From UM Media Relations:
HOMECOMING
#13/14 Ole Miss Rebels (4-1, 2-1 SEC) vs. New Mexico State Aggies (0-4, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015
Time: 11 a.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (59,347)
Surface: FieldTurf
Ole Miss Rankings: 14 (AP), 13 (Coaches)
NMSU Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Series: First meeting
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: SEC Network
Tom Hart, Play-by-Play
Andre Ware, Analyst
Laura Rutledge, Sideline
Satellite Radio: Sirius 81, XM 81
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss has won at least four of its first five games for the second time since 2003 and the second straight year.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks sixth nationally in scoring offense with 45.8 points per outing.
• The Rebels are ranked in the top 25 for the 23rd straight week, the longest streak since 1957-62.
• This is the first ever meeting between Ole Miss and New Mexico State in football.
• Ole Miss and New Mexico State have both played Florida in Gainesville this year ... NMSU lost 61-13 in the season opener and Ole Miss lost 38-10 last week.
• Ole Miss is 29-1-2 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
• This is the 88th Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924 ... The Rebels are 70-15-2 (.816 winning pct.) all-time in Homecoming games and have won 16 of their last 18, including last year’s 34-3 win over Tennessee.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense (500.4 ypg) and passing offense (327.4 ypg).
• The Ole Miss defense ranks third in the SEC with 10 turnovers forced and tied for first with seven interceptions.
• QB Chad Kelly tops the SEC in passing (295.6 ypg), total offense (315.0 ypg) and yards per completion (15.2).
• All-America DT Robert Nkemdiche has scored three offensive touchdowns this season (2 rushing, 1 receiving).
• Ole Miss is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this season.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE
Hugh Freeze (Southern Miss, 1992) is in his fourth 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 three straight bowl games, including a berth in one of the inaugural “New Year’s Six” bowls last season. A 2014 finalist for the Bear Bryant Award and Dodd Trophy, Freeze owns a 28-16 mark in Oxford and a career record of 58-23. His .636 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.
NEW MEXICO STATE HEAD COACH DOUG MARTIN
Doug Martin (Kentucky, 1985) is in his third year at New Mexico State, leading the Aggies to a 4-24 record in his time at Las Cruces. He owns a career record of 33-77 as a head coach, having served in that position at Kent State from 2004-10. Martin has been an assistant coach at several schools over the years, including offensive coordinator at Boston College (2012), New Mexico State (2011), East Carolina (1996-02) and East Tennessee State (1989-91). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Kentucky, in 1986. He was a four-year letterman and part-time starting quarterback at UK from 1981-84.
NEW MEXICO STATE SCOUTING REPORT
The New Mexico State Aggies are 0-4 overall and 0-1 in Sun Belt Conference games this season. After a season-opening 61-13 loss at Florida, the Aggies lost their next three games by a combined total of 14 points. They dropped their two home games by a combined five points, 34-32 to Sun Belt foe Georgia State and 50-47 to UTEP in overtime. Doug Martin’s team averages 30.2 points per outing and allows 45.8. Larry Rose III is among the nation’s top tailbacks, statistically, with 579 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He ranks seventh nationally with 144.8 rushing ypg and 163.3 all-purpose ypg. QB Tyler Rogers has completed 72 of 135 passes for 974 yards with seven TDs and three INTs. His top targets are Tyrain Taylor (17 catches, 308 yards, 3 TDs) and Teldrick Morgan (16 catches, 264 yards, 2 TDs). The NMSU defense has forced and recovered five fumbles on the year.
REBEL-AGGIE CONNECTIONS
New Mexico State director of sports performance Don Decker was Ole Miss’ head strength coach from 2008-11.
COMMON FOE
Ole Miss and New Mexico State have both played Florida in Gainesville this year. The Rebels lost to the Gators 38-10 last week, while the Aggies fell 61-13 in the season opener.
REBELS VERSUS SUN BELT OPPONENTS
• Ole Miss has a 29-1-2 record against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
• The Rebels’ last game against a Sun Belt team was a 56-15 win over Louisiana-Lafayette last year.
• Ole Miss vs. current Sun Belt teams:
School W-L Pct. Last Game
Arkansas State 20-1-2 .913 2004
Idaho 1-0 1.000 2013
Louisiana-Lafayette 4-0 1.000 2014
Louisiana-Monroe 3-0 1.000 2008
Troy 1-0 1.000 2013
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss dropped to No. 14 in this week’s AP poll and No. 13 in the Amway coaches poll following the loss to Florida.
• The Rebels’ two-week stay at No. 3 in the AP poll matched the best ranking since the Rebels were preseason No. 1 in 1964 ... Ole Miss was also No. 3 in the polls for three weeks last season.
• The current streak of 23 straight weeks in the national rankings is the longest since appearing in 69 straight from 1957-62 ... The Rebels have been ranked top 25 every week since the start of the 2014 season.
• The Rebels have been ranked top 25 for a total of 28 weeks during Hugh Freeze’s tenure as head coach.
• The Rebels’ No. 15 preseason ranking this year was the highest since they were No. 8 in the 2009 preseason polls.
HOMECOMING AT OLE MISS
• This is the 88th Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924.
• The Rebels are 70-15-2 (.816 winning pct.) all-time in Homecoming games and have won 16 of their last 18.
• Ole Miss defeated Tennessee 34-3 on Homecoming last year.
• The last Homecoming loss was a 27-7 defeat to Louisiana Tech in 2011.
FIRST 100 YEARS OF VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY STADIUM
Ole Miss is celebrating the first 100 years of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this season. The longtime home of Ole Miss Football began its life in 1915 when students helped build the first grandstands. The stadium’s permanent foundation was a three-year, federally funded project from 1939-41. Stadium capacity was originally listed at 24,000. It will top 64,000 next season after the enclosure of the north end zone. The Rebels boast an all-time record of 261-93-8 (.732 winning percentage) at Vaught-Hemingway.
Oldest FBS stadiums still in use:
Bobby Dodd Stadium (Georgia Tech) 1913
Davis Wade Stadium (Mississippi State) 1914
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Ole Miss) 1915
Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati) 1915
Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin) 1917
RECORD SEASON TICKET SELLOUT
• Ole Miss sold out of general public season tickets in June and then all season tickets in August (including student season tickets) en route to a new record of 52,375.
• Ole Miss has now sold out of football season tickets for three straight seasons - 50,386 in 2013 and 51,316 in 2014.
• The Vaught-Hemingway season attendance record has been broken each of the last two years, with 430,829 fans watching Ole Miss play a year ago.
• Six of Ole Miss’ seven home games last year were sellouts.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS
• In five games Ole Miss has scored 229 points, which surpasses the season totals from these recent seasons:2011 (193), 2006 (188), 2005 (148), 2004 (215).
• The Rebels scored 43+ points in three straight games for the first time in school history.
• The team’s 192 points in the first three games tied the 1995 Florida State team for third-most points through the first three games in FBS history.
• The Rebels set school records with 149 points in a two-game span and 192 points in a three-game span.
• Ole Miss is the first team in SEC history to score 73+ points in back-to-back games and the first from any conference since Houston in 1968.
• Ole Miss scored 50+ points in back-to-back games for the first time in school history.
• First SEC team to score 70+ in consecutive games since Florida in 1994.
• First time in school history that Ole Miss has eclipsed 600 total yards two times in the same season.
• The 76 points vs. UT Martin were the most points and best margin of victory since a 92-0 win over West Tennessee Teachers College (now known as Memphis) on Sept. 28, 1935.
• The 28 first-quarter points vs. Fresno State and 27 vs. UT Martin are the top two marks in modern history (since 1962).
• The 43 points were the most Ole Miss has ever scored in Tuscaloosa and tied for second-most ever against Alabama.
SCORING FAST
Ole Miss ranks fourth nationally in percentage of scoring drives that last two minutes or less.
TOUCHDOWN DRIVES OF TWO MINUTES OR LESS
1. Baylor 24 of 36 66.7%
2. TCU 20 of 32 62.5%
3. Texas State 11 of 18 61.1%
4. Ole Miss 16 of 27 59.3%
MAGIC #20
• Under Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss is 28-7 when scoring 20 or more points and 0-9 when it fails to reach 20.
• Under Freeze, Ole Miss is 16-2 when allowing its opponent to score less than 20 points.
• The only two games in which a Rebel foe has scored less than 20 and won were the 2013 Mississippi State game (17-10 in OT) and the 2014 LSU game (10-7), both on the road.
LANDSHARKS LOVE TURNOVERS
• Last year, the Rebels’ Landshark defense led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced.
• Ole Miss is third in the SEC and 24th nationally with 10 turnovers forced, although the Rebel defense hasn’t forced a turnover in the last two games (vs. Vanderbilt, at Florida).
• The Rebels forced five turnovers in the 43-37 win at No. 2 Alabama.
• Ole Miss is tied for the SEC lead and 18th nationally with seven interceptions.
• The Rebels’ three defensive touchdowns are tied for most in the nation.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COVER
For the second straight year, Ole Miss was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated after a win over Alabama. The Sept. 23 issue shows a jubilant Trae Elston after the senior safety’s interception of Alabama quarterback Cooper Bateman in the Rebels’ 43-37 win, their first in Tuscaloosa since 1988. It’s the sixth time Ole Miss has been featured on the national cover of the iconic magazine. The others:
• Oct. 8, 2014: Ole Miss receivers celebrating a 23-17 win over then-No. 1 Alabama.
• Aug. 12, 2009: College football preview edition featured Rebel QB Jevan Snead and center Daverin Geralds and ranked Ole Miss No. 6 in its preseason top 10.
• Sept. 30, 2008: Rebel DE Greg Hardy tackling Florida QB Tim Tebow during the Rebels’ 31-30 upset over the No. 4 Gators, who would go on to win the national title.
• Sept. 14: 1970: Archie Manning, “Idol of Ole Miss”
• Sept. 24, 1962: College football preview showcased the Rebelettes.
KELLY SHINES BEHIND CENTER
• Junior QB Chad Kelly, a transfer from East Mississippi Community College after starting his career at Clemson, has helped Ole Miss to a 4-1 start and impressive offensive numbers by completing 97 of 155 passes for 1,478 yards with 11 TDs and four interceptions.
• Kelly leads the SEC in passing (295.6 ypg, 17th in nation), total offense (315.0 ypg, 17th in nation) and yards per completion (15.24, 9th in nation).
• He ranks second in the SEC and top 13 nationally in points responsible for (84), passing TDs (11) and yards per pass attempt (9.54).
• First SEC QB since Johnny Manziel in 2012 to account for five touchdowns in a half (4 pass, 1 rush vs. Fresno State).
• First QB to lead his team to victory in Tuscaloosa since Texas A&M’s Manziel in 2012.
• His three 300-yard passing games already tie him for third in school history with Archie Manning, Romaro Miller and Stewart Patridge.
ROBERT NKEMDICHE: A BEAST IN ALL THREE PHASES
• Junior DT Robert Nkemdiche has shown his athleticism and prowess on defense, special teams AND offense.
• Nkemdiche, the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Alabama road win, has tallied 16 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack and two QB hurries on defense.
• He has lined up in the offensive backfield in four of five games and scored three touchdowns - a 31-yard catch and run vs. UT Martin and 1-yard goal line runs vs. Fresno State and Vanderbilt.
• He mauled a couple of would-be blockers on his way to block a 23-yard field goal attempt vs. UT Martin ... It was the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through five games, 15 different Rebels have scored touchdowns (13 on offense, two on defense).
• Seven different Rebels have rushed for at least one touchdown: Chad Kelly (3), Jaylen Walton (3), Robert Nkemdiche (2), Eugene Brazley (2), Jordan Wilkins (1), Akeem Judd (1) and D.K. Buford (1).
• Seven different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Quincy Adeboyejo (5), Cody Core (3), Markell Pack (2), Laquon Treadwell (1), Damore’ea Stringfellow (1), Robert Nkemdiche (1) and DaMarkus Lodge (1).
• Notably, preseason All-America TE Evan Engram has yet to score this season.
• Eighteen different Rebels have caught a pass, while 14 different Rebels have logged a rushing attempt.
LAREMY TUNSIL WAITS
STATEMENT FROM HUGH FREEZE AND ROSS BJORK: “We have been preparing as if Laremy Tunsil will not play and that status will continue until the matter is resolved. The team of our university administration, athletics compliance and outside counsel are working daily on this sensitive matter. Although the process is ongoing, the decision to withhold Laremy is not related to any current items involving our football staff, and we have been assured that everyone is aggressively seeking a resolution. We continue to support Laremy in every way. In early July, the University offered (Laremy accepted) separate legal counsel with experience in similar matters, and the University continues to pay for Laremy’s counsel, as permitted by NCAA rules.”
INJURIES
• Starters or key reserves who did not play due to injury:
vs. UT Martin - sophomore OL Rod Taylor
vs. Fresno State - senior DT Issac Gross
at Alabama - senior DT Issac Gross
vs. Vanderbilt - senior OL Justin Bell, junior DB Tony Conner, senior DT Issac Gross, sophomore OL Rod Taylor
at Florida - senior OL Justin Bell, junior DB Tony Conner, senior DT Issac Gross
• Junior DB Tony Conner is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Alabama.
• Out for the season: senior DT Issac Gross (neck), sophomore DT Herbert Moore (ACL) ... Ole Miss announced before the Fresno State game that Gross, the team’s returning starter at nose tackle, is having season-ending neck surgery ... He plans to redshirt and return for a fifth season upon a successful surgery and recovery.
ODDS AND ENDS
• Ole Miss has won four of its first five games for just the second time since 2003.
• The Rebels have outscored opponents 65-16 in the first quarter this year.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks 12th nationally with 124 first downs on the year.
• Rebel opponents are controlling the clock by nearly 10 minutes per game (34:18 to 25:42), as Ole Miss has yet to have the edge in time of possession in any game this year.
• Ole Miss has made 7 of 9 field-goal attempts this year, and Rebel opponents have made 7 of 9 field-goal attempts.
• The Rebels have defeated Alabama in consecutive years for the first time in history and are the first team to take down the Tide in back-to-back years since LSU in 2010 and 2011.
• Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in 4th down conversion (75.0%), while the Rebel defense is second in the league in opponents’ 4th down conversion (22.2%).
• Ole Miss is 22-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 4-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 23-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-14 when it rushes for less than 150 yards.
• Ole Miss has increased its win total by one game each year under Hugh Freeze - 7 in 2012, 8 in 2013, 9 in 2014.
• Ole Miss is one of 14 schools that will play at least nine teams this year that made bowl games in 2014.
• The Rebels face UT Martin and New Mexico State for the first time in program history this year.
• The Rebels travel to Florida for the first time since 2008 and to Memphis for the first time since 2009.
• Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche’s 264 combined career tackles are the most among active brothers in the NCAA.
• Ole Miss has three sets of brothers on the squad this year: A.J. and C.J. Moore (twins); Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche; and Laremy Tunsil and Alex Weber.
• The Rebels’ Oct. 4, 2014 win over Alabama won them the ESPY for Best Upset at this year’s ESPY Awards.
• Hugh Freeze was the honorary pace car driver for the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 2015.
• Ole Miss Sports Productions won two Emmy awards for “The Season: Ole Miss Football” this year.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks No. 6 in the nation in scoring (45.8 ppg).
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense (500.4 ypg, 17th in nation), passing offense (327.4 ypg, 16th in nation) and passing efficiency (159.3, 15th in nation).
• The Rebels have converted 22 of 24 red-zone scoring chances this season (16 TDs, 6 FGs) ... The conversion rate of 91.7 percent is tied for second in the SEC and 20th nationally.
• Junior WR Laquon Treadwell is fifth in the SEC in both receptions (5.4/game) and receiving yards (74.8/game).
• Senior WR Cody Core ranks seventh in the league at 67.0 receiving ypg.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks ninth in the league with 110.6 all-purpose ypg.
• Junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo tops the SEC and ranks ninth nationally with five touchdown catches.
• Adeboyejo ranks 15th nationally with 21.3 yards per catch, while Core is 18th at 20.9 yards per catch.
• Against Fresno State, Adeboyejo became the first Rebel to catch three TDs in a game since Donte Moncrief in 2012 vs. Mississippi State.
• Guard Javon Patterson is the first true freshman starter on the Ole Miss OL since John Jerry in 2006.
• Preseason All-American junior TE Evan Engram ranks top four in Ole Miss history in career receptions (67), yards (1,039) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks 11th in the SEC and 58th nationally in scoring defense (23.0 ppg) after leading the country in that category last season.
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 48th in the nation in total defense (357.2 ypg).
• The Rebels average 7.4 tackles for loss per outing, which is fourth-best among SEC teams and 23rd nationally.
• Senior FS Trae Elston is one of three players in the nation with a pair of interception returns for TD this year (along with Marshall’s Tiquan Lang and San Diego State’s Calvin Munson) ... Elston’s 93-yard return against UT Martin was the Rebels’ longest since Charles Sawyer’s 96-yarder vs. BYU in 2011.
• Elston is tied for the SEC lead and 10th nationally with three interceptions.
• Elston and senior DB Mike Hilton are tied for eighth among SEC players with five passes defended apiece.
• Senior LB C.J. Johnson is tied for fourth in the SEC and 28th nationally with two interceptions.
• Sophomore DB A.J. Moore is tied atop the SEC with two fumble recoveries and is tied for fourth in the league with two forced fumbles.
• Senior LB Denzel Nkemdiche leads the Rebels with 34 tackles and 5.0 TFLs ... He posted double-digit tackles in back-to-back games against Alabama (10) and Vanderbilt (career-high 14).
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and eighth nationally in net punting (42.1-yard average).
• The Rebels allow opponents to average 1.83 yards per punt return, which leads the SEC and ranks 14th nationally.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks third in school history with 3,907 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,754.
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich is 7-for-9 on field goals and 25-for-25 on PATs this season ... He’s only missed two field goals under 50 yards in his career.
• Wunderlich ranks seventh in the SEC in scoring at 9.2 points per game.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
HOMECOMING
#13/14 Ole Miss Rebels (4-1, 2-1 SEC) vs. New Mexico State Aggies (0-4, 0-1 Sun Belt)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015
Time: 11 a.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (59,347)
Surface: FieldTurf
Ole Miss Rankings: 14 (AP), 13 (Coaches)
NMSU Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Series: First meeting
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: SEC Network
Tom Hart, Play-by-Play
Andre Ware, Analyst
Laura Rutledge, Sideline
Satellite Radio: Sirius 81, XM 81
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss has won at least four of its first five games for the second time since 2003 and the second straight year.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks sixth nationally in scoring offense with 45.8 points per outing.
• The Rebels are ranked in the top 25 for the 23rd straight week, the longest streak since 1957-62.
• This is the first ever meeting between Ole Miss and New Mexico State in football.
• Ole Miss and New Mexico State have both played Florida in Gainesville this year ... NMSU lost 61-13 in the season opener and Ole Miss lost 38-10 last week.
• Ole Miss is 29-1-2 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
• This is the 88th Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924 ... The Rebels are 70-15-2 (.816 winning pct.) all-time in Homecoming games and have won 16 of their last 18, including last year’s 34-3 win over Tennessee.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense (500.4 ypg) and passing offense (327.4 ypg).
• The Ole Miss defense ranks third in the SEC with 10 turnovers forced and tied for first with seven interceptions.
• QB Chad Kelly tops the SEC in passing (295.6 ypg), total offense (315.0 ypg) and yards per completion (15.2).
• All-America DT Robert Nkemdiche has scored three offensive touchdowns this season (2 rushing, 1 receiving).
• Ole Miss is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this season.
OLE MISS HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE
Hugh Freeze (Southern Miss, 1992) is in his fourth 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 three straight bowl games, including a berth in one of the inaugural “New Year’s Six” bowls last season. A 2014 finalist for the Bear Bryant Award and Dodd Trophy, Freeze owns a 28-16 mark in Oxford and a career record of 58-23. His .636 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.
NEW MEXICO STATE HEAD COACH DOUG MARTIN
Doug Martin (Kentucky, 1985) is in his third year at New Mexico State, leading the Aggies to a 4-24 record in his time at Las Cruces. He owns a career record of 33-77 as a head coach, having served in that position at Kent State from 2004-10. Martin has been an assistant coach at several schools over the years, including offensive coordinator at Boston College (2012), New Mexico State (2011), East Carolina (1996-02) and East Tennessee State (1989-91). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Kentucky, in 1986. He was a four-year letterman and part-time starting quarterback at UK from 1981-84.
NEW MEXICO STATE SCOUTING REPORT
The New Mexico State Aggies are 0-4 overall and 0-1 in Sun Belt Conference games this season. After a season-opening 61-13 loss at Florida, the Aggies lost their next three games by a combined total of 14 points. They dropped their two home games by a combined five points, 34-32 to Sun Belt foe Georgia State and 50-47 to UTEP in overtime. Doug Martin’s team averages 30.2 points per outing and allows 45.8. Larry Rose III is among the nation’s top tailbacks, statistically, with 579 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He ranks seventh nationally with 144.8 rushing ypg and 163.3 all-purpose ypg. QB Tyler Rogers has completed 72 of 135 passes for 974 yards with seven TDs and three INTs. His top targets are Tyrain Taylor (17 catches, 308 yards, 3 TDs) and Teldrick Morgan (16 catches, 264 yards, 2 TDs). The NMSU defense has forced and recovered five fumbles on the year.
REBEL-AGGIE CONNECTIONS
New Mexico State director of sports performance Don Decker was Ole Miss’ head strength coach from 2008-11.
COMMON FOE
Ole Miss and New Mexico State have both played Florida in Gainesville this year. The Rebels lost to the Gators 38-10 last week, while the Aggies fell 61-13 in the season opener.
REBELS VERSUS SUN BELT OPPONENTS
• Ole Miss has a 29-1-2 record against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
• The Rebels’ last game against a Sun Belt team was a 56-15 win over Louisiana-Lafayette last year.
• Ole Miss vs. current Sun Belt teams:
School W-L Pct. Last Game
Arkansas State 20-1-2 .913 2004
Idaho 1-0 1.000 2013
Louisiana-Lafayette 4-0 1.000 2014
Louisiana-Monroe 3-0 1.000 2008
Troy 1-0 1.000 2013
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss dropped to No. 14 in this week’s AP poll and No. 13 in the Amway coaches poll following the loss to Florida.
• The Rebels’ two-week stay at No. 3 in the AP poll matched the best ranking since the Rebels were preseason No. 1 in 1964 ... Ole Miss was also No. 3 in the polls for three weeks last season.
• The current streak of 23 straight weeks in the national rankings is the longest since appearing in 69 straight from 1957-62 ... The Rebels have been ranked top 25 every week since the start of the 2014 season.
• The Rebels have been ranked top 25 for a total of 28 weeks during Hugh Freeze’s tenure as head coach.
• The Rebels’ No. 15 preseason ranking this year was the highest since they were No. 8 in the 2009 preseason polls.
HOMECOMING AT OLE MISS
• This is the 88th Homecoming game at Ole Miss since 1924.
• The Rebels are 70-15-2 (.816 winning pct.) all-time in Homecoming games and have won 16 of their last 18.
• Ole Miss defeated Tennessee 34-3 on Homecoming last year.
• The last Homecoming loss was a 27-7 defeat to Louisiana Tech in 2011.
FIRST 100 YEARS OF VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY STADIUM
Ole Miss is celebrating the first 100 years of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this season. The longtime home of Ole Miss Football began its life in 1915 when students helped build the first grandstands. The stadium’s permanent foundation was a three-year, federally funded project from 1939-41. Stadium capacity was originally listed at 24,000. It will top 64,000 next season after the enclosure of the north end zone. The Rebels boast an all-time record of 261-93-8 (.732 winning percentage) at Vaught-Hemingway.
Oldest FBS stadiums still in use:
Bobby Dodd Stadium (Georgia Tech) 1913
Davis Wade Stadium (Mississippi State) 1914
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Ole Miss) 1915
Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati) 1915
Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin) 1917
RECORD SEASON TICKET SELLOUT
• Ole Miss sold out of general public season tickets in June and then all season tickets in August (including student season tickets) en route to a new record of 52,375.
• Ole Miss has now sold out of football season tickets for three straight seasons - 50,386 in 2013 and 51,316 in 2014.
• The Vaught-Hemingway season attendance record has been broken each of the last two years, with 430,829 fans watching Ole Miss play a year ago.
• Six of Ole Miss’ seven home games last year were sellouts.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS
• In five games Ole Miss has scored 229 points, which surpasses the season totals from these recent seasons:2011 (193), 2006 (188), 2005 (148), 2004 (215).
• The Rebels scored 43+ points in three straight games for the first time in school history.
• The team’s 192 points in the first three games tied the 1995 Florida State team for third-most points through the first three games in FBS history.
• The Rebels set school records with 149 points in a two-game span and 192 points in a three-game span.
• Ole Miss is the first team in SEC history to score 73+ points in back-to-back games and the first from any conference since Houston in 1968.
• Ole Miss scored 50+ points in back-to-back games for the first time in school history.
• First SEC team to score 70+ in consecutive games since Florida in 1994.
• First time in school history that Ole Miss has eclipsed 600 total yards two times in the same season.
• The 76 points vs. UT Martin were the most points and best margin of victory since a 92-0 win over West Tennessee Teachers College (now known as Memphis) on Sept. 28, 1935.
• The 28 first-quarter points vs. Fresno State and 27 vs. UT Martin are the top two marks in modern history (since 1962).
• The 43 points were the most Ole Miss has ever scored in Tuscaloosa and tied for second-most ever against Alabama.
SCORING FAST
Ole Miss ranks fourth nationally in percentage of scoring drives that last two minutes or less.
TOUCHDOWN DRIVES OF TWO MINUTES OR LESS
1. Baylor 24 of 36 66.7%
2. TCU 20 of 32 62.5%
3. Texas State 11 of 18 61.1%
4. Ole Miss 16 of 27 59.3%
MAGIC #20
• Under Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss is 28-7 when scoring 20 or more points and 0-9 when it fails to reach 20.
• Under Freeze, Ole Miss is 16-2 when allowing its opponent to score less than 20 points.
• The only two games in which a Rebel foe has scored less than 20 and won were the 2013 Mississippi State game (17-10 in OT) and the 2014 LSU game (10-7), both on the road.
LANDSHARKS LOVE TURNOVERS
• Last year, the Rebels’ Landshark defense led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced.
• Ole Miss is third in the SEC and 24th nationally with 10 turnovers forced, although the Rebel defense hasn’t forced a turnover in the last two games (vs. Vanderbilt, at Florida).
• The Rebels forced five turnovers in the 43-37 win at No. 2 Alabama.
• Ole Miss is tied for the SEC lead and 18th nationally with seven interceptions.
• The Rebels’ three defensive touchdowns are tied for most in the nation.
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COVER
For the second straight year, Ole Miss was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated after a win over Alabama. The Sept. 23 issue shows a jubilant Trae Elston after the senior safety’s interception of Alabama quarterback Cooper Bateman in the Rebels’ 43-37 win, their first in Tuscaloosa since 1988. It’s the sixth time Ole Miss has been featured on the national cover of the iconic magazine. The others:
• Oct. 8, 2014: Ole Miss receivers celebrating a 23-17 win over then-No. 1 Alabama.
• Aug. 12, 2009: College football preview edition featured Rebel QB Jevan Snead and center Daverin Geralds and ranked Ole Miss No. 6 in its preseason top 10.
• Sept. 30, 2008: Rebel DE Greg Hardy tackling Florida QB Tim Tebow during the Rebels’ 31-30 upset over the No. 4 Gators, who would go on to win the national title.
• Sept. 14: 1970: Archie Manning, “Idol of Ole Miss”
• Sept. 24, 1962: College football preview showcased the Rebelettes.
KELLY SHINES BEHIND CENTER
• Junior QB Chad Kelly, a transfer from East Mississippi Community College after starting his career at Clemson, has helped Ole Miss to a 4-1 start and impressive offensive numbers by completing 97 of 155 passes for 1,478 yards with 11 TDs and four interceptions.
• Kelly leads the SEC in passing (295.6 ypg, 17th in nation), total offense (315.0 ypg, 17th in nation) and yards per completion (15.24, 9th in nation).
• He ranks second in the SEC and top 13 nationally in points responsible for (84), passing TDs (11) and yards per pass attempt (9.54).
• First SEC QB since Johnny Manziel in 2012 to account for five touchdowns in a half (4 pass, 1 rush vs. Fresno State).
• First QB to lead his team to victory in Tuscaloosa since Texas A&M’s Manziel in 2012.
• His three 300-yard passing games already tie him for third in school history with Archie Manning, Romaro Miller and Stewart Patridge.
ROBERT NKEMDICHE: A BEAST IN ALL THREE PHASES
• Junior DT Robert Nkemdiche has shown his athleticism and prowess on defense, special teams AND offense.
• Nkemdiche, the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Alabama road win, has tallied 16 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack and two QB hurries on defense.
• He has lined up in the offensive backfield in four of five games and scored three touchdowns - a 31-yard catch and run vs. UT Martin and 1-yard goal line runs vs. Fresno State and Vanderbilt.
• He mauled a couple of would-be blockers on his way to block a 23-yard field goal attempt vs. UT Martin ... It was the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through five games, 15 different Rebels have scored touchdowns (13 on offense, two on defense).
• Seven different Rebels have rushed for at least one touchdown: Chad Kelly (3), Jaylen Walton (3), Robert Nkemdiche (2), Eugene Brazley (2), Jordan Wilkins (1), Akeem Judd (1) and D.K. Buford (1).
• Seven different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Quincy Adeboyejo (5), Cody Core (3), Markell Pack (2), Laquon Treadwell (1), Damore’ea Stringfellow (1), Robert Nkemdiche (1) and DaMarkus Lodge (1).
• Notably, preseason All-America TE Evan Engram has yet to score this season.
• Eighteen different Rebels have caught a pass, while 14 different Rebels have logged a rushing attempt.
LAREMY TUNSIL WAITS
STATEMENT FROM HUGH FREEZE AND ROSS BJORK: “We have been preparing as if Laremy Tunsil will not play and that status will continue until the matter is resolved. The team of our university administration, athletics compliance and outside counsel are working daily on this sensitive matter. Although the process is ongoing, the decision to withhold Laremy is not related to any current items involving our football staff, and we have been assured that everyone is aggressively seeking a resolution. We continue to support Laremy in every way. In early July, the University offered (Laremy accepted) separate legal counsel with experience in similar matters, and the University continues to pay for Laremy’s counsel, as permitted by NCAA rules.”
INJURIES
• Starters or key reserves who did not play due to injury:
vs. UT Martin - sophomore OL Rod Taylor
vs. Fresno State - senior DT Issac Gross
at Alabama - senior DT Issac Gross
vs. Vanderbilt - senior OL Justin Bell, junior DB Tony Conner, senior DT Issac Gross, sophomore OL Rod Taylor
at Florida - senior OL Justin Bell, junior DB Tony Conner, senior DT Issac Gross
• Junior DB Tony Conner is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Alabama.
• Out for the season: senior DT Issac Gross (neck), sophomore DT Herbert Moore (ACL) ... Ole Miss announced before the Fresno State game that Gross, the team’s returning starter at nose tackle, is having season-ending neck surgery ... He plans to redshirt and return for a fifth season upon a successful surgery and recovery.
ODDS AND ENDS
• Ole Miss has won four of its first five games for just the second time since 2003.
• The Rebels have outscored opponents 65-16 in the first quarter this year.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks 12th nationally with 124 first downs on the year.
• Rebel opponents are controlling the clock by nearly 10 minutes per game (34:18 to 25:42), as Ole Miss has yet to have the edge in time of possession in any game this year.
• Ole Miss has made 7 of 9 field-goal attempts this year, and Rebel opponents have made 7 of 9 field-goal attempts.
• The Rebels have defeated Alabama in consecutive years for the first time in history and are the first team to take down the Tide in back-to-back years since LSU in 2010 and 2011.
• Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC in 4th down conversion (75.0%), while the Rebel defense is second in the league in opponents’ 4th down conversion (22.2%).
• Ole Miss is 22-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 4-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 23-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-14 when it rushes for less than 150 yards.
• Ole Miss has increased its win total by one game each year under Hugh Freeze - 7 in 2012, 8 in 2013, 9 in 2014.
• Ole Miss is one of 14 schools that will play at least nine teams this year that made bowl games in 2014.
• The Rebels face UT Martin and New Mexico State for the first time in program history this year.
• The Rebels travel to Florida for the first time since 2008 and to Memphis for the first time since 2009.
• Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche’s 264 combined career tackles are the most among active brothers in the NCAA.
• Ole Miss has three sets of brothers on the squad this year: A.J. and C.J. Moore (twins); Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche; and Laremy Tunsil and Alex Weber.
• The Rebels’ Oct. 4, 2014 win over Alabama won them the ESPY for Best Upset at this year’s ESPY Awards.
• Hugh Freeze was the honorary pace car driver for the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 2015.
• Ole Miss Sports Productions won two Emmy awards for “The Season: Ole Miss Football” this year.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks No. 6 in the nation in scoring (45.8 ppg).
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense (500.4 ypg, 17th in nation), passing offense (327.4 ypg, 16th in nation) and passing efficiency (159.3, 15th in nation).
• The Rebels have converted 22 of 24 red-zone scoring chances this season (16 TDs, 6 FGs) ... The conversion rate of 91.7 percent is tied for second in the SEC and 20th nationally.
• Junior WR Laquon Treadwell is fifth in the SEC in both receptions (5.4/game) and receiving yards (74.8/game).
• Senior WR Cody Core ranks seventh in the league at 67.0 receiving ypg.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks ninth in the league with 110.6 all-purpose ypg.
• Junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo tops the SEC and ranks ninth nationally with five touchdown catches.
• Adeboyejo ranks 15th nationally with 21.3 yards per catch, while Core is 18th at 20.9 yards per catch.
• Against Fresno State, Adeboyejo became the first Rebel to catch three TDs in a game since Donte Moncrief in 2012 vs. Mississippi State.
• Guard Javon Patterson is the first true freshman starter on the Ole Miss OL since John Jerry in 2006.
• Preseason All-American junior TE Evan Engram ranks top four in Ole Miss history in career receptions (67), yards (1,039) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks 11th in the SEC and 58th nationally in scoring defense (23.0 ppg) after leading the country in that category last season.
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 48th in the nation in total defense (357.2 ypg).
• The Rebels average 7.4 tackles for loss per outing, which is fourth-best among SEC teams and 23rd nationally.
• Senior FS Trae Elston is one of three players in the nation with a pair of interception returns for TD this year (along with Marshall’s Tiquan Lang and San Diego State’s Calvin Munson) ... Elston’s 93-yard return against UT Martin was the Rebels’ longest since Charles Sawyer’s 96-yarder vs. BYU in 2011.
• Elston is tied for the SEC lead and 10th nationally with three interceptions.
• Elston and senior DB Mike Hilton are tied for eighth among SEC players with five passes defended apiece.
• Senior LB C.J. Johnson is tied for fourth in the SEC and 28th nationally with two interceptions.
• Sophomore DB A.J. Moore is tied atop the SEC with two fumble recoveries and is tied for fourth in the league with two forced fumbles.
• Senior LB Denzel Nkemdiche leads the Rebels with 34 tackles and 5.0 TFLs ... He posted double-digit tackles in back-to-back games against Alabama (10) and Vanderbilt (career-high 14).
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and eighth nationally in net punting (42.1-yard average).
• The Rebels allow opponents to average 1.83 yards per punt return, which leads the SEC and ranks 14th nationally.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks third in school history with 3,907 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,754.
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich is 7-for-9 on field goals and 25-for-25 on PATs this season ... He’s only missed two field goals under 50 yards in his career.
• Wunderlich ranks seventh in the SEC in scoring at 9.2 points per game.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
