From UM Media Relations:
EGG BOWL
Ole Miss Rebels (5-6, 2-5 SEC) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-7, 2-5 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038)
Surface: Natural grass
Ole Miss Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
MSU Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Series: Ole Miss leads 63-43-6
In Oxford: Ole Miss leads 23-11-3
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: SEC Network
Brent Musburger, Play-by-Play
Jesse Palmer, Analyst
Kaylee Hartung, Sideline
Sports USA National Radio
Wayne Randazzo, Play-by-Play
Doug Plank, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 145, XM 192
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• A win over Mississippi State would make Ole Miss bowl eligible for the fifth straight season under Hugh Freeze ... The last time the Rebels made five straight bowl appearances was when they earned a berth in a then-national best 15 straight seasons from 1957-71.
• This game is the 113th meeting of one of the nation’s most-played rivalries ... Ole Miss holds a 63-43-6 advantage in the series dating back to 1901 ... The Ole Miss-Mississippi State series is tied with the Michigan-Ohio State series for the 15th-longest in NCAA Division I history ... Saturday’s game will be the 89th “Battle of the Golden Egg,” as the two schools started playing for the trophy in 1927 ... Ole Miss holds a 57-26-5 advantage in the “Egg Bowl.”
• Ole Miss is seeking its first three-game win streak in the series since 2002-04.
• This is the first time since 2013 that the Egg Bowl did not feature a pair of ranked teams.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks 12th nationally with 314.5 passing yards per game.
• Seven of the Rebels’ first 10 opponents were ranked in the top 25.
• The Rebels have scored first in 10 of 11 games and have trailed at halftime only twice this year.
• Ole Miss is 37-5 under Freeze when allowing less than 30 points, 2-19 when opponents score 30 or more.
• Senior TE Evan Engram leads all TEs in the nation (and all SEC players) with 84.2 receiving ypg.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE
Hugh Freeze (Southern Miss, 1992) is in his fifth season at the Ole Miss helm. He inherited a team that went 2-10 and winless in SEC games in 2011 and has led the Rebels to four straight bowl games, including back-to-back “New Year’s Six” bowl berths the last two seasons. He’s the first coach to lead Ole Miss to four straight bowls since John Vaught, and he’s the only Rebel coach to accomplish that feat in his first four seasons at the helm. A 2014 finalist for the Bear Bryant Award and Dodd Trophy, Freeze owns a 39-24 mark in Oxford and a career record of 69-31. His .619 winning percentage at Ole Miss is the third-best of any Rebel coach in the last 100 years. He was named the University’s 37th head football coach on Dec. 5, 2011, coming to Oxford after one year as head coach at Arkansas State where he led the Red Wolves to a 10-2 season and the 2011 Sun Belt Conference title and was tabbed Sun Belt Coach of the Year. It is his second stint at Ole Miss, as he was a member of the Rebel coaching staff from 2005-07, including the final two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with two of the top classes in school history.
MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH DAN MULLEN
Dan Mullen (Ursinus College, 1996) is in his eighth year as the Mississippi State head coach. He has guided the Bulldogs to a 59-42 (.584) record and six bowl games in his tenure. After leading State to a 9-4 record and a victory in the Belk Bowl last year, he has guided them to an 4-7 record so far this season. In 2014, the Bulldogs won 10 regular-season games for the first time in school history and finished 10-3 with a loss in the Orange Bowl. Previous coaching stops for Mullen include serving as the quarterbacks coach under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04) and Florida (2005-08). He was also the Gators’ offensive coordinator and helped lead them to the 2006 national title.
MISSISSIPPI STATE SCOUTING REPORT
Mississippi State enters the Egg Bowl with a 4-7 record, 2-5 in SEC play. The Bulldogs are not eligible for a bowl game for the first time in seven years. Depending on Saturday’s outcome, they will either match or set their worst record under Dan Mullen. Sophomore QB Nick Fitzgerald has thrown for 2,178 yards and 18 TDs this season. He’s also run for a conference-best 12 TDs. His favorite receiver is Fred Ross, who leads the SEC in receiving TDs (11) and ranks third in the conference with 835 receiving yards. On the other side of the ball, MSU is allowing a SEC-high 34.3 points per game.
REBEL-BULLDOG CONNECTIONS
• Ole Miss senior TE Evan Engram and MSU senior DB Tolando Cleveland were teammates at Hillgrove HS in Powder Springs, Georgia.
• Ole Miss DBs A.J. Moore and C.J. Moore were teammates with MSU sophomore DB Jamal Peters at Bassfield HS in Bassfield, Mississippi.
• Ole Miss sophomore OL Javon Patterson and MSU sophomore WR Jesse Jackson were teammates at Petal HS in Petal, Mississippi.
• MSU RB coach and special teams coordinator Greg Knox was the Ole Miss wide receivers coach from 1995-98.
STARKVILLE REBEL
Going to high school in Starkville, A.J. Brown became an Under Armour All-American and one of the highest-rated wide receivers in the country. He made the move to Oxford to continue his football career, and the Ole Miss WR has made an immediate impact in his first season as a Rebel. Brown has appeared in every game, hauling in 26 catches for 371 yards and two TDs.
THE START OF THE GOLDEN EGG
The Golden Egg was first proposed by members of Sigma Iota, an Ole Miss honorary society in 1927. Sigma Iota proposed that a trophy be awarded in a dignified ceremony designed to calm excited fans, after Ole Miss fans stormed the field at Starkville’s Scott Field following the Rebels’ 7-6 win in the 1926 contest. The 1926 win snapped a 13-game losing streak to then-Mississippi A&M, and was just Ole Miss’ fifth win in 23 tries. Following the game, Ole Miss fans made a dash for the goal posts, while Aggie fans took after them with cane bottom chairs and fights broke out. The mayhem continued until most of the chairs were splintered. After Sigma Iota made its proposal, Mississippi A&M approved the suggestion, and Ole Miss, two weeks before the game, officially added its approval. The trophy, to be called “The Golden Egg,” would be a regulation-size gold-plated football mounted on a pedestal. Cost approximately $250 would be shared by both schools. On Thanksgiving Day, 1927, the first “Battle of the Golden Egg” was waged before a crowd of 14,000 in Oxford. The Rebels won 20-12 and the symbol of supremacy in the series was born.
ORIGINS OF THE NAME
The term “Egg Bowl” can be traced back to 1978, when Executive Sports Editor of The Clarion-Ledger Tom Patterson decided to spice up the 1978 meeting. A year earlier, The Clarion-Ledger headline on game day had been “Egg Bowl Is Up For Scramble,” and the following day it was “Egg Bowl ‘77: State 18, Ole Miss 14.” With the Rebels 4-6 and the Bulldogs 6-4 and apparently out of the bowl picture heading into the 1978 game, Patterson instructed his staff to follow the “Egg Bowl” theme throughout the week. The result was an award-winning special section on Sunday, which recounted in great detail the Rebels’ stunning 27-7 victory over the heavily favored Bulldogs. While the game is still officially the “Battle of the Golden Egg,” most members of the media now refer to the annual game simply as the “Egg Bowl.”
“EGG BOWL” FACTS
• This is the first time since 2006 that both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are not already bowl eligible heading into the Egg Bowl.
