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2014 FOOTBALL ISSUE

LINEUP

COMMENTARY 10 REBEL REPORT: BRAD LOGAN

Movin’ Dirt

40 RED SOLO CUP: BOB LYNCH

Few Questions Remain on the Landshark Defense

FEATURES

8 FIRST DOWN, OLE MISS!

For the past 15 years Glen Waddle has used his distinctive voice to start an Ole Miss tradition

10 THE GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE AT OLE MISS

WARNING: This article will get you ready for football season

12 REBEL LORE

The top 10 wins in Ole Miss history

20 WE ARE OLE MISS

VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 1 • JULY/AUGUST 2014

34 MR. CLUTCH: EVAN ENGRAM 36 GAME ONE PREVIEW

An inside look at Boise State by Bronco beat writer Chadd Cripe of The Idaho Statesman

38 SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

Our picks for the upcoming season

44 MCALLISTER TO BE INDUCTED INTO MS SPORTS SHRINE Deuce joins a long list of Rebel greats in heralded museum

48 REBEL LEGENDS: MIKE DENNIS 50 REBEL FANTASY CAMP

Camp is a special event for fans everywhere

54 REBEL HOOPS

™

2014 REBEL PREVIEW

The Action Starts on - Page 18

COVER STORY IT’S TIME

Bo Wallace is quietly moving up in the Ole Miss record books and by the time his career is over could surpass a guy named Eli Manning as Ole Miss’ best Quarterback ever

- Page 22

Murphy Holloway continues his dream with “Grind Time” camps

A special message from Ross Bjork

ARE YOU READY? To Contact REBEL NATION MAGAZINE™ > LETTERS, STORY IDEAS AND PHOTO SUBMISSIONS • Email Rebel Nation Magazine™ at greg@ rebelnationmagazine.com or mail to Rebel Nation Magazine™, P.O. Box 5842, Brandon, Mississippi 39047. Letters should include writer’s full name, address and telephone number and may be edited for clarity and space. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 5

REBEL REPORT

Follow Brad Logan on Twitter @BradLoganCOTE

BRAD LOGAN

Movin’ Dirt

s I made my way onto campus not long ago, I While the arena will only hold around 9,400 people, 50,000 noticed my route was altered quite a bit. Gone are will tell you they were there. Jackson poured in 55 and Glass had the days of strolling on Hill Dr. to get a look at the 53 as the Rebels edged the Tigers 113-112. If there were any practice field. You also will have to meander through fire codes, they were not abided by. On this particular night, a All-American Drive along the North side of Vaughtthunderstorm hovered over Oxford. With the weather clearing Hemingway Stadium, avoiding caution signs and around halftime and word leaking out about the game, people random stop signs. flooded the arena. Parking? They got a treat. I’m not going there. Glass went on to receive two honorable mention All-American Positive? Without a doubt. honors and had a stint in the NBA with the Timberwolves. He Ole Miss Director of Athletics Ross Bjork is moving dirt on now coaches high school basketball in Mississippi. campus. Currently in the works is the university led parking garage Many remember the season of 1997 when Ole Miss defeated that will be West of VHS. The talk of the town is No. 3-ranked and defending national champion the construction of the new basketball arena. Plans Kentucky 73-69. After the win, Ole Miss was currently are to have it North of the parking garage ranked in the top-25 for the first time in school While Ole Miss doesn’t and on the site where the Rebel Shop formerly sat history. Under the direction of head coach Rob along All-American Drive. have the storied past of Evans, the Rebels would make six postseason apWhat happens to Tad Smith Coliseum? I’m sure This season also marked the first ever others in the Southeast- pearances. most Ole Miss fans will tell you to make it go away SEC Western Division Championship. ern Conference, the Tad and with haste. Likely, it will and the spot will be Evans laid the groundwork for Rod Barnes and premium parking. Andy Kennedy to continue the success in the now Pad has been home to If slabs of concrete and asphalt could talk. dilapidated building. After this season, it will be off some really good basWhat will never go away are the memories. to new horizons next door, but the memories will ketball and basketball While Ole Miss doesn’t have the storied past of remain. others in the Southeastern Conference, the Tad I could reel off names like All-Americans Keith players. Built in 1964 Pad has been home to some really good basketball Carter, Ansu Sesay, who led Ole Miss to two SEC for 1.8 million, Tad Smith Western Division championships and a couple of and basketball players. Built in 1964 for 1.8 milColiseum has seen some trips to the NCAA Tournament. I can still see the lion, Tad Smith Coliseum has seen some incredible games. shot by Jason Harrison going through vs Notre incredible games. Thanks to the great people at the Ole Miss AthDame in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. That shot letic Media Relations office, let’s take a look back landed Ole Miss in the Sweet Sixteen for the first in time. I know many of you remember Forward time in school history. If you’re counting, the third Johnny Neumann. In 1971, he garnered All-America honors in Western division crown in five years. his only season at Ole Miss. Quite the feat. A few years later, Ole It would be six years later but in 2007 the Rebs would get its Miss collected its 600th victory defeating the University of Texas. fourth SEC West title with a win over Auburn and an NIT berth. A In 1979 and 1980, John Stroud had two seasons to remember. year later, the NIT berth would roll all the way to Madison Square Leading the SEC in scoring with 26.3 points per game, Stroud Garden in the quarterfinals. Three years later in 2010, Ole Miss received All-America honorable mention credits both years and made another run in the NIT that landed it in New York again. finished with 2,328 points in his career. He now serves as head The Rebs would share the SEC Western Division title that year. women’s basketball coach at New Albany High School (MS) with a Of course, in 2013 Murphy Holloway led Ole Miss by knocking State Championship to his credit. off Florida in Nashville and won its first SEC Tournament title The Rebels would post its first postseason victory in 1980 in since 1981 and landed the Rebels in the NCAA tournament the NIT over Grambling and set up a magical run in the SEC tourberth, the first since 2002. nament in 1981. After defeating Georgia to win the SEC TournaOld and out of date? Without question. Void of magic? Not ment crown, Ole Miss would head to the NCAA Tournament for at all. For many, seat locations and sight lines will be different. the first time in school history. Like you and I, we grew up inside TSC. Our children will grow up In 1988, soon to be head coach Rod Barnes, would become the inside the new one. first player in Ole Miss history to record 500 points, 100 rebounds Sit back and grab some sweet tea. In a few years, you’ll have and 100 assists,. He was named honorable mention All-American some stories to tell. They could start and end with the Tad Smith and finished third in the coaches’ balloting for SEC Player of the Coliseum. - RN Year. TSC was the site of the 1989 game in which Chris Jackson and Brad Logan is a regular contributor to Rebel Nation Magazine™. You Gerald Glass put on a show. can following him on Twitter: @BradLoganCOTE

6 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

DRESS CODE The official gameday colors for the 2014 season. REBEL NATION

REBEL NATION

AUGUST 28 BOISE STATE WEAR RED

SEPT. 6 @VANDERBILT WEAR RED

REBEL NATION

OCT. 18 tennessee (HC) WEAR BLUE

REBEL NATION

OCT. 25 @LSU WEAR RED

REBEL NATION

SEPT. 13 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE WEAR BLUE

SEPT. 27 MEMPHIS WEAR RED

REBEL NATION

NOV. 1 AUBURN WEAR RED

NOV. 8 PRESBYTERIAN WEAR RED

REBEL NATION

OCT. 4 ALABAMA WEAR BLUE

OCT. 11 @Texas A&M WEAR BLUE

REBEL NATION

NOV. 22 @ARKANSAS WEAR BLUE

REBEL NATION

NOV. 29 MISS. STATE WEAR BLUE

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 7

REBEL NATION

Follow Jeff Roberson on Twitter @SpiritJeff

First Down!

Ole Miss!

For the past 15 years, Glen Waddle has used his distinctive voice to start a tradition at Ole Miss football games and to become a staple of Rebel sports on the mic By JEFF ROBERSON Contributing Writer The Ole Miss Spirit

ccording to Glen Waddle, former Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat said Waddle was able to do something a lot of others have attempted but not been able to accomplish. “It was like 2003 when Eli Manning was a senior. I was at a tailgate, and Chancellor Khayat came by,” said Waddle, the public address announcer at Ole Miss’ VaughtHemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field, officially, since 1998. “It was one of those early morning games. He said ‘I want to tell you something. You’ve done something nobody has done in 15 years at The University of Mississippi. You’ve started a new tradition.’ That struck me. I’d never thought about anything like that.” The new tradition? “First Down! Ole Miss!” Waddle proclaims whenever the Rebels do indeed make a first down at home football games. He yells the “First Down!” part, and the fans join him in a rousing response of “Ole Miss!” Multiple times a game that happens. The more the better, obviously, for the homestanding Rebels. Waddle, an Ole Miss alumnus and Ole Miss Law School graduate, said he has people mention his unique phrase to him often. “I have people walk up to me on the street and I do it so they can put it on their cell phone so they’ll have it,” Waddle said. “Recordings for phone messages, all those type things. I guess that’s what I’m the most famous for. Not a touchdown call, but a first down.” Waddle got a phone call from then Ole Miss sports information director Langston Rogers prior to the Rebels’ final home football game in 1997, which was against Georgia. The longtime P.A. announcer for Oxford games,

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“I have people walk up to me on the street and I do it so they can put it on their cell phone so they’ll have it,” Waddle said. “Recordings for phone messages, all those type things. I guess that’s what I’m the most famous for. Not a touchdown call but a first down.”

Charles Walker, couldn’t be there that day, so Waddle filled in. He became the fulltime announcer the following season. “The next summer athletic director John Shafer approved me as the public address announcer for football,” Waddle said. “I’ve been doing it since 1998.” Rogers said Waddle was a natural choice for the job, but he’s more than just a public address announcer. He’s a part of Ole Miss athletics and is there when needed. “Most fans may recognize Glen’s voice as our public address announcer for football and baseball, but he also has helped rescue us in other sports when we needed a last minute replacement,” Rogers said. “I remember one time we needed an announcer for volleyball and I called him around noon to see if he could serve as our PA person that night. I knew I could count on him and I was right. He immediately left his office in Jackson and made it to Oxford on time. I’ve always considered him as the greatest pinch hitter. No matter the sport, he is always prepared.”

noon sessions of the State High School Basketball Tournament. As that went along, the coaches and players lobbied to have me do more games. When their announcer, Bill Lee, retired I started doing the whole thing.” He began doing Mississippi College basketball games in 1994, according to Waddle, at the request of Coach Mike Jones. But he sets his own schedule so that it doesn’t conflict with Ole Miss football games early in the basketball season, or even to simply come up and watch an Ole Miss basketball game. Waddle was already attending all the Ole Miss football games prior to becoming the announcer. He hasn’t missed a game – home or away – since 1975. “That’s 452 in a row,” he said. But that’s not all. There are Mississippi College volleyball games that he does, and the bowl game in Mobile, Ala. – the GoDaddy Bowl. David Collins, who is on the bowl’s board, is an Ole Miss grad, and he recommended Waddle for the Mobile game.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to do P.A. for Ole Miss,” he said. “I’m one of 14 SEC football announcers, one of 130 Division I football announcers. That’s a pretty high honor. Not many guys get to do this.” When he began doing the public address for Ole Miss home football games, Waddle was already doing P.A. work in his home area of Jackson. He was well-known to sports fans in that area. “I’d been announcing since 1982, all-star games and other things,” Waddle said. “The Mississippi High School All-Star Football Game is my oldest gig. I’m still doing that one. It’s now called the Bernard Blackwell Classic. I started doing that for the Mississippi Coaches Association. “Then I started doing some basketball games for the association, and in 1989 I took over as the Emcee for the Coaches Hall of Fame. That’s a nice Hall of Fame night, a Hall of Fame for the high school coaches and community college coaches.” But still there are others. Waddle worked public address for the Jackson Mets, the Jackson Generals, and the Jackson Senators baseball teams. “I would have to say some of my more memorable moments have come in minor league baseball,” he said. Through the years he’s added other announcing jobs to his busy schedule. “I did the Mississippi High School AllStar Basketball Games when they moved to Mississippi College,” Waddle said. “I did the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Basketball Games. About 1986 I started doing the after-

“I’ve been doing that game since 2001,” Waddle said. Waddle received a bachelor of public administration degree from Ole Miss, which was basically pre-law back then. He got a law enforcement certificate, and then he entered law school at Ole Miss. He works fulltime for the Mississippi Bar Association. But during his years of education, nothing he did necessarily prepared him for a career also in public address. “I just did it,” he said. “I had zero formal training for the high school all-star game in 1982, which started it all.” Waddle also was a recruiting guru in the early days when that aspect of media was changing. Chuck Rounsaville, owner and publisher of The Ole Miss Spirit (omspirit. com) hired him to write a weekly recruiting column for his Ole Miss fan publication. “I always knew that Glen was a diehard Ole Miss Rebel, and he loved to keep up with recruiting,” Rounsaville said. “I thought he was a natural fit at The Ole Miss Spirit when we had the weekly print publication. That way fans could keep up with recruiting on a weekly basis. And when he got into the public address announcing business, it was obvious he had a natural flare for that. I’m so glad he is able to fulfill his dream of being the Ole Miss P.A. guy.” Waddle recalls some interesting moments

behind the mic. One of those was an Ole Miss-Mississippi State football game in Jackson when he was pinch-hitting for the regular P.A. guy. It was in the late 1980s and was ultimately a Rebel victory. But prior to the game Waddle remembers a specific situation that was alarming. “There was a tornado warning, and I had to tell everybody to get under cover,” he said. “That was interesting, to say the least. And I remember the Ole Miss-Arkansas seven overtime loss (for the Rebels in 2001). I worked the GoDaddy bowl that year, and they had triple overtime. I worked those two games in less than two months’ time.” Waddle said he’s worked through cold and flu and fever but has never lost his voice calling a game. Baseball is the easiest to call, he says. “Basically all you are announcing is a batter. With football and basketball there is much more going on.” And there are foul-ups along the way. Not many but some. “I remember one time they had a campaign to fingerprint kids for safety,” Waddle said. “The announcement said something like “Take your kid’s fingers to the location to have them signed up.” I still have that announcement in my folder. I laugh about that from time to time.” Waddle said he always does his best to be prepared for an event. “I study the script ahead of time. Preparation is about 90 percent of the job of a public address announcer,” he said. “You have to be well prepared. I try to pride myself on that. I’m at the ball park early. I go over the pronunciations with other media relations people. I go over things with marketing. I’m used to it now, even when they throw something at me last minute.” Rogers said Waddle is valuable in many areas where Mississippi sports are concerned. “Glen has contributed to many sports in Mississippi, and his research is especially important for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum when its selection committee meets each year to choose the next induction class,” Rogers said. “I appreciate all he has done to promote sports in our state.” For Waddle, it’s his calling. It’s what he was meant to do. “It’s an honor and a privilege to do P.A. for Ole Miss,” he said. “I’m one of 14 SEC football announcers, one of 130 Division I football announcers. That’s a pretty high honor. Not many guys get to do this. I’m not a rich alum and I can’t give back in large quantities. But I can give my services.” And he hopes to continue to do so for years to come. “I’ll do it until they get rid of me,” Waddle said. “As long as they let me, I’d love to keep doing it.” - RN 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 9

TRADITION

The Grove is the Holy Grail of tailgating sites. - The Sporting News

By DAVE BEVAN

Contributing Writer Photos By Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™

THE GAMEDAY

EXPERIENCE AT OLE MISS WARNING: THIS ARTICLE WILL MAKE YOU READY FOR FOOTBALL SEASON!

he day starts at the Grove. Ten acres of land that is surrounded by beautiful elm, oak, and magnolia trees. Rebel faithful swarm in by the thousands to tailgate the “Holy Grail land” of college football. A sea of red, white, and blue tents are assembled with dazzling chandeliers hanging from inside. Children play. Parents talk of the upcoming game. The food is out of this world. Barbeque can be scented for miles, and the exquisite taste of hors d’oeuvre just sends your central nervous system into utter shock. There is also that

10 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

more southern home-style cooking, like fried chicken, pork, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, and southern style dressings. This food will be laid out on table cloths for welcoming on sterling silver or silver-plated servers. Alcohol is also welcomed here, just so as long as you share with your dearest friends. Bourbon is the prime choice of beverages. Good ol’ bourbon and coke filled to the top of your red solo cup. When walking through the Grove on game day you will notice a lot of things. Mostly of all the activities surrounding you. Children will be playing friendly backyard football, most of

Tailgating in The Grove is an experience so sublime even native son William Faulkner would be at a loss to describe it. them in their Sunday’s best clothing. Games of bean bag toss is a widely popular game. The gorgeous women and female students

will be fluttering around in an elegant dress they bought specifically for this day. A lot of male students will be sporting overcoats and a colorful bow tie. Your typical male fan will be dressed in cargo shorts and a team polo shirt. WARNING! There is a color code each game day. Whether it is red, white, or navy, make sure you don’t stand out as the one who did not get the message. There are also routine rituals that happen every game day in the Grove, and to have an experience of a life time, you must attend them. The most infamous ritual is the “Walk of Champions”, a trail through the Grove that leads to a bricked arch. This arch leads to the

There is no more beautiful spot to tailgate, nor one richer in tradition; the Grove has been the site of pregame picnicking for more than half a century. - Sports Illustrated way of the stadium, and the words “Walk of Champions” embedded at the top of the arch reminds you of the rich tradition of the program and the legends who have made their footprints through here. The current players get reminded of this especially, as they walk through this area before each game, and receive their energy through the fans who swarm them as they make their journey to the stadium. This tradition has been a routine for the players ever since the early ‘80s when, at the time, current head coach Billy Brewer would walk his players from Kinard Hall, across campus to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Even though the arch was not built until 1998 (in honor of the 1962 Ole Miss Rebels), the idea of interacting the players with the fans through the Grove was an idea of Billy Brewer. He wanted to find a way to gain fame for the players, and what better than to closely interact with the ones who idolize you. Not long after the players leave the Grove, the Pride of the South (The Ole Miss Marching Band) strikes a tune that can only be described as to “sending chills down your spine”. This ritual usually signals that kickoff of the upcoming game is every so close. After the band warms up, they begin their performance with the traditional “Forward Rebels”. This is the official fight song of the school. Most fans know the lyrics and chant along to the tune. For those of you that are too young or unfamiliar, you need to get familiar. Don’t

just hum or make the words up as you go. Remember these lyrics: Forward, Rebels, march to fame, Hit that line and win this game We know that you’ll fight it through. For your colors red and blue, Rah, rah, rah! Rebels you are the Southland’s pride, Take that ball and hit your stride Don’t stop till the victory’s won for your Ole Miss. Fight, fight for your Ole Miss! The band will then silence their instruments to shout our infamous chant: Hotty Toddy gosh almighty who in the hell are we...HEY!!! flim flam, bim bam OLE MISS BY DAMN! Once our fight song is concluded, you will listen to the southern tradition tunes of “Dixie” and “God Bless America” (which replaced “Dixie with Love” after 2009). If you never listened to “Dixie with Love”, then I would highly recommend you find a recording of the tune. It was always the bands’ finale and the captivating sounds surged energy into every fan, and could even bring tears to your eyes. The conclusion of the bands’ performance is a signal to get “your ass” to the game. This tradition is always concluded an hour before the game, but it is widely known rule amongst fans that you arrive in your stadium seats (at minimum) forty-five minutes before kickoff. As you make your way towards VaughtHemingway Stadium you are going to notice the beautiful scenery across the campus. For instance, you will notice 18 is the speed limit on the signs. If you are a visitor of the game, and laugh clueless at the oddness of it not being a more traditional speed limit, respect that speed. Because, if you’re driving through at 19, your ass will get pulled over. WE MEAN IT. The speed limit represents the legend, the Elvis of Ole Miss himself, Archie Manning, who wore number 18 in his playing years at Ole Miss. You finally make it to the stadium, and you’re tired by now, but you don’t care. You are ready for some damn football, win or lose. For a moment, the amount of bourbon you consumed in the Grove has made you careless of the coming results of the game. You will recognize your gate number, and if your seats are on the east side of the stadium, we apologize, you have a little more walking to do. Now, you are finally at your seats. Look underneath you, there should be a red pompom, grab it, you’re going to need that. If you don’t have one, just steal the one from the person to the left of you. At the north end zone, you will notice the infamous jumbotron. It

is the only one we have in the stadium. You only need one. The jumbotron will be ticking down the minutes until kick off. You will hear the band performing above the student section at the south end zone (the closed end side of the stadium). Before the game starts, there is a certain tradition that happens that is my personal favorite of them all. You will be directed to the jumbtron, by someone speaking to “you”. Once you see who it is, most of the time it is a familiar celebrity. My personal favorite was Betty White. This person will jabber about something you’re not going to remember in a few seconds. Then this person is going to ask you one question: ARE YOU READY? Your response with the pom-pom chopping in the air is: HELL YEAH! DAMN RIGHT! HOTTY TODDY! GOSH ALMIGHTY! WHO THE HELL ARE WE...HEY! FLIM, FLAM! BIM BAM! OLE MISS BY DAMN! Your ears will lose feeling in the conclusion of the Hotty Toddy chant due to the deafening sound of the response. Then you will notice the team coming out of the tunnel near the south end zone, that is when a tradition know as “Lock the Vaught” will occur. This is per-

The glory of the Grove is legend at all of Ole Miss’ rival schools in the Southeastern Conference and beyond. It is the mother and mistress of outdoor ritual mayhem. The New York Times formed by the players and mainly the students above them, but you can join in if you like. It is where you simply interlock arms with the person standing on each side of you, then sway left to right continuously until your Ole Miss Rebels run out onto the field. This is the moment you have been waiting for. The moment you have suffered through work and school all week to experience. It is a moment you will never forget. It is that moment the kickoff of the game begins. It does not matter who you are playing, or what the end result may come. You live for that moment. DID THIS MAKE YOU READY FOR FOOTBALL SEASON? - RN Dave Bevan is the managing editor of OleHottyToddy.com a subsidiary of Sports Illustrated. Follow Dave on Twitter @DaveOHT; and @OleHottyToddy.

