tech 47–34 20–12
2009 Cotton Bowl W Oklahoma State 21–7 21–12
2012 BBVA Compass Bowl W Pittsburgh 38–17 22–12
2013 Music City Bowl W Georgia Tech 25–17 23–12
2014 Peach Bowl L TCU 3–42 23–13
2015 Sugar Bowl W Oklahoma State 48–20 24–13

Hall of Famers

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

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

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

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

Active in the NFL

First round draft picks

Ole Miss has had 19 players selected in the first round of professional football drafts.

National Football League

*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.

American Football League

Songs and cheers

Songs

Official

The school's fight song is Forward Rebels, also known as Rebel March.[36]

Main article: Forward Rebels

Unofficial

A modification of the Elvis Presley song An American Trilogy, now known as From Dixie with Love or Slow Dixie, was also played during football games, both home and away. The first time the song was played was during the half-time show performance by the "Pride of the South" band at LSU in 1984. It was played at every game continually until 2009. The traditional song "Dixie" is another school song.

Another unofficial song is I Saw the Light.[36]

Tailgating

Main article: The Grove (Ole Miss)

Confederate symbols

Ole Miss' former mascot "Colonel Reb"
Rebel Black Bear

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. Coaches prior to Tuberville also 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.[37] The school solicited ideas to replace Colonel Reb, but after an exceedingly lackluster response, decided to go without a mascot. An unofficial Colonel Reb mascot still makes appearances in The Grove, Ole Miss' tailgating area, before home games. In 2010, the university began its plan to phase out the use of Colonel Reb on official merchandise such as hats and shirts. The university has reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as a historical mark of the university.[38] On October 14, 2010, it was announced that students, alumni and season ticket holders at the university had picked Rebel Black Bear as their new mascot.[39][40] The announcement was the result of a campuswide vote in February and months of polling. The bear beat out two other finalists, the Rebel Land Shark and something called the "Hotty Toddy," an attempt to personify the school cheer.

While most people confuse the school mascot by calling it the "Black Bear" Ole Miss has not adopted that term as an official branding of the mascot. The current Ole Miss mascot is simply the Rebel Bear.

Chucky Mullins

Roy Lee "Chucky" Mullins was a 20-year-old football player at Ole Miss that was injured playing football in 1989 and became a well-known quadriplegic. Mullins, born on July 8, 1969 in Russellville, Alabama, was injured on October 28, 1989, during the Ole Miss Rebels' Homecoming game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Oxford. As Mullins plunged head-first into a tackle of Vandy fullback Brad Gaines after a short pass reception, the impact shattered four vertebrae in his cervical spine, immediately paralyzing him.

After being airlifted to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Mullins underwent a tracheotomy and five-hour bone graft operation to fuse the vertebrae. Mullins never regained sensation below his neck; shortly before his death, however, he was able to move a hand across his body and touch his chest.

As soon as the injury occurred, Mullins became the recipient of a huge outpouring of community support. Ole Miss fans, college football fans in the South, and people from all over the nation immediately began to donate money towards Mullin's growing medical expenses. President George H.W. Bush visited Mullins in his hospital room and encouraged him while on a visit to Memphis. Soon, Ole Miss established the "Chucky Mullins Trust Fund" to properly manage the donations. The city of Oxford donated land for a specially-designed handicap accessible house for Mullins. Donations to the trust fund eventually exceeded $1 million.

Mullins returned to Ole Miss on June 20, 1990 to complete his undergraduate studies.

Death

Less than a year after returning to school, Mullins was stricken by a pulmonary embolism, caused by blood clots formed by inactivity and poor circulation. He died in the hospital on May 6, 1991 and was buried outside of Russellville.

Memorials

During Mullins' time in the hospital, he and Gaines, who did not know each other before the accident, became close friends. Every year since Mullins' death, Gaines, alone, visits and maintains his friend's gravesite three times a year: May 6 (the anniversary of Mullins' death), October 28 (the anniversary of the injury), and December 25 (Christmas Day).

Each spring, during the annual Grove Bowl (a game at the end of spring practices pitting Ole Miss players against each other), the senior defensive player who most embodies Chucky Mullins' spirit and courage receives the "Chucky Mullins Memorial Courage Award". The recipient also receives jersey number 38, the number Mullins wore at Ole Miss, and wears it for the coming season. Officially, the jersey is considered to be retired as Ole Miss did so during the 2006 season but the team continues to use it to honor Mullins.