• This is the first time since 2013 that the game features a pair of unranked teams ... Both teams were ranked in 2014 and 2015 (both Ole Miss victories).
• Ole Miss is seeking its first three-game win streak in the rivalry since 2002-04.
• Since the Golden Egg trophy was first awarded in 1927, Ole Miss owns a 58-26-5 lead in the series.
• Ole Miss has a 23-10-2 record in Egg Bowls played in Oxford, winning seven of the last eight played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
• Since 2004, the home team has won every game but two (Mississippi State won 31-23 in Oxford in 2010, Ole Miss won 38-27 last season in Starkville).
• From 1998 through 2003, the game was played on Thanksgiving night and was televised nationally by ESPN ... The two teams split those six meetings on Thanksgiving, with the Rebels winning the last two, 24-12 in 2002 in Oxford and 31-0 in 2003 in Starkville ... The game was also played on Thanksgiving in 2013, a 17-10 overtime win by MSU ... The rivalry will return to a Thanksgiving matchup beginning next year in Starkville.
• Neither team has won more than three in a row in the series since Ole Miss reeled off four straight from 1983-86.
• Including a pair of forfeit victories, Ole Miss posted a 38-7-2 record versus MSU from 1944-1990.
• The Rebels own the four longest separate winning streaks in the series (9, 6, 6 and 5 games).
• From 1947 through 1963, the Rebels posted a 15-0-2 mark against MSU ... That means a child born in December 1946 was a senior in high school before they saw Ole Miss lose to the Bulldogs.
• The first “Battle for the Golden Egg” in 1927 marked the beginning of nine straight wins for the Rebels over MSU.
SENIOR SALUTE
With a win on Saturday, this year’s senior class will have guided the Rebels to four straight bowl games, including back-to-back New Year’s Six games after the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Their four-year win total of 32 (and counting) is the second-best of any Ole Miss class since freshman began playing in the early 1970s. This group boasts back-to-back wins over Alabama for the first time in school history, as well as wins at Alabama and Auburn in the same season for the first time in program history. They were part of the No. 1 scoring defense in the country in 2014 and set school records for scoring and total offense, among other records, a year ago. Members of this year’s senior class participating in senior ceremonies before their final home game include: WR Quincy Adeboyejo, DB Tony Bridges, DE Fadol Brown, OL Talbot Buys, DB Tony Conner, OL Robert Conyers, TE Evan Engram, DB Carlos Davis, QB Drew Davis, LB Luke Davis, C Jacob Feeley, LS Will Few, DT Issac Gross, RB Martin Johnson, DT D.J. Jones, DB Derrick Jones, RB Akeem Judd, QB Chad Kelly, OL Jeremy Liggins, LB Rommel Mageo, DB Kailo Moore, K Nathan Noble, LB Temario Strong, TE Hunter Thurley, P Grant Warren, DE John Youngblood and TE Taz Zettergren.
SEC LEGEND KRIS MANGUM TO BE HONORED DURING EGG BOWL
This year’s Ole Miss member of the SEC Legends class is TE Kris Mangum. A native of Magee, Mississippi, Mangum earned first team All-America honors in 1996 when he served as team captain for the Rebels. A two-time All-SEC selection, Mangum caught 74 passes for 729 yards and four touchdowns during his three seasons with the Rebels, averaging 9.9 yards per reception. He enjoyed a 10-year career in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, retiring after the 2006 season as the fifth-leading receiver in franchise history with 151 catches for 1,424 yards and nine TDs and third in team history in games played with 126. He was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
RUGGED 2016 SCHEDULE
• The combined record of the Rebels’ 11 opponents thus far is 79-41.
• The Rebels played seven nationally ranked opponents in their first 10 games.
• This week will be the second conference game on the season in which the Rebels’ opponent is not ranked.
• Teams on the Rebels’ schedule that are currently ranked include No. 1 Alabama, No. 14 Florida State, No. 16 Auburn, No. 22 Texas A&M and No. 25 LSU.
• Ole Miss plays 10 teams that made bowl appearances last year, tied for second-most in the nation with BYU, Colorado and Ohio State ... Only USC (11) will play more.
• Ole Miss is the only school in the country that faced three top-15 teams in the first four weeks.
REBELS HIT HARD BY INJURIES
The following key contributors are out for the season with injuries:
• CB Ken Webster (knee) after first defensive series of the season opener vs. Florida State
• RB Eric Swinney (knee) after first carry of the season opener vs. Florida State
• WR D.K. Metcalf (foot) after game two vs. Wofford
• DE John Youngblood (ankle) after game nine vs. Georgia Southern
• QB Chad Kelly (knee) after game nine vs. Georgia Southern
These additional key contributors have missed significant time with injuries:
• OT Rod Taylor missed three games (Auburn, Georgia Southern, Texas A&M) and was limited vs. Vanderbilt
• C Robert Conyers missed two games (Georgia Southern, Vanderbilt) and was limited vs. Texas A&M
• OT/C Sean Rawlings missed one game (Georgia Southern) and was limited vs. Texas A&M and Vanderbilt
• DE Fadol Brown missed four straight games (Alabama, Georgia, Memphis, Arkansas)
• CB Tony Bridges missed the Vanderbilt game
FIRST-HALF DOMINANCE
Ole Miss has been one of the most dominant first-half teams in the country this season. The Rebels have outscored opponents 100-65 in the first quarter and 241-157 in the first half of games. However, Ole Miss has been outscored 196-130 in the second half of games. Here are the Rebels’ largest first-half leads in each game this season:
Opponent Largest 1st Half Lead Final Score
vs. #4 Florida State 22 points (28-6) L, 34-45
Wofford 21 points (24-3) W, 38-13
#1 Alabama 21 points (24-3) L, 43-48
#11 Georgia 31 points (31-0) W, 45-14
Memphis 17 points (24-7) W, 48-28
at #22 Arkansas None L, 30-34
at #23 LSU 10 points (10-0) L, 21-38
#15 Auburn 6 points (6-0, 13-7, 16-10) L, 29-40
Georgia Southern 10 points (31-21) W, 37-27
at #8 Texas A&M 3 points (3-0) W, 29-28
at Vanderbilt 10 points (10-0) L, 17-38
OPPORTUNISTIC DEFENSE
Ole Miss has scored three defensive touchdowns, including a 44-yard fumble return by DE John Youngblood against No. 1 Alabama, a 52-yard interception return by CB Derrick Jones vs. No. 12 Georgia and a 31-yard interception return by S Zedrick Woods vs. Memphis. The Rebels are tied for 11th nationally with three defensive TDs this season. Here is how Ole Miss stacks up against other FBS teams in defensive scores since 2014:
Team Defensive TDs since 2014 Defensive TDs in 2016
Arkansas State 16 4
Ohio State 16 6
Alabama 14 9
Houston 12 5
Utah 12 3
Washington 12 1
Ole Miss 11 3
Memphis 11 3
TOP-FLIGHT TIGHT END
Senior Evan Engram is one of the top tight ends in the country, and has proven so over the last four years. The Powder Springs, Georgia, native currently leads all the nation’s tight ends with 84.2 receiving yards per outing this year. He is second with 5.9 catches per game and eight TD catches. For more stats and notables, see page 3 of the game notes. Here’s how Engram stacks up against the nation’s other top active tight ends over their career:
Tight End School Class Games Receptions Yards TDs
Jonnu Smith FIU SR 41 175 1936 17
Evan Engram Ole Miss SR 45 162 2320 15
Jake Butt Michigan SR 46 130 1560 11
Bucky Hodges Va Tech JR 37 123 1585 19
Cam Serigne Wake JR 34 121 1402 10
Jaylen Samuels NC State JR 37 119 1141 13
Billy Freeman SJSU SR 42 108 1384 10
GARY “WUNDER-KICK”
Junior K/P Gary Wunderlich has been nearly perfect on field goals this year and is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation’s top placekicker. The Memphis, Tennessee, native has converted 20 of 21 field goals for a FG percentage of 95.2 that leads the SEC and ranks second in the nation. His 1.82 FGs made are second among SEC kickers and tied for sixth nationally, while he is second in the SEC and 21st nationally with 9.0 points scored per outing. His only miss this year is from 55 yards. He’s 1-for-1 under 20 yards, 10-for-10 from 20-29, 6-for-6 from 30-39 and 3-for-3 from 40-49. He nailed a game-winning 39-yarder with 37 seconds left for the Rebels’ 29-28 win at No. 8 Texas A&M, garnering him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week status.
WHAT A DEBUT
True freshman QB Shea Patterson made his college debut at No. 8 Texas A&M, leading the Rebels to a 29-28 come-from-behind victory and setting records in the process.
• His 338 passing yards and 402 total yards are both the most by any freshman in school history.
• For his performance, he was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week.
• He is the sixth true freshman to ever start a game at QB for Ole Miss.
• He is the second true freshman to start multiple games at QB for Ole Miss (Tim Ellis started two in 1974).
• Below is a comparison of the starting debuts for Ole Miss true freshman QBs and SEC true freshman QBs in 2016:
Name Opponent (Result) Date Comp/Att Yards TD INT Rush Yards TD
Shea Patterson at #8 TAMU (W, 29-28) 11-12-16 25/42 338 2 1 64 0
David Morris at #24 MissSt (L, 6-28) 11-26-98 8/24 75 0 3 -10 0
Chris Osgood at #18 Tenn (L, 14-34) 11-16-85 4/20 49 0 2 -22 0
Mark Young at ND (L, 14-37) 11-9-85 2-6 -5 0 1 11 0
John Fourcade at MissSt (W, 27-7) 11-25-78 6/13 108 1 0 58 0
Tim Ellis vs. MissSt (L, 13-31) 11-23-74 14/24 208 2 2 23 0
UA Jalen Hurts vs. #20 USC (W, 52-6) 9-3-16 6/11 118 2 1 32 2
UGA Jacob Eason vs. Nicholls (W, 26-24) 9-10-16 11/20 204 1 1 -2 0
SC Jake Bentley vs. UMass (W, 34-28) 10-22-16 17/26 201 2 0 -7 0
A MEMORABLE COMEBACK
Trailing 21-6 entering the fourth quarter of a road game in front of 104,892 people at Kyle Field, the odds were stacked against the Rebels. However, with multiple stops by the Landshark defense and behind the arm of true freshman QB Shea Patterson in his college debut, Ole Miss scored 23 points in the final 15 minutes of play to upset No. 8 Texas A&M 29-28. The memorable win was the largest fourth-quarter comeback by Ole Miss since the Rebels overcame a 22-point deficit against SMU, Sept. 26, 1998. Also a road game in the state of Texas, Ole Miss trailed 41-19 before racking up 29 unanswered points. Grant Heard, now the Ole Miss wide receivers coach, caught a 44-yard pass from Romaro Miller with 31 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Then, a 4-yard run by Deuce McAllister in OT capped the rally as the Rebels won by a 48-41 final tally.
TICKET AND ATTENDANCE RECORDS AT RENOVATED VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY
• Thanks to a renovated and expanded Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Ole Miss has posted its top five single-game attendances in history this season ... The crowd of 66,176 at the Sept. 17 game vs. Alabama broke the all-time Ole Miss and state of Mississippi attendance records for football.
• A crowd of more than 42,500 on Saturday will break Vaught-Hemingway’s all-time season attendance record of 430,829 set in 2014.
• For the fourth straight season, Ole Miss has sold out of football season tickets.
• This year’s total of 57,200 season tickets purchased broke last season’s previous record of 52,375.
• Previous record-breaking season ticket sellouts were 51,316 in 2014 and 50,386 in 2013.
CHAD KELLY ... WHAT A CAREER
After a record-setting 22 games behind center as the Ole Miss quarterback, senior Chad Kelly’s career has come to an unfortunate end after he was diagnosed with a torn ACL and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee following the Georgia Southern game. Here are some of the top notables of Kelly’s Rebel tenure:
• Threw a TD pass in all 22 games (school record), which is currently tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation (Clemson’s Deshaun Watson 26, Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes 24, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield 22)
• Finished his career with 25 Ole Miss records and an additional two school bowl game records:
SINGLE GAME: Passing yards (465 vs. Auburn, 2016), pass attempts (59 vs. Auburn, 2016), total plays (70 vs.
Auburn, 2016)
SINGLE SEASON: Passing yards (4042, 2015), passing ypg (310.9, 2015), passing TDs (31, 2015), pass
efficiency (155.8, 2015), completions (298, 2015), completion percentage (65.1, 2015), yards per pass (8.8,
2015), 250-yard passing games (10, 2015), 300-yard passing games (8, 2015), consecutive games with 300
passing yards (3, 2015), total yards (4542, 2015), total ypg (349.4, 2015), total yards per play (8.04, 2015),
touchdowns responsible for (41, 2015)
CAREER: Consecutive games with a TD pass (22), 300-yard passing games (12), passing ypg (309.1), pass
efficiency (152.3), completion percentage (64.0), yards per pass (8.65), total ypg (346.9), total yards per play (7.84)
BOWL GAME: Total offense (375, 2016 Sugar Bowl), TD passes (4, 2016 Sugar Bowl)
• Also ranks top 10 in Ole Miss history in career passing yards (3rd, 6800), passing TDs (3rd, 50), total yards (3rd, 7632), TDs responsible for (3rd, 65), pass attempts (7th, 786) and completions (4th, 503)
• Against Auburn, broke single-game school records with 465 passing yards and 59 pass attempts ... His 505 total yards (465 passing, 40 rushing) are second-most in a game in school history.
• Threw for 3+ TDs in eight of his 22 appearances as a Rebel ... Against Alabama, he threw 3 TDs with 0 INTs for the second time this year and fifth time in his career.
• In his first year as a Rebel, Kelly led Ole Miss to a 10-3 record and its first trip to the Sugar Bowl since 1970.
• First Ole Miss QB to guide the team to wins over Alabama, Auburn and LSU in the same season and the first to lead the Rebels to five wins over ranked opponents in a single season
• Led the SEC in passing (310.9 ypg, 10th in nation), total offense (349.4 ypg, 7th in nation), passing TDs (31, 9th in nation) and points responsible for (246, 7th in nation) a season ago
• Last year, broke or tied 14 Ole Miss single-season records, including total yards (4,542), passing yards (4,042), passing TDs (31), TDs responsible for (41), completions (298), completion percentage (65.1), passing efficiency (155.9) and 300-yard passing games (8)
• His 4,542 total yards and 4,042 passing yards in 2015 were both third-most in a season in SEC history.
• Off the field, he has gone on back-to-back mission trips to Haiti with teammates during the 2015 and 2016 spring breaks and has performed speaking engagements with Ole Miss FCA ... 3.01 GPA as a general studies major.
TOP-25 WINS BY AN OLE MISS QB
Chad Kelly moved quickly up the list of all-time wins over top-25 opponents by an Ole Miss quarterback:
Quarterback Top-25 Wins (Opp/Year)
1. Archie Manning (1968-70) 8 (Bama/68, LSU/68, UGA/69, LSU/69, Tenn/69, Ark/69, Bama/70, Houston/70)
2. Chad Kelly (2015-16) 6 (Bama/15, TAMU/15, LSU/15, MSU/15, OKST/15, UGA/16)
3. Bo Wallace (2012-14) 5 (MSU/12, LSU/13, Bama/14, TAMU/14, MSU/14)
Jevan Snead (2008-09) 5 (UF/08, LSU/08, TT/08, LSU/09, OKST/09)
TRUE FRESHMEN SEE ACTION RIGHT AWAY
Several members of the Rebels’ highly regarded 2016 signing class have seen action this season: QB Shea Patterson (45 of 84, 560 pass yards, 4 TDs, 96 rush yards, 2 starts), WR A.J. Brown (26 catches, 371 yards, 2 TDs, 1 start), WR D.K. Metcalf (2 catches, 13 yards, 2 TDs), RB D’Vaughn Pennamon (20 rushes, 63 yards, 1 TD), OL Greg Little (played in every game with 4 starts at left tackle), Rover Myles Hartsfield (39 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 11 starts), S Deontay Anderson (29 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1 INT), DT Benito Jones (38 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack, 3 QBH, 3 starts), CB Jaylon Jones (26 tackles, 5 PBU, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 start), S/RB Jarrion Street (3 tackles), TE Octavious Cooley.
ODDS AND ENDS
• After facing six ranked foes in the first six league games, Mississippi State is the Rebels’ second straight unranked SEC opponent.
• The Rebels have only trailed at halftime twice this year (have led seven times, been tied twice).
• Ole Miss has scored first in 10 of 11 games this year.
• Six true freshmen have started a game this year, which is tied for third-most of any school in the country.
• With a start in the Egg Bowl, Shea Patterson would become the first true freshman QB in Ole Miss history to start three games.
• Two freshmen have started every game this year - WR Van Jefferson and DB Myles Hartsfield ... Hartsfield is the first true freshman to start every game in a season since Donte Moncrief in 2011.
• Against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss had four (non-related) Joneses on its starting defense - Benito, D.J., Derrick, Jaylon.
• Ole Miss has lost only five fumbles this season, tied for second-fewest among SEC teams and tied for 23rd-fewest nationally.
• Ole Miss commits 5.09 penalties per game, third-fewest among SEC teams and 24th nationally.
• Opponents average 6.9 penalties against the Rebels, which ranks first among SEC teams and 24th nationally.
• Ole Miss increased its win total by one game each year in Freeze’s first four years - 7 in 2012, 8 in 2013, 9 in 2014, 10 in 2015.
• Ole Miss is 31-7 under Freeze when leading at the half.
• Ole Miss is 34-4 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-20 when it rushes for less than 150 yards.
• Ole Miss is 37-5 under Freeze when giving up less than 30 points, 2-19 when opponents score 30 or more.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• After topping the SEC in scoring, total offense and passing a year ago, Ole Miss is currently fifth in the league in scoring (33.7 ppg), fifth in total offense (458.5 ypg) and first in passing (314.5 ypg).
• The Rebels’ aerial attack has been diverse and dangerous, as 13 different receivers have caught a pass and nine different players have caught a TD.
• The Ole Miss offense doesn’t have many negative plays ... The Rebels rank second in the SEC and ninth nationally giving up just 4.46 tackles for loss per outing ... Senior RB Akeem Judd has not lost yardage on any of his 145 rushing attempts this season.
• Evan Engram is having a monster senior season, leading all TEs in the nation with 84.2 receiving yards per outing, while ranking second with 5.9 catches/game and eight TD catches ... He leads all SEC players with 84.2 receiving ypg (27th in nation) and ranks third with 5.9 catches per game (30th in nation) ... His eight TD catches are tied for fourth among all SEC players (T-34th in nation).
• With 65 catches and 926 receiving yards, Engram has broken the single-season school records for a tight end in both categories ... He previously held the yards record (662 in 2014), while he broke Barney Poole’s long-standing catches record (52 in 1947).
• Sophomore Javon Patterson is the Rebels’ only offensive lineman who has started every game this season.
• Akeem Judd has topped 100 rushing yards in two of his last three games ... His 139 rushing yards vs. Georgia Southern were the most by a Rebel since Jordan Wilkins had 171 against Presbyterian in 2014.
• Judd has scored a TD in five of the last six outings (four rushing, one receiving).
• Against Auburn, the Rebels set a school record with 465 passing yards ... Their 570 total yards were most against an SEC foe this year.
• The Rebels’ running game came alive against Memphis, as senior Akeem Judd and junior Eugene Brazley posted rushing totals of 108 and 124 yards, respectively ... It was the first time two Rebels went over 100 rushing yards since the 2014 Presbyterian game.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• The Rebels are tied for 11th nationally with three defensive touchdowns.
• Junior DE Marquis Haynes has wreaked havoc on opposing offensive lines again this year, leading the team with 10.0 TFLs, 6.0 sacks and three forced fumbles ... He’s third at Ole Miss in career sacks (23.5) and fourth in career TFLs (35.5).
• Haynes is tied for second in the SEC with three forced fumbles, which is tied for 15th-most by any player in the nation.
• Of the Rebels’ 15 turnovers this year, Haynes has been involved in seven of them (3 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 2 QBH).
• Among the Rebels’ eight interceptions this year are two by linemen - DE Marquis Haynes and DT D.J. Jones.
• Sophomore DB Zedrick Woods is tied for fifth among SEC players and 49th nationally with a team-leading three interceptions.
• Junior LB DeMarquis Gates leads the team with 75 tackles and ranks seventh in the SEC with 7.5 tackles per game.
• Of the 13 defensive backs listed on the current depth chart, five are freshmen, including both players at Rover - No. 1 Myles Hartsfield and No. 2 Deontay Anderson.
• Against Memphis, sophomore DB Zedrick Woods had his first multi-interception game, including a 31-yard pick-six.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Junior K/P Gary Wunderlich, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, leads the SEC and is second nationally in FG percentage (95.2) ... He’s second in the SEC and sixth nationally in field goals made (1.82/game) and second in the league and 21st in the country in scoring (9.0 ppg) ... He has made 20 of 21 field goals this year, his only miss coming from 55 yards.
• Junior Will Gleeson ranks sixth among SEC punters with a 43.5-yard average.
• Senior Carlos Davis is sixth in the SEC with 23.1 yards per kick return.
EGG BOWL
Ole Miss Rebels (5-6, 2-5 SEC) vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-7, 2-5 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038)
Surface: Natural grass
Ole Miss Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
MSU Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Series: Ole Miss leads 63-43-6
In Oxford: Ole Miss leads 23-11-3
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: SEC Network
Brent Musburger, Play-by-Play
Jesse Palmer, Analyst
Kaylee Hartung, Sideline
Sports USA National Radio
Wayne Randazzo, Play-by-Play
Doug Plank, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 145, XM 192
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• A win over Mississippi State would make Ole Miss bowl eligible for the fifth straight season under Hugh Freeze ... The last time the Rebels made five straight bowl appearances was when they earned a berth in a then-national best 15 straight seasons from 1957-71.
• This game is the 113th meeting of one of the nation’s most-played rivalries ... Ole Miss holds a 63-43-6 advantage in the series dating back to 1901 ... The Ole Miss-Mississippi State series is tied with the Michigan-Ohio State series for the 15th-longest in NCAA Division I history ... Saturday’s game will be the 89th “Battle of the Golden Egg,” as the two schools started playing for the trophy in 1927 ... Ole Miss holds a 57-26-5 advantage in the “Egg Bowl.”
• Ole Miss is seeking its first three-game win streak in the series since 2002-04.
• This is the first time since 2013 that the Egg Bowl did not feature a pair of ranked teams.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks 12th nationally with 314.5 passing yards per game.
• Seven of the Rebels’ first 10 opponents were ranked in the top 25.
• The Rebels have scored first in 10 of 11 games and have trailed at halftime only twice this year.
• Ole Miss is 37-5 under Freeze when allowing less than 30 points, 2-19 when opponents score 30 or more.
• Senior TE Evan Engram leads all TEs in the nation (and all SEC players) with 84.2 receiving ypg.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE
Hugh Freeze (Southern Miss, 1992) is in his fifth season at the Ole Miss helm. He inherited a team that went 2-10 and winless in SEC games in 2011 and has led the Rebels to four straight bowl games, including back-to-back “New Year’s Six” bowl berths the last two seasons. He’s the first coach to lead Ole Miss to four straight bowls since John Vaught, and he’s the only Rebel coach to accomplish that feat in his first four seasons at the helm. A 2014 finalist for the Bear Bryant Award and Dodd Trophy, Freeze owns a 39-24 mark in Oxford and a career record of 69-31. His .619 winning percentage at Ole Miss is the third-best of any Rebel coach in the last 100 years. He was named the University’s 37th head football coach on Dec. 5, 2011, coming to Oxford after one year as head coach at Arkansas State where he led the Red Wolves to a 10-2 season and the 2011 Sun Belt Conference title and was tabbed Sun Belt Coach of the Year. It is his second stint at Ole Miss, as he was a member of the Rebel coaching staff from 2005-07, including the final two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with two of the top classes in school history.
MISSISSIPPI STATE HEAD COACH DAN MULLEN
Dan Mullen (Ursinus College, 1996) is in his eighth year as the Mississippi State head coach. He has guided the Bulldogs to a 59-42 (.584) record and six bowl games in his tenure. After leading State to a 9-4 record and a victory in the Belk Bowl last year, he has guided them to an 4-7 record so far this season. In 2014, the Bulldogs won 10 regular-season games for the first time in school history and finished 10-3 with a loss in the Orange Bowl. Previous coaching stops for Mullen include serving as the quarterbacks coach under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04) and Florida (2005-08). He was also the Gators’ offensive coordinator and helped lead them to the 2006 national title.
MISSISSIPPI STATE SCOUTING REPORT
Mississippi State enters the Egg Bowl with a 4-7 record, 2-5 in SEC play. The Bulldogs are not eligible for a bowl game for the first time in seven years. Depending on Saturday’s outcome, they will either match or set their worst record under Dan Mullen. Sophomore QB Nick Fitzgerald has thrown for 2,178 yards and 18 TDs this season. He’s also run for a conference-best 12 TDs. His favorite receiver is Fred Ross, who leads the SEC in receiving TDs (11) and ranks third in the conference with 835 receiving yards. On the other side of the ball, MSU is allowing a SEC-high 34.3 points per game.
REBEL-BULLDOG CONNECTIONS
• Ole Miss senior TE Evan Engram and MSU senior DB Tolando Cleveland were teammates at Hillgrove HS in Powder Springs, Georgia.
• Ole Miss DBs A.J. Moore and C.J. Moore were teammates with MSU sophomore DB Jamal Peters at Bassfield HS in Bassfield, Mississippi.
• Ole Miss sophomore OL Javon Patterson and MSU sophomore WR Jesse Jackson were teammates at Petal HS in Petal, Mississippi.
• MSU RB coach and special teams coordinator Greg Knox was the Ole Miss wide receivers coach from 1995-98.
STARKVILLE REBEL
Going to high school in Starkville, A.J. Brown became an Under Armour All-American and one of the highest-rated wide receivers in the country. He made the move to Oxford to continue his football career, and the Ole Miss WR has made an immediate impact in his first season as a Rebel. Brown has appeared in every game, hauling in 26 catches for 371 yards and two TDs.
THE START OF THE GOLDEN EGG
The Golden Egg was first proposed by members of Sigma Iota, an Ole Miss honorary society in 1927. Sigma Iota proposed that a trophy be awarded in a dignified ceremony designed to calm excited fans, after Ole Miss fans stormed the field at Starkville’s Scott Field following the Rebels’ 7-6 win in the 1926 contest. The 1926 win snapped a 13-game losing streak to then-Mississippi A&M, and was just Ole Miss’ fifth win in 23 tries. Following the game, Ole Miss fans made a dash for the goal posts, while Aggie fans took after them with cane bottom chairs and fights broke out. The mayhem continued until most of the chairs were splintered. After Sigma Iota made its proposal, Mississippi A&M approved the suggestion, and Ole Miss, two weeks before the game, officially added its approval. The trophy, to be called “The Golden Egg,” would be a regulation-size gold-plated football mounted on a pedestal. Cost approximately $250 would be shared by both schools. On Thanksgiving Day, 1927, the first “Battle of the Golden Egg” was waged before a crowd of 14,000 in Oxford. The Rebels won 20-12 and the symbol of supremacy in the series was born.
ORIGINS OF THE NAME
The term “Egg Bowl” can be traced back to 1978, when Executive Sports Editor of The Clarion-Ledger Tom Patterson decided to spice up the 1978 meeting. A year earlier, The Clarion-Ledger headline on game day had been “Egg Bowl Is Up For Scramble,” and the following day it was “Egg Bowl ‘77: State 18, Ole Miss 14.” With the Rebels 4-6 and the Bulldogs 6-4 and apparently out of the bowl picture heading into the 1978 game, Patterson instructed his staff to follow the “Egg Bowl” theme throughout the week. The result was an award-winning special section on Sunday, which recounted in great detail the Rebels’ stunning 27-7 victory over the heavily favored Bulldogs. While the game is still officially the “Battle of the Golden Egg,” most members of the media now refer to the annual game simply as the “Egg Bowl.”
“EGG BOWL” FACTS
• This is the first time since 2006 that both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are not already bowl eligible heading into the Egg Bowl.
• This is the first time since 2013 that the game features a pair of unranked teams ... Both teams were ranked in 2014 and 2015 (both Ole Miss victories).
• Ole Miss is seeking its first three-game win streak in the rivalry since 2002-04.
• Since the Golden Egg trophy was first awarded in 1927, Ole Miss owns a 58-26-5 lead in the series.
• Ole Miss has a 23-10-2 record in Egg Bowls played in Oxford, winning seven of the last eight played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
• Since 2004, the home team has won every game but two (Mississippi State won 31-23 in Oxford in 2010, Ole Miss won 38-27 last season in Starkville).
• From 1998 through 2003, the game was played on Thanksgiving night and was televised nationally by ESPN ... The two teams split those six meetings on Thanksgiving, with the Rebels winning the last two, 24-12 in 2002 in Oxford and 31-0 in 2003 in Starkville ... The game was also played on Thanksgiving in 2013, a 17-10 overtime win by MSU ... The rivalry will return to a Thanksgiving matchup beginning next year in Starkville.
• Neither team has won more than three in a row in the series since Ole Miss reeled off four straight from 1983-86.
• Including a pair of forfeit victories, Ole Miss posted a 38-7-2 record versus MSU from 1944-1990.
• The Rebels own the four longest separate winning streaks in the series (9, 6, 6 and 5 games).
• From 1947 through 1963, the Rebels posted a 15-0-2 mark against MSU ... That means a child born in December 1946 was a senior in high school before they saw Ole Miss lose to the Bulldogs.
• The first “Battle for the Golden Egg” in 1927 marked the beginning of nine straight wins for the Rebels over MSU.
SENIOR SALUTE
With a win on Saturday, this year’s senior class will have guided the Rebels to four straight bowl games, including back-to-back New Year’s Six games after the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Their four-year win total of 32 (and counting) is the second-best of any Ole Miss class since freshman began playing in the early 1970s. This group boasts back-to-back wins over Alabama for the first time in school history, as well as wins at Alabama and Auburn in the same season for the first time in program history. They were part of the No. 1 scoring defense in the country in 2014 and set school records for scoring and total offense, among other records, a year ago. Members of this year’s senior class participating in senior ceremonies before their final home game include: WR Quincy Adeboyejo, DB Tony Bridges, DE Fadol Brown, OL Talbot Buys, DB Tony Conner, OL Robert Conyers, TE Evan Engram, DB Carlos Davis, QB Drew Davis, LB Luke Davis, C Jacob Feeley, LS Will Few, DT Issac Gross, RB Martin Johnson, DT D.J. Jones, DB Derrick Jones, RB Akeem Judd, QB Chad Kelly, OL Jeremy Liggins, LB Rommel Mageo, DB Kailo Moore, K Nathan Noble, LB Temario Strong, TE Hunter Thurley, P Grant Warren, DE John Youngblood and TE Taz Zettergren.
SEC LEGEND KRIS MANGUM TO BE HONORED DURING EGG BOWL
This year’s Ole Miss member of the SEC Legends class is TE Kris Mangum. A native of Magee, Mississippi, Mangum earned first team All-America honors in 1996 when he served as team captain for the Rebels. A two-time All-SEC selection, Mangum caught 74 passes for 729 yards and four touchdowns during his three seasons with the Rebels, averaging 9.9 yards per reception. He enjoyed a 10-year career in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, retiring after the 2006 season as the fifth-leading receiver in franchise history with 151 catches for 1,424 yards and nine TDs and third in team history in games played with 126. He was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
RUGGED 2016 SCHEDULE
• The combined record of the Rebels’ 11 opponents thus far is 79-41.
• The Rebels played seven nationally ranked opponents in their first 10 games.
• This week will be the second conference game on the season in which the Rebels’ opponent is not ranked.
• Teams on the Rebels’ schedule that are currently ranked include No. 1 Alabama, No. 14 Florida State, No. 16 Auburn, No. 22 Texas A&M and No. 25 LSU.
• Ole Miss plays 10 teams that made bowl appearances last year, tied for second-most in the nation with BYU, Colorado and Ohio State ... Only USC (11) will play more.
• Ole Miss is the only school in the country that faced three top-15 teams in the first four weeks.
REBELS HIT HARD BY INJURIES
The following key contributors are out for the season with injuries:
• CB Ken Webster (knee) after first defensive series of the season opener vs. Florida State
• RB Eric Swinney (knee) after first carry of the season opener vs. Florida State
• WR D.K. Metcalf (foot) after game two vs. Wofford
• DE John Youngblood (ankle) after game nine vs. Georgia Southern
• QB Chad Kelly (knee) after game nine vs. Georgia Southern
These additional key contributors have missed significant time with injuries:
• OT Rod Taylor missed three games (Auburn, Georgia Southern, Texas A&M) and was limited vs. Vanderbilt
• C Robert Conyers missed two games (Georgia Southern, Vanderbilt) and was limited vs. Texas A&M
• OT/C Sean Rawlings missed one game (Georgia Southern) and was limited vs. Texas A&M and Vanderbilt
• DE Fadol Brown missed four straight games (Alabama, Georgia, Memphis, Arkansas)
• CB Tony Bridges missed the Vanderbilt game
FIRST-HALF DOMINANCE
Ole Miss has been one of the most dominant first-half teams in the country this season. The Rebels have outscored opponents 100-65 in the first quarter and 241-157 in the first half of games. However, Ole Miss has been outscored 196-130 in the second half of games. Here are the Rebels’ largest first-half leads in each game this season:
Opponent Largest 1st Half Lead Final Score
vs. #4 Florida State 22 points (28-6) L, 34-45
Wofford 21 points (24-3) W, 38-13
#1 Alabama 21 points (24-3) L, 43-48
#11 Georgia 31 points (31-0) W, 45-14
Memphis 17 points (24-7) W, 48-28
at #22 Arkansas None L, 30-34
at #23 LSU 10 points (10-0) L, 21-38
#15 Auburn 6 points (6-0, 13-7, 16-10) L, 29-40
Georgia Southern 10 points (31-21) W, 37-27
at #8 Texas A&M 3 points (3-0) W, 29-28
at Vanderbilt 10 points (10-0) L, 17-38
OPPORTUNISTIC DEFENSE
Ole Miss has scored three defensive touchdowns, including a 44-yard fumble return by DE John Youngblood against No. 1 Alabama, a 52-yard interception return by CB Derrick Jones vs. No. 12 Georgia and a 31-yard interception return by S Zedrick Woods vs. Memphis. The Rebels are tied for 11th nationally with three defensive TDs this season. Here is how Ole Miss stacks up against other FBS teams in defensive scores since 2014:
Team Defensive TDs since 2014 Defensive TDs in 2016
Arkansas State 16 4
Ohio State 16 6
Alabama 14 9
Houston 12 5
Utah 12 3
Washington 12 1
Ole Miss 11 3
Memphis 11 3
TOP-FLIGHT TIGHT END
Senior Evan Engram is one of the top tight ends in the country, and has proven so over the last four years. The Powder Springs, Georgia, native currently leads all the nation’s tight ends with 84.2 receiving yards per outing this year. He is second with 5.9 catches per game and eight TD catches. For more stats and notables, see page 3 of the game notes. Here’s how Engram stacks up against the nation’s other top active tight ends over their career:
Tight End School Class Games Receptions Yards TDs
Jonnu Smith FIU SR 41 175 1936 17
Evan Engram Ole Miss SR 45 162 2320 15
Jake Butt Michigan SR 46 130 1560 11
Bucky Hodges Va Tech JR 37 123 1585 19
Cam Serigne Wake JR 34 121 1402 10
Jaylen Samuels NC State JR 37 119 1141 13
Billy Freeman SJSU SR 42 108 1384 10
GARY “WUNDER-KICK”
Junior K/P Gary Wunderlich has been nearly perfect on field goals this year and is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation’s top placekicker. The Memphis, Tennessee, native has converted 20 of 21 field goals for a FG percentage of 95.2 that leads the SEC and ranks second in the nation. His 1.82 FGs made are second among SEC kickers and tied for sixth nationally, while he is second in the SEC and 21st nationally with 9.0 points scored per outing. His only miss this year is from 55 yards. He’s 1-for-1 under 20 yards, 10-for-10 from 20-29, 6-for-6 from 30-39 and 3-for-3 from 40-49. He nailed a game-winning 39-yarder with 37 seconds left for the Rebels’ 29-28 win at No. 8 Texas A&M, garnering him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week status.
WHAT A DEBUT
True freshman QB Shea Patterson made his college debut at No. 8 Texas A&M, leading the Rebels to a 29-28 come-from-behind victory and setting records in the process.
• His 338 passing yards and 402 total yards are both the most by any freshman in school history.
• For his performance, he was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week.
• He is the sixth true freshman to ever start a game at QB for Ole Miss.
• He is the second true freshman to start multiple games at QB for Ole Miss (Tim Ellis started two in 1974).
• Below is a comparison of the starting debuts for Ole Miss true freshman QBs and SEC true freshman QBs in 2016:
Name Opponent (Result) Date Comp/Att Yards TD INT Rush Yards TD
Shea Patterson at #8 TAMU (W, 29-28) 11-12-16 25/42 338 2 1 64 0
David Morris at #24 MissSt (L, 6-28) 11-26-98 8/24 75 0 3 -10 0
Chris Osgood at #18 Tenn (L, 14-34) 11-16-85 4/20 49 0 2 -22 0
Mark Young at ND (L, 14-37) 11-9-85 2-6 -5 0 1 11 0
John Fourcade at MissSt (W, 27-7) 11-25-78 6/13 108 1 0 58 0
Tim Ellis vs. MissSt (L, 13-31) 11-23-74 14/24 208 2 2 23 0
UA Jalen Hurts vs. #20 USC (W, 52-6) 9-3-16 6/11 118 2 1 32 2
UGA Jacob Eason vs. Nicholls (W, 26-24) 9-10-16 11/20 204 1 1 -2 0
SC Jake Bentley vs. UMass (W, 34-28) 10-22-16 17/26 201 2 0 -7 0
A MEMORABLE COMEBACK
Trailing 21-6 entering the fourth quarter of a road game in front of 104,892 people at Kyle Field, the odds were stacked against the Rebels. However, with multiple stops by the Landshark defense and behind the arm of true freshman QB Shea Patterson in his college debut, Ole Miss scored 23 points in the final 15 minutes of play to upset No. 8 Texas A&M 29-28. The memorable win was the largest fourth-quarter comeback by Ole Miss since the Rebels overcame a 22-point deficit against SMU, Sept. 26, 1998. Also a road game in the state of Texas, Ole Miss trailed 41-19 before racking up 29 unanswered points. Grant Heard, now the Ole Miss wide receivers coach, caught a 44-yard pass from Romaro Miller with 31 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Then, a 4-yard run by Deuce McAllister in OT capped the rally as the Rebels won by a 48-41 final tally.
TICKET AND ATTENDANCE RECORDS AT RENOVATED VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY
• Thanks to a renovated and expanded Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Ole Miss has posted its top five single-game attendances in history this season ... The crowd of 66,176 at the Sept. 17 game vs. Alabama broke the all-time Ole Miss and state of Mississippi attendance records for football.
• A crowd of more than 42,500 on Saturday will break Vaught-Hemingway’s all-time season attendance record of 430,829 set in 2014.
• For the fourth straight season, Ole Miss has sold out of football season tickets.
• This year’s total of 57,200 season tickets purchased broke last season’s previous record of 52,375.
• Previous record-breaking season ticket sellouts were 51,316 in 2014 and 50,386 in 2013.
CHAD KELLY ... WHAT A CAREER
After a record-setting 22 games behind center as the Ole Miss quarterback, senior Chad Kelly’s career has come to an unfortunate end after he was diagnosed with a torn ACL and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee following the Georgia Southern game. Here are some of the top notables of Kelly’s Rebel tenure:
• Threw a TD pass in all 22 games (school record), which is currently tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation (Clemson’s Deshaun Watson 26, Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes 24, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield 22)
• Finished his career with 25 Ole Miss records and an additional two school bowl game records:
SINGLE GAME: Passing yards (465 vs. Auburn, 2016), pass attempts (59 vs. Auburn, 2016), total plays (70 vs.
Auburn, 2016)
SINGLE SEASON: Passing yards (4042, 2015), passing ypg (310.9, 2015), passing TDs (31, 2015), pass
efficiency (155.8, 2015), completions (298, 2015), completion percentage (65.1, 2015), yards per pass (8.8,
2015), 250-yard passing games (10, 2015), 300-yard passing games (8, 2015), consecutive games with 300
passing yards (3, 2015), total yards (4542, 2015), total ypg (349.4, 2015), total yards per play (8.04, 2015),
touchdowns responsible for (41, 2015)
CAREER: Consecutive games with a TD pass (22), 300-yard passing games (12), passing ypg (309.1), pass
efficiency (152.3), completion percentage (64.0), yards per pass (8.65), total ypg (346.9), total yards per play (7.84)
BOWL GAME: Total offense (375, 2016 Sugar Bowl), TD passes (4, 2016 Sugar Bowl)
• Also ranks top 10 in Ole Miss history in career passing yards (3rd, 6800), passing TDs (3rd, 50), total yards (3rd, 7632), TDs responsible for (3rd, 65), pass attempts (7th, 786) and completions (4th, 503)
• Against Auburn, broke single-game school records with 465 passing yards and 59 pass attempts ... His 505 total yards (465 passing, 40 rushing) are second-most in a game in school history.
• Threw for 3+ TDs in eight of his 22 appearances as a Rebel ... Against Alabama, he threw 3 TDs with 0 INTs for the second time this year and fifth time in his career.
• In his first year as a Rebel, Kelly led Ole Miss to a 10-3 record and its first trip to the Sugar Bowl since 1970.
• First Ole Miss QB to guide the team to wins over Alabama, Auburn and LSU in the same season and the first to lead the Rebels to five wins over ranked opponents in a single season
• Led the SEC in passing (310.9 ypg, 10th in nation), total offense (349.4 ypg, 7th in nation), passing TDs (31, 9th in nation) and points responsible for (246, 7th in nation) a season ago
• Last year, broke or tied 14 Ole Miss single-season records, including total yards (4,542), passing yards (4,042), passing TDs (31), TDs responsible for (41), completions (298), completion percentage (65.1), passing efficiency (155.9) and 300-yard passing games (8)
• His 4,542 total yards and 4,042 passing yards in 2015 were both third-most in a season in SEC history.
• Off the field, he has gone on back-to-back mission trips to Haiti with teammates during the 2015 and 2016 spring breaks and has performed speaking engagements with Ole Miss FCA ... 3.01 GPA as a general studies major.
TOP-25 WINS BY AN OLE MISS QB
Chad Kelly moved quickly up the list of all-time wins over top-25 opponents by an Ole Miss quarterback:
Quarterback Top-25 Wins (Opp/Year)
1. Archie Manning (1968-70) 8 (Bama/68, LSU/68, UGA/69, LSU/69, Tenn/69, Ark/69, Bama/70, Houston/70)
2. Chad Kelly (2015-16) 6 (Bama/15, TAMU/15, LSU/15, MSU/15, OKST/15, UGA/16)
3. Bo Wallace (2012-14) 5 (MSU/12, LSU/13, Bama/14, TAMU/14, MSU/14)
Jevan Snead (2008-09) 5 (UF/08, LSU/08, TT/08, LSU/09, OKST/09)
TRUE FRESHMEN SEE ACTION RIGHT AWAY
Several members of the Rebels’ highly regarded 2016 signing class have seen action this season: QB Shea Patterson (45 of 84, 560 pass yards, 4 TDs, 96 rush yards, 2 starts), WR A.J. Brown (26 catches, 371 yards, 2 TDs, 1 start), WR D.K. Metcalf (2 catches, 13 yards, 2 TDs), RB D’Vaughn Pennamon (20 rushes, 63 yards, 1 TD), OL Greg Little (played in every game with 4 starts at left tackle), Rover Myles Hartsfield (39 tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 11 starts), S Deontay Anderson (29 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1 INT), DT Benito Jones (38 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack, 3 QBH, 3 starts), CB Jaylon Jones (26 tackles, 5 PBU, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 start), S/RB Jarrion Street (3 tackles), TE Octavious Cooley.
ODDS AND ENDS
• After facing six ranked foes in the first six league games, Mississippi State is the Rebels’ second straight unranked SEC opponent.
• The Rebels have only trailed at halftime twice this year (have led seven times, been tied twice).
• Ole Miss has scored first in 10 of 11 games this year.
• Six true freshmen have started a game this year, which is tied for third-most of any school in the country.
• With a start in the Egg Bowl, Shea Patterson would become the first true freshman QB in Ole Miss history to start three games.
• Two freshmen have started every game this year - WR Van Jefferson and DB Myles Hartsfield ... Hartsfield is the first true freshman to start every game in a season since Donte Moncrief in 2011.
• Against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss had four (non-related) Joneses on its starting defense - Benito, D.J., Derrick, Jaylon.
• Ole Miss has lost only five fumbles this season, tied for second-fewest among SEC teams and tied for 23rd-fewest nationally.
• Ole Miss commits 5.09 penalties per game, third-fewest among SEC teams and 24th nationally.
• Opponents average 6.9 penalties against the Rebels, which ranks first among SEC teams and 24th nationally.
• Ole Miss increased its win total by one game each year in Freeze’s first four years - 7 in 2012, 8 in 2013, 9 in 2014, 10 in 2015.
• Ole Miss is 31-7 under Freeze when leading at the half.
• Ole Miss is 34-4 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-20 when it rushes for less than 150 yards.
• Ole Miss is 37-5 under Freeze when giving up less than 30 points, 2-19 when opponents score 30 or more.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• After topping the SEC in scoring, total offense and passing a year ago, Ole Miss is currently fifth in the league in scoring (33.7 ppg), fifth in total offense (458.5 ypg) and first in passing (314.5 ypg).
• The Rebels’ aerial attack has been diverse and dangerous, as 13 different receivers have caught a pass and nine different players have caught a TD.
• The Ole Miss offense doesn’t have many negative plays ... The Rebels rank second in the SEC and ninth nationally giving up just 4.46 tackles for loss per outing ... Senior RB Akeem Judd has not lost yardage on any of his 145 rushing attempts this season.
• Evan Engram is having a monster senior season, leading all TEs in the nation with 84.2 receiving yards per outing, while ranking second with 5.9 catches/game and eight TD catches ... He leads all SEC players with 84.2 receiving ypg (27th in nation) and ranks third with 5.9 catches per game (30th in nation) ... His eight TD catches are tied for fourth among all SEC players (T-34th in nation).
• With 65 catches and 926 receiving yards, Engram has broken the single-season school records for a tight end in both categories ... He previously held the yards record (662 in 2014), while he broke Barney Poole’s long-standing catches record (52 in 1947).
• Sophomore Javon Patterson is the Rebels’ only offensive lineman who has started every game this season.
• Akeem Judd has topped 100 rushing yards in two of his last three games ... His 139 rushing yards vs. Georgia Southern were the most by a Rebel since Jordan Wilkins had 171 against Presbyterian in 2014.
• Judd has scored a TD in five of the last six outings (four rushing, one receiving).
• Against Auburn, the Rebels set a school record with 465 passing yards ... Their 570 total yards were most against an SEC foe this year.
• The Rebels’ running game came alive against Memphis, as senior Akeem Judd and junior Eugene Brazley posted rushing totals of 108 and 124 yards, respectively ... It was the first time two Rebels went over 100 rushing yards since the 2014 Presbyterian game.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• The Rebels are tied for 11th nationally with three defensive touchdowns.
• Junior DE Marquis Haynes has wreaked havoc on opposing offensive lines again this year, leading the team with 10.0 TFLs, 6.0 sacks and three forced fumbles ... He’s third at Ole Miss in career sacks (23.5) and fourth in career TFLs (35.5).
• Haynes is tied for second in the SEC with three forced fumbles, which is tied for 15th-most by any player in the nation.
• Of the Rebels’ 15 turnovers this year, Haynes has been involved in seven of them (3 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 2 QBH).
• Among the Rebels’ eight interceptions this year are two by linemen - DE Marquis Haynes and DT D.J. Jones.
• Sophomore DB Zedrick Woods is tied for fifth among SEC players and 49th nationally with a team-leading three interceptions.
• Junior LB DeMarquis Gates leads the team with 75 tackles and ranks seventh in the SEC with 7.5 tackles per game.
• Of the 13 defensive backs listed on the current depth chart, five are freshmen, including both players at Rover - No. 1 Myles Hartsfield and No. 2 Deontay Anderson.
• Against Memphis, sophomore DB Zedrick Woods had his first multi-interception game, including a 31-yard pick-six.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Junior K/P Gary Wunderlich, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist, leads the SEC and is second nationally in FG percentage (95.2) ... He’s second in the SEC and sixth nationally in field goals made (1.82/game) and second in the league and 21st in the country in scoring (9.0 ppg) ... He has made 20 of 21 field goals this year, his only miss coming from 55 yards.
• Junior Will Gleeson ranks sixth among SEC punters with a 43.5-yard average.
• Senior Carlos Davis is sixth in the SEC with 23.1 yards per kick return.
