From Ole Miss Media Relations:
GAME 8
#23/24 Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 2-1 SEC) vs. #15/16 Texas A&M Aggies (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (59,347)
Surface: FieldTurf
Ole Miss Rankings: 24 (AP), 23 (Coaches)
Texas A&M Rankings: 15 (AP), 16 (Coaches)
Series: Texas A&M leads 6-1
In Oxford: Texas A&M leads 2-0
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: ESPN
Brad Nessler, Play-by-Play
Todd Blackledge, Analyst
Holly Rowe, Sideline
National Radio: Touchdown Radio
Taylor Zarzour, Play-by-Play
Gino Torretta, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 81, XM 81
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring at 43.6 ppg.
• The Rebels’ total of 305 points through 7 games is better than the season total from 2011, ‘07, ‘06, ‘05 and ‘04.
• The Rebels are ranked in the top 25 for the 25th straight week, the longest streak since 1957-62.
• This is the eighth meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Texas A&M, dating back to 1911 ... The Aggies lead the series 6-1, but the Rebels won in College Station last year 35-20 ... A&M leads 2-1 since joining the SEC.
• A win over Texas A&M would make Ole Miss bowl eligible for the fourth straight season under Hugh Freeze.
• This game features the SEC’s top two passing attacks in Ole Miss (353.9 ypg) and Texas A&M (291.0 ypg).
• This is the Rebels’ fourth ranked foe of the year and the first one to come to Oxford.
• Ole Miss set a school record with 440 passing yards last week at Memphis.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in six major statistical categories, including scoring (43.6 ppg), total offense (521.0 ypg), passing offense (353.9 ypg), pass efficiency (163.5) and first downs (180).
• Junior QB Chad Kelly leads the SEC in passing (319.1 ypg, 11th in nation), total offense (337.3 ypg, 11th in nation), passing TDs (16, 12th in nation), pass efficiency (161.9, 12th in nation), points responsible for (120, 9th in nation), yards per completion (14.51, 11th in nation) and yards per attempt (9.51, 8th in nation).
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 29-17 mark in Oxford and a career record of 59-24. His .630 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.
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH KEVIN SUMLIN
Kevin Sumlin (Purdue, 1988) is in his fourth season with Texas A&M, boasting a 33-12 record as the Aggies’ head coach. He has directed A&M to three straight bowl victories in the Cotton Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl and Liberty Bowl. His up-tempo offense helped Johnny Manziel win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 and has produced numerous school and SEC records during his tenure. Sumlin came to College Station after a highly successful four-year stint as the head coach of the Houston Cougars. He boasts a career record of 68-29. Sumlin is a three-time national coach of the year finalist. Previous stops as an assistant coach included Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Purdue, Minnesota and Wyoming.
TEXAS A&M SCOUTING REPORT
Texas A&M is 5-1 on the year and 2-1 in SEC play and coming off its first loss of the season with a 41-23 defeat at home to Alabama. Among the Aggies’ victories are wins over then nationally ranked No. 15 Arizona State (38-17) and then-No. 21 Mississippi State (30-17). Kevin Sumlin’s offense ranks No. 2 in the SEC in passing behind Ole Miss at 291.0 yards per game and No. 4 in the league in scoring at 36.5 points per outing. QB Kyle Allen is second in the league behind Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly with 256.2 passing ypg and 14 TD passes (to five INTs). The Aggies’ leading rusher is Tra Carson with 476 yards and four TDs, while freshman phenom Christian Kirk tops the receiving corps with 39 catches, 609 yards and four TDs. Kirk also has two punt return TDs. The A&M defense, led by DE Myles Garrett, tops the SEC in sacks (3.33/game) and tackles for loss (9.5/game), ranking top 10 nationally in both categories. Garrett ranks No. 2 in the nation with 1.42 sacks per game and fifth with 1.9 TFLs per outing.
REBEL-AGGIE CONNECTIONS
• Ole Miss WR Quincy Adeboyejo and DE Victor Evans were teammates with Texas A&M LB Richard Moore at Cedar Hill HS in Cedar Hill, Texas.
• Ole Miss LB Christian Russell, DT D.J. Jones and WR Brandon Bell were teammates with Texas A&M OL Avery Gennesy on Buddy Stephens’ East Mississippi Community College team that went 12-0 and won the 2013 NJCAA National Championship.
• Ole Miss DB Tony Bridges and Texas A&M DB Justin Evans were teammates at MS Gulf Coast CC last year.
• Ole Miss offensive line coach Matt Luke and A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis worked together on the Tennessee coaching staff in the same positions from 2006-07.
• Ole Miss cornerbacks coach Jason Jones and A&M quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital were both on the Oklahoma State coaching staff in 2010 (Jones as cornerbacks coach, Spavital as a graduate assistant).
• Texas A&M defensive line coach Terry Price was a member of two different Ole Miss staffs, working under Tommy Tuberville from 1995-98 (defensive ends) and Houston Nutt from 2009-11 (defensive line).
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss is No. 23 in the Amway coaches poll and No. 24 in the AP poll this week.
• The current streak of 25 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’ 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 Rebels have been ranked top 25 for a total of 30 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.
REBELS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
• In No. 15 Texas A&M, Ole Miss encounters its fourth nationally ranked opponent of the season and third in the last four games.
• This is the second straight meeting between Ole Miss and Texas A&M in which both teams were ranked top 25.
• Ole Miss is 1-2 against ranked foes this year.
• 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).
• This is the fourth Ole Miss game this year in which both teams are ranked ... The Rebels played six such games last year and went 3-3.
• Ole Miss is 64-149-2 all-time versus ranked teams and 6-12 with Hugh Freeze at the helm.
• Against ranked teams in the Freeze era, Ole Miss is 4-4 at home, 2-7 on the road and 0-1 at a neutral site.
• Under Freeze, Ole Miss is 4-8 against top-10 teams and 3-3 against top-five foes.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS
• In seven games Ole Miss has scored 305 points, which surpasses the season totals from these recent seasons: 2011 (193), 2007 (241), 2006 (188), 2005 (148), 2004 (215).
• Ole Miss has scored 50+ points in three games for the first time in school history.
• For the first time in school history, Ole Miss has eclipsed 600 total yards three times in a season ... The Rebels had never done it more than once in any of the 120 prior seasons.
• The Rebels’ 665 yards vs. New Mexico State are second-most in a game in school history, while the 662 vs. UT Martin rank third and 607 vs. Fresno State rank eighth all-time.
• The team’s 440 passing yards against Memphis established a school record.
• 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.
• 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 43 points were the most Ole Miss has ever scored in Tuscaloosa and tied for second-most ever against Alabama.
AIR ATTACK
• Saturday’s matchup features the top two passing attacks in the SEC, with Ole Miss topping the conference at 353.9 yards per game and A&M next at 291.0 yards per game.
• The Rebels rank 10th nationally in passing, while the Aggies are 22nd.
• Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly and Texas A&M QB Kyle Allen are 1-2 in the league in passing yards (319.1 ypg, 256.2 ypg), pass efficiency (161.9, 153.2) and passing touchdowns (16, 14).
• Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell leads the SEC with 7.0 receptions per game, followed by A&M’s Christian Kirk at 6.5.
• Kirk tops the league with 101.5 receiving ypg, followed by Treadwell at 92.4 ypg.
SCORING FAST
Ole Miss ranks sixth nationally in percentage of scoring drives that last two minutes or less.
TOUCHDOWN DRIVES OF TWO MINUTES OR LESS
1. Troy 9 of 13 69.2%
2. North Carolina 20 of 30 66.7%
3. Baylor 34 of 52 65.4%
4. Tulsa 15 of 23 65.2%
5. UMass 11 of 17 64.7%
6. Ole Miss 23 of 37 62.2%
LANDSHARKS LOVE TURNOVERS
• The Rebels’ Landshark defense is third among SEC teams and tied for 27th nationally with 13 takeaways.
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and tied for 13th nationally with 10 interceptions.
• The Rebels forced five turnovers in the 43-37 win at No. 2 Alabama.
• The Rebels’ three defensive touchdowns are tied for third-most in the nation.
• Last year, Ole Miss led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced, including a league-best 22 interceptions.
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through seven 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 (4), Jaylen Walton (3), Eugene Brazley (3), Robert Nkemdiche (2), Jordan Wilkins (2), Akeem Judd (2) and D.K. Buford (1).
• Seven different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Quincy Adeboyejo (6), Laquon Treadwell (4), Cody Core (3), Markell Pack (3), Damore’ea Stringfellow (2), 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 15 different Rebels have logged a rushing attempt.
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 5-2 start and impressive offensive numbers by completing 154 of 235 passes for 2,234 yards with 16 TDs and seven interceptions.
• Kelly leads the SEC in passing (319.1 ypg, 11th in nation), total offense (337.3 ypg, 11th in nation), passing touchdowns (16, 12th in nation), pass efficiency (161.9, 12th in nation), points responsible for (120, 9th in nation), yards per completion (14.51, 11th in nation) and yards per attempt (9.51, 8th in nation).
• His five 300-yard passing games are a single-season school record and third-most on the Ole Miss career chart behind Bo Wallace (11) and Eli Manning (10).
• Kelly’s 2,234 passing yards already ranks 12th in a season in Ole Miss history and 15th on the Rebels’ career chart.
• 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.
• Kelly’s 416 yards of total offense vs. NM State (384 passing, 32 rushing) are fourth-most in a game in school history.
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 17 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and four QB hurries on defense.
• He has lined up in the offensive backfield in five of seven 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).
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
vs. New Mexico State - senior OL Justin Bell, junior DB Tony Conner, junior OL Robert Conyers, senior DT Issac
Gross, senior LB C.J. Johnson, junior CB Kailo Moore, sophomore WR Damore’ea Stringfellow, senior RB Jaylen Walton
at Memphis - junior DB Tony Conner, senior DT Issac Gross, senior LB C.J. Johnson, junior CB Kailo Moore
• Senior LB C.J. Johnson is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Florida.
• Junior DB Tony Conner is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Alabama.
• Out for season: junior OL Robert Conyers (knee), senior DT Issac Gross (neck), sophomore DT Herbert Moore
(ACL), freshman RB Eric Swinney (leg) ... Ole Miss announced before the Fresno State game that Gross, the team’s
returning starter at nose tackle, is had to have season-ending neck surgery ... He plans to redshirt and return for a
fifth season upon a successful surgery and recovery ... Conyers tore an ACL at Memphis.
ODDS AND ENDS
• Ole Miss’ final five games of the regular season are against SEC West foes.
• Ole Miss will not have a bye until Nov. 14, after playing 10 straight weekends.
• The Rebels have outscored opponents 96-26 in the first quarter this year.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally with 180 first downs on the year.
• Rebel opponents are controlling the clock by nearly 10 minutes per game (35:06 to 24:54), as Ole Miss has yet to have the edge in time of possession in any game this year.
• 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 is 23-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 5-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 24-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-15 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 faced UT Martin and New Mexico State for the first time in program history this year.
• The Rebels traveled to Florida for the first time since 2008 and to Memphis for the first time since 2009.
• Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche’s 272 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 seventh in the nation in scoring (43.6 ppg).
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense (521.0 ypg, 11th in nation), passing offense (353.9 ypg, 10th in nation) and passing efficiency (163.5, 11th in nation).
• The Rebels’ 65.4 pass completion percentage is second-best in the SEC and 25th nationally.
• Ole Miss set a school record with 440 passing yards at Memphis, breaking the previous mark of 436 in Archie Manning’s memorable performance vs. Alabama on Oct. 4, 1969.
• Junior WR Laquon Treadwell leads the SEC and ranks 15th nationally with 7.0 receptions/game, while he is second in the SEC and 22nd nationally with 93.4 receiving ypg.
• Over the last four games, Treadwell is averaging 8.8 catches and 114.3 yards per outing.
• Treadwell’s three 100-yard receiving games are tied for eighth-most in a season in Ole Miss history.