Winners of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award

Retired numbers

Future opponents

Non-division opponents

Ole Miss plays Vanderbilt as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the East division among the other six schools.[41]

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
at Vanderbilt vs Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt vs Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt vs Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt vs Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt vs Vanderbilt
vs Georgia at Kentucky vs South Carolina at Missouri vs Florida at Tennessee vs Kentucky at Georgia vs Missouri at South Carolina

Non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of May 21, 2015

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
vs Florida State* vs South Alabama at Memphis vs Baylor** vs Tulane at Georgia Tech at Tulane at Wake Forest vs Wake Forest
vs Wofford vs Tennessee–Martin vs SE Louisiana vs Georgia Tech vs Tulane
vs Memphis at California vs California
vs Georgia Southern

[42]

*The Rebels will face off against the Florida State Seminoles on September 5, 2016 on a neutral site, the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando.
**The Rebels will face off against the Baylor Bears on September 5, 2020 on a neutral site, the NRG Stadium in Houston.

See also

References

    1. ↑ NCAA: Past Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I FBS) National Champions (formerly called Division I-A)
    2. ↑ OleMissSports.com History
    3. ↑ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2011/Awards.pdf
    4. ↑ "Ole Miss Traditions". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
    5. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse: Mississippi Rankings
    6. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger: No. 4 Gators undone by myriad mistakes
    7. ↑ Ole Miss Sports: History of Rebel Football
    8. ↑ CFDW: Mississippi Yearly Results
    9. ↑ OleMissSports.com Ole Miss Rebel Football History
    10. ↑ "FBS College Football History". NCAA.com. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
    11. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20110714235655/http://www.olemisssports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2600&ATCLID=883744. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
    12. ↑ "Billingsley's National Champions". Archived from the original on September 28, 2011.
    13. ↑ "AP and Coaches Yearly Final Polls". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
    14. ↑ "AP and Coaches Yearly Final Polls". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
    15. ↑ "OLE MISS Official Athletic Site – University of Mississippi". Olemisssports.Com. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
    16. ↑ The University of Mississippi: A Pictorial History; Page 161; http://www.olemissbook.com/
    17. ↑ The University of Mississippi: A Pictorial History; Page 201; http://www.olemissbook.com/
    18. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse: Mississippi Undefeated and Untied Seasons
    19. ↑ "Sporting News - NFL - NCAA - NBA - MLB - NASCAR - UFC - WWE". Sporting News. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
    20. ↑ "ESPN.com - On Football: If coaches' lips are moving, they might be leaving". Retrieved 30 April 2016. horizontal tab character in |title= at position 9 (help)
    21. ↑ "Anderson: Saban's Tide dance just another little lie – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Post-gazette.com. 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
    22. ↑ "USATODAY.com - Orgeron introduced as football coach at Ole Miss". Retrieved 30 April 2016.
    23. ↑ "Nutt agrees with Ole Miss hours after resigning from Arkansas". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
    24. ↑ Ole Miss Athletics: Rebels Find New Leader in Houston Nutt
    25. ↑ Ole Miss Athletics: Houston Nutt Introductory Press Conference
    26. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger: UM’s Nutt giving $100,000 to university
    27. ↑ "Houston Nutt of Mississippi Rebels to resign at end of season – ESPN". Espn.go.com. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
    28. ↑ http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=292672579t Gamecocks defense shuts down Snead, No. 4 Rebels on way to upset
    29. ↑ "2013 Football Team Rankings". 247sports.com. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
    30. ↑ "Postgame Notes: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M: http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/101114aac.html
    31. ↑ Ole Miss football 2007 Media guide
    32. ↑ The Daily Reveille: LSU, Ole Miss to student body: "Name that Rivalry"
    33. ↑ "Ole Miss, Memphis Renewing Rivalry in Football, Men's Hoops – Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site – Men's Basketball". Olemisssports.com. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
    34. ↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/HistoryRecords1.pdf
    35. ↑ Vaught, John (1971). Rebel Coach, My Football Family. Memphis, Tenn: Memphis State University Press. p. 59. ISBN 0-87870-008-0.
    36. 1 2 OleMissSports.com: Ole Miss Traditions – School songs
    37. ↑ Daily Mississippian via University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Ka Leo newspaper:Controversial mascot sent to showers
    38. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20120929192355/http://www.olemiss.edu/pubs/ompov/?p=44. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
    39. ↑ "Rebel Black Bear voted new Mississippi mascot". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
    40. ↑ Rebel Black Bear Selected As New On-Field Mascot for Ole Miss Rebels
    41. ↑ "SEC Future Football Schedule Rotation Announced". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
    42. ↑ "- Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site - Football". Retrieved 30 April 2016.

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