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 11

REBEL LORE By Seph Anderson

Contributing Writer Photos Courtesy Langston Rogers, Ole Miss Media Relations

ranking the wins

Top 10 Wins in Ole Miss Football History

So many games, so many wins. Ole Miss has its share of victories throughout its history, but we’ve come up with our list of the ten we feel put Ole Miss on the college football map.

Dixie Howell (31) runs for positive yards during the 1948 Delta Bowl with Barney Poole (89) leading the way.

1948 Delta Bowl

ifty-five years after Dr. A.L. Bondurant led Ole Miss to its first gridiron win in 1893, a 56-0 shellacking of Southwest Baptist University, the red and blue would claim its first bowl game win behind the brilliant mind of first-year head coach John Howard Vaught in 1948. Finishing the 1947 regular season as SEC Champions with a record of 8-2, including road wins at both LSU and Mississippi State, the Rebels were invited to only their second bowl game ever (Delta Bowl). Having lost 20-19 to Catholic University in the 1936 Orange Bowl, Ole Miss’ first bowl appearance, Vaught’s club looked to add to its SEC title by also notching the school’s first bowl victory. Behind All-Americans Charlie Conerly and Barney Poole, the Rebels knocked off their head coach’s alma mater, TCU, by a score of 13-9 to capture Ole Miss’ first bowl win. The “Wonder Team’s” Delta Bowl win not only capped one of the best season’s in program history, but also marked the beginning of an epic postseason career by legend Johnny Vaught.

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#2 > 1952 Maryland

Often referred to in Ole Miss circles as the school’s greatest home win, the 21-14 upset win over No. 3 Maryland in 1952 can certainly be argued as the school’s greatest win anywhere at any time. Quarterbacked by Rebel legend Jimmy Lear, the 1952 Rebels were the school’s first team to achieve an undefeated regular season (8-0-2). Riding a 22-game winning streak entering Hemingway Field against No. 11 Ole Miss, Maryland would prove to be a tough foe for the home team. Just what could Lear do against the nation’s top-ranked defense? Coming from behind to lead the Rebels to the huge upset, Lear went 11-of-16 for 231 yards through the air while also picking up 44 yards on the ground. By the time the clock struck all zeroes, the Rebels had snapped Maryland’s 22-game win streak by a score of 21-14. The game helped put Vaught’s Ole Miss team on the national map and remains one of the most talked about wins in program history.

#3 > 1960 Sugar Bowl (LSU)

Showing remarkable resilience following the 1959 Halloween nightmare in Tiger Stadium, one Halloween Ole Miss fans will never forget, the 1959 Ole Miss team subsequently rallied to finish the regular season with three consecutive wins by a combined score of 137-7. Not too long after, Vaught and the boys would get a chance to

avenge the lone blemish on their otherwise undefeated regular season. On January 1, 1960, the No. 2 Rebels would have a date with destiny, as No. 3 LSU awaited them in the Sugar Bowl. Behind a combined three touchdown tosses from Jake Gibbs and Bobby Franklin and a downright stifling defense that held the Tigers to only 74 yards of total offense, the Rebels would pitch a 21-0 shutout win en route to the school’s first national championship.

#4 > 1977 Notre Dame

There was no luck for the No. 3 Fighting Irish on September 17, 1977, as Ole Miss’ 20-13 upset would deal the lone blow to the eventual national champions’ 11-1 campaign. Having already lost a game to Memphis leading up to the Notre Dame game, there was little to no expectation that the Rebels could even stay close with the Irish. Nevertheless, what went down at a steamy Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium that September day will live in Rebel lore for eternity. Despite Notre Dame’s best effort to avoid the upset, Ole Miss fullback James Storey, supposed to be blocking at the time, pulled in a 10-yard bobbled pass from senior reserve quarterback James Storey for the game-winning touchdown in Jackson. The rest as they say is history. And by the way, there was a reserve quarterback on the Irish bench that afternoon named Joe Montana. Before the Irish’s next

Jimmy Lear TD pass to Buck Howell in 1952 Maryland game. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 13

This nine-yard TD pass to James Storey’ from Bobby Garner, gave the Rebels a 10-7 halftime lead against Notre Dame in 1977. Storey would later catch a 10-yard scoring strike from Tim Ellis in the final period to lift Ole Miss to its stunning victory over the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame would go on to capture the National Championship in 1977.

game even ended, Montana would supplant himself as a longtime starter after leading his team to a come-from-behind win versus Purdue.

#5 > 1962 Sugar Bowl (Arkansas)

A deserving top-five program win for a number of reasons, the first of which is because the 1962 Sugar Bowl helped cap off the only undefeated season in school history. Marred by a 1962 regular season which saw federal troops, riots and death on the Oxford campus, in the wake of controversy surrounding James Meredith’s ultimate enrollment as a student at Ole Miss, the football team was surprisingly able to stay focused and win every single contest in 1962. On January 1, 1963, Vaught would square off against head coach Frank Broyles’ Arkansas club. It wasn’t just a chance for quarterback Glynn Griffing and his teammates to claim their place in Rebel history with an undefeated record and national championship. Instead, it was also a chance for the Rebels to rise up on the heels of the horrific events of 1962 and show the nation that Ole Miss was better than what had taken place. And that’s exactly what the 1962 Rebels went on to do in the 1963 Sugar Bowl, as they defeated the Razorbacks 17-13 to successfully post a 10-0, undefeated season and claim a share of the national championship.

#6 > 2008 Florida

In The Swamp against a then-No. 4 Florida Gator club, Houston Nutt helped coach the Rebels to one of the program’s

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greatest road wins of all-time. Referred to by many as the “Tebow Game,” in reference to Florida QB Tim Tebow’s emotional post-game press conference speech, most Ole Miss fans best remember the upset by defensive lineman Kentrell Lockett’s blocked extra point. Only trailing 31-30 after a late score by jack-of-all-trades wide receiver Percy Harvin, the Gators had a golden opportunity to tie the game and potentially avoid the epic upset by simply sending the extra point attempt through the goal posts. But Lockett didn’t let that happen. Still clinging to a one-point lead as Florida made a strong push in the final minute, the Rebel defense stuffed Tebow on a fourthand-one try to seal the Ole Miss upset. In the end, the win gave Nutt his signature win and helped the Rebels snap what was a 14-game SEC road skid. The Rebels ended the 2008 campaign on a six-game winning streak, including a wild 47-34 win over then No. 8 Texas Tech in the ATT Cotton Bowl.

#7 > 1988 Alabama

Winning in Tuscaloosa hasn’t been easy for the Rebels. In fact, it’s only been done once. On October 8, 1988, Head Coach Billy Brewer’s club topped the Tide by a score of 22-12 to claim the program’s first win against Alabama in the state of Alabama. Despite several close calls since that hallowed day, the 1988 win at Bryant-Denny remains Ole Miss’ only road win over Alabama. It may be hard to believe, but it’s true. Having successfully played Alabama to a scoreless first half

tie, the 1-3 Rebels quickly found themselves trailing 12-0 after a couple of early second half scores by the Crimson Tide. It looked like the upset bid may have been slipping away, but the Rebels weren’t done fighting. With under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Rebels found themselves trailing 12-7. However, what happened in the final minute of play is something Ole Miss fans will never forget. In a matter of 46 seconds, the Rebels put up 15 points to capture a 22-12 road win over then-No. 12 Alabama. To this day, it remains one of the most coveted road wins in program history.

Despite having lost a truly epic home game against the Bayou Bengals in which a win would have sent the Rebels to the SEC Championship Game and possibly the Sugar Bowl, Ole Miss gladly welcomed a chance to play in its first Cotton Bowl since a 1962 matchup with Texas. In Eli’s final game with the Rebels, he went 22-of-31 for 259 yards and three total touchdowns. Up 31-21 early in the fourth quarter, the Ole Miss defense held off a feisty Oklahoma State offense to prevail 31-28. It was the perfect ending to a memorable senior season by Manning.

#8 > 2003 Cotton Bowl (Oklahoma State)

#9 > 2013 LSU

The 2003 football season was a bittersweet one for Rebel Nation. With Quarterback Eli Manning returning for his senior season, hopes were high that 2003 was going to “the year” for Ole Miss Football. Having gotten off to a disappointing 2-2 start following unexpected losses to both Memphis and Texas Tech, Rebel fans didn’t really know what to expect when SEC play got underway at No. 24 Florida. However, with an upset win in Gainesville to open the conference slate, Ole Miss fans were provided with a glimpse into the future. Having won in The Swamp, Manning would propel his club to wins in six of their final seven regular season contests (the lone blemish coming against LSU).

While there have been several improbable upsets by the Rebels over the years, it would be hard to argue any being more improbable than last year’s upset of the No. 6 LSU Tigers. Missing five defensive starters and on the heels of yet another crushing, game-winning field goal by Texas A&M the week before, Ole Miss wasn’t expected to hang around very long with an extremely talented bunch from the bayou. However, that’s exactly what they did. In a rare mid-October matchup between the two rivals, a traditional late-November matchup only moved to accommodate conference scheduling issues with the additions of Missouri and Texas A&M, what went down on Jerry Hollingsworth Field that cold November night is something that Ole Miss fans from California to New York had been waiting on for years: a programchanging win.

Jake Gibbs delivers a 43-yard TD pass to Cowboy Woodruff to give the Rebels a 7-0 halftime lead in the 1960 Sugar Bowl rematch with LSU. Guard Warner Alford (60) and center Fred Lentjes (51) are also shown on the play. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 15

(Above) Glynn Griffing led Ole Miss against Arkansas in the Jan. 1, 1963 Sugar Bowl. Glynn was also voted the Most Valuable Player of the game. (Bottom) DT Lavon Hooks throws up the “Landshark” after a sack on LSU QB Zach Mettenburger during Ole Miss’ 27-24 win over the Tigers in 2013.

Photo by Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™

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Having jumped out to a shocking 17-0 lead not even half way into the third quarter, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium became electric and something just felt different this time. When running back Jaylen Walton scampered 26 yards into the end zone late in the third quarter, the Rebels entered the fourth quarter up 24-14. However, LSU tied things up with only minutes remaining in the game. In a do or die final drive, quarterback Bo Wallace engineered a 14-play drive which setup kicker Andrew Ritter for a 41-yard game-winning field goal try. Ritter’s kick sailed between the uprights, and a long-awaited celebration quickly ensued as Rebel fans of all ages stormed the field. It was Hugh Freeze’s signature win as leader of the Rebels and a program-builder.

#10 > 1989 Liberty Bowl (Air Force)

In what was an emotionally and mentally trying year for Ole Miss coaches and players and fans alike after defensive back Chucky Mullins became paralyzed during the Vanderbilt game, the 1989 Liberty Bowl provided everyone associated with the program with a reason to rejoice. Off to a 5-2 start prior to squaring off against Vanderbilt on October 28, 1989, the Rebels appeared to be headed for a memorable season. Spirits were high in Oxford. That was until Chucky collided with Commodore Brad Gaines and sadly became paralyzed.

As news came out just how bad of an injury Chucky sustained, football quickly took a backseat in the minds of Ole Miss fans. However, Ole Miss players still had to practice every day and compete on Saturdays. While Chucky was in the hospital, wishing more than anything to be with his coaches and teammates, there was a very real physical and emotional void at practices and games. Nevertheless, Coach Brewer did an admirable job at keeping the unit focused. Having lost contests in each of the two weeks following the Vanderbilt game, the Rebels bounced back with a 21-11 win in Starkville to win the Egg Bowl. With a win under their belts to end the regular season, Air Force awaited the Rebels in the 1989 Liberty Bowl. Still with Chucky deep in their thoughts and prayers leading up to the Liberty Bowl, a moment awaited both Chucky and his teammates that will be cherished forever. Immediately before the team took the field an ambulance backed down the tunnel near the field. Suddenly, Chucky rolled out on a stretcher to wish his team well. After seeing his teammates and cutting his million dollar smile, he said, “It’s time.” “It’s time, it’s time, it’s time,” was shouted over and over by Ole Miss coaches and players before they took the field. Playing with heavy, yet inspired hearts, the Rebels rolled over Air Force by a score of 42-29 to cap one of the most difficult seasons ever. RN

Randy Baldwin rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns as the Rebels defeated the Air Force Academy, 42-29, in the 1989 Liberty Bowl. Baldwin set a Rebel bowl-game mark with his rushing total and had scoring runs of 23 and 21 yards among his 14 carries. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 17

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E VAUGHT Photo by Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™ 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 19

REBEL NATION

Follow Ross Bjork on Twitter @RossBjorkAD

WE ARE OLE MISS A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

ROSS BJORK

e are Ole Miss…. As a member of the Ole Miss family, you have surely heard this phrase said in the course of your discussions about anything and everything related to the University of Mississippi. The interesting thing is, for just four simple words, they sure do carry a lot of weight… for not just one meaning, but two wildly opposite ones. I can’t think of too many more sentences that can be exactly the same in form and words but can mean two different things given context, tone, and most importantly, attitude of the one who says or writes it. From its origin, “We are Ole Miss” has been a mantra, even a rallying cry, used to unite those with pride in this special university when something great happens in a game, in a classroom or anywhere on campus. However, in addition to this unifying and positive meaning, we know a darker undercurrent of meaning exists, especially when a challenge presents itself or after a tough moment - a harsh loss, a negative event on campus, or because a decision was made that some in the Ole Miss family did not agree with. When my family and I arrived at Ole Miss in April 2012, I became familiar with the first, more positive meaning of those four simple words. However, I had an up-close and personal experience with the defeatist

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version of the same phrase on a cool night in October later that fall. Standing on the sidelines of Vaught-Hemingway, we held a 10-point lead on the Aggies of Texas A&M. Like many games between talented young men and women, a shift in momentum was underway. The Aggies were driving down the field (led by a then little known quarterback who would later win the Heisman Trophy) with eight minutes to go in the game. It was at this point that a group of our sup-

porters standing near me on the sidelines called out “We are Ole Miss” in a tone that caught me completely off guard. As an optimist by nature, I was expecting us to hold on and win the game – but the “We Are Ole Miss” I heard that night gave a different prediction. When I asked for clarification, they proceeded to tell me that we always do this to ourselves and that giving up this lead was “typical Ole Miss.” In a respectful manner, I challenged back and told the group that times were changing and we expected to win this game. Under our leadership, we were operating under a new mindset. A mindset that we can and SHOULD compete for and win championships! As an Ole Miss fan reading this, you know we did lose that particular game, so my credibility with that small group took a big hit. Walking back to my office on that cold night, my Twitter feed was full of a similar tone about the current and future state of our program. In basic terms, the feedback was this – it was going to be an uphill battle to change the course of this program, especially the mindset. As I sat in my office on that late Saturday night, I reflected on why I was hired and the next steps. In that moment, I made a commitment to myself as a leader and as athletics director at the University of Mississippi that we could not and would not accept a losing mentality or attitude. A defeated mentality or attitude is not fair to our university and especially

the student-athletes that we serve. Even though we were all devastated by that gut-wrenching loss (the Aggies actually did it to us again in 2013!), I knew I had to challenge the Ole Miss family to THINK differently, ACT differently and SUPPORT our program at a different level. In order for us to compete in the best conference in college athletics, we had to instill a belief in ourselves first and foremost. If we did not

grout, that which unifies us to win and win the right way? If you use it for the latter, let us reflect about consequences for future growth. What if a potential student or prospective student-athlete heard you say it in a negative tone? What if the next James Meredith, Jim Barksdale, Hannah Gay, Peggie Gillom, Larry Martindale, Mike Glenn, Rose Flenorl, Brittney Reese, Carol Ross, Ben Williams, James Reed, Coolidge

...In that moment (after the loss to Texas A&M), I made a commitment to myself as a leader and as athletics director at the University of Mississippi that we could not and would not accept a losing mentality or attitude. A defeated mentality or attitude is not fair to our university and especially the student-athletes that we serve. believe in ourselves, then who would? As we went around to visit the Ole Miss family in 2013, I told this sideline story often and have since offered a challenge to Rebel Nation. How do you use those four simple words, “We are Ole Miss”? Do you use it to continuously unify other Rebel fans and brick-by-brick build the program up? Or, do you use it to slowly remove the

Ball, Deuce McAllister, Eli Manning, Kristi Boxx, Rafa Souza, Sam Kendricks, Valencia McFarland, or Laquon Treadwell heard you say it in a negative tone? Would they still choose to come to Ole Miss? Clearly I’m an optimist, but I’m also realistic. There is no way we can ask for you to unconditionally love everything we do here at Ole Miss – we fully understand we

cannot make everyone happy, every hour of every day. That is simply not possible in college athletics or higher education. What I am asking for is that we all pull the rope in the same direction by using the pride, passion and caring attitude that each of us possess for the University in the most positive environment possible. The best chance we have for success is to be a family and that includes saying “We are Ole Miss” with our chest out and our head held high. Rest assured, we are not being Pollyannaish or even naïve about the challenges we face by approaching them with this positive attitude. In life, every successful person or organization has failed but never viewed themselves as a failure. Therefore, we must lead with an opportunistic attitude to put our university, department, coaches, staff and student-athletes in the best position to be successful. Make no mistake about it, we will be relentless in achieving success. This type of attitude and effort will require our coaches and staff to be uncommon and committed, and we ask the same of Rebel Nation. The best is yet to come and we look forward to experiencing this quest for greatness with you. We Are Ole Miss! - RN

Photo by Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 21

REBEL NATION

IT’S TIME

Bo Wallace is quietly moving up in the Ole Miss record books and by the time his career is over could surpass a guy named Eli Manning as Ole Miss’ best Quarterback ever By CHASE PARHAM Contributing Writer RebelGrove.com

o Wallace first took a glance back in mid-November, fresh off a 400-plus passing performance in a win over Arkansas. The Rebels piled up 531 total yards and got their sixth win with a 34-24 victory, and Wallace accounted for 416 of those yards through the air. Basking in bowl eligibility for the second straight year, Ole Miss’ starting quarterback pulled out the media guide and risked a peek at the record books. “I looked to see where I was single season and then I thought about (2012) and how many yards I threw for then,” Wallace said. “If we have a really good year as a senior, I can get this, especially this offense where, on run plays, I have a pass option, also. I definitely looked at it. “I want to break Eli’s record. I have goals. I want to hold that record. It’s a goal of mine.” Heading into his final collegiate season, Wallace has conquered the numbers of every quarterback not named Eli Manning. The 2003 Heisman finalist and two-time Super Bowl MVP has virtually every Ole Miss school passing record, but Wallace has quietly positioned himself for a chance at the pinnacle of the podium. Wallace is second in school history in total

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“I looked to see where I was single season and then I thought about (2012) and how many yards I threw for then,” Wallace said. “If we have a really good year as a senior I can get this, especially this offense where on run plays I have a pass option, also. I definitely look at it. “I want to break Eli’s record. I have goals. I want to hold that record. It’s a goal of mine.”

Photo courtesy Ole Miss Media Relations

offense (7,085 yards), passing yards (6,340), third in completions (518), first in completion percentage (64.3), passing efficiency (140.2) and fourth in passing touchdowns (40). The Pulaski, Tenn., native threw for 3,346 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior to set up his goals as a senior. To pass Manning in each category, Wallace needs the following in 2014: 3,779 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns (though just three for second place, passing Romaro Miller), 2,899 total offensive yards and 32 touchdowns for the total touchdowns responsible for category. He’s two touchdowns from passing Archie Manning for second place in that final area. “I hope I have a shot because it means we’re winning,” Wallace said. “If I’m there, we’re doing big things.” To have the opportunity to eclipse Ole Miss’ most heralded player in school history, Wallace has had to focus on his health more than his film study and other football activities. Wallace first injured his right shoulder taking on a Tulane defender during the first month of the 2012 season. He gutted out the rest of the campaign and carried Ole Miss to a 7-6 final record one year after a winless Southeastern Conference schedule, but the shoulder was in subpar shape. He had surgery and missed spring practice. Those numbers above would be appreciated by any quarterback, but they are even more eye popping with the realization that he was never 100 percent during the season. The arm lacked strength each week as the season moved on, and while it wasn’t technically injured, the shoulder wasn’t holding up well through 12 games in the nation’s most rugged league. “My arm strength, my body was done,” Wallace said. “My body, because I didn’t get to lift, coming off six months of doing nothing, just didn’t last in the SEC grind. It didn’t repair each week like you have to do. I didn’t expect my body to do that, but I get why it did. “Just playing that schedule, and every week a good team, it breaks your body down.” The Rebels relied on a short and intermediate passing game and had success doing so. That was by design regardless of Wallace’s shoulder, though even that was

Photo by Josh McCoy Ole Miss Media Relations 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 23

a struggle at times. He couldn’t fit balls through windows and underthrew open receivers. He dealt with it and takes confidence from it moving forward. “I missed throws I make all the time when healthy,” Wallace said. “I don’t know if the playbook was limited because we’re not a vertical passing team, but I missed throws I’ll say that. You don’t realize how it was until you’re healthy and see the old you again.” With an offseason of strength training and a spring practice to test the shoulder, there’s optimism about what’s ahead in 2014. That confidence increased when Wallace took part in a training program during the summer with former MLB pitcher and current college baseball coach Tom House. House is best known for his baseball expertise, but in recent years he’s worked with well known quarterbacks to improve mechanics and strength. Passers in the past who have worked with House include: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Terrelle Pryor, Tim Tebow, Alex Smith, Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel and Andy Dalton. Wallace completed a five-day trip to California to work with House in May, and a six-week program followed back in Oxford. “I’d seen the show and Coach (Dan) Werner talked to me about it,” Wallace said. “Coach did research and talked to (House) and decided it was the best thing for us. Andy Dalton went out there for accuracy, but they don’t want me working on my motion or anything. It’s all about strength training and getting stronger. “Every time I throw I feel like it gets better and better,” Wallace said. “I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been. My arm strength isn’y maybe exactly where it was when I got here, but it’s the best it’s been since the third game of my sophomore year.” Wallace is the most experienced quarterback in the SEC currently, with 26 career starts and 15 wins over the two seasons. He’s a veteran presence with an exciting mix around

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Photo by Bobby McDuffie for Rebel Nation Magazine™

him on offense. The multiple years are important because Wallace has played in every stadium in the SEC West except Texas A&M. He knows the roar at Tiger Stadium and can calm his group when Arkansas is calling the Hogs. “I’ve played at Alabama and LSU,” Wallace said. “There’s not a lot of venues and places I haven’t been able to see. The

experience of seeing defenses, there’s not many defenses I haven’t seen. Knowing what it’s really like in those tight games is huge. We have a lot of young guys, but they are mature, so I feel like I can definitely help them as well.” There’s athleticism in all off the offense, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t questions. Donte Moncrief is now an NFL wide

receiver, and Ja-Mes Logan has graduated and moved on. Those two accounted for more than 1,500 receiving yards last season. The veterans are gone, but freshman All-America selection Laquon Treadwell is moving outside to Moncrief ’s position, and Quincy Adeboyejo will be relied on in the slot. Also, tight end Evan Engram is back from

Photo by Bobby McDuffie for Rebel Nation Magazine™

“It was a really tough time (between MSU and the bowl),” Wallace said. “It sucked because usually you have a bad game and you have the next game in a week to move on and prepare but we had four or five weeks before we played another game so it was tough on me...” an injury that cost him much of 2013. “It’s tough losing Donte and Ja-Mes, they were both great playmakers,” Wallace said. “I had a great connection with JaMes and we were on same page. Quincy brings athleticism there that is unreal. Laquon is adjusting so well to the outside we should have a better receiving group than we had last year, especially with Evan Engram being healthy. We didn’t even have Vince (Sanders) in the spring. Collins Moore played well.” And then there are the two wild card newcomers - Sammie Epps and Markell Pack. Epps, a Mississippi native, has been

compared as a raw Engram, and Pack, a four-star in-state signee, is expected to share the slot with Adeboyejo. “I’ve thrown with Sammie a couple times, I know what to expect from him,” Wallace said. “He’s Evan Engram. Not as much athleticism, but he’s right there. Watching Pack’s tape he’s obviously a great athlete and is going to come in and play right away. I’m excited about both of them.” Wallace, who conducted the interview for this story in a shirt and tie following a class presentation, said he has a clear mind and a ton of confidence for his final tour through the

SEC. That wasn’t the case at the end of the regular season, when he fumbled going into the end zone to end an overtime loss to Mississippi State. The heckles and hazing from both fan bases afterward wasn’t a pleasant experience, and he didn’t have a game a week later to try to erase the previous week. He had to wait a month, but he made the most of that when it came. Wallace, still working with the weak shoulder, threw for 256 yards, ran for 86 yards and gained MVP honors in the Rebels’ Music City Bowl win over Georgia Tech. That final opportunity was a welcome occurrence. “It was a really tough time (between MSU and the bowl),” Wallace said. “It sucked because usually you have a bad game and you have the next game in a week to move on and prepare, but we had four or five weeks before we played another game so it was tough on me. “After the Mississippi State game and all the things I had

to hear, my mindset was to go out here and have a good game and people aren’t going to forget about what happened, but I’m going to have to put it aside and make people forget about it as much as I could.” He did that, and now it’s about helping Ole Miss take another step from seven wins in 2012 and eight wins in 2013 to a hopeful jump in SEC tiers in 2014. The program has taken leaps, and the all-around improvements are something Wallace takes pride in when considering his legacy. “The other day I thought about how bad we were academically and things like that,” Wallace said. “It’s a completely different turnaround. Some days in the spring, no one was on a list or in trouble. We want to be great in everything we’re doing, and that carries over to the plays on the field. It’s a total buy-in. “We can do special things. We have pieces, and you can just feel it’s coming.” - RN 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 25

FOOTBALL 2014

2013 RESULTS: 8-6 Overall; 3-5 SEC; 4-3 Home; 2-3 Away; 1-0 Neutral Bowl Game: 2013 Music City (Ole Miss 25 - Georgia Tech 17)

By CHASE PARHAM Contributing Writer RebelGrove.com

GAME TO WATCH: September 6 at Vanderbilt It could be either of the first two games, but we’ll go with the conference opener in Nashville against Vanderbilt. The game will be at LP Field, site of the Rebels’ recent bowl win, and a week after Ole Miss opens the season against Boise State in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game. The Rebels narrowly escaped Vanderbilt last season and they’ll need to conquer the Commodores again to set up their season. Vandy is breaking in a new coach, but has recruited well enough to give teams fits, especially early in the season. If the Rebels can get to 2-0, two non-Power 5 games are all that stand in the way of facing Alabama at 4-0. That event would ignite Oxford and potentially get ESPN College Gameday to the Grove for the first time.

BOWL PROJECTION:

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Photo by Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™

F O OT B A L L 2 0 1 4 | O L E M I S S | FO OT BA L L 2 0 1 4 | O L E M I S S | FO OT BA L L 2 0 1 4

o borrow a phrase from Chucky Mullins, ‘It’s Time.’ Sure, the depth and widespread experience may not be exactly where the Rebels want it yet, but in year three of the Hugh Freeze era, it’s no longer about minimizing expectations and worrying mostly about effort and not the scoreboard. Freeze, during his spring press conference, admitted he needs one more recruiting class in some ways, but it was feasible for his team to take another step in 2014. The “journey out of the wilderness” has followed schedule almost perfectly thus far under Freeze, and expectations have slowly simmered for the first 30 months or so of his tenure. The rebuild was brutal, as academics, accountability and on-field performance were all at program lows in the last days of the Houston Nutt era. Freeze first went after the buy-in factor and the academics and the behavior and that morphed into more wins and competitiveness. The progress is known by all. There were no Southeastern Conference wins in 2011. That streak ended before the midway point of 2012, and the Rebels have won 15 games and two bowls in Freeze’s first two seasons. Defensive coordinator Dave Wommack’s side of the ball is as deep as it’s been. Bo Wallace returns as the most experienced quarterback in the league, and back-to-back nationally relevant recruiting classes have quickly provided reinforcements for Ole Miss to make a move in the SEC West. Multiple way-too-early top 25 rankings have the Rebels situated around 20th nationally and a sexy pick to be the surprise team in the nation’s toughest conference. Every assistant coach returned this season, and there’s program stability that gives supporters hope past the win-loss record. Freeze and his followers are building a program, not just a team. Those

heralded freshmen are now experienced sophomores and key players seem 100 percent back from injury. Optimism is an excellent thing, and it’s penetrating the Ole Miss program heading into 2014. The Rebels seem poised to move into the top half of the conference at some point. Is this that point? No one knows, but no one is saying it’s not. The time is coming. The time just might be now. OFFENSE Freeze is a quarterback coach. He’s much more than that obviously, but it’s his passion and where his team begins, so that’s where we start, as well. Wallace has 26 career starts under his belt, the most in the SEC, and the shoulder is as good as it’s been in a couple of years. You can read about that elsewhere in this magazine. The Pulaski, Tenn., native enters his senior season ranked second in school history in total offense yards (7,085), second in passing yards (6,340), third in completions (518), sixth in attempts (805), first in completion percentage (64.3) and second in 300-yard passing games (seven). The accolades are piling up after he threw for 3,346 yards with an injured shoulder. Wallace spent the summer working on his shoulder strength and should be better than Ole Miss fans have seen him so far in his career. The physical improvement along with the time in Freeze’s system and experience in the SEC provides a necessary ingredient for the Rebels to make a run up the conference ladder this season. There’s a bit of irony elsewhere at the quarterback position. It’s one of the more interesting battles on the roster, but with Wallace back for his senior season, everybody hopes the talented youngsters are a year away from a large number of snaps. Texas high school standout Devante Kincade and four-star Jackson, Miss., signee Ryan Buchanan have been compared to each other since both committed during the same recruiting year, and that’s

SCHEDULE Aug. 28................... Boise State* Sept. 6............................ at Vanderbilt Sept. 13.................LA-LAFAYETTE Sept. 20................................OPEN Sept. 27.........................MEMPHIS Oct. 4.............................ALABAMA Oct. 11.......................... at Texas A&M Oct. 18....................... TENNESSEE Oct. 25.........................................at LSU Nov. 1..............................AUBURN Nov. 8.................. PRESBYTERIAN Nov. 15.................................OPEN Nov. 22............................. at Arkansas Nov. 29......................MISS. STATE *Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic - Atlanta, GA - Georgia Dome

<<< LARAMY TUNSIL Photo by Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™

KEY PLAYER - OFFENSE OL - BEN STILL >>> Sure it’s a tad unorthodox to name a player who hasn’t ever started in the SEC as the key to the season, but Ole Miss is replacing Evan Swindall at center, and that spot can’t be a weakness. Snaps must be pristine, the middle of the offensive line must at least be serviceable, and Ole Miss’ offensive line has to be healthy and on the same page for the Rebels to take the next step. Still has good footwork and has progressed quickly, but now it’s time to do on Saturdays. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 27

continued with both fighting for the backup job as redshirt freshmen. Kincade has the best chance to earn change-of-pace snaps similar to Barry Brunetti last season, while Buchanan has been praised for his footwork in the pocket and evergrowing knowledge of the offense. The competition should continue for a while, and it’s a good problem to have, as the Rebels have capable backups in case something goes wrong. Ole Miss had one running back with experience, Jeff Scott, when Freeze took over, and he’s now gathered a stable of capable carriers for running back coach Derrick Nix. The biggest jump in the offseason belongs to I’Tavius Mathers, the junior from Tennessee, who led Ole Miss with 563 yards last season but was part of a large committee. The committee will continue because of talent, but Mathers separated himself in the spring and runs with veteran maturity, making defenders miss and protecting the football downfield. Fairly similar to Mathers, sophomore Mark Dodson will get looks in the backfield. The former Rivals250 member had 22 carries for 124 yards last season. Ole Miss’ change-of-pace option is junior Jaylen Walton, who highlights the special teams return unit as well. Walton averaged 4.6 yards per carry last season and tied Wallace with a team-high six touchdowns. The Rebels will also get him out on the edge in the passing game. Walton caught 29 balls for 322 yards as a sophomore, scoring twice in that area of the offense. Will the Rebels finally have that power back to go along with the athletic edge runners? Jordan Wilkins, a bodybuilder of a running back, is the favorite currently and he received good marks for his spring, but he’ll need to keep improving to get those carries. The Rebels signed Akeem Judd, a big back from Georgia Military, in February, and while he didn’t get a ton of

28 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

junior college carries, the skillset is similar to what the Rebels desire to run between the tackles. Upside and athleticism isn’t a problem for Ole Miss wide receivers, but they’ll need to adjust quickly to new roles. With Donte Moncrief and Ja-Mes Logan gone, Laquon Treadwell moves outside to Moncrief ’s position and Quincy Adeboyejo is the frontrunner for Treadwell’s vacant spot in the slot. Treadwell was top-five in the SEC last year with 72 receptions and is expected to be more of a big-play threat at the new position. A few other variables include Evan Engram returning 100 percent from his injury at tight end and the additions of tight end Sammie Epps and four-star wide receiver Markell Pack in the recruiting class. Engram challenged the middle of the field and attacked the seams when healthy, and Ole Miss couldn’t replace that threat in the second half of the season. The Rebels also return Vince Sanders, who missed spring practice, and Collins Moore. Moore was named the offensive most improved player at the Grove Bowl and should find meaningful time this season. Skill players aren’t a problem for Ole Miss. The Rebels can match most teams in the SEC in playmaking ability, but the question marks surround an offensive line with talent but depth issues. It’s impossible to start with anyone but sophomore Laremy Tunsil. The left tackle allowed just one sack – on the 90th play against Auburn – his entire freshman year and is projected as a top-five pick in 2016, barring injury. There’s comfort in his presence, and offensive line coach Matt Luke is trying to tool things in around him as best as possible. Aaron Morris returns at guard from an ACL injury last season against Vanderbilt, and he’s done a nice job of dropping pounds since being back on his feet. The other guard

<<< JAYLON WALTON Photo by Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™

F O OT B A L L 2 0 1 4 | O L E M I S S | FO OT BA L L 2 0 1 4 | O L E M I S S | FO OT BA L L 2 0 1 4 is Justin Bell, a reliable swing player, who could see time at center if things go poorly there. Then, there are two other positions with potential issues. Right tackle was slated to be Austin Golson, but the sophomore chose to transfer to Auburn during the offseason. That leaves a gap on the edge with Robert Conyers, the backup center before the move, leading the way out of spring practice, and walk-on Talbot Buys on the depth chart as the backup. The attention here will move to incoming JUCO tackle Fahn Cooper, a transfer a year removed from Bowling Green where he started for the Falcons at Florida and is expected to be an immediate starter for the Rebels. Cooper was slated to be in Oxford in January but an academic issue delayed his enrollment until the summer. Center is also one position to watch just because of the inexperience. Ben Still has the lead and is athletic and knowledgeable after a good spring. The snaps are crisp, and he commanded the offense well. It’s just always a transition when a team loses a multiyear starter like Ole Miss did with Evan Swindall’s departure. Also keep an eye out for Rivals100 signee Rod Taylor. Mississippi’s top player is good to go academically and will figure into the offensive line somewhere, likely at guard.

C.J. JOHNSON >>> Photo by Greg Pevey, Rebel Nation Magazine™

DEFENSE Ole Miss took two defensive line contributors and moved them to offense during the spring. What does that tell you

about how far the Rebels’ defensive depth has come? Even with Channing Ward and Carlton Martin moonlighting on the other side of the ball, the Rebels have built a formidable front and added athletes to the back seven. It’s an impressive group that should hold its own this season. Let’s play with stats for a second. In 2012 with a healthy C.J. Johnson, the Rebels led the SEC with 103 tackles for loss and were second in the league with 19 sacks. With Johnson sidelined, much of the season in 2013 Ole Miss finished 12th in the SEC with 19 sacks, a number that landed the Rebels 19th nationally. Ole Miss was careful with Johnson in spring practice, but he’s ready to go, and that instantly provides the Rebels with a top-tier pass rusher that should assist the other areas of the defense, as well. And he’s not alone. Fadol Brown will make his first game appearance for the Rebels, and fans will get to see what coaches and media have seen for a year now. He is big enough to withstand run defense but athletic enough to be a threat on the edge. Brown began his career at FIU before transferring to ICC but never playing a down. He instead immediately opened up his recruiting again and had offers from a plethora of big-time programs. He chose Ole Miss and sat out the 2013 season. Brown should be penciled in opposite Johnson and supported by a nice mix of interior defensive linemen. The Rebels have a decent rotation

KEY PLAYER - DEFENSE DE - C.J. JOHNSON >>> The Rebels suffered defensively last season because of the lack of a pass rush, and that was almost exclusively due to Johnson’s absence due to injury. He’s healthy and ready for another junior season, and the former five-star signee can get the Rebels’ pass rush back to form. Ole Miss went from second in the SEC in sacks in 2012 to 12th last season. That number will trend back up with Johnson back on the field. He led the Rebels with 6.5 sacks two seasons ago. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 29

>>> Trending

UP These players could explode onto the scene in 2014.

I’Tavius Mathers - The junior averaged 5.9 yards per carry and finished with a team-high 563 yards as a sophomore, but Mathers has taken another step and is expected to be a potential every-down weapon in 2014. Quincy Adeboyejo - The former four-star signee played in every game, but caught just seven passes for 81 yards as a freshman. That’ll increase this season as the uber-physical receiver takes over for Laquon Treadwell in the slot and should be a matchup difficulty for SEC secondaries. Derrick Jones - Jones was thrown in the fire with a position change to cornerback right before the LSU game, so with an offseson to refine his skills, the Eupora, Miss., native should round into Ole Miss’ most talented cornerback. His length, jumping ability and ball skills make him a future NFL player and someone the Rebels can put on an island and not worry about. Fadol Brown - Brown had to sit out last season, but he’ll find plenty of time on the Rebels defensive line this season. He’s physical and fast and can rush the passer and support the run. With Brown on one side and a healthy CJ Johnson on the other, Ole Miss has quality bookends along its defensive front.

30 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

D.T. SHACKELFORD >>> at end with Carlos Thompson and freshman Marquis Haynes depending on the situation. Inside, Robert Nkemdiche should take a tremendous step up in his second season. He got more comfortable at tackle and exploded in the bowl game, giving fans a sneak peek at what he should accomplish on a weekly basis. He’s the ultimate mismatch inside and makes those around him better. Bryon Bennett can play anywhere along the line and is an invaluable resource. Issac Gross, who is finally healthy, Woodrow Hamilton, an underrated tackle, and Lavon Hooks fill in the depth chart at defensive tackle. It’s a strong group with niches and depth. Linebacker is a bit of an unknown, but the pieces seem to fit. Middle linebacker Mike Marry is out of eligibility and will be a bigger absence than most realize, but with the 4-2-5 scheme, Ole Miss is going to run out of athletes who can move in space and play allpurpose defense. In the middle, Deterrian (D.T.) Shackelford returns for

Photo by Bobby McDuffie for Rebel Nation Magazine™

his sixth season, and there’s hope that he’s located that extra gear he struggled to find since the multiple knee surgeries. At minimum, he’s a heady player who will always be in the right spot and lead his team on the field. There are much worse things, but the upside is still there and most bets are to take that side of things. He had seven tackles and a sack against Georgia Tech. Junior college signee Christian Russell has learned quickly and will assist in the middle, along with South Panola product Temario Strong. Russell spearheaded the defense for East Mississippi Community College, this past year’s JUCO national champion. On the outside, Serderius Bryant is back after leading Ole Miss with 78 tackles last season. Denzel Nkemdiche had a sophomore slump one year after Freshman All-America honors, accumulating just 35 tackles in 10 games. Keith Lewis will also get his shot. Lewis is talented and found a niche when Ole Miss moves to the 4-3 but hasn’t located significant snaps in the

4-2-5. The secondary is, perhaps, the Rebels’ deepest and most exciting position group. With All-America safety Cody Prewitt back for his senior season and Tony Conner only a sophomore with 66 tackles under his belt as a freshman. Solid safety Chief Brown and newcomer CJ Hampton provide support at those spots. Hampton chose Ole Miss over Alabama and Florida State in a soap-opera recruiting battle. Senquez Golson enters his third year as an SEC cornerback, and Derrick Jones has the most exciting upside of the group. Jones was a safety at the beginning of last season before moving to corner and covering LSU’s Odell Beckham in his first game. Jones has impressive length and speed to match with the SEC’s big receivers. Mike Hilton will bounce around on the back end, and Kailo Moore and Cliff Coleman can factor in at cornerback. At rover, the Rebels feature Trae Elston, who has seen significant snaps for two seasons and Anthony Alford, a transfer

F O OT B A L L 2 0 1 4 | O L E M I S S | FO OT BA L L 2 0 1 4 | O L E M I S S | FO OT BA L L 2 0 1 4 who sat out last year. Elston was fourth on the team with 62 tackles and second with six pass breakups in 2013. He needs to improve deep coverage, but no one would be surprised by a breakout season. Alford is the most exciting newcomer to the group. He has wowed coaches as scout-team quarterback and safety during practice and can now put his athleticism to use during games. The former Southern Miss quarterback and current Blue Jays Minor Leaguer can do it all in the defensive backfield. SPECIAL TEAMS There are options, but no forsure spots taken in a new look Ole Miss kicking game. Tyler Campbell and Andrew Ritter both redshirted in 2012 to return as seniors in 2013, and that experiment worked, but now the Rebels must move on with-

out them. Ritter hit 16-of-24 field goals including the gamewinner to beat heavy favorite LSU in Oxford. He was 8-of-10 from 30 to 49 yards. Campbell won the NCAA punting title as a sophomore and averaged 44.4 yards per punt as a senior. He had 13 of his 51 punts go more than 50 yards and landed 17 of them inside the 20-yard line. The favorite for the placekicking job is Andrew Fletcher, a Louisville transfer who kicked two extra points in 2013. Sophomore Nathan Noble was the Rebels’ kickoff specialist for part of 2012 and could have that gig again and/or challenge for the placekicking job. He had 11 touchbacks in 27 kickoffs that season. Andy Pappanastos is a redshirt freshman, who will also get an opportunity. Australian punter Will Gleeson, whose brother is a punter at Tennessee, is the current

leader to replace Campbell. He’ll be a redshirt freshman. The wild card in these competitions is Gary Wunderlich, a 2014 signee, who was the No. 1 kicker nationally by Rivals. com and chosen to punt in the Under Armour All-America Game. Walton, Alford and Moore are the favorites to return kicks. Walton averaged 20.6 yards per kickoff last season. Moore is on the Ole Miss track team and specializes in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Punt return has been a baffling issue for Ole Miss when Scott wasn’t back there, so the Rebels are trying out many candidates to catch punts. Carlos Davis and Adeboyejo emerged at the top of the depth chart after spring practice. Buchanan is slated to be the holder. John Ratliff is his backup. - RN

DRAFT

WATCH Top players whose NFL stock could rise during the 2014 season

Cody Prewitt - The AP First Team All-America selection is a fierce safety against the run, but if he can use his athleticism to improve his pass defense he could be a key player in next year’s NFL Draft. The tools are there, and he considered leaving a year early after his junior season. Deterrian (D.T.) Shackelford - Shackelford is back for his sixth season and after two ACL surgeries the NFL wouldn’t seem to be the thought, but he found some of his explosion late in 2013 and seems to be close to his pre-injury self. It’s at least something to follow because the Chucky Mullins winner definitely shouldn’t be discounted. C.J. Johnson, DE - A good to great year in the sack department gives Johnson a chance to possibly make a decision about coming out after the 2014 season. While Johnson lacks some of the size it takes to playing end in the NFL, he’s got the speed and the athleticism and nobody has ever questioned his heart.

HUGH FREEZE >>>

Photo by Bobby McDuffie for Rebel Nation Magazine™

Bo Wallace - With a healthy shoulder, what can be possible for Wallace? School records are within his reach, the offense is built around his arm, and he has won in the SEC. With a superb season Wallace could achieve some draft buzz before he’s done. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 31

>>>

THE SEASON WILL BE A

SUCCESS IF...

The Rebels stay healthy. Hugh Freeze has positioned Ole Miss’ starting 22 to an SEC level, and that has been shown by the steady improvement on the scoreboard, but after being very lucky with injuries in 2012, the Rebels were hit substantially last season. The offensive line has to stay intact, and the Rebels need to keep their skill players on the field with the ball in their hands. Past that, Bo Wallace’s shoulder must be at or close to 100 percent, so that the offense operates at maximum efficiency. He’s surrounded with weapons, and his experience is vital, but the shoulder was a detriment at times in 2013, despite the 3,000-plus passing yards. Defensively, the Rebels need to rush the passer and get back to the top of the league in tackles for loss. New players need to be successful at linebacker, and the secondary just needs to play to its potential. The depth and talent is there. Lastly, whomever is the placekicker, consistency is key. It’s a question mark heading into the season and will go a long way toward determining if the Rebels take another step in 2014.

2013 STATS>>>

.................................................................UM..............................OPP SCORING.......................................................... 390...................................308 Points Per Game..........................................30.0..................................23.7 FIRST DOWNS................................................ 317...................................266 Rushing........................................................... 137...................................123 Passing........................................................... 161...................................128 Penalty..............................................................19.....................................15 RUSHING YARDAGE.....................................2470................................ 2014 Yards gained rushing.................................2756................................ 2352 Yards lost rushing........................................ 286...................................338 Rushing Attempts....................................... 528...................................514 Average Per Rush.........................................4.7.................................... 3.9 Average Per Game..................................... 190.0...............................154.9 TDs Rushing....................................................22.....................................27 PASSING YARDAGE......................................3683................................ 2802 Comp-Att-Int........................................310-490-13..................245-403-13 Average Per Pass..........................................7.5.................................... 7.0 Average Per Catch.......................................11.9..................................11.4 Average Per Game..................................... 283.3...............................215.5 TDs Passing.....................................................24.....................................10 TOTAL OFFENSE...........................................6153................................ 4816 Total Plays.....................................................1018..................................917 Average Per Play...........................................6.0.................................... 5.3 Average Per Game..................................... 473.3...............................370.5 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards...........................34-661...........................31-680 PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards.........................16-113...........................17-141 INT RETURNS: #-Yards..............................13-61.............................13-136 KICK RETURN AVERAGE..............................19.4..................................21.9 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE.............................7.1.................................... 8.3 INT RETURN AVERAGE.................................4.7...................................10.5 FUMBLES-LOST............................................ 19-8.................................19-9 PENALTIES-Yards........................................72-541...........................71-564 Average Per Game.......................................41.6..................................43.4 PUNTS-Yards............................................. 51-2266.........................71-2948 Average Per Punt.........................................44.4..................................41.5 Net punt average.........................................37.7..................................38.8 KICKOFFS-Yards........................................ 78-4978.........................63-3835

32 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

Average Per Kick..........................................63.8..................................60.9 Net kick average..........................................40.7..................................39.7 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game.................. 29:44...............................30:16 3RD-DOWN Conversions.........................90/197...........................75/187 3rd-Down Pct............................................... 46%...................................40% 4TH-DOWN Conversions..........................15/28.............................. 11/20 4th-Down Pct............................................... 54%...................................55% SACKS BY-Yards..........................................20-147...........................27-178 MISC YARDS.....................................................-13..................................... 0 TOUCHDOWNS SCORED...............................49.....................................38 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS.........................16-24.............................. 14-19 ON-SIDE KICKS................................................0-0...................................0-0 RED-ZONE SCORES............... .............. (34-46) 74%...................(40-47) 85% RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS................ (24-46) 52%...................(31-47) 66% PAT-ATTEMPTS...................................... (44-47) 94%...................(36-37) 97% ATTENDANCE.............................................. 415750...........................385262 Games/Avg Per Game........................... 7/59393.........................5/77052 Neutral Site Games................................ 1/52125 SCORE BY QUARTERS 1st 2nd Ole Miss.......................... 108 70 Opponents..........................61 81

2013 RESULTS

3rd 4th 138 74 76 83

OT Total 0 - 390 7 - 308

Date.................................. Opponent........................ Attendance Aug. 29......................@Vanderbilt (W/39-35)........................ 40,350 Sept. 7................Southeast Missouri (W/31-13).................. 60,815 Sept. 14........................@Texas (W/44-23)...........................101,474 Sept. 28....................... @Alabama (L/0-25)..........................101,821 Oct. 5............................ @Auburn (L/22-30)............................ 86,504 Oct. 12..........................Texas A&M (L38-41)............................ 60,950 Oct. 19...............................LSU (W/27-24)................................. 61,160 Oct. 26............................. Idaho (W/59-14)............................... 57,870 Nov. 9...........................Arkansas (W/34-24)............................ 60,856 Nov. 16..............................Troy (W/51-21)................................ 52,931 Nov. 23.......................... Missouri (L/10-24)............................. 61,168 Nov. 28......................@Miss. State (L/10-17)........................ 55,113 Dec. 30*................ vs. Georgia Tech (W/25-17)..................... 52,125 *Music City Bowl - Nashville, TN

ROSTER NO NAME.................................POS..........HT/WT..... YR-EXP....................HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL/LAST COLLEGE 1 Laquon Treadwell ................WR ......... 6-2 224 ....... SO-1L ..............................................................Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee 2 Quintavius Burdette ............WR ........ 5-11 183 .......JR-2L ...................................................... Senatobia, Miss./Senatobia 2 DeVante Kincade ................. QB .......... 6-0 200 ....... FR-RS .................................................................Dallas, Texas/Skyline 3 Eugene Brazley .................... RB .......... 5-9 183 ....... FR-RS ...................................................New Orleans, La./G.W. Carver 3 Kendrick Doss ..................... QB .......... 6-0 215 ....... FR-HS .............................................................. Florence, Ala./Florence 3 C.J. Hampton ...................... DB .......... 6-0 186 ....... FR-HS ..........................................................Meridian, Miss./Meridian 4 Kailo Moore ........................ DB ......... 5-10 184 ...... SO-1L ................................................... Rosedale, Miss./West Bolivar 4 Denzel Nkemdiche ...............LB ......... 5-11 201 .......JR-2L .............................................................Loganville, Ga./Grayson 5 I’Tavius Mathers .................. RB ......... 5-11 187 .......JR-2L ..................................................Murfreesboro, Tenn./Blackman 5 Robert Nkemdiche ...............DL .......... 6-4 277 ....... SO-1L .............................................................Loganville, Ga./Grayson 6 Cliff Coleman ...................... DB ......... 5-10 186 .......SR-3L ................................... Lauderale Lakes, Fla./Boyd H. Anderson 6 Jaylen Walton ..................... RB .......... 5-8 166 ........JR-2L ........................................................ Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway 7 Mark Dodson ....................... RB ......... 5-10 198 ...... SO-1L .....................................................Memphis, Tenn./Whitehaven 7 Trae Elston ........................... DB .......... 6-0 190 ........JR-2L .................................................................... Oxford, Ala./Oxford 8 Quincy Adeboyejo ...............WR ......... 6-3 189 ....... SO-1L .......................................................Cedar Hill, Texas/Cedar Hill 8 Chief Brown ........................ DB .......... 6-1 200 ........JR-2L ..............................................................Winona, Miss./Winona 9 Ryan Buchanan ................... QB .......... 6-3 201 ....... FR-RS .....................................................Jackson, Miss./Jackson Prep 10 C.J. Johnson ....................... DE .......... 6-2 237 ........JR-3L ............................................... Philadelphia, Miss./Philadelphia 10 Vince Sanders .....................WR ......... 6-1 182 ........SR-3L ................................................. Macon, Miss./Noxubee County 11 Will Easter .......................... QB .......... 6-0 183 ....... FR-RS ............................................. Arnold/Florida State College/Troy 11 Channing Ward ....................TE .......... 6-4 274 ........JR-2L ........................................................Aberdeen, Miss./Aberdeen 12 Tony Conner ......................... DB .......... 6-0 217 ....... SO-1L ..................................................Batesville, Miss./South Panola 13 Anthony Alford .................... DB .......... 6-1 208 .......SO-TR ..............................................Petal, Miss./Petal/Southern Miss 14 Serderius Bryant ..................LB .......... 5-9 218 ........SR-3L ...............................................................Sanford, Fla./Seminole 14 Bo Wallace .......................... QB .......... 6-4 203 ........SR-2L ...............................Pulaski, Tenn./Giles County/Ark. St./EMCC 15 Jeremy Liggins ................... ATH ......... 6-3 296 .......SO-JC .................. Oxford, Miss./Lafayette/Northeast Mississippi CC 16 Collins Moore ......................WR ......... 6-1 205 ........SR-3L ...........................................................Madison, Ala./Bob Jones 17 Evan Engram ........................TE .......... 6-3 217 ....... SO-1L ...................................................Powder Springs, Ga./Hillgrove 17 Quadarias Mireles ..............WR ........ 5-11 189 ...... JR-RS ........................................Delray Beach, Fla./Atlantic/Hinds CC 19 Derrick Jones ...................... DB .......... 6-2 188 ....... SO-1L .................................................................Eupora, Miss./Eupora 19 Andy Pappanastos ................K .......... 5-11 184 ...... FR-RS ......................................Montgomery, Ala./Trinity Presbyterian 20 Carlos Davis ........................ DB .......... 5-8 167 ........JR-2L ........................................................ Birmingham, Ala./Huffman 20 Christian Russell ..................LB .......... 6-0 235 ....... JR-JC ...................... Fayetteville, N.C./Hoke County/Hargrave/EMCC 21 Senquez Golson .................. DB .......... 5-9 180 ........SR-3L .................................................. Pascagoula, Miss./Pascagoula 21 Darrius Henderson ..............WR ......... 5-9 191 ....... FR-RS .......................................................Memphis, Tenn./Southwind 22 Ray Ray Smith ......................LB .......... 6-2 208 ....... FR-RS .............................................................. Florence, Ala./Florence 22 Jordan Wilkins .................... RB .......... 6-1 209 ....... FR-RS ...............................Cordova, Tenn./St. Benedict at Auburndale 24 Keith Lewis ..........................LB .......... 6-0 220 ........SR-3L ..................................................................Tampa, Fla./Freedom 25 Cody Prewitt ........................ DB .......... 6-2 212 ........SR-3L .................................... Bay Springs, Miss./Sylva Bay Academy 26 Andrew Fletcher ....................K ........... 5-8 180 ........SR-1L ............................Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell/Louisville 26 Jimmy Potepa ..................... RB .......... 5-8 200 ........JR-1L ...........................................Monrovia, Liberia/Campus Magnet 27 Marquis Haynes .................. DE .......... 6-3 217 ....... FR-HS ...... Jacksonville, Fla./University Christian/Fork Union Military 27 Cale Luke .............................WR ......... 6-1 195 ....... FR-RS ................................................................ Clinton, Miss./Clinton 28 Mike Hilton ......................... DB .......... 5-9 182 ........JR-2L ....................................................Fayetteville, Ga./Sandy Creek 28 LaKedrick King .................... DB .......... 5-8 171 ........SR-1L .................................................Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville 29 Brandon Bell .........................TE .......... 6-0 205 ....... JR-JC ................. Columbus, Miss./Heritage Academy/East Miss. CC 29 David Kamara ...................... DB ......... 5-10 199 ...... SO-1L .............................................................Loganville, Ga./Grayson 30 Hunter Raines .......................K ........... 6-2 200 .......SO-JC ................................. Tupelo, Miss/Tupelo/East Mississippi CC 30 Zachry Toups ....................... DB .......... 6-2 213 .......SO-HS .................................................................... Milton, Ga./Milton 31 Justin Anderson .................. DB .......... 5-9 190 ....... FR-RS ..............................................Houston,Texas/Houston Christian 32 Temario Strong .....................LB .......... 6-0 230 ....... SO-1L ..................................................Batesville, Miss./South Panola 33 John-Patrick Sherling ...........LB ......... 5-11 217 ...... FR-RS ............................................................ Fairhope, Ala./Fairhope 33 Nathan Vanderburg ............. RB .......... 5-7 160 ....... FR-RS ...........................................Olive Branch, Miss./Desoto Central 34 Nicholas Parker ....................TE .......... 6-0 248 ........SR-2L ..................................................Batesville, Miss./South Panola 34 Tayler Polk ............................LB ......... 5-11 200 ...... FR-RS ............................................................ Brandon, Miss./Brandon 35 Andrew Soper ..................... DB ......... 5-11 208....... FR-HS................................................................. Saltillo, Miss./Saltillo 36 Josh Johnson ......................WR ........ 5-10 180 ...... FR-RS ...........................................................Belden, Miss./Mooreville 37 Luke Davis ............................LB .......... 6-2 212 ....... FR-RS ...............................................Trussville, Ala./Hewitt-Trussville 38 Deterrian Shackelford .......LB/DE........ 6-1 252 ...... GS-3L ...................................................................Decatur, Ala./Austin 39 Kyle Fowler ...........................K ........... 5-7 177 ....... FR-RS ...................................................Johns Creek, Ga./Johns Creek 40 Josh Gregory ........................LB ......... 5-10 208 ......JR-Sq. ......Alpharetta, Ga./Chattahoochee/South Alabama/Alabama 41 Billy Busch ............................LB ......... 5-11 230 .......SR-1L ........................................... St. Louis, Mo./Priory School/Butler 42 Grant Warren ........................P ........... 6-1 207 ....... FR-RS .................................................. Pascagoula, Miss./Pascagoula

43 44 45 46 47 50 51 52 52 53 53 54 55 56 59 62 64 65 68 71 72 75 76 77 78 80 81 82 83 86 87 88 88 89 90 91 94 95 99

Ty Quick ................................OL .......... 6-3 253 ....... FR-RS ........................................................... Terry, Miss./Copiah Academy Charlie Scott ........................TE .......... 6-0 241 ........JR-2L ............................................Jackson, Miss./St. Andrew’s Episcopal Lavon Hooks ........................ DT .......... 6-3 310 ........SR-1L ....................Atlanta, Ga./Meadowcreek/Northeast Mississippi CC Hayden Lewis ........................P ........... 6-1 200 .......SO-JC ......................Greenville, Miss./Washington School/East Miss. CC John Youngblood ................ DE .......... 6-3 246 ....... SO-1L ......................................................Trussville, Ala./Hewitt-Trussville Carlton Martin ......................OL .......... 6-1 296 ........SR-3L .....................................................Madison, Miss./Madison Central Walker Sturgeon ................. DE .......... 6-1 240 ........SR-1L .....................................................Horn Lake, Miss./DeSoto Central Will Few ...............................LS .......... 6-3 250 .......SO-Sq. ......................................................................Augusta, Ga./Aquinas Davion Johnson ...................OL .......... 6-4 309 ....... FR-RS ......................................................................Byhalia, Miss./Byhalia Darone Bailey .......................OL .......... 6-4 345 ........SR-1L .........................................Cleveland, Miss./East Side/Coahoma CC Tyler Gray .............................DL .......... 6-1 264 ....... SO-1L ........................................Pelahatchie, Miss./East Rankin Academy Carlos Thompson ................ DE .......... 6-5 243 ........SR-3L ..............................................................Hollandale, Miss./Simmons Craig Frigo ............................OL .......... 6-4 306 ....... JR-JC .................................... Bay St. Louis, Miss./St. Stanislaus/MGCCC Woodrow Hamilton ............. DT .......... 6-3 310 ........JR-2L ......................................................................Raleigh, Miss./Raleigh Will Denny ...........................LS ......... 5-11 221 .......SR-3L ....................................................Jackson, Miss./Jackson Academy Garrett Kalem .......................LS .......... 6-0 233 .......JR-Sq. .......................................................................... Milan, Tenn./Milan Ben Still ................................OL .......... 6-3 292 ........JR-2L ...................................Memphis, Tenn./Memphis University School Chase Hughes ......................OL .......... 6-2 308 ........SR-3L ..............................................................Springville, Ala./Springville Justin Bell ............................OL........... 6-2 353 ........JR-2L ..................................................................Jackson, Miss./Callaway Christian Morris ...................OL .......... 6-6 320 ....... FR-RS ............................................. Memphis, Tenn./Memphis East/UCLA Aaron Morris ........................OL .......... 6-5 355 ........SR-3L ..................................................................Jackson, Miss./Callaway Robert Conyers .....................OL .......... 6-5 295 ....... SO-1L........................................................................ Miami, Fla./Braddock Daronte Bouldin ...................OL........... 6-5 333 ....... FR-RS .......................................................................Canton, Miss./Canton Talbot Buys ...........................OL .......... 6-8 300 .......SO-JC ................................... Vicksburg, Miss./Porters Chapel/Holmes CC Laremy Tunsil .......................OL .......... 6-5 315 ....... SO-1L ....................................................................Lake City, Fla./Columbia Elliot Markuson ....................TE .......... 6-0 235 ....... FR-RS ....................................................................Oxford, Miss./Lafayette Trey Bledsoe ........................WR ......... 6-1 208 ....... FR-RS ...................................................................Grenada, Miss./Grenada Dylan Dyer ............................TE .......... 6-4 240 ........JR-1L ........................................Flora, Miss./Madison Central/Holmes CC Will Gleeson .........................P ........... 6-3 189 ....... FR-RS ......................................... Melbourne, Australia/Viewbank College Jordan Gallegos ..................WR ......... 5-9 170 .......SO-Sq. ........................New Albany, Ohio/New Albany/Bridgton Academy Matt Brown ..........................TE .......... 6-3 237 ....... SO-1L .................................................... Cordova, Tenn./Harding Academy Cody Core ............................WR ......... 6-3 196 ........JR-2L .........................................................................Auburn, Ala./Auburn John Ratliff .........................WR ......... 6-1 186 ........JR-1L .....................................................Fort Worth, Texas/Nolan Catholic Taz Zettergren ......................TE .......... 6-3 234 ....... SO-1L .....................................Senatobia, Miss./Magnolia Heights School Fadol Brown ........................ DE .......... 6-4 275 .......SO-TR ...............................................................Charleston, S.C./Burke/FIU Nathan Noble ........................K ........... 6-3 222 ....... SO-1L ..............................................Greenville, Miss./Washington School Issac Gross .......................... DT .......... 6-1 250 ........JR-2L .........................................................Batesville, Miss./South Panola Bryon Bennett ......................DL .......... 6-2 281.........SR-3L......................................................Madison, Miss./Madison Central Herbert Moore..................... DT .......... 6-1 331 ....... FR-RS ........................................................Memphis, Tenn./Memphis East

2014 FALL NEWCOMERS NAME.............................................POS..........HT/WT......................................................................... HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL D.K. Buford ..................................... ATH ........ 5-11 190 .................................................................................... Oxford, Miss./Lafayette Fahn Cooper .....................................OL .......... 6-5 315 ................ Crystal Lake, Ill/Crystal Lake South/Bowling Green/Col. of DuPage Sammie Epps ...................................TE .......... 6-5 215 ..........................................................................Greenwood, Miss./Greenwood Victor Evans ..................................... DE .......... 6-4 225 .........................................................................................Dallas, Texas/Skyline DeMarquis Gates .............................LB .......... 6-2 215 ........................................................................................Hampton, Ga./Lovejoy Dayall Harris ...................................WR.......... 6-3 185 ...................................................................................Jackson, Miss./Callaway Akeem Judd .................................... RB .......... 6-0 215 .............................................Durham, N.C./Southern/Georgia Military College Garrald McDowell ............................DL .......... 6-2 260 ...................................................................................Covington, La./Covington A.J. Moore........................................LB .......... 6-1 200 ..................................................................................Bassfield, Miss./Bassfield C.J. Moore ..................................... ATH ......... 6-0 190 ..................................................................................Bassfield, Miss./Bassfield Markell Pack ...................................WR ......... 6-3 185 ............................................................................................Purvis, Miss./Purvis Tyler Putman .....................................OL .......... 6-5 285 ..................................................................... Southaven, Miss./DeSoto Central Sean Rawlings .................................OL .......... 6-5 285 ..................................................Madison, Miss./Madison Ridgeland Academy Tee Shepard .................................... DB .......... 6-1 195 .............................. Fresno, Calif./Washington Union/Notre Dame/Holmes CC Jordan Sims .....................................OL .......... 6-4 348 .............................................................................Homewood, Ala./Homewood Breeland Speaks ..............................DL .......... 6-4 285 ...................................................................................Jackson, Miss./Callaway Rod Taylor .........................................OL .......... 6-3 320 ...................................................................................Jackson, Miss./Callaway Kendarius Webster ......................... DB ......... 5-11 177 ........................................................................... Stockbridge, Ga./Stockbridge Chris Williams ................................. DT .......... 6-1 287 ....................................................................................Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek Gary Wunderlich ...............................K ........... 6-0 180 ....................................................Memphis, Tenn./Memphis University School

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 33

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - EVAN ENGRAM

Mr. Clutch Although he missed half of the 2013 season, TE Evan Engram proved he was the right man, at the right place, at the right time By JOHN DAVIS

Contributing Writer - The Oxford Citizen Photos by Greg Pevey

an Werner, Ole Miss’ offensive coordinator, made it clear coming out of the spring that having Evan Engram in the lineup made calling plays a lot easier on him. When the 6-foot-3, 217 pound tight end from Powder Springs, Ga., went down in the LSU game, everything changed for the Ole Miss offense. Engram was a main target for quarterback Bo Wallace in 2013 and, prior to his injury, he had caught 21 passes, with three going for touchdowns. Great numbers for a three-star recruit coming out of high school, especially a player who was originally pegged to redshirt. Engram said he trusted in his talent coming into last season and with a lot of hard work, he was able to make in impact. “The coaches did a great job of getting me used to the speed of the SEC. They threw me into the fire in camp and I just had to step up,” Engram said. “I guess I’m a product of great coaching and great teammates pushing me everyday.” Maurice Harris, the Rebels’ tight end coach, thought Engram, as much as he loved his talent, would sit on the bench in 2013. The biggest reason was his size. Christian Morgan and AJ Jackson were also signed in the same class at tight end and both were bigger, more physically ready for the rigors of the SEC. “The plan was to let Evan compete for a job, but there was a possibility that we could redshirt Evan because we had some other big body guys. But Christian got hurt and

34 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

“He’s just a natural ball catcher and he looks confident out there when he’s running a route. He doesn’t think anybody can cover him. That’s just another thing he brings to the table.” - Coach Maurice Harris AJ didn’t make it and Evan had an incredible camp,” Harris recalls. “He caught staph in his arm in camp, but he couldn’t wait to get back out there. He was still learning the plays and just wanting to get better. When he got back out there, he dominated again. He’s just an incredible guy.” With the ability to stretch defenses — Engram was timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash when he came to summer camp in 2012 — the ways to get him the ball are endless.

“We can do so much with him. In the game, there’s no telling where he lines up. He can line up as a traditional tight end. We put him in the B gap. We put him at slot, the wing, we can put him in the backfield and flex him out,” Harris said. “He could be the number one receiver on one side all the way over the weak side where he’s by himself. I think that gives us the ability to be really unpredictable offensively. We’re very glad to have Evan and I’m glad he’s back healthy.”

The summer camp of 2012 is when Harris, and the rest of the offensive coaches, really got to know Engram, and his ability. “We knew about him prior to coming to camp. The thing is I wanted to see his body type, see his build and see if he could put on more weight. There was no doubt that he was talented and a physical tight end. I just wanted to see if he could put on more weight. Then when he came to camp, he just dominated everybody. Evan was actually sick at camp. People don’t know he was throwing up everywhere. He was throwing up, but he kept competing,” Harris said. “He would throw up, keep competing. I said this kid is a dog. He’s a tough kid, a talented kid. He worked against linebackers, safeties, anybody that got in front of him, he worked those guys. He earned his scholarship and he was upset after he left be-

cause we didn’t offer him as soon as he left. When he left, we hadn’t had time to meet. So I called his coach and I told him to just give us time to meet. Camp was on a Friday and Saturday morning and we offered him Saturday afternoon.” Everything was going well for Engram until he suffered a severe ankle injury against LSU. Harris remembers talking with him after the game. “When he went down, I went in there after the game and told him that it was a highankle sprain. At the time we didn’t know he needed surgery, but he knew he was going to be out a couple of weeks. We kept talking about him getting healthy so he could get back,” Harris said. “He probably took it better than I from the standpoint that he said he was going to work hard and hopefully get back

healthy in time for the bowl game. He had a great outlook on it. When he came back and was cleared to run, and put some weight on it after the Christmas break, we were so excited. Before the Christmas break, I didn’t think he was going to be able to play, to be honest with you. He continued to work over the Christmas break with tenacity and he was able to go. We were smart with him. We put him in the plays that he needed to be in and just got him ready for the ballgame.” Engram returned for the Rebels’ Music City Bowl game against Georgia Tech. In limited action, he caught one pass for 3 yards, but he was back on the field, and that’s all that mattered. “When I got hurt, it was tough. We had just started to click on offense with the tight end and how Coach (Hugh) Freeze’s offense rolls. It was tough to miss Mizzou and Mississippi State when those games came around because they didn’t end up like we wanted to,” Engram said. “Just not being to be out there and contributing to the team, it was tough. Things happen. It’s SEC football and God’s call. Our training staff did an amazing job with me everyday, getting stronger and recovering very well. I knew I didn’t have a medical redshirt, so being able to come back and contribute to the bowl win, it was huge.” Large hands is the key to Engram’s success, Harris said, but there are a lot of other reasons he’s so dependable. “I’ve seen Evan make some incredible catches in practice. He has really big hands. That’s one of the assets that he does have. He can catch the ball any kind of way. He also has such great concentration. He always looks it in. He’s not one of these guys that’s looking to make a move before he catches it, he’s going to look it and then tuck it, and that’s something we preach over and over again,” Harris said. “That’s something that he’s had naturally since he came to camp a couple of years ago. He’s just a natural ball catcher and he looks confident out there when he’s running a route. He doesn’t think anybody can cover him. That’s just another thing he brings to the table.” There is no set amount of catches Harris has set for Engram. Instead, he wants his rising sophomore to just do his part and be the best he can be, in everything he does. “Whatever challenges him, he does rise to the occasion. I don’t talk about numbers with him. From a Christian standpoint, I challenge him spiritually. From a social standpoint, I challenge him to be the best man he can be. I also challenge him academically. He’s a 3.0 student and he could do better,” Harris said. “That’s what we talk about more than ‘I want you to catch 50 balls.’ When I talk to him, I ask him what he is doing today to be the best tight end. That encompasses everything that we talk about, spiritually, socially, academically and athletically.” - RN 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 35

GAME ONE preview

BOISE STATE B

Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic • Thursday, August 28, 2014 Atlanta, GA • Georgia Dome - 8:00 PM EST - ESPN

By CHADD CRIPE

Special to Rebel Nation Magazine™ The Idaho Statesman Photos courtesy Boise St. Media Relations

University Quick Facts

Location: Boise, Idaho Founded:1932 Enrollment: 22,003 Nickname: Broncos Colors: Blue and Orange Conference: Mountain West Stadium: Bronco Stadium (36,387) Stadium Surface: Blue Field Turf President: Dr. Robert Kustra Athletic Director: Mark Coyle Athletic Dept. Phone: (208) 426-1288

FOOTBALL Quick Facts

Head Football Coach: Bryan Harsin Harsin’s Overall Coaching Record: 7-5 (One Year) Harsin’s Record at Boise State: 0-0 (First year) 2013 Overall Record: 8-5 6-2 (2nd - Mountain Division) 2013 Postseason: Sheraton Hawaii Bowl L, Oregon State (38-23) Starters Returning: 15 (5 Off/ 8 Def / 2 Spec) Starters Lost: 10 (6 Off/ 3 Def / 1 Spec) Lettermen Returning: 46 (18 Off/ 25 Def / 3 Spec) Lettermen Lost: 17 (10 Off/ 6 Def / 1 Spec) Offensive Formation: Multiple Defensive Formation: Multiple

36 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

RB - JAY AJAYI

he Boise State and Ole Miss football teams originally agreed to meet in 2011 in Oxford. Three years later, they’ll meet in Atlanta instead — and the matchup has changed dramatically. While the Ole Miss program has grabbed national attention for its turnaround and recruiting prowess under coach Hugh Freeze, Boise State hopes to recapture the national spotlight it has lost. The Broncos have dropped their last two marquee season openers — at Michigan State (2012) and Washington (2013) — after beating Oregon (2009), Virginia Tech (2010) and Georgia (2011, also in Atlanta). They went 8-5 last season, the most losses since 1998, and watched renowned coach Chris Petersen depart for Washington in December. Now it’s up to Bryan Harsin — like Freeze, a former Arkansas State head coach — to get the Broncos back on the map. Beating Ole

Miss in this year’s opener would be the quickest way to achieve that. Harsin, 37, grew up in Boise and was a backup quarterback for the Broncos from 1995 to 1999. He originally walked onto the team, but received a scholarship early in his career. He left Boise for one season to begin coaching, then returned as the offensive graduate assistant in 2001. He became the tight end coach in 2002 and the offensive coordinator in 2006, calling the plays for both of the Broncos’ Fiesta Bowl championship seasons. Harsin left in 2011 to become the co-offensive coordinator at Texas and was the Arkansas State head coach in 2013, when the Red Wolves went 7-5 during the regular season and won a share of the Sun Belt title. The Texas job allowed Harsin to see college football from another perspective. He called Boise State President Bob Kustra when he left for Austin to let him know that he hoped expanding his resume would put him in line to

DEFENDERS - TANNER VALLEJO (20 AND DARIAN THOMPSON (4)

replace Petersen some day. “This program, personally. has changed my life,” Harsin said. “It’s made me who I am today. … All I want to do is get back here and try to do for this program what it’s done for me.”

Offense There is intense pressure on Harsin and new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, another former Boise State backup quarterback, to repair the Broncos’ once-famed offense. The Broncos plummeted to 54th in the nation with 30.2 points per game in 2012, which led to an overhaul of the playbook. The nohuddle, spread scheme implemented in 2013 was more productive — 37.5 points per game (19th) — but it stumbled against quality opponents. Sanford plans to revive the role of the tight end in the offense and combine the shifts, motions and personnel changes that gave the Broncos’ offense much of its identity before 2013 with a no-huddle pace. Sanford has three core playmakers for building blocks, but

many question marks across the rest of the offense. Junior tailback Jay Ajayi (1,425 rushing yards, 19 total TDs), senior wide receiver Matt Miller (school-record 88 catches, 1,140 yards, 12 TDs) and junior wide receiver Shane Williams-Rhodes (77 catches, seven total TDs) combined for 60 percent of the team’s touchdowns last season. Senior quarterback Grant Hedrick replaced injured starter Joe Southwick in the middle of last season and played most of the final seven games — four wins and three losses. Hedrick throws a terrific deep ball and boasts electric speed, but he has been too loose with the football and unable to convert enough third downs against top-notch defenses. He produced 22 touchdowns last season — 16 passing, six rushing. Hedrick will need a young offensive line to step up. The two returning starters — juniors Marcus Henry and Rees Odhiambo — have changed positions and the other three spots will be filled by players with limited experience, likely freshmen and sophomores. He

also needs more playmakers to emerge. Redshirt freshman tight end Jake Roh and true sophomore wide receiver Thomas Sperbeck impressed in spring ball.

DEFENSE The Broncos spent the 2008 through 2012 seasons in the Top 25 — and a lot of that time in the Top 10 — largely because of dominant defense. But that evaporated last year, when they fell from eighth in the nation in scoring defense and fifth in pass-efficiency defense to tied for 50th in scoring defense and 73rd in pass-efficiency defense. Some of the trouble could be attributed to youth. Six of the top 10 tacklers were freshmen or sophomores, and the cornerback position lost two elite seniors from 2012. Still, former players took to Twitter to note the defense’s overall lack of attitude and physicality. New defensive coordinator Marcel Yates, who was the defensive backs coach or cornerbacks coach from 2003 to 2011, spent the spring trying to get both of those traits See BOISE - Continued on Page 42

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 37

season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions

game by game

BY SEPH ANDERSON Contributing Writer

PIGSKIN PICKS: A BREAKDOWN OF THE 2014 SCHEDULE

ow having produced two winning seasons and two full, top-notch recruiting classes, things are starting to take shape for Hugh Freeze and the Ole Miss Rebels. And so the journey continues, as Freeze and the young Rebs look to take that collective “next step” in year three of the Hugh Freeze era. Last season, Ole Miss dropped road contests to a No. 1 Alabama team and an upstart Auburn team that would end up playing for the BCS National Championship. As for the third road loss, Ole Miss fans don’t need to be reminded about what happened down south of Oxford. In front of the home crowd, the Rebels lost to then-No. 9 Texas A&M and then-No. 8 Missouri. While Alabama and Missouri won convincingly, the Rebels certainly had their chances against Auburn, A&M and State. And in reality, the Rebels should have knocked off A&M and State. Minus the loss to State last season, Rebel losses came against four teams with a combined record of 45-10 (.818 winning percentage). Of those teams’ ten combined losses, they came

38 - REBEL NATION MAGAZINE

against Auburn twice and once against each of the following teams: UGA, LSU, Missouri, Alabama, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Florida State. That says a lot, folks. Even looking back to 2012, Freeze’s Rebels lost three SEC contests by a combined 10 points. There’s no question players were still learning schemes on both sides of the ball, not to mention adjusting to a new coaching staff, but there’s no denying that Ole Miss had opportunities to win all three of those contests. What was the common denominator in those losses the past two seasons? Depth issues. Enter the 2014 season and year three of the Freeze regime. Having put together back-to-back top-15 recruiting classes over the past two years, depth should become less of an issue this season. It’ll still rear its ugly head at times, but Freeze is now only one more recruiting class away from fielding a team that looks and feels like a true SEC roster from top-to-bottom. Rebel gunslinger QB Bo Wallace returns this fall, hopefully healthy, to lead his club to a prom-

Photo by Greg Pevey

ising campaign. WR Donte Moncrief may have departed early for the NFL, but there remains an abundance of talent returning on offense. If a new-look offensive line can gel and become productive, there’s simply no reason to think the Ole Miss offense won’t be even more efficient than last season. On the defensive side of the ball, All-American S Cody Prewitt leads a star-studded cast including 2013 Freshman All-American first team selections DE Robert Nkemdiche and DB Tony Conner among others. If the Rebels can get past Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, which will be a challenge, they could well be 4-0 entering a monster home contest with Alabama. With a tough mid-season SEC slate on tap, a 4-0 start would be monumental in giving the Rebels a shot in November to play their way into a major bowl contest. If the 2014 Ole Miss Rebels can stay relatively healthy this fall, the sky’s the limit. Here’s a game-by-game schedule preview and prediction for each contest...

season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions

GAME ONE

August 28 Boise State

(Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Georgia Dome) 2013 record: 8-5 2013 bowl game: L Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Oregon State 23-38 Returning starters: Offense: 5; Defense: 8 Finally set to happen, the Rebels travel to the Georgia Dome on Thursday, August 28 to take on Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. And as intriguing and important of a season opener as Vanderbilt was last year, the 2014 Ole Miss opener is even bigger. Playing in an NFL arena, in the same venue where the Rebels hope to soon play for an SEC Championship, Hugh Freeze and Co. will take on an offensive-minded Bronco team under first-year head coach Bryan Harsin. With long-time Boise State head coach Chris Petersen having departed to lead the Washington Huskies, the Rebels will face a young head coach looking for a signature win. While former standout Kellen Moore may not be engineering the Boise offense anymore, QB Grant Hedrick and RB Jay Ajayi are dangerous offensive weapons. Senior QB Bo Wallace will lead a potent Rebel attack against a Boise pass defense that ranked No. 88 in the nation last fall, having given up nearly 250 passing yards per game. Wallace may be without WR Donte Moncrief (NFL), but WRs Laquon Treadwell, Quincy Adeboyejo, Vince Sanders, Cody Core and TE Evan Engram return hungry to move up the offensive food chain. In the end, look for the Ole Miss defense to be the difference. After a back-and-forth first half, the Rebel D returns from the locker room focused and helps its club pick up a big win away from the Vaught. Prediction: Ole Miss by 7 (Rebels 1-0)

GAME TWO

September 6 at Vanderbilt

2013 record: 9-4 2013 bowl game: W BBVA Compass Bowl, Houston 41-24 Returning starters: Offense: 7; Defense: 3 For the second week in a row, the Rebels face another team with a new head coach and play in an NFL stadium (LP Field). This time, it’s perennial SEC Eastern Division foe Vanderbilt and new head man Derek Mason. To the cheers of Rebel fans everywhere, Commodore WR Jordan Matthews has graduated. Over the past two seasons, the receiving genius averaged 165.5 yards per game receiving for 17.42 yards per catch against Ole Miss. With that in mind, whomever grabs hold of the starting quarterback job (Patton Robinette, Johnny McCrary, etc.) will rely upon the likes of junior RBs Brian Kimbrow and Jerron Seymour and redshirt freshman RB Ralph Webb out of the backfield. Webb showed off in the Commodore spring game and could really bolster the rushing attack. The usually stout Commodore secondary, ranking No. 23 in pass defense last year (206.9 YPG) will be without the services of nearly every starter from 2013. No offense to Vandy’s opponent in the season opener, but the Temple Owl passing attack won’t hold a candle to what its young, inexperienced secondary will face in Ole Miss. It took a “Music City Miracle” by RB Jeff Scott for the Rebels to prevail last season, but this time the Rebels should find themselves with more of a cushion late in the game. Ole Miss takes advantage of facing a young Vandy squad early in the season and advances to 2-0. Prediction: Ole Miss by 7 (Rebels 2-0)

GAME THREE

September 13 LouisianaLafayette

2013 record: 9-4 2013 bowl game: W R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Tulane 24-21 Returning starters: Offense: 7; Defense: 5 Chugging along with a second non-conference opponent on tap next in Louisiana-Lafayette, the Rebels look to improve to 3-0 on the young season. Head Coach Mark Hudspeth has nearly turned swamp water into wine down on the bayou, as the Ragin Cajuns have posted back-toback-to-back nine win seasons over the past three seasons. The former Mississippi State Passing Coordinator from 2009-2010, Hudspeth would love to pick up a big upset in Oxford. Over his first three seasons with the Cajuns, Hudspeth has compiled a 27-12 record, including three consecutive R&L Carriers Bowl wins. Hopes are high on the bayou in year four, as the Ragin Cajuns return 17 starters. Senior QB Terrance Broadway is the centerpiece of an offense that averaged nearly 34 points per game in 2013. Last fall, he threw for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while also managing to prance across the goal line eight times. Broadway was supported by a rushing attack that averaged 204.5 yards per game, which placed the unit at No. 26 in the nation. Granted these numbers came primarily against less-than-SEC caliber defenses, but they can move the football nonetheless. While a suspect defense returns the majority of its starters this fall, it simply won’t have enough fire power to hang with the Rebels much past halftime. Look for the Ole Miss offense to have a big, big day and steer the Rebels clear of the upset bid. Prediction: Ole Miss by 16 (Rebels 3-0)

GAME FOUR

September 27 Memphis

2013 record: 3-9 Returning starters: Offense 9; Defense: 8 Coming off an open week and only a week ahead of a massive showdown with Alabama in God’s Country, Hugh Freeze and the Rebels play host to the Memphis Tigers. And the word of the week will be “focus.” While I certainly don’t expect an upset, it might not hurt to show players some footage of what happened in 2004 when RB DeAngelo Williams and Memphis upended the Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway. It’s a day that still makes Rebel fans shudder, myself included. Two years removed from the Larry Porter era in Memphis, one in which the Tigers showed new levels of ineptitude by going 3-21, notso-new Memphis head coach Jason Fuente now enters year three with the program. The former TCU offensive coordinator has a two-year mark of 7-17 at Memphis, with a road record of only 2-9. That being said, the Tigers lost five games last season by less than 10 points each: Middle Tennessee (2), Central Florida (7), Houston (10), SMU (5) and then-No. 7 Louisville (7). Entering year three, Fuente continues to try and build his program. Fortunately, he’ll return the services of QB Paxton Lynch and RBs Brandon Hayes and Doroland Dorceus among 17 other starters from last season. While Memphis will be improved and should have a chance at six wins this year, Fuente simply hasn’t had time to amass the talent and depth to compete with Hugh Freeze’s club for 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 39

season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions

four quarters. Don’t look now, but Ole Miss is 4-0 and likely ranked inside the top-20 when the Tide rolls into town. Prediction: Ole Miss by 14 (Rebels 4-0)

GAME FIVE

October 4 Alabama

2013 record: 11-2 2013 bowl game: L All State Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma 31-45 Returning starters: Offense 7; Defense: 5 After opening the season 4-0, the Rebels now prepare to take on five SEC teams in five consecutive weeks. First up: the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ahead of last year’s trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium, many Ole Miss fans had a sliver of hope that the then-No. 21 Rebels could make a run at upsetting the nation’s No. 1. After a valiant first half in which the red and blue held Bama to three field goals, despite not producing any points themselves, Rebel hopes quickly faded as the Tide pulled away in the third quarter. The 2014 affair may again pit a ranked Rebel squad against a highlyranked Tide squad. As deep and uber-talented a roster as Nick Saban puts together year after year, there’s something to be said of losing one of your program’s winningest quarterbacks of all-time in A.J. McCarron. We all know Saban has quality guys ready to line up and fill holes on both sides of the ball, but what he doesn’t have to start the season is a seasoned quarterback with the talent, poise and mental toughness of McCarron. The summer quarterback battle and early play of the heir-apparent in 2014 will be telling. Most believe the job will come down to senior Blake Sims, redshirt freshman Cooper Bateman or true freshman David Cornwell. Aside from the season opener against West Virginia in the Georgia Dome, the Tide’s trip to Oxford will be their first true road game of the season. And if there’s any inconsistency or inefficiency from the quarterback position, entering a raucous Vaught-Hemingway Stadium won’t make things any easier. Will the Rebels beat the Tide for the first time since 2003? I think so. Prediction: Rebels by 3 (Rebels 5-0)

GAME SIX

October 11 at Texas A&M

2013 record: 9-4 2013 bowl game: W Chick-fil-A Bowl, Duke 52-48 Returning starters: Offense: 6; Defense: 9 First things first, Johnny Football has departed College Station, Texas for the green pastures of the NFL. Further, all-everything WR Mike Evans and reliable RB Ben Malena are gone (not to mention OT Jake Matthews). That being said, Sumlin has stockpiled key wide receivers and “athletes” over the past two recruiting classes. Sophomore WR Rickey Seals-Jones and true freshman athlete Speedy Noil should become household names. The major question is obviously who replaces Manziel in Aggieland? With reserve QB Matt Joeckel transferring elsewhere, the quarterback competition boils down to sophomore Kenny Hill or true freshman Kyle Allen. It’ll be interesting to see which player emerges from

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summer camp as the starter, but don’t be surprised if it’s Allen. Now to that A&M defense, which returns 10 starters in 2014. As high-powered and efficient as the Aggie offense was last season, the defense was equally as inefficient and suspect. In 2013, the unit ranked No. 110 in total defense, giving up an average of 482.9 yards per game. Returning ten starters, along with a host of key reserves, the A&M defense should be much improved this fall. However, just how improved it’ll be remains to be seen. The Rebels head to College Station the week after hosting Alabama, while A&M plays host to Ole Miss the week before taking a trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium. The streak stops at 5-0 for the Rebels, as A&M’s offense gets the best of the Rebel D. Prediction: Texas A&M by 6 (Rebels 5-1)

GAME SEVEN

October 18 Tennessee

2013 record: 5-7 Returning starters: Offense: 5; Defense: 5 Second-year head coach Butch Jones is rather quickly turning things around on Rocky Top. Having pieced together a solid recruiting class after only being on the job for a matter of weeks in 2013, his first full recruiting cycle with the Vols resulted in 35 recruits and a top-10 class. Not bad, Butch. While the Volunteers suffered big losses at Oregon, at Florida, at Alabama and at Missouri last season, they took Georgia into double overtime (eventually losing 34-31) and upset South Carolina at home in their next contest. Suddenly and rightfully so, Jones and the Volunteers are one of those “teams to watch” in 2014. And those four road losses that happened in raucous, intimidating environments like Outzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, the experience returning players gained will pay dividends this season when traveling to Oklahoma, UGA, South Carolina and Ole Miss. Mark it down now, Jones will pick up a W in at least one of those four road trips. With loads of young talent on both sides of the ball, Tennessee’s biggest challenge this fall will be finding some defensive depth and nailing down a starting quarterback. Starting to see a trend with opposing quarterbacks on the schedule? While there are three men jockeying for the starting job (Justin Worley, Riley Ferguson and Joshua Dobbs), the true sophomore Dobbs appears to be the frontrunner. Not only is he athletic, but he’s smart (majoring in aerospace engineering). It’s one thing to have the skills to be a signal-caller in the SEC, but an entirely different animal having the mental acuity to make split-second decisions that are going to impact your team. When they head to Oxford, Jones’ club will have already faced Oklahoma and Georgia on the road, rival Florida at home and offensive-minded Utah State and Arkansas State clubs. They won’t step on Jerry Hollingsworth Field feeling intimidated, and dual things out with the Rebels for four quarters. This is the “trap game” the Ole Miss must be careful with in 2014. Prediction: Tennessee by 9 (Rebels 5-2)

GAME EIGHT October 25 at LSU

2013 record: 10-3 2013 bowl game: W Outback Bowl, 21-14 Returning starters: Offense: 5; Defense: 7

season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions • season predictions

With LSU QB Zach Mettenberger having graduated and exhausted his eligibility, the Tigers join a large list of SEC teams looking to replace a starting quarterback. However, quarterback is far from the only position Les Miles must find a replacement. Once again, LSU was hit hard by early entrants to the NFL Draft. Dynamic receiving duo Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry are gone. Hard-hitting tailbacks Jeremy Hill and Alfred Blue are gone. And so, too, are big defensive tackles Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson. While youngsters will be youngsters, Miles loaded up on the offensive side of the ball this past recruiting cycle. In addition to inking the nation’s No. 1 overall high school prospect in RB Leonard Fournette, the Tigers hauled in the nation’s No.1 WR (Malachi Dupre), No. 3 WR (Trey Quinn), No. 2 dual-threat QB (Brandon Harris), No. 1 OG (Garrett Brumfield) and No. 5 TE (Jacory Washington). As for who will step in for Mettenberger this year, true sophomore Anthony Jennings is likely to feel the summer heat from mid-year enrollee Brandon Harris. Jennings’ greatest advantage heading into the season will be that he’s had a year to learn the system, despite having only seen very limited time in 2013. The Tigers will take on the Rebels having played eight consecutive games without an open date. Injuries and fatigue could play an important role in the matchup, particularly for the younger and less experienced role players. Since 1993, over 11 games at Tiger Stadium, Ole Miss has won four times and lost by seven or fewer points in six of the other seven games. For whatever reason, the red and blue have fared well in Baton Rouge. The trend continues, as the Rebels knock off a banged up, worn out Bayou Bengal club for the second straight year. Prediction: Ole Miss by 5 (Rebels 6-2)

GAME NINE

November 1 Auburn

2013 record: 12-2 2013 bowl game: L BCS National Championship, 31-34 Returning starters: Offense: 5; Defense: 5 One year removed from an 0-8 SEC record and the program’s worst season in 60 years, and a new head coach takes Auburn to the SEC Championship Game, BCS National Championship and comes within a mere three points from being National Champions? That’s the stuff of fairy tales, but it was in fact reality for QB Nick Campbell and the Auburn Tigers in 2013. One conference club not having to replace its quarterback is Auburn. Back for his senior season, Marshall returns more comfortable in the up-tempo offensive scheme. Stud RB Tre Mason may have departed for the NFL, but senior RBs Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant are ready and waiting to complement Marshall in the system. While they led the nation in rushing last season with an astounding 328.3 yards per game on the ground, it’s hard to envision the same level of production again this year. With that in mind, Marshall must develop some confidence in receivers beyond the reliable Sammie Coates if the Tigers hope to fight for the SEC title again. Defensively, Auburn returns a plethora of young talent such as DTs Carl Lawson, Elijah Daniel and Montravius Adams to go along with veterans like LBs Robenson Therezie and Cassanova McKinzy and CB Jonathan Mincy. And just think Rebel fans, as awful as the team played last year on the Plains, they still only lost by eight points. Couched between home dates with South Carolina and Texas A&M, Auburn will host an Ole Miss team coming off games against Alabama, Texas A&M, Tennessee and LSU in four consecutive

weeks. Prediction: Auburn by 3 (Rebels 6-3)

GAME TEN

November 8 Presbyterian

2013 record: 3-8 Returning starters: (won’t matter) The Blue Hose of FCS Presbyterian won a mere three games in 2013: Brevard (total enrollment: 647), VMI (2-10 last season) and Point University (2-7 last season, with one win coming over The Apprentice School). And yes, I said The Blue Hose. To be entirely honest, this may be one of the worst teams Ole Miss has ever played. When Ole Miss point totals climb to the high forties or low fifties every now and then, Rebel fans internally yearn to top that 60 or 70 point mark. If it’s going to happen anytime soon, this will be the game. Young talent should be on display for the entire second half, as Hugh rests his starters ahead of the open week. Prediction: Ole Miss by 52 (Rebels 7-3)

GAME ELEVEN

November 22 at Arkansas

2013 record: 3-9 Returning starters: Offense: 7; Defense: 8 My, oh my, aren’t Arkansas fans wishing Bobby Petrino never hopped on his motorcycle that fateful afternoon? Having suffered through the John L. Smith interim head coaching experience, folks in Fayetteville excitedly called the hogs from the rooftops when former Wisconsin Head Coach Bret Bielema was hired to lead the Razorbacks. Then, reality began to sink in. After opening the season with wins over Louisiana-Lafayette, Samford and Southern Miss, Arkansas went on to drop its final nine games of the regular season en route to an 0-8 conference record. Futility was redefined. While Bielema brought in a new defensive coaching staff to hopefully shore up a unit that yielded massive yardage last fall, equally as important to his team’s success in 2014 will be his ability to find offensive balance. It’s safe to assume the head Hog realizes he’s not coaching in the Big 10 anymore, because calling an unbalanced offense in the SEC is a recipe for disaster (as he learned). Running backs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams will be a dangerous, dangerous pair out of the backfield, but the Hogs must replace the anchor of its offensive line, C Travis Swanson. Under center, returning starting QB Brandon Allen appears to have maintained his job heading into the summer. However, heralded young quarterback recruit Rafe Peavy will be among several men looking to impress coaches over the summer. If Bielema suffers no better than a three or four win campaign in 2014, he may very well be shown the door. Prediction: Ole Miss by 11 (Rebels 8-3)

EGG BOWL

November 29 Mississippi State

2013 record: 7-6 2013 bowl game: Liberty Bowl W, 44-7 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 41

Returning starters: Offense: 8; Defense: 9 After the Rebels’ debacle in Starkville last year, there’s no doubt Ole Miss coaches and players will have had this one circled since the moment they stepped of Scott Field last November. Senior QB Bo Wallace gets the Bulldogs in Oxford to avenge one of the biggest disappointments in his Rebel career. On senior night. With the Bulldogs returning eight offensive starters and nine defensive starters, not to mention talented, dual-threat QB Dak Prescott, the State faithful will be expecting better than what they’ve seen over the last two years. In 2012, they “believed” until taking on the Crimson Tide and dropping five of their final six contests to end the season. Despite managing to slide into the Liberty Bowl and post a winning record in 2013, Mullen’s club lost by a combined 93-185 against the five ranked opponents it played (Oklahoma State, LSU, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Alabama). With the exception of playing LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss on the road, the Bulldogs will enjoy a pretty favorable schedule this year, after playing one of the toughest in the nation last season. After improving from 5-7 during his first season in Starkville, Mullen guided the Bulldogs to a 9-4 mark the very next year. However, the past three years the maroon and white have gone 7-6, 8-5 and 7-6 respectively. With Hugh Freeze quickly taking the Rebels to a new level, Mullen and the Bulldogs simply can’t afford another “so-so” season in the uber-talented SEC West. Once again in late November, the Egg Bowl will be all about pro-

gram momentum and recruiting. This time, it’s at the Vaught, on senior night and a chance to play in a monster bowl game. The Rebels play with the pride, passion and determination they played with in the 2012 Egg Bowl. Prediction: Ole Miss by 6 (Rebels 9-3)

BOISE - Continued from Page 37

toine Turner and Rondell McNair and possibly true freshmen Dereck Boles and Jabril Frazier. The strength of the line is at nose tackle, where junior Armand Nance (51 tackles) and senior Justin Taimatuia (29) provide a pair of 300-pound run-stuffers.

Bowl Game: Outback Bowl vs. Michigan Prediction: Ole Miss by 9 (Rebels 10-3)

SPECIAL TEAMS

WR - MATT MILLER

back. “All I can do is kind of push what I believe in and to me it starts with being mentally and physically tough,” Yates said. The entire back seven of the defense returns, with depth. Sophomores Ben Weaver (team-high 89 tackles) and Tanner Vallejo (51) were the most productive linebackers last year but they shared their jobs with senior Blake Renaud (25) and junior Tyler Gray (43). The secondary includes senior nickel Corey Bell (76), junior safety Darian Thompson (63), senior safety Jeremy Ioane (59) and junior cornerback Donte Deayon (54 tackles, six interceptions). The second cornerback spot is up for grabs, but senior Bryan Douglas, senior Mercy Maston and sophomore Jonathan Moxey all started games last season. The defensive line is another matter. Three starters are gone — including early NFL entrant Demarcus Lawrence, who recorded 10.5 sacks last year. Depth is lacking and the Broncos will need significant contributions from true sophomore ends Gabe Perez and Kamalei Correa, senior walk-on end Beau Martin, junior college transfers An-

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Kent Riddle was the Broncos’ special teams coach from 2001 to 2005, helping then-coach Dan Hawkins build a tradition of outstanding play in the kicking game. Now Riddle, who was at Arkansas State last year, is back — and he has a talented crew at his disposal. Williams-Rhodes averaged 14.6 yards per punt return last season and the Broncos ranked second in the nation as a team at 15.7 yards. Douglas averaged 30.4 yards on kickoff returns, including a 100-yard touchdown, and would have ranked second nationally with enough attempts. Senior kicker Dan Goodale returns after a near-breakout season in 2013. He was 17-for-19 on field goals and 57-for-60 on PATs. The problem: He missed the one kick that mattered most, a 43-yard fieldgoal attempt at the end of regulation that would have beaten San Diego State and put Boise State in the Mountain West championship game. Goodale missed a similar attempt as a freshman in 2011, which clinched the team’s only loss (to TCU) and a second-place finish in the Mountain West. Sophomore Sean Wale takes over the full-time punting duties. He was inconsistent in part-time work last year, averaging 41.5 yards with a long of 63.

BOTTOM LINE The Broncos have some impressive front-line talent, strong experience on defense and an on-the-rise vibe stemming from a coaching change that has proven popular with players and fans. But quarterback play and the offensive and defensive lines likely will determine whether this is a bounce-back season or a continuation of the Broncos’ two-year struggle in big games. And the date with Ole Miss — with its talent-rich roster and veteran savvy — should be a perfect barometer. - RN

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REBEL LEGENDS

McAllister to be inducted into MS Sports Hall of Fame

Former Rebel and NFL All-Pro will join the long list of Ole Miss legends in Mississippi’s heralded shrine By JOHN DAVIS

>>>>>>>>>

Contributing Writer Photos courtesy Ole Miss Media Relations and New Orleans Saints

usy is about the only word that can be used to describe Deuce McAllister’s current lifestyle. The former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints standout is on the road, a lot, working two jobs while also keeping track of his own restaurant ventures. The Morton native currently does medical marketing for one company and sales for another. He is on the road as much as he is at home and all the while he is keeping up with the seven, yes seven, restaurants he is involved in located in Louisiana and Mississippi. Oh, and when McAllister isn’t involved in those business ventures, he is often helping out the Saints, or working with Cox Communications in sports media. For a man that used to draw his pay check from one place, the new challenges have been exciting due to the unknown. “Not to say there isn’t structure now, but with football there is structure. You know everyday what you’re going to be doing. With the things I’m doing now, I can’t say what I’m going to be doing. It’s not a typical 8 to 5 job. Everyday is going to be a new challenge. I enjoy it,” said McAllister, who travels from New Orleans to Memphis and all points in between. “When you talk about going out and visiting a physician’s office or you’re going in and visiting with differ-

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ent politicians or you’re visiting a school or going just into a business in general, it’s normally not the same. It’s unique to see the reaction of people because they would never think that’s Deuce McAllister. I’m just a regular guy, I want your business. “I work with some individuals in North Mississippi and the Memphis area as well. My footprint covers where I played college ball or where it did on the professional level. The same people that saw me play are the same ones that I call on now,” he added. “I’m normally on the road about three days out of seven. I don’t call it a five-day work week, it’s more of a seven-day work week.” This coming summer, McAllister will be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, an honor he was very excited about when he found out. “I had the opportunity to go into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame a couple of years ago. Their rules are a little bit different. They don’t have the long wait requirements as far as Mississippi is concerned. When that happened, it was a feeling of it’s

only a matter of time before I come home. As an athlete, you always want to be known as one of the best to ever play the game or at least the best to have ever played your position,” McAllister said. “I don’t think when you’re playing you think of it in those terms, but once you’re done, you may sit back and say that it was pretty cool to look at the things you were able to accomplish. To be going in with the class that I’m going in with is pretty special. To be going in with the late Steve McNair and Ruthie Bolton, a

Heisman finalist, the Gold Medal winner and Final Four coach (in Richard Williams) and other former NFL players, that’s pretty special.” Having his name placed alongside so many other greats is special to McAllister, for many reasons, especially for his family. “For my boys and my nieces and nephews, to have this opportunity, it’s special for me. To give them a goal for something they can go and accomplish. I want them to go and do it,” said McAllister, who scored 49 touch-

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 45

“I don’t think when you’re playing you think of it in those terms, but once you’re done, you may sit back and say that it was pretty cool to look at the things you were able to accomplish. To be going in with the class that I’m going in with is pretty special. To be going in with the late Steve McNair and Ruthie Bolton, a Heisman finalist, the Gold Medal winner and Final Four coach (in Richard Williams) and other former NFL players, that’s very humbling.”

downs and rushed for just over 6,000 yards with the Saints. You shouldn’t have the expectation to make the playoffs anymore, the expectation is you should be the number one or number two seed in the playoffs. That just shows you the growth, not only of the organization, but the type of players that they’re brining in,” McAllister said. “I do take pride in that. Even though Pierre (Thomas) is the only running back left that I played with, I take pride in whatever those guys do. I want them to be successful. I want them to go and break records and do outstanding things. I am still very happy when they go out and have success because I feel like I had a part in them going out and having that success.” Ole Miss is still very near and dear to McAllister. He has remained involved in the football program, giving some of his salary for facility improvements while with the Saints. The Rebels have improved under coach

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Hugh Freeze and now, seem on the cusp of rolling out draft picks, high draft picks, that will help the program maintain its level, and likely take further steps. “Talent-wise, not to say that in the last three or four years we haven’t had that talent, I think we’ve had guys that have made it to the NFL but maybe not drafted. I think what’s going to happen is Donte Moncrief is going to start a run for the next four or five years guys getting drafted and you will have a shot at guys being top 15 picks. If these guys continue to develop over the next two or three years, some of those guys will have a shot at being top 10 or 15 overall picks,” McAllister said. “I think that speaks to how tremendous Coach Freeze and his staff and what they’re doing not only finding the right guys at the high school level, but also developing to where they can be high draft picks.” McAllister thought improving facilities was only part of the way

to get ahead in the Southeastern Conference. It’s one of many ways to keep up, and that that system has to be about players that can win games rather than just look good on paper. “When you talk about national champs the past five, six years, it was either Alabama, Auburn or LSU and all those guys reside in your division, not just your conference, in your division. The kind of players that you’re playing week in and week out, that’s basically equating to what you would be doing in the NFL. Now you have to combine it with what type of players are we developing as coaches? Can we put them into our system? Can we win with it?” McAllister said. “The other part of it is the “arms race” for facilities. In the SEC, it seems like every year somebody is expanding the weight room or they’re expanding their stadium or their putting up a new basketball arena. Every year that’s what is happening in the SEC, so the question is a) can we win? b) can we get the alumni excited to support us and c) can we keep up with the Jones and get the facilities we need to continue to recruit the type of athlete that you’re going to need to win.” When it comes time for the

Rebels to hit the field again in the fall, McAllister said wins will come down to the trenches, on both sides of the ball. “It all starts up front. If we can run the ball and we can stop the run, I think you will have an opportunity to be in every game that you play this year,” McAllister said. “I think that we have closed the gaps between the LSUs and Auburn and Alabama. Now it’s about guys going out and making plays. But it all starts up front. If you can’t block them, you can’t win.” Moving forward, McAllister wants to remain an inspiration to current Rebels in the attempt to have them return the favor to other youngsters. “The most important thing for me now is to continue to give back. If I can reach one kid at a school, if I can inspire one kid to be the next Deuce McAllister or have Donte Moncrief inspire someone to be the next Donte Moncrief or maybe the next Laquon Treadwell, that’s what I want to do,” McAllister said. “If those guys can go back and inspire somebody else to do something, then I know I’ve done my part. That’s all I want to be able to help them do.” - RN

CONFERENCE CAPSULES • CONFERENCE CAPSULES • CONFERENCE CAPSULES • CONFERENCE CAPSULES

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 47

REBEL LEGENDS

MIKE DENNIS IS...

AN OLE MISS REBEL

Coach Vaught had to fend off Alabama’s Bear Bryant, but in the end he got his man By JOHN DAVIS

Contributing Writer - The Oxford Citizen Photos courtesy Ole Miss Media Relations

ootball essentially shaped who Mike Dennis is. The former Ole Miss Rebel, and Jackson native, has literally made a living from football. His family was formed while he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams. His toughness and work ethic was set in motion by his high school coach, Jack Carlisle, and then improved through Johnny Vaught. Along the way, football helped provide Dennis an education, not only at Ole Miss, but in dental school. He played in the ‘Golden Age’ of pro football, when the competition between the NFL and AFL was fierce and the behind-the-scenes stories were even more colorful. His recruitment to big-time college football started, oddly enough, with former Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill, driving Bear Bryant’s Cadillac around Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the summer of 1961. “I thought I was going to Alabama. That one weekend over there that summer really impressed me. Bear had sent his son, Paul Jr., over to all my home games my senior year,” said Dennis, who played fullback and outside linebacker at Murrah High. “Jack Carlisle got me ready for Ole Miss. He was tough. He came in before my senior year. We started the summer drills with 100 guys and we ended up with 38 at the end of the year. People like to tell stories about how tough Wobble Davidson was, but after Jack Carlisle, I was ready for Ole Miss.” Dennis grew up and Ole Miss fan, admiring quarterback Jimmy Lear and Eagle Day, who ended up becoming a good friend to Dennis when he lived in Jackson. “When I was a little guy, I would go into the backyard and throw the ball to myself, pretending I was Eagle Day. I was Ole Miss

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through and through. I got everything I needed at Ole Miss. I played on an SEC Championship team. But I was close to going to Alabama.” Vaught ended up benefiting from Dennis signing with the Rebels in large part because his assistant, Brusier Kinard, was able to get to Murrah before Alabama and hide him out at the King Edward Hotel. “I hadn’t made an announcement. I hadn’t really committed to Alabama. I had told them that I was probably coming there. There wasn’t all this committing back then, it was more word of mouth. Coach Bruiser came to my school a day before signing day and I had told them I was going to sign with Ole Miss, but I had not told Bear I wasn’t going to sign with Alabama,” Dennis said. “State was after me pretty hard, too. Anyway Bruiser came to school and told Carlisle that he was taking me out of school. My mother and daddy met us and then we went over to the hotel. Coach Vaught then came down from Oxford, at midnight, and signed me. Billy Clay, another guy that played with me, we were the two at the King Edward.” Dennis said assistants from Alabama and Mississippi State were looking for him through the day, unable to figure out where he had disappeared. In essence, that was the first time he side-stepped and out-ran defenders in college. “They knew I would be in school, but Ole Miss got me first and nobody knew where we were, except Coach Carlisle,” Dennis said with a laugh. Vaught had plans for Dennis, his first big tailback, and those plans ended up providing all types of highlights once he got established. “Coach Vaught signed 10 fullbacks in my class. A lot of good athletes that they put at a lot of different positions like guard or linebacker or safety,” Dennis said. “That’s one thing that Coach Vaught did. He recruited a lot of quarterbacks and fullbacks. I just had such a good time here.” In the spring of 1963, Dennis had moved up to the role of the number two tailback. To start the season, Ole Miss traveled up to Memphis and Dennis had yet to play in a varsity game. That was until David Jennings tore his knee in the first quarter. “Billy Summerall and I were the backs on the Blue team and I ended up playing in that first game. We ended up tying Memphis State 0-0. I wanted the ball down there at the goal line and we ended up doing a couple of quarterback sneaks at the 1-yard line. The next two games, we went to Houston and I caught two touchdown passes and then went to Tulane and I started to get in the flow,” Dennis said. “I got to be the tailback for three years and back then, that was a lot.” The most memorable win for Dennis, who helped the Rebels win the Southeastern Con-

“I hadn’t made an announcement. I hadn’t really committed to Alabama. I had told them that I was probably coming there. There wasn’t all this committing back then, it was more word of mouth. Coach Bruiser came to my school a day before signing day and I had told them I was going to sign with Ole Miss, but I had not told Bear I wasn’t going to sign with Alabama,” Dennis said. ference title in 1963, came in 1965, in his final matchup with Mississippi State, a game the Rebels won 21-0 in Starkville. “We had lost the year before when (quarterback Jimmy) Weatherly got hurt. Our backup quarterback had hurt his arm, so they moved Jimmy Hyland, a defensive back up to play quarterback and I ran the Blue unit as quarterback. I ran the half-back pass a lot. Coach Vaught thought I could throw the ball, but I really couldn’t or not very well,” Dennis said. Another memorable game involved the Bulldogs in 1963, a game that ended with a 10-10 tie, but it kept the Rebels perfect in the SEC, allowing them to play in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama. “I also had another game my sophomore year where Weatherly hit me with a pass on the sidelines and took it for a 30-yard touchdown. We were down 7-0 and the score ended up being 10-7 in State’s favor. Then we got down to the goal-line and Coach Vaught decided to tie the game with a field goal and I remember a lot of the guys not being happy,”

Dennis said. “We felt like we could have scored and gotten the win. We tied them 1010 and that won us the SEC. Alabama had lost a game, while we had not, so that tie got us the SEC Championship. That was the last SEC Championship we’ve won.” Following his career with the Rebels, Dennis played professional football for the Rams. He was one of the last players to be drafted by both an AFL team — the Buffalo Bills — and NFL team — the Atlanta Falcons. “That was the last year of the double draft and I was taken first by Buffalo. There were eight teams from the AFL and I was in the third round for the Falcons. The Falcons were a brand-new team, expansion team and as a running back, you didn’t want to go there,” Dennis said. “I told Buffalo I was signing with them and they were coming off an AFL Championship. The Rams were always the ones that were coming to talk with me and I thought I was going to be drafted by them. They called me and told me they had gotten my rights from Atlanta and that’s when we had a little wagering there between the Bills and the Rams.” Los Angeles ultimately won out and Dennis was able to play for another legendary coach in George Allen. Dennis remembers being told by Hall of Famer, Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch that the Rams needed running backs and how he would fit in the Rams’ system. Everything worked according to plan, until two days before the first preseason game when Dennis suffered his first injury in football. “It was a long way from Mississippi, but it was a good deal for a running back looking to play. I was there five years. George, he wasn’t a rookie coach and football was his life. I worked hard my first year in training camp and I ended up being the starting tailback for the first pre-season game there,” Dennis said. “The game was going to be on a Friday night and Wednesday was the last day in pads and we were working on goal-line stuff and one of the defensive backs trying to make the team came flying in and one of the linebackers wasn’t going to take me down, but that corner hit and just rolled me. I had never missed a game at Ole Miss and run 30 times a game in high school. I tore my knee. They repaired my anterior cruciate, but I lost about a tenth in the 40 after that injury.” The injury led Dennis to dental school and instead of recovering from his injury in Los Angeles, he was learning how to be a dentist. Dennis was finally able to earn Rookie of the Year in 1968, not long before his professional career melted in a career as a dentist. Dennis has been in Oxford for a year, taking in athletic events of his grand kids and spending time with his extended family. “Everything is just great, we all have so much fun and I just love being up here now,” Dennis said. - RN 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 49

REBEL NATION

Fantasy Camp a special time for Ole Miss fans By JOHN DAVIS

Contributing Writer - The Oxford Citizen Photos by John Davis

ome aches and pains and tight muscles are welcomed for those individuals who attend Ole Miss Fantasy Camp each year. Since 1995, when Tommy Tuberville led the Rebels on the gridiron, fathers, sons, grandsons, alumni and men with just moderate ties to Oxford and Ole Miss have been taking part in the annual camp. That’s 20 years now and with the success of the football program seemingly on the rise, those that attend have stayed constant.

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For Alicia VanLandeghem, senior staff assistant for the Ole Miss football program, the camp has been her baby since 2007. She has seen the amount of those attending camp back in 2003, when she first started helping with the event, grow from 25 to over 100 when Ed Orgeron was in charge. “Coach Orgeron wanted the numbers big. He wanted to get 100 guys in here, so we put a spin on the marketing,” VanLandeghem said. “We got up a website and I did more email blasts to donors and got the word out a little more. We try to keep it by referral only. From that point, we tried to stay in the 50s to 75. We have 70 here this year.” Each December, right around Christmas, VanLandeghem is in the process of obtaining the dates for the camp from the coaches.

On National Signing Day in early February, she sends out emails and information to those who have attended before, reminding them to sign up and make another “commitment” to attend. Depending on what level you pay – there are Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze levels – the camp starts with a round of golf with the coaching staff on Thursday morning. The overall camp ends Saturday nights with an awards dinner following the annual Red-Blue game. This year that was held at the Library, a favorite spot of the campers. Of course, there is a draft conducted prior to the big game, and practice. There are also film sessions, recruiting sessions and the learning of plays and formations taught directly by the coaches. And food, lots and

behind closed doors, rated Freeze a 9.9 on a scale of 1 to 10.

lots of food, both catered and provided by local restaurants on the Square. The levels of giving vary from $5,000 for the platinum to $500 for the bronze, but the money is worth it to those that attend due to the access, and love of Ole Miss. “The guys that come love the interaction with the coaches, the social time. Everything that happens during the day is run by us and on some level, they get to experience what our players get to experience. It’s very personal and intimate in that way,” VanLandeghem said adding that some of the money from the camp is used for things not in the annual football budget. “They do contribute to the program and there are certain things that the money is used for. This sometimes affords us things that we can’t normally do. Every now and then it’s being able to pay our graduate assistants for work done or pay volunteers. A lot of the money is spent on them and what we give them, tangible things. But there have been times where we needed a new leg press machine, so we used money out of the account. It’s nice to have that. Everyone that comes to the camp gets a large tax deduction.”

Personal experience Some of the men play, some watch when it comes time to play the game. Stacy Davidson Jr., has been at every one of the camps. He was planning to watch the annual game this past Saturday, but even though he doesn’t play, the experience, the camaraderie is so worth it to him. Davidson, who first came to Ole Miss in 1951 to go to school, said the inaugural camp consisted of seven men, with the party ending up at Tuberville’s house. “I was honored to be a part of the first class with Tommy Tuberville. Where his house was at Grand Oaks, he had a big patio outside but no railing. Guys got to drinking heavy and I was afraid they were going to fall off. It has grown and grown since the eight of us first got together,” Davidson said. “It’s great to see the people have such a great time and the quality of coaches that we have. It’s been real enjoyable to see this program expand and to see what’s happened to the facilities is just miraculous.” Davidson, who has been around Tuberville, David Cutcliffe, Orgeron, Houston Nutt and now Hugh Freeze, in depth and

WORTHWHILE TRIP It’s one thing for an Ole Miss graduate from Pope, like Davidson, to attend a yearly camp; it’s another to come from the suburbs of Chicago on a Greyhound bus. James Gilliard has been attending the camp since he found out about it back in 2006. His first time attending the camp was in 2007, and outside of missing camp in 2013, he has been to each and every camp since. “I didn’t know anything about Ole Miss before, had no ties. I couldn’t even have told you where Oxford was before 2007. But as soon as I came in, people welcomed me with open arms. It’s been like that ever since,” said Gilliard, who has attended similar camps at Marshall and Clemson but won’t go to any other school in the SEC. “The SEC does other camps, Auburn does one I know about, but honestly, I don’t want to support any of them. Ole Miss is the only school in the SEC I will support.” Gilliard is a Rutgers graduate, but you wouldn’t know that the way he wears his Ole Miss T-shirt with pride. He sat around a table with seven other campers, listening to what offensive line coach Matt Luke had to say at Saturday’s lunch. Everyone treated him like an old friend, a true Rebel. “There are a group of guys I have grown close to,” Gilliard said. “I know I love it. If I didn’t love doing it, I wouldn’t sit on a bus for almost a full day round trip. “I think we all come back because of the camaraderie. I think it’s because of the experience. I think it’s because of the staff. They truly want to be doing this,” Gilliard added. “This is a weekend of their free time they have given up to do this. They’re all willing to interact and sit down and talk with you.” Gilliard does his best to keep up with the Rebels living 10 hours away. He watches all the CBS games involving Ole Miss. “I watch as many as I can, unfortunately I don’t get many of them up there. Every once in a while they will be the SEC Game of the Week. I absolutely get it when they play Alabama or LSU. I probably get to see four or five games a year, at most,” said Gilliard, who has traveled back down for some games. “It’s an incredible experience to be down here. One thing you won’t find in Chicago is a place like The Grove. The parallel is the Bears where people come out three and four hours before a game, but nothing along the lines of people coming out Friday night and setting up in The Grove and there until Sunday when they’re cleaning up. I love that type of thing and that’s something I don’t get up in Chicago.” - RN

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 51

2014 SEC SCHEDULES SEC WEST ALABAMA

Aug. 30............................ West Virginia Sept. 6.................FLORIDA ATLANTIC Sept. 13...................SOUTHERN MISS Sept. 20....................................FLORIDA Sept. 27........................................... Open Oct. 4.....................................@Ole Miss Oct. 11................................ @Arkansas Oct. 18............................... TEXAS A&M Oct. 25..............................@Tennessee Nov. 1............................................... Open Nov. 8............................................. @LSU Nov. 15..............................MISS. STATE Nov. 22...........WESTERN KENTUCKY Nov. 29.....................................AUBURN

ARKANSAS

Aug. 30................................... @Auburn Sept. 6..................... NICHOLLS STATE Sept. 13............................@Texas Tech Sept. 20............................... N. ILLINOIS Sept. 27............................... Texas A&M Oct. 4................................................ Open Oct. 11................................... ALABAMA Oct. 18..................................... GEORGIA Oct. 25...............................................UAB Nov. 1...............................@Miss. State Nov. 8............................................... Open Nov. 15...............................................LSU Nov. 22................................... OLE MISS Nov. 29.................................@Missouri

AUBURN

Aug. 30................................ ARKANSAS Sept. 6...................... SAN JOSE STATE Sept. 13........................................... Open Sept. 18.......................@Kansas State Sept. 27.....................................LA TECH Oct. 4...................................................LSU Oct. 11.............................@Miss. State Oct. 18............................................. Open Oct. 25...................SOUTH CAROLINA Nov. 1....................................@Ole Miss Nov. 8................................. TEXAS A&M Nov. 15...................................@Georgia Nov. 22..................................SAMFORD Nov. 29................................ @Alabama

LSU

Aug. 30.................................. Wisconsin Sept. 6.......... SAM HOUSTON STATE Sept. 13........................... LA-MONROE Sept. 20.............................MISS. STATE Sept. 27................... NEW MEXICO ST.

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SEC Championship Game • Saturday, December 6, 2014 Georgia Dome • Atlanta, GA

Oct. 4....................................... @Auburn Oct. 11..................................... @Florida Oct. 18..................................KENTUCKY Oct. 25.................................... OLE MISS Nov. 1............................................... Open Nov. 8..................................... ALABAMA Nov. 15............................... @Arkansas Nov. 22............................................ Open Nov. 25............................@Texas A&M

MISS. STATE

Aug. 30....................SOUTHERN MISS Sept. 6...............................................UAB Sept. 13.................. @South Alabama Sept. 20......................................... @LSU Sept. 27........................................... Open Oct. 4.................................. TEXAS A&M Oct. 11......................................AUBURN Oct. 18............................................. Open Oct. 25.................................@Kentucky Nov. 1................................... ARKANSAS Nov. 8..................................UT-MARTIN Nov. 15................................ @Alabama Nov. 22.............................VANDERBILT Nov. 29.................................@Ole Miss

OLE MISS

Aug. 28..................................... Boise St. Sept. 6...............................@Vanderbilt Sept. 13....................... LA-LAFAYETTE Sept. 20........................................... Open Sept. 27................................. MEMPHIS Oct. 4...................................... ALABAMA Oct. 11.............................@Texas A&M Oct. 18...............................TENNESSEE Oct. 25........................................... @LSU Nov. 1........................................AUBURN Nov. 8..........................PRESBYTERIAN Nov. 15............................................ Open Nov. 22............................... @Arkansas Nov. 29..............................MISS. STATE

TEXAS A&M

Aug. 28.....................@South Carolina Sept. 6.........................................LAMAR Sept. 13............................................ RICE Sept. 20....................................... @SMU Sept. 27............................... ARKANSAS Oct. 4................................@Miss. State Oct. 11.................................... OLE MISS Oct. 18................................. @Alabama Oct. 25............................................. Open Nov. 1............................... LA-MONROE Nov. 8...................................... @Auburn Nov. 15..................................MISSOURI Nov. 22............................................ Open Nov. 27............................................... LSU

SEC EAST FLORIDA

Aug. 30......................................... IDAHO Sept. 6..............EASTERN MICHIGAN Sept. 13................................KENTUCKY Sept. 20............................... @Alabama Sept. 27........................................... Open Oct. 4.................................@Tennessee Oct. 11................................................LSU Oct. 18...................................MISSOURI Oct. 25............................................. Open Nov. 1.......................................... Georgia Nov. 8.................................@Vanderbilt Nov. 15..................SOUTH CAROLINA Nov. 22............EASTERN KENTUCKY Nov. 29.........................@Florida State

GEORGIA

Aug. 30.................................. CLEMSON Sept. 6............................................. Open Sept. 13....................@South Carolina Sept. 20...........................................TROY Sept. 27.............................TENNESSEE Oct. 4.................................VANDERBILT Oct. 11..................................@Missouri Oct. 18................................ @Arkansas Oct. 25............................................. Open Nov. 1........................................FLORIDA Nov. 8...................................@Kentucky Nov. 15.....................................AUBURN Nov. 22..........CHARLESTON SOUTH. Nov. 29........................GEORGIA TECH

KENTUCKY

Aug. 30...............................UT-MARTIN Sept. 6............................................. OHIO Sept. 13................................... @Florida Sept. 20........................................... Open Sept. 27............................VANDERBILT Oct. 4......................SOUTH CAROLINA Oct. 11............................. LA-MONROE Oct. 18........................................... @LSU Oct. 25...............................MISS. STATE Nov. 1....................................@Missouri Nov. 8....................................... GEORGIA Nov. 15.............................@Tennessee Nov. 22............................................ Open Nov. 29................................@Louisville

MISSOURI

Aug. 30............... SOUTH DAKOTA ST. Sept. 6......................................@Toledo Sept. 13................CENTRAL FLORIDA Sept. 20.................................... INDIANA Sept. 27....................@South Carolina

Oct. 4................................................ Open Oct. 11..................................... GEORGIA Oct. 18..................................... @Florida Oct. 25..............................VANDERBILT Nov. 1....................................KENTUCKY Nov. 8............................................... Open Nov. 15............................@Texas A&M Nov. 22.............................@Tennessee Nov. 29................................ ARKANSAS

SOUTH CAROLINA

Aug. 28.............................. TEXAS A&M Sept. 6.......................EAST CAROLINA Sept. 13................................... GEORGIA Sept. 20.............................@Vanderbilt Sept. 27.................................MISSOURI Oct. 4....................................@Kentucky Oct. 11............................................. Open Oct. 18..................................... FURMAN Oct. 25.................................... @Auburn Nov. 1.................................TENNESSEE Nov. 8............................................... Open Nov. 15.................................... @Florida Nov. 22.................. SOUTH ALABAMA Nov. 29.................................@Clemson

TENNESSEE

Aug. 30............................. UTAH STATE Sept. 6................... ARKANSAS STATE Sept. 13.............................@Oklahoma Sept. 20........................................... Open Sept. 27..................................@Georgia Oct. 4.........................................FLORIDA Oct. 11........................ CHATTANOOGA Oct. 18..................................@Ole Miss Oct. 25................................... ALABAMA Nov. 1........................@South Carolina Nov. 8............................................... Open Nov. 15.................................KENTUCKY Nov. 22..................................MISSOURI Nov. 29..............................@Vanderbilt

VANDERBILT

Aug. 28......................................TEMPLE Sept. 6.................................... OLE MISS Sept. 13.......................................UMASS Sept. 20.................SOUTH CAROLINA Sept. 27...............................@Kentucky Oct. 4.......................................@Georgia Oct. 11...........CHARLESTON SOUTH. Oct. 18............................................. Open Oct. 25..................................@Missouri Nov. 1..........................OLD DOMINION Nov. 8........................................FLORIDA Nov. 15............................................ Open Nov. 22............................@Miss. State Nov. 29..............................TENNESSEE

2014-15 BOWL SCHEDULE Date ................Game ...................................Location ...................Time ............................Matchup ........................... TV Jan. 12.................Championship Game.........Arlington, Texas...............8:30 p.m........................Semifinal winners..................... ESPN Jan. 1....................Rose (Semifinal)..................Pasadena, Calif...................5 p.m................................TBD vs. TBD.......................... ESPN Jan. 1....................Sugar (Semifinal)................New Orleans, La..................8 p.m................................TBD vs. TBD.......................... ESPN Other Bowl Games Jan. 2....................TaxSlayer.............................. Jacksonville, Fla....................TBA..........................ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC................... ESPN Jan. 2....................Alamo..................................San Antonio, Texas............6:45 p.m........................Big 12 vs. Pac-12..................... ESPN Jan. 1....................Cotton....................................Arlington, Texas..................1 p.m...................At-Large vs. Group of Five............. ESPN Jan. 1....................Outback..................................... Tampa, Fla.......................1 p.m............................. Big Ten vs. SEC........................... TBA Jan. 1....................Capital One..............................Orlando, Fla......................1 p.m.........................ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC......................ABC Dec. 31................Fiesta....................................... Glendale, Ariz......................TBA....................At-Large vs. Group of Five............. ESPN Dec. 31................Orange........................................Miami, Fla..........................TBA.............ACC vs. Big Ten/SEC/Notre Dame...... ESPN Dec. 31................Peach..........................................Atlanta, Ga.........................TBA....................At-Large vs. Group of Five............. ESPN Dec. 30................Fight Hunger...................... Santa Clara, Calif................10 p.m......................... Big Ten vs. Pac-12.................... ESPN Dec. 30................Belk.......................................... Charlotte, N.C.................6:45 p.m..............................ACC vs. SEC........................... ESPN Dec. 30................Detroit......................................Detroit, Mich.......................TBA.............................. Big Ten vs. ACC.......................... TBA Dec. 29................Texas....................................... Houston, Texas..................9 p.m.............................. Big 12 vs. SEC........................ ESPN Dec. 27................Holiday...................................San Diego, Calif...................8 p.m.......................... Big Ten vs. Pac-12.................... ESPN Dec. 27................Sun........................................... El Paso, Texas...................2 p.m............................. ACC vs. Pac-12.......................... CBS Dec. 27................Pinstripe.....................................Bronx, N.Y..........................TBA.............................. ACC vs. Big Ten....................... ESPN Dec. 26................St. Pete...............................St. Petersburg, Fla................8 p.m........................... ACC vs. American..................... ESPN Dec. 26................Heart of Dallas.......................Dallas, Texas.......................TBA.....................Big Ten/Big 12 vs. C-USA................. TBA Dec. 24................Hawaii...................................Honolulu, Hawaii.................8 p.m................... Mountain West vs. C-USA............. ESPN Dec. 24................Bahamas.............................Nassau, Bahamas.................Noon............................. C-USA vs. MAC........................ ESPN Dec. 23................Boca Raton.......................... Boca Raton, Fla..................6 p.m............................. C-USA vs. MAC........................ ESPN Dec. 23................Poinsettia..............................San Diego, Calif................9:30 p.m................. Mountain West vs. Navy............... ESPN Dec. 20................Camellia...............................Montgomery, Ala..............8:15 p.m.........................MAC vs. Sun Belt...................... ESPN Dec. 20................Idaho Potato........................... Boise, Idaho..................5:45 p.m..................Mountain West vs. MAC............... ESPN Dec. 20................New Mexico....................... Albuquerque, N.M.............2:20 p.m................ Mountain West vs. C-USA............. ESPN Dec. 20................Royal Purple......................... Las Vegas, Nev...............12:30 p.m.........Mountain West No. 1 vs. Pac-12..........ABC TBA......................Miami Beach.............................Miami, Fla..........................TBA............................American vs. BYU........................ TBA TBA......................GoDaddy....................................Mobile, Ala.........................TBA.............................MAC vs. Sun Belt......................... TBA TBA......................Birmingham........................ Birmingham, Ala....................TBA............................ SEC vs. American........................ TBA TBA......................Liberty....................................Memphis, Tenn.....................TBA............................... Big 12 vs. SEC........................... TBA TBA......................Independence...................... Shreveport, La......................TBA..................................ACC vs. SEC.............................. TBA TBA......................Music City.............................Nashville, Tenn.....................TBA..........................ACC/Big Ten vs. SEC...................... TBA TBA......................Armed Forces.....................Fort Worth, Texas..................TBA...........................American vs. Army....................... TBA TBA......................Buffalo Wild Wings............... Tempe, Ariz........................TBA............................Big 12 vs. Pac-12........................ TBA TBA......................Russell Athletic Bowl............Orlando, Fla........................TBA............................... ACC vs. Big 12........................... TBA TBA......................Military....................................Annapolis, Md......................TBA............................ ACC vs. American........................ TBA TBA......................New Orleans.......................New Orleans, La....................TBA.................. Sun Belt vs. Mountain West.............. TBA Note: Schedule as of press time. All times Eastern. The Group of Five consists of the American Athletic Conference, MAC, Mountain West, Conference-USA and Sun Belt. 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 53

REBEL HOOPS

KEEP GRINDIN’ Murphy Holloway continues his dreams on the court with “GrindTime” Basketball Camps for kids

BY ANGIE LEDBETTER

Contributing Writer Photos by Ole Miss Media Relations and Angie Ledbetter

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REBEL HOOPS - MURPHY HOLLOWAY >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Follow Angie on Twitter @Rebe4ever

Dreams are sometimes farfetched but some people make theirs come true. Former Ole Miss basketball player Murphy McQuite Holloway is busy continuing his

dreams. Playing college basketball was a dream for him at a very young age because he followed it on television and wanted to play. At the age of seven he started playing in a recreational league. Holloway was attracted to the game and the competitiveness. “I wasn’t always the best player starting out but my competitiveness always made me better and eventually I developed into a good player,” said Holloway. Not only did he play basketball but football and baseball as well. He thought he was better at football as a youngster though. It wasn’t until his seventh grade year that he became serious about basketball. He realized he was good and could use it as an avenue to achieve better things in life like going to college. Holloway played at Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, South Carolina where he averaged 28 points per game, 15 rebounds and four blocks his senior year and was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Holloway knew a guy name Devan Downey from South Carolina who played under Coach Andy Kennedy in Cincinnati. “He was older than me and one of the guys I looked up to growing up in South Carolina. Downey had great things to say about Kennedy so I wanted to play for him.” Holloway made his way to Oxford and played in 31 games his freshman year at Ole Miss and 17 as a starter. His sophomore year he started 30 of 34 games but returned to South Carolina after that due to his mother’s health in 2010 and had to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. “The hardest thing about going back to South Carolina was getting settled into a new routine with a new coaching staff and school.” In June 2011 Holloway decided to return to Ole Miss once his family situation had settled and his mother was in better health. “Ole Miss never left my heart but I had responsibilities beyond basketball that I had to tend to.” He played his last two years setting records and helping the Rebels win a SEC Championship. As far as playing for the Rebels Holloway says it’s indescribable. “It was a breathtaking experience every

Holloway teaching kids at Bramlett Elementary School in Oxford.

time I took the floor. It was more than basketball for me. It was my family. I love being a Rebel and I don’t use past tense because I am and will always be a Rebel. I miss the fans, the games, the coaching staff and everything. Coach Kennedy was more than a coach he was a mentor and a father like figure. When asked if he’d go back and play another year, his response was “Hell Yes, Damn Right.” Expecting to be drafted he was very disappointed when he did not get a call from the NBA. “To my knowledge I’m the only player to average a double-double in the SEC and not get drafted. I stayed the course and kept working. I’m always preparing for what’s next. My path in life has never been easy. I embrace the grind.” Since leaving Ole Miss Holloway has been playing professional ball overseas. The biggest adjustment for him was the time difference and being able to communicate with his family, kids and girlfriend. “In Israel Sunday starts the week like Monday here. Everything is closed on Saturdays. Basketball has different rules there and I had to make minor adjustments to my game. Overall it was a great experience. Once again, the game of basketball is affording me the opportunity to see things that I would never have thought possible.” Giving back to the community has always been a personal priority for Holloway. While at Ole Miss he spent a lot of time volunteering with kids all over the area. “I noticed that not many players from Mississippi came back and gave back to the kids after their career was complete. I want-

ed to change that. I wanted to use basketball as an avenue to inspire others to be successful in life. I want others to also understand and appreciate their journey.” Loving Ole Miss and the community Holloway decided to return to the place that he achieved his dreams and give back. He wanted to host a basketball camp in the community that he loves. His dream has become reality as his first basketball camp is scheduled in Oxford, August 1-3, for boys and girls ages 6-17 at the Oxford Park Commission’s Activity Center. “I want the kids to leave the camp with improved basketball skills, better basketball IQ and to have some fun while doing it.” Additionally Holloway is excited about the sponsors providing an opportunity to kids from the Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi to attend a basketball camp that they otherwise may not have been able to attend. Camp details are updated continuously on the website www.grindtimecamps.com. You can also register online. For any questions you may email grindtimecamps@ gmail.com. Each camper receives a t-shirt and a photo with the players. There will be games played on the last day of camp for parents to attend and see what their children have learned. The cost for the three day camp is $200.00. Other former Rebels players will be in attendance along with some professional players from all over as well as Marshall Henderson. Ideally, Holloway would like GrindTimeCamps to expand in the local community and beyond. - RN 2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 55

RED SOLO CUP

Follow @RedCupRebellion

BOB LYNCH

Few Questions Remain on the Landshark Defense

espite the ubiquitous optimism of the Ole Miss fan base seen every summer, there are a handful of legitimate questions yet unanswered about the 2014 Rebel football team. Will Bo Wallace’s shoulder be fully healthy after a complete offseason of rest and rehab? Will Donte Moncrief and Ja-Mes Logan’s roles be filled in adequately by Laquon Treadwell and Quincy Adeboyejo? Who will start at right tackle in place of the departing Austin Golson? Will any further offseason developments or injuries provide additional setbacks before the season kicks off in Atlanta in late August? These questions have a lot of Rebels fans concerned about this team during this offseason, and for a handful of good reasons. However, few critical questions remain on the defensive side of the ball, prompting many to conclude that this season’s Landshark defense could be one of the program’s best in recent memory and easily the unit which gives this team the best chance at victory on Saturdays in the fall. Consider the defensive line for example. Returning are a handful of once highly-touted recruits who have proven, in a short period of time, to be outstanding combinations of strength and athleticism. C.J. Johnson, after missing much of last season with an ankle injury, returns to his defensive end spot, where he led the team in sacks in 2012. Alongside him will be fellow Mississippian Issac Gross, a South Panola product who makes up for his lack in size with unreal speed

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off of the ball. As a nose tackle, Gross led the Rebs last season with 3.5 sacks. The third returning starter up front will be Robert Nkemdiche, the former number one overall recruit out of Georgia, who will start at defensive tackle. Both Gross and Nkemdiche missed some time last year due to injury – Gross with a hernia and Nkemdiche with a hamstring pull – meaning that it was rare for Rebel fans to see all three of these defensive linemen on the field at the same time. This season, if things go as planned, they will pull much of the load as starters and serve as a group of experienced, athletic defenders. Accompanying those three are newcomers Fadol Brown, Breeland Speaks, Garrald McDowell, and a handful of likely redshirt candidates. Brown, who has already drawn comparisons to Nkemdiche, has a legitimate chance to start at one of the defensive end spots. A transfer from Florida International, Brown played in ten games as a true freshman for the Owls, earning a pair of sacks and tackles for a loss. Speaks, a Jackson native, is 6’4” and pushing 300 pounds, giving him the size necessary to contribute soon if needed. McDowell’s frame is leaner and lighter than his freshman counterpart, but if his offers from programs such as LSU and Nebraska are to be believed, he’s a legitimate defensive weapon. Most of the uncertainty surrounding this defense – which, again, is not much – is centered on the linebacker corps. Multi-year starter Mike Marry has graduated from his middle linebacker spot, and outside

Both Gross and Nkemdiche missed some time last year due to injury – Gross with a hernia and Nkemdiche with a hamstring pull – meaning that it was rare for Rebel fans to see all three of these defensive linemen on the field at the same time. linebackers Denzel Nkemdiche and Serderius Bryant spent time on the sidelines for injuries and discipline issues. Bryant, like Nkemdiche in 2012, did earn all-SEC honors last season, leading the team in tackles with 78. He and Nkemdiche will likely both see significant minutes on the field if they can stay healthy and out of trouble. Filling in for Mike Marry is the rare sixth year senior and even rarer two-time Chucky Mullins Award recipient D.T. Shackelford, who will return to his natural middle linebacker spot after spending a time working situationally as a defensive end. Although the veteran of two very limiting knee surgeries, Shackelford brings experience and maturity to a defense, as well as 32 tackles and a pair of sacks from last season. Most surprising to most Rebel fans, particularly those of us with experience cheering for underachieving pass defenses, is how comfortable so many of us feel about the Landshark secondary heading into the 2014 season. The Rebel corners and safeties are athletic, experienced, and deeper than they have been in years. Starting at Huskie, the hybrid safety-linebacker position, is Tony Conner, a former five-star recruit who earned Freshman all-America honors after

recording five tackles for a loss, six pass breakups, and an interception. Behind him is Chief Brown, who has spent two years at safety for the Rebels. He has the size necessary to play closer to the line of scrimmage, so that is exactly what he will be doing in this new role. At corner, Senquez Golson and Derrick Jones have the speed and range to keep up with the elite receivers of the Southeastern Conference, and are a part of the reason why the Rebels only gave up ten passing touchdowns last season – the second lowest mark in the conference. Jones in particular was a welcome surprise last season, where he started four games as a true freshman convert from wide receiver, and matched up well against the likes of high NFL Draft picks Mike Evans and Odell Beckham, Jr. The headliner of the defense is all-American safety Cody Prewitt who led the SEC in interceptions with six, while tallying 71 tackles, seven pass breakups, and recovering two fumbles. Starting alongside him will be Trae Elston, a heavy hitting two-year veteran. Supporting those two are Anthony Alford, the former Southern Miss quarterback who transferred to Ole Miss and, by most accounts, is a reliable defender in his own right; and C.J. Hampton, the safety recruit out of Meridian who was one of the state’s most sought after talents this past year. In total, Ole Miss returns ten starters off of a defense which held opponents to just under 24 points per game, even despite serious injuries to several key starters. If this year’s group of Landsharks can stay healthy and live up to the potential we all believe they can, then there is no question that they could prove themselves to be one of the Southeastern Conference’s most reliable defensive units this fall and keep the Rebels competitive week-in and week-out. - RN

it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s where you celebrate the game.

3850 ProMenaDe Parkway D’iberviLLe, MS 228.396.9464 buffalowildwings.com

2014 FOOTBALL PREVIEW - 57

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