• Treadwell ranks third in school history with 169 career receptions, eighth with 1,894 receiving yards, sixth with 14 TD catches and tied for third with six 100-yard receiving games ... He needs four catches to pass Shay Hodge for second place and 17 yards to pass Mike Wallace for seventh.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks third in school history with 3,969 career all-purpose yards, 13th with 1,558 rushing yards and tied for ninth with 21 total touchdowns.
• Junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo tops the SEC and ranks 13th nationally with six touchdown catches, while Treadwell is tied for third among league players with four.
• Adeboyejo ranks second among SEC players and 17th nationally with 20.2 yards per catch, while senior WR Cody Core is fourth in the SEC and 30th nationally at 18.5.
• Against Fresno State, Adeboyejo became the first Rebel to catch three TDs since Donte Moncrief in 2012 vs. Miss. St.
• 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 (73), yards (1,091) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end ... He needs 23 receiving yards to overtake Jim Poole’s (1969-71) all-time record of 1,113.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 40th nationally in scoring defense (22.1 ppg) after leading the country in that category last season.
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 43rd in the nation in total defense (359.4 ypg).
• The Rebels average 8.3 tackles for loss per outing, which is third-best among SEC teams and 10th nationally.
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and tied for 13th nationally with 10 interceptions.
• Senior DB Trae Elston is one of seven players in the nation with a pair of interception returns for TD this year ... His 93-yard return against UT Martin was the Rebels’ longest since Charles Sawyer’s 96-yarder vs. BYU in 2011.
• Elston is tied for second in the SEC and ninth nationally with four interceptions ... He’s vying to become the third straight Rebel to lead the SEC in picks (Cody Prewitt in 2013, Senquez Golson in 2014).
• Senior DB Mike Hilton leads all SEC players and ranks 15th nationally with nine passes defended.
• Hilton leads the team and tops all SEC defensive backs with 7.0 tackles for loss, which is tied for 10th-most among all SEC players.
• 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 41 tackles.
• Twenty-five different Rebels have recorded a tackle for loss, and eight different players have registered a sack.
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC and 16th nationally in net punting (40.6-yard average).
• The Rebels allow opponents to average 3.88 yards per punt return, which leads the SEC and ranks 23rd nationally.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks third in school history with 3,969 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,777.
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich is 9-for-11 on field goals and 35-for-35 on PATs this season ... He’s only missed two field goals under 50 yards in his career and has made every kick between 30-49 yards.
• Wunderlich ranks sixth in the SEC and 42nd nationally in scoring at 8.9 points per game.
• Sophomore P Will Gleeson is sixth among SEC punters with a 42.8-yard average.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
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.
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.
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 262-93-8 (.733 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
GAME 8
#23/24 Ole Miss Rebels (5-2, 2-1 SEC) vs. #15/16 Texas A&M Aggies (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (59,347)
Surface: FieldTurf
Ole Miss Rankings: 24 (AP), 23 (Coaches)
Texas A&M Rankings: 15 (AP), 16 (Coaches)
Series: Texas A&M leads 6-1
In Oxford: Texas A&M leads 2-0
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: ESPN
Brad Nessler, Play-by-Play
Todd Blackledge, Analyst
Holly Rowe, Sideline
National Radio: Touchdown Radio
Taylor Zarzour, Play-by-Play
Gino Torretta, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 81, XM 81
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring at 43.6 ppg.
• The Rebels’ total of 305 points through 7 games is better than the season total from 2011, ‘07, ‘06, ‘05 and ‘04.
• The Rebels are ranked in the top 25 for the 25th straight week, the longest streak since 1957-62.
• This is the eighth meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Texas A&M, dating back to 1911 ... The Aggies lead the series 6-1, but the Rebels won in College Station last year 35-20 ... A&M leads 2-1 since joining the SEC.
• A win over Texas A&M would make Ole Miss bowl eligible for the fourth straight season under Hugh Freeze.
• This game features the SEC’s top two passing attacks in Ole Miss (353.9 ypg) and Texas A&M (291.0 ypg).
• This is the Rebels’ fourth ranked foe of the year and the first one to come to Oxford.
• Ole Miss set a school record with 440 passing yards last week at Memphis.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in six major statistical categories, including scoring (43.6 ppg), total offense (521.0 ypg), passing offense (353.9 ypg), pass efficiency (163.5) and first downs (180).
• Junior QB Chad Kelly leads the SEC in passing (319.1 ypg, 11th in nation), total offense (337.3 ypg, 11th in nation), passing TDs (16, 12th in nation), pass efficiency (161.9, 12th in nation), points responsible for (120, 9th in nation), yards per completion (14.51, 11th in nation) and yards per attempt (9.51, 8th in nation).
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 29-17 mark in Oxford and a career record of 59-24. His .630 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.
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH KEVIN SUMLIN
Kevin Sumlin (Purdue, 1988) is in his fourth season with Texas A&M, boasting a 33-12 record as the Aggies’ head coach. He has directed A&M to three straight bowl victories in the Cotton Bowl, Chick-fil-A Bowl and Liberty Bowl. His up-tempo offense helped Johnny Manziel win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 and has produced numerous school and SEC records during his tenure. Sumlin came to College Station after a highly successful four-year stint as the head coach of the Houston Cougars. He boasts a career record of 68-29. Sumlin is a three-time national coach of the year finalist. Previous stops as an assistant coach included Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Purdue, Minnesota and Wyoming.
TEXAS A&M SCOUTING REPORT
Texas A&M is 5-1 on the year and 2-1 in SEC play and coming off its first loss of the season with a 41-23 defeat at home to Alabama. Among the Aggies’ victories are wins over then nationally ranked No. 15 Arizona State (38-17) and then-No. 21 Mississippi State (30-17). Kevin Sumlin’s offense ranks No. 2 in the SEC in passing behind Ole Miss at 291.0 yards per game and No. 4 in the league in scoring at 36.5 points per outing. QB Kyle Allen is second in the league behind Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly with 256.2 passing ypg and 14 TD passes (to five INTs). The Aggies’ leading rusher is Tra Carson with 476 yards and four TDs, while freshman phenom Christian Kirk tops the receiving corps with 39 catches, 609 yards and four TDs. Kirk also has two punt return TDs. The A&M defense, led by DE Myles Garrett, tops the SEC in sacks (3.33/game) and tackles for loss (9.5/game), ranking top 10 nationally in both categories. Garrett ranks No. 2 in the nation with 1.42 sacks per game and fifth with 1.9 TFLs per outing.
REBEL-AGGIE CONNECTIONS
• Ole Miss WR Quincy Adeboyejo and DE Victor Evans were teammates with Texas A&M LB Richard Moore at Cedar Hill HS in Cedar Hill, Texas.
• Ole Miss LB Christian Russell, DT D.J. Jones and WR Brandon Bell were teammates with Texas A&M OL Avery Gennesy on Buddy Stephens’ East Mississippi Community College team that went 12-0 and won the 2013 NJCAA National Championship.
• Ole Miss DB Tony Bridges and Texas A&M DB Justin Evans were teammates at MS Gulf Coast CC last year.
• Ole Miss offensive line coach Matt Luke and A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis worked together on the Tennessee coaching staff in the same positions from 2006-07.
• Ole Miss cornerbacks coach Jason Jones and A&M quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital were both on the Oklahoma State coaching staff in 2010 (Jones as cornerbacks coach, Spavital as a graduate assistant).
• Texas A&M defensive line coach Terry Price was a member of two different Ole Miss staffs, working under Tommy Tuberville from 1995-98 (defensive ends) and Houston Nutt from 2009-11 (defensive line).
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss is No. 23 in the Amway coaches poll and No. 24 in the AP poll this week.
• The current streak of 25 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’ 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 Rebels have been ranked top 25 for a total of 30 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.
REBELS VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
• In No. 15 Texas A&M, Ole Miss encounters its fourth nationally ranked opponent of the season and third in the last four games.
• This is the second straight meeting between Ole Miss and Texas A&M in which both teams were ranked top 25.
• Ole Miss is 1-2 against ranked foes this year.
• 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).
• This is the fourth Ole Miss game this year in which both teams are ranked ... The Rebels played six such games last year and went 3-3.
• Ole Miss is 64-149-2 all-time versus ranked teams and 6-12 with Hugh Freeze at the helm.
• Against ranked teams in the Freeze era, Ole Miss is 4-4 at home, 2-7 on the road and 0-1 at a neutral site.
• Under Freeze, Ole Miss is 4-8 against top-10 teams and 3-3 against top-five foes.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS
• In seven games Ole Miss has scored 305 points, which surpasses the season totals from these recent seasons: 2011 (193), 2007 (241), 2006 (188), 2005 (148), 2004 (215).
• Ole Miss has scored 50+ points in three games for the first time in school history.
• For the first time in school history, Ole Miss has eclipsed 600 total yards three times in a season ... The Rebels had never done it more than once in any of the 120 prior seasons.
• The Rebels’ 665 yards vs. New Mexico State are second-most in a game in school history, while the 662 vs. UT Martin rank third and 607 vs. Fresno State rank eighth all-time.
• The team’s 440 passing yards against Memphis established a school record.
• 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.
• 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 43 points were the most Ole Miss has ever scored in Tuscaloosa and tied for second-most ever against Alabama.
AIR ATTACK
• Saturday’s matchup features the top two passing attacks in the SEC, with Ole Miss topping the conference at 353.9 yards per game and A&M next at 291.0 yards per game.
• The Rebels rank 10th nationally in passing, while the Aggies are 22nd.
• Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly and Texas A&M QB Kyle Allen are 1-2 in the league in passing yards (319.1 ypg, 256.2 ypg), pass efficiency (161.9, 153.2) and passing touchdowns (16, 14).
• Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell leads the SEC with 7.0 receptions per game, followed by A&M’s Christian Kirk at 6.5.
• Kirk tops the league with 101.5 receiving ypg, followed by Treadwell at 92.4 ypg.
SCORING FAST
Ole Miss ranks sixth nationally in percentage of scoring drives that last two minutes or less.
TOUCHDOWN DRIVES OF TWO MINUTES OR LESS
1. Troy 9 of 13 69.2%
2. North Carolina 20 of 30 66.7%
3. Baylor 34 of 52 65.4%
4. Tulsa 15 of 23 65.2%
5. UMass 11 of 17 64.7%
6. Ole Miss 23 of 37 62.2%
LANDSHARKS LOVE TURNOVERS
• The Rebels’ Landshark defense is third among SEC teams and tied for 27th nationally with 13 takeaways.
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and tied for 13th nationally with 10 interceptions.
• The Rebels forced five turnovers in the 43-37 win at No. 2 Alabama.
• The Rebels’ three defensive touchdowns are tied for third-most in the nation.
• Last year, Ole Miss led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced, including a league-best 22 interceptions.
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through seven 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 (4), Jaylen Walton (3), Eugene Brazley (3), Robert Nkemdiche (2), Jordan Wilkins (2), Akeem Judd (2) and D.K. Buford (1).
• Seven different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Quincy Adeboyejo (6), Laquon Treadwell (4), Cody Core (3), Markell Pack (3), Damore’ea Stringfellow (2), 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 15 different Rebels have logged a rushing attempt.
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 5-2 start and impressive offensive numbers by completing 154 of 235 passes for 2,234 yards with 16 TDs and seven interceptions.
• Kelly leads the SEC in passing (319.1 ypg, 11th in nation), total offense (337.3 ypg, 11th in nation), passing touchdowns (16, 12th in nation), pass efficiency (161.9, 12th in nation), points responsible for (120, 9th in nation), yards per completion (14.51, 11th in nation) and yards per attempt (9.51, 8th in nation).
• His five 300-yard passing games are a single-season school record and third-most on the Ole Miss career chart behind Bo Wallace (11) and Eli Manning (10).
• Kelly’s 2,234 passing yards already ranks 12th in a season in Ole Miss history and 15th on the Rebels’ career chart.
• 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.
• Kelly’s 416 yards of total offense vs. NM State (384 passing, 32 rushing) are fourth-most in a game in school history.
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 17 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks and four QB hurries on defense.
• He has lined up in the offensive backfield in five of seven 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).
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
vs. New Mexico State - senior OL Justin Bell, junior DB Tony Conner, junior OL Robert Conyers, senior DT Issac
Gross, senior LