From UM Media Relations:
GAME 3
#11/15 Ole Miss Rebels (2-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. #2/2 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015
Time: 8:15 p.m. CT
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821)
Surface: Grass
Ole Miss Rankings: 15 (AP), 11 (Coaches)
Alabama Rankings: 2 (AP), 2 (Coaches)
Series: Alabama leads 47-10-2
In Tuscaloosa: Alabama leads 25-1
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: ESPN
Chris Fowler, Play-by-Play
Kirk Herbstreit, Analyst
Heather Cox, Sideline
National Radio: Westwood One Radio
Chuck Cooperstein, Play-by-Play
Derek Rackley, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 115, XM 191
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss is the first SEC team to ever score 73+ points in back-to-back games and the first team from any conference since Houston in 1968 ... The Rebels have eclipsed 600 total yards in both games.
• Ole Miss leads the nation in scoring offense (74.5 ppg) a year after topping the NCAA in scoring defense (16.0 ppg).
• No. 2 Alabama is the first ranked opponent this season ... Ole Miss went 3-3 aganist top-25 teams last year.
• This is the 63rd meeting between Ole Miss and Alabama ... The Crimson Tide hold a 47-10-2 series lead.
• ESPN’s “College GameDay” built by the Home Depot is airing from an Ole Miss game for the third time in two years.
• Last year’s win over No. 1 Alabama was the first in Ole Miss history against the nation’s top-ranked team.
• Ole Miss is 32-46-3 all-time in SEC openers, including last year’s 41-3 win at Vanderbilt.
• Ole Miss’ current streak of 20 straight weeks in the national polls is the longest since 69 straight from 1957-62.
• Junior transfer QB Chad Kelly leads the NCAA in pass efficiency (234.0) and yards per pass attempt (13.9), while he tops the SEC with six passing TDs (T-3rd in nation) and 48 points responsible for (T-3rd in nation).
• All-American DT Robert Nkemdiche has scored two offensive TDs (1 rush, 1 receiving) and blocked a FG this year.
• Senior FS Trae Elston has returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns and helps Ole Miss lead the NCAA with three defensive TDs ... Ole Miss is tied for nation lead with seven defensive TDs over last two seasons.
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 26-15 mark in Oxford and a career record of 56-22. His .634 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.
ALABAMA HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
Nick Saban (Kent State, 1973) has led Alabama to three national titles (2009, 2011, 2012) and three SEC titles (2009, 2012, 2014) among his nine seasons at the helm. He has an 88-17 record as the head coach of the Tide. He also won the national title with LSU (2003) and is the only coach with four BCS National Championships. His previous head coaching stops also include Toledo, Michigan State and the Miami Dolphins.
ALABAMA SCOUTING REPORT
Alabama is 2-0 on the young season and is ranked No. 2 in both the AP and coaches polls this week. The Crimson Tide has victories over then-No. 18 Wisconsin (35-17) and Middle Tennessee (37-10). RB Derrick Henry leads a powerful run game with his 243 yards and six TDs. Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman have shared snaps at QB, with Coker holding an edge in production completing 30 of 47 passes for 427 yards, two TDs and an interception. The Tide defense has limited opponents to 63.0 rushing yards per game and forced and recovered three fumbles.
ALABAMA REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features 11 players who hail from the neighboring state of Alabama: Cody Core (Auburn), Carlos Davis (Birmingham), Luke Davis (Trussville), Trae Elston (Oxford), Collins Moore (Madison), Andy Pappanastos (Montgomery), Johnathan Rattliffe (Birmingham), John-Patrick Sherling (Fairhope), Jordan Sims (Homewood), Ray Ray Smith (Florence), John Youngblood (Trussville).
REBEL-TIDE CONNECTIONS
• Ole Miss senior LB Christian Russell, junior DT D.J. Jones, junior C Jacob Feeley and junior WR Brandon Bell were teammates with Alabama DLs D.J. Pettway and Jarran Reed on Buddy Stephens’ East Mississippi Community College team that went 12-0 and won the 2013 NJCAA National Championship.
• Ole Miss RB Akeem Judd and Alabama TE Ty Flournoy-Smith were teammates at Georgia Military College in 2013.
• Ole Miss WR Cody Core and Alabama LBs Rashaan Evans and Reuben Foster were teammates at Auburn HS in Auburn, Ala.
• Ole Miss TE Evan Engram and Alabama RB Kenyan Drake were teammates at Hillgrove HS in Powder Springs, Ga.
• Ole Miss WR Collins Moore and Alabama LB Reggie Ragland were teammates at Bob Jones HS in Madison, Ala.
• Ole Miss RB Eugene Brazley and Alabama WR Raheem Falkins were teammates at G.W. Carver HS in New Orleans.
• Ole Miss assistant coach Chris Kiffin and Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin are brothers.
• Ole Miss assistant coach Jason Jones played at Alabama from 1996-99 and graduated in 2001. He was a graduate assistant with the Crimson Tide in 2004 and earned his master’s degree in sports management from UA in 2005.
SEC OPENERS
• Ole Miss is 32-46-3 (.414 winning percentage) in SEC openers.
• The Rebels are kicking off league play with Alabama for the first time since 2012 and the 12th time overall.
• Ole Miss is opening SEC play on the road for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons.
• The Rebels won last year’s league opener with a 41-3 victory over Vanderbilt at LP Field in Nashville.
LAST TIME THEY MET
• Ole Miss secured its first ever victory over the nation’s top-ranked team with a 23-17 win over Alabama on Oct. 4last year in Oxford.
• The Rebels overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit as senior QB Bo Wallace directed the comeback with three second-half touchdown tosses, including the 10-yard game-winner to junior RB Jaylen Walton with 2:54 left.
• Senior CB Senquez Golson, who was taken in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, intercepted Blake Sims’ pass in the end zone with half a minute left to seal the Rebel victory.
• It was Ole Miss’ first victory over Alabama since 2003, snapping a 10-game skid.
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss moved up to No. 11 in this week’s Amway coaches poll and to No. 15 in the AP poll.
• Ole Miss was ranked top 25 in all 17 weeks last season ... The current streak of 20 straight weeks in the national rankings is the longest since appearing in 69 straight from 1957-62.
• The Rebels have been ranked top 25 for a total of 25 weeks during Hugh Freeze’s tenure as head coach.
• Last year the Rebels rose to No. 3 for three weeks, their highest since being preseason No. 1 in 1964.
• The Rebels’ No. 15 preseason ranking was its highest since it was No. 8 in the 2009 preseason polls.
REBELS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
• In No. 2 Alabama, Ole Miss encounters its first nationally ranked opponent of the season.
• Ole Miss went 3-3 against ranked foes last year with wins over No. 1 Alabama (23-17), No. 14 Texas A&M (35-20) and No. 4 Mississippi State (31-17) and losses to No. 23 LSU (10-7), No. 3 Auburn (35-31) and No. 6 TCU (42-3).
• Last year, Ole Miss had two wins over top-five ranked teams for the first time since 1969.
• Ole Miss is 63-147-2 all-time versus ranked teams and 5-10 with Hugh Freeze at the helm.
• In the Freeze era, Ole Miss is 3-8 against top-10 teams and 2-3 against top-five foes.
ESPN’S ‘COLLEGE GAMEDAY’ TO FEATURE OLE MISS AGAIN
• ESPN’s “College GameDay” built by The Home Depot, will feature Ole Miss for the third time in two seasons when it airs live from Tuscaloosa this Saturday.
• GameDay’s episode from The Grove (Oct. 4) was its most-viewed of the 2014 season, while the show also aired from Baton Rouge for the Ole Miss-LSU matchup on Oct. 25.
• Pop superstar Katy Perry was the celebrity guest picker and the only one at the table to correctly predict the Rebels’ upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
• Lee Corso said about The Grove: “It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.”
• Lee Fitting said it was “the best on-campus experience” he’s been a part of in his 11 years as GameDay producer.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS IN FIRST TWO GAMES
• 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.
• The Rebels set a school record with 149 points in a two-game span, surpassing the previous record of 131 in 1904.
• It’s the first time Ole Miss has ever scored 50+ points in back-to-back games.
• 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 program history, dating back to 1962.
• For perspective: In 2011 (the year before Hugh Freeze arrived), Ole Miss scored 193 points all year.
TOP-RATED REBELS
After leading the NCAA in scoring defense last year (16.0 ppg), Ole Miss currently tops the nation in scoring offense (74.5 ppg). The defense isn’t too shabby so far this year, ranking second in the SEC and 21st nationally (12.0 ppg).
KELLY SHINES BEHIND CENTER
• It took only two games for junior college national champion and former Clemson QB Chad Kelly to prove himself behind center for the Rebels.
• Sharing time with sophomore QBs Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade, Kelly has completed 29 of 40 passes for 557 yards with six touchdowns and an interception, adding six rushes for 46 yards and two scores on the ground.
• Kelly leads the NCAA in pass efficiency (234.0) and yards per pass attempt (13.9).
• He leads the SEC with six passing touchdowns (T-5th in nation) and 48 points responsible for (T-3rd in nation).
• Also ranks top three in SEC in total offense (301.5 ypg), passing (278.5 ypg) and completion percentage (72.5).
• First SEC QB since Johnny Manziel in 2012 to account for five toucdowns in a half (4 pass, 1 rush vs. Fresno State).
TREADWELL, NKEMDICHE RETURN FROM INJURY
Two key Ole Miss veterans - WR Laquon Treadwell and LB Denzel Nkemdiche - have returned to action in 2015 after they were sidelined with season-ending injuries a year ago. Treadwell, who memorably broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle against Auburn last year, has a team-high nine catches for 117 yards. Nkemdiche, who broke an ankle at LSU last year, has started both games and amassed five tackles and 1.5 TFLs.
LANDSHARK DEFENSE HUNGRY FOR MORE
• Ole Miss returns seven starters and 25 lettermen from last year’s nation-leading scoring defense (16.0 ppg allowed).
• Last year, the Rebels led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced.
• Ole Miss also led the SEC in tackles for loss (7.6/game), interceptions (22) and third-down conversion defense (.330) a year ago.
• Since the beginning of last season, only three opposing offenses have scored more than 20 points on the Landshark D - Auburn (35), Arkansas (23) and TCU (35).
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through two games, 12 different Rebels have scored touchdowns (10 on offense, two on defense).
• Six different Rebels have rushed for at least one touchdown: Jaylen Walton (2), Eugene Brazley (2), Akeem Judd (1), D.K. Buford (1), Chad Kelly (2) and Robert Nkemdiche (1).
• Five different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Cody Core (2), Quincy Adeboyejo (4), Markell Pack (1), Robert Nkemdiche (1) and DaMarkus Lodge (1).
• Notably, preseason All-Americans, WR Laquon Treadwell and TE Evan Engram, have yet to score this season.
• Fourteen different Rebels have caught a pass, while 11 different Rebels have logged a rushing attempt.
ROBERT NKEMDICHE: A BEAST IN ALL THREE PHASES
• In the first two games, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche has shown his athleticism and prowess on defense, special teams AND offense.
• Nkemdiche has tallied five tackles, a TFL and a QB hurry on defense.
• 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).
• Has lined up twice in the offensive backfield and scored two touchdowns - a 31-yard catch and run vs. UT Martin and a 1-yard goal line carry vs. Fresno State.
OLE MISS IN SEPTEMBER
• Ole Miss is 156-83-7 (.648 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September.
• The Rebels are 45-44-1 (.506 winning pct.) in September SEC games.
• Ole Miss is 111-38-6 (.735 winning pct.) all-time versus non-conference opponents during the month.
• Ole Miss is 98-31-3 (.754 winning pct.) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including a 73-18-2 (.796 winning percentage) mark in September games played in Oxford.
• The Rebels are 2-0 this season - UT Martin (W, 76-3), Fresno State (W, 73-21) ... They went 3-0 last year - at Vanderbilt (W, 41-3), ULL (W, 56-15), Memphis (W, 24-3).
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 260-93-8 (.731 winning percentage) at Vaught-Hemingway.
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.
WATCH LIST REBELS
The following Ole Miss players were included on preseason watch lists for major college football awards:
• Tony Conner: Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award
• Evan Engram: John Mackey Award, AFCA Good Works (nominee)
• Will Gleeson: Ray Guy Award
• C.J. Johnson: Butkus Award
• Robert Nkemdiche: Outland Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy
• Laquon Treadwell: Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Award
• Laremy Tunsil: Outland Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award
• Jaylen Walton: Paul Hornung Award
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
The following Rebels were named All-Americans by one or more outlets last season:
• Evan Engram: second team (Sports Illustrated), third team (Sports on Earth), fourth team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
• Robert Nkemdiche: first team (College Sports Madness), second team (AP, Sporting News, USA Today, CBS Sports), fourth team (Athlon)
• Laremy Tunsil: second team (CSM, Sports on Earth), third team (Athlon), fourth team (Phil Steele)
INJURIES
• Out for the season: senior DT Issac Gross (neck), sophomore DT Herbert Moore (ACL)
• Ole Miss announced last Tuesday 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 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’ eight penalties this year are fewest in the SEC and tied for 10th-fewest in the nation.
• Ole Miss tops the SEC in 3rd down conversion (56.5%) and 4th down conversion (100%), while the Rebel defense ranks 2nd in the league in opponents’ 3rd down conversion (21.9%) and 4th down conversion (50%).
• Ole Miss is 20-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 2-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 22-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 4-13 when it rushes for less than 150 yards.
• 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.
• Only Duke’s Kelby and Kyler Brown currently have more combined career tackles (343) at one school than Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche’s 224 tackles.
• 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 ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring (74.5 ppg) and No. 3 in total offense (634.5 ypg).
• The Rebels are tied for the nation’s lead in red zone offense, converting 100% of their opportunities (11-for-11).
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense, red zone offense, rushing offense (276.5 ypg), pass efficiency (201.3 ypg), 3rd down conversions (56.5%), 4th down conversions (100%) and first downs (55).
• Against Fresno State, junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo became the first Rebel to catch three TDs in a game since Donte Moncrief in 2012 vs. Mississippi State.
• Senior WR Cody Core ranks 2nd in the SEC in receiving ypg (88.0) and Adeboyejo ranks 4th (76.5 ypg).
• Left 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 (60), yards (935) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end.
• Preseason All-American junior WR Laquon Treadwell has caught a pass in 24 straight games in which he’s played, which ranks top 20 in the nation.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks fifth in school history with 3,518 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,575 ... He needs 164 all-purpose yards to overtake Jeff Scott and Brandon Bolden and move into third place.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and 21st nationally in scoring defense (12.0 ppg).
• The Rebels’ four interceptions are tied for most by an SEC team and seventh-most in the NCAA this year.
• The Rebels’ five forced turnovers are tied for most in the SEC and 16th-most in the NCAA this year.
• Ole Miss is the only team in the country with three defensive touchdowns this season ... The Rebels’ seven defensive TDs over the last two years are tied for most in the nation with Ohio State, TCU and Washington.
• 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.
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks fifth in school history with 3,518 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,575 ... He needs 164 all-purpose yards to overtake Jeff Scott and Brandon Bolden and move into third place.
• Junior DB/PR Carlos Davis made his debut as the Rebels’ punt returner and had six returns for 80 yards (13.0 average) against UT Martin.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich has converted his one field-goal attempt and all 17 PATs and ranks fifth in the SEC in scoring with 10.0 ppg.
GAME 3
#11/15 Ole Miss Rebels (2-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. #2/2 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0, 0-0 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015
Time: 8:15 p.m. CT
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821)
Surface: Grass
Ole Miss Rankings: 15 (AP), 11 (Coaches)
Alabama Rankings: 2 (AP), 2 (Coaches)
Series: Alabama leads 47-10-2
In Tuscaloosa: Alabama leads 25-1
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: ESPN
Chris Fowler, Play-by-Play
Kirk Herbstreit, Analyst
Heather Cox, Sideline
National Radio: Westwood One Radio
Chuck Cooperstein, Play-by-Play
Derek Rackley, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 115, XM 191
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss is the first SEC team to ever score 73+ points in back-to-back games and the first team from any conference since Houston in 1968 ... The Rebels have eclipsed 600 total yards in both games.
• Ole Miss leads the nation in scoring offense (74.5 ppg) a year after topping the NCAA in scoring defense (16.0 ppg).
• No. 2 Alabama is the first ranked opponent this season ... Ole Miss went 3-3 aganist top-25 teams last year.
• This is the 63rd meeting between Ole Miss and Alabama ... The Crimson Tide hold a 47-10-2 series lead.
• ESPN’s “College GameDay” built by the Home Depot is airing from an Ole Miss game for the third time in two years.
• Last year’s win over No. 1 Alabama was the first in Ole Miss history against the nation’s top-ranked team.
• Ole Miss is 32-46-3 all-time in SEC openers, including last year’s 41-3 win at Vanderbilt.
• Ole Miss’ current streak of 20 straight weeks in the national polls is the longest since 69 straight from 1957-62.
• Junior transfer QB Chad Kelly leads the NCAA in pass efficiency (234.0) and yards per pass attempt (13.9), while he tops the SEC with six passing TDs (T-3rd in nation) and 48 points responsible for (T-3rd in nation).
• All-American DT Robert Nkemdiche has scored two offensive TDs (1 rush, 1 receiving) and blocked a FG this year.
• Senior FS Trae Elston has returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns and helps Ole Miss lead the NCAA with three defensive TDs ... Ole Miss is tied for nation lead with seven defensive TDs over last two seasons.
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 26-15 mark in Oxford and a career record of 56-22. His .634 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.
ALABAMA HEAD COACH NICK SABAN
Nick Saban (Kent State, 1973) has led Alabama to three national titles (2009, 2011, 2012) and three SEC titles (2009, 2012, 2014) among his nine seasons at the helm. He has an 88-17 record as the head coach of the Tide. He also won the national title with LSU (2003) and is the only coach with four BCS National Championships. His previous head coaching stops also include Toledo, Michigan State and the Miami Dolphins.
ALABAMA SCOUTING REPORT
Alabama is 2-0 on the young season and is ranked No. 2 in both the AP and coaches polls this week. The Crimson Tide has victories over then-No. 18 Wisconsin (35-17) and Middle Tennessee (37-10). RB Derrick Henry leads a powerful run game with his 243 yards and six TDs. Jake Coker and Cooper Bateman have shared snaps at QB, with Coker holding an edge in production completing 30 of 47 passes for 427 yards, two TDs and an interception. The Tide defense has limited opponents to 63.0 rushing yards per game and forced and recovered three fumbles.
ALABAMA REBELS
The Ole Miss roster features 11 players who hail from the neighboring state of Alabama: Cody Core (Auburn), Carlos Davis (Birmingham), Luke Davis (Trussville), Trae Elston (Oxford), Collins Moore (Madison), Andy Pappanastos (Montgomery), Johnathan Rattliffe (Birmingham), John-Patrick Sherling (Fairhope), Jordan Sims (Homewood), Ray Ray Smith (Florence), John Youngblood (Trussville).
REBEL-TIDE CONNECTIONS
• Ole Miss senior LB Christian Russell, junior DT D.J. Jones, junior C Jacob Feeley and junior WR Brandon Bell were teammates with Alabama DLs D.J. Pettway and Jarran Reed on Buddy Stephens’ East Mississippi Community College team that went 12-0 and won the 2013 NJCAA National Championship.
• Ole Miss RB Akeem Judd and Alabama TE Ty Flournoy-Smith were teammates at Georgia Military College in 2013.
• Ole Miss WR Cody Core and Alabama LBs Rashaan Evans and Reuben Foster were teammates at Auburn HS in Auburn, Ala.
• Ole Miss TE Evan Engram and Alabama RB Kenyan Drake were teammates at Hillgrove HS in Powder Springs, Ga.
• Ole Miss WR Collins Moore and Alabama LB Reggie Ragland were teammates at Bob Jones HS in Madison, Ala.
• Ole Miss RB Eugene Brazley and Alabama WR Raheem Falkins were teammates at G.W. Carver HS in New Orleans.
• Ole Miss assistant coach Chris Kiffin and Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin are brothers.
• Ole Miss assistant coach Jason Jones played at Alabama from 1996-99 and graduated in 2001. He was a graduate assistant with the Crimson Tide in 2004 and earned his master’s degree in sports management from UA in 2005.
SEC OPENERS
• Ole Miss is 32-46-3 (.414 winning percentage) in SEC openers.
• The Rebels are kicking off league play with Alabama for the first time since 2012 and the 12th time overall.
• Ole Miss is opening SEC play on the road for the 11th time in the last 13 seasons.
• The Rebels won last year’s league opener with a 41-3 victory over Vanderbilt at LP Field in Nashville.
LAST TIME THEY MET
• Ole Miss secured its first ever victory over the nation’s top-ranked team with a 23-17 win over Alabama on Oct. 4last year in Oxford.
• The Rebels overcame a 14-3 halftime deficit as senior QB Bo Wallace directed the comeback with three second-half touchdown tosses, including the 10-yard game-winner to junior RB Jaylen Walton with 2:54 left.
• Senior CB Senquez Golson, who was taken in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, intercepted Blake Sims’ pass in the end zone with half a minute left to seal the Rebel victory.
• It was Ole Miss’ first victory over Alabama since 2003, snapping a 10-game skid.
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss moved up to No. 11 in this week’s Amway coaches poll and to No. 15 in the AP poll.
• Ole Miss was ranked top 25 in all 17 weeks last season ... The current streak of 20 straight weeks in the national rankings is the longest since appearing in 69 straight from 1957-62.
• The Rebels have been ranked top 25 for a total of 25 weeks during Hugh Freeze’s tenure as head coach.
• Last year the Rebels rose to No. 3 for three weeks, their highest since being preseason No. 1 in 1964.
• The Rebels’ No. 15 preseason ranking was its highest since it was No. 8 in the 2009 preseason polls.
REBELS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
• In No. 2 Alabama, Ole Miss encounters its first nationally ranked opponent of the season.
• Ole Miss went 3-3 against ranked foes last year with wins over No. 1 Alabama (23-17), No. 14 Texas A&M (35-20) and No. 4 Mississippi State (31-17) and losses to No. 23 LSU (10-7), No. 3 Auburn (35-31) and No. 6 TCU (42-3).
• Last year, Ole Miss had two wins over top-five ranked teams for the first time since 1969.
• Ole Miss is 63-147-2 all-time versus ranked teams and 5-10 with Hugh Freeze at the helm.
• In the Freeze era, Ole Miss is 3-8 against top-10 teams and 2-3 against top-five foes.
ESPN’S ‘COLLEGE GAMEDAY’ TO FEATURE OLE MISS AGAIN
• ESPN’s “College GameDay” built by The Home Depot, will feature Ole Miss for the third time in two seasons when it airs live from Tuscaloosa this Saturday.
• GameDay’s episode from The Grove (Oct. 4) was its most-viewed of the 2014 season, while the show also aired from Baton Rouge for the Ole Miss-LSU matchup on Oct. 25.
• Pop superstar Katy Perry was the celebrity guest picker and the only one at the table to correctly predict the Rebels’ upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
• Lee Corso said about The Grove: “It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.”
• Lee Fitting said it was “the best on-campus experience” he’s been a part of in his 11 years as GameDay producer.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS IN FIRST TWO GAMES
• 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.
• The Rebels set a school record with 149 points in a two-game span, surpassing the previous record of 131 in 1904.
• It’s the first time Ole Miss has ever scored 50+ points in back-to-back games.
• 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 program history, dating back to 1962.
• For perspective: In 2011 (the year before Hugh Freeze arrived), Ole Miss scored 193 points all year.
TOP-RATED REBELS
After leading the NCAA in scoring defense last year (16.0 ppg), Ole Miss currently tops the nation in scoring offense (74.5 ppg). The defense isn’t too shabby so far this year, ranking second in the SEC and 21st nationally (12.0 ppg).
KELLY SHINES BEHIND CENTER
• It took only two games for junior college national champion and former Clemson QB Chad Kelly to prove himself behind center for the Rebels.
• Sharing time with sophomore QBs Ryan Buchanan and DeVante Kincade, Kelly has completed 29 of 40 passes for 557 yards with six touchdowns and an interception, adding six rushes for 46 yards and two scores on the ground.
• Kelly leads the NCAA in pass efficiency (234.0) and yards per pass attempt (13.9).
• He leads the SEC with six passing touchdowns (T-5th in nation) and 48 points responsible for (T-3rd in nation).
• Also ranks top three in SEC in total offense (301.5 ypg), passing (278.5 ypg) and completion percentage (72.5).
• First SEC QB since Johnny Manziel in 2012 to account for five toucdowns in a half (4 pass, 1 rush vs. Fresno State).
TREADWELL, NKEMDICHE RETURN FROM INJURY
Two key Ole Miss veterans - WR Laquon Treadwell and LB Denzel Nkemdiche - have returned to action in 2015 after they were sidelined with season-ending injuries a year ago. Treadwell, who memorably broke his fibula and dislocated his ankle against Auburn last year, has a team-high nine catches for 117 yards. Nkemdiche, who broke an ankle at LSU last year, has started both games and amassed five tackles and 1.5 TFLs.
LANDSHARK DEFENSE HUNGRY FOR MORE
• Ole Miss returns seven starters and 25 lettermen from last year’s nation-leading scoring defense (16.0 ppg allowed).
• Last year, the Rebels led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced.
• Ole Miss also led the SEC in tackles for loss (7.6/game), interceptions (22) and third-down conversion defense (.330) a year ago.
• Since the beginning of last season, only three opposing offenses have scored more than 20 points on the Landshark D - Auburn (35), Arkansas (23) and TCU (35).
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through two games, 12 different Rebels have scored touchdowns (10 on offense, two on defense).
• Six different Rebels have rushed for at least one touchdown: Jaylen Walton (2), Eugene Brazley (2), Akeem Judd (1), D.K. Buford (1), Chad Kelly (2) and Robert Nkemdiche (1).
• Five different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Cody Core (2), Quincy Adeboyejo (4), Markell Pack (1), Robert Nkemdiche (1) and DaMarkus Lodge (1).
• Notably, preseason All-Americans, WR Laquon Treadwell and TE Evan Engram, have yet to score this season.
• Fourteen different Rebels have caught a pass, while 11 different Rebels have logged a rushing attempt.
ROBERT NKEMDICHE: A BEAST IN ALL THREE PHASES
• In the first two games, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche has shown his athleticism and prowess on defense, special teams AND offense.
• Nkemdiche has tallied five tackles, a TFL and a QB hurry on defense.
• 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).
• Has lined up twice in the offensive backfield and scored two touchdowns - a 31-yard catch and run vs. UT Martin and a 1-yard goal line carry vs. Fresno State.
OLE MISS IN SEPTEMBER
• Ole Miss is 156-83-7 (.648 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September.
• The Rebels are 45-44-1 (.506 winning pct.) in September SEC games.
• Ole Miss is 111-38-6 (.735 winning pct.) all-time versus non-conference opponents during the month.
• Ole Miss is 98-31-3 (.754 winning pct.) in September home games (including home contests played in Memphis and Jackson), including a 73-18-2 (.796 winning percentage) mark in September games played in Oxford.
• The Rebels are 2-0 this season - UT Martin (W, 76-3), Fresno State (W, 73-21) ... They went 3-0 last year - at Vanderbilt (W, 41-3), ULL (W, 56-15), Memphis (W, 24-3).
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 260-93-8 (.731 winning percentage) at Vaught-Hemingway.
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.
WATCH LIST REBELS
The following Ole Miss players were included on preseason watch lists for major college football awards:
• Tony Conner: Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award
• Evan Engram: John Mackey Award, AFCA Good Works (nominee)
• Will Gleeson: Ray Guy Award
• C.J. Johnson: Butkus Award
• Robert Nkemdiche: Outland Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy
• Laquon Treadwell: Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Award
• Laremy Tunsil: Outland Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award
• Jaylen Walton: Paul Hornung Award
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
The following Rebels were named All-Americans by one or more outlets last season:
• Evan Engram: second team (Sports Illustrated), third team (Sports on Earth), fourth team (Athlon, Phil Steele)
• Robert Nkemdiche: first team (College Sports Madness), second team (AP, Sporting News, USA Today, CBS Sports), fourth team (Athlon)
• Laremy Tunsil: second team (CSM, Sports on Earth), third team (Athlon), fourth team (Phil Steele)
INJURIES
• Out for the season: senior DT Issac Gross (neck), sophomore DT Herbert Moore (ACL)
• Ole Miss announced last Tuesday 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 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’ eight penalties this year are fewest in the SEC and tied for 10th-fewest in the nation.
• Ole Miss tops the SEC in 3rd down conversion (56.5%) and 4th down conversion (100%), while the Rebel defense ranks 2nd in the league in opponents’ 3rd down conversion (21.9%) and 4th down conversion (50%).
• Ole Miss is 20-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 2-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 22-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 4-13 when it rushes for less than 150 yards.
• 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.
• Only Duke’s Kelby and Kyler Brown currently have more combined career tackles (343) at one school than Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche’s 224 tackles.
• 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 ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring (74.5 ppg) and No. 3 in total offense (634.5 ypg).
• The Rebels are tied for the nation’s lead in red zone offense, converting 100% of their opportunities (11-for-11).
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense, red zone offense, rushing offense (276.5 ypg), pass efficiency (201.3 ypg), 3rd down conversions (56.5%), 4th down conversions (100%) and first downs (55).
• Against Fresno State, junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo became the first Rebel to catch three TDs in a game since Donte Moncrief in 2012 vs. Mississippi State.
• Senior WR Cody Core ranks 2nd in the SEC in receiving ypg (88.0) and Adeboyejo ranks 4th (76.5 ypg).
• Left 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 (60), yards (935) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end.
• Preseason All-American junior WR Laquon Treadwell has caught a pass in 24 straight games in which he’s played, which ranks top 20 in the nation.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks fifth in school history with 3,518 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,575 ... He needs 164 all-purpose yards to overtake Jeff Scott and Brandon Bolden and move into third place.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and 21st nationally in scoring defense (12.0 ppg).
• The Rebels’ four interceptions are tied for most by an SEC team and seventh-most in the NCAA this year.
• The Rebels’ five forced turnovers are tied for most in the SEC and 16th-most in the NCAA this year.
• Ole Miss is the only team in the country with three defensive touchdowns this season ... The Rebels’ seven defensive TDs over the last two years are tied for most in the nation with Ohio State, TCU and Washington.
• 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.
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks fifth in school history with 3,518 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,575 ... He needs 164 all-purpose yards to overtake Jeff Scott and Brandon Bolden and move into third place.
• Junior DB/PR Carlos Davis made his debut as the Rebels’ punt returner and had six returns for 80 yards (13.0 average) against UT Martin.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich has converted his one field-goal attempt and all 17 PATs and ranks fifth in the SEC in scoring with 10.0 ppg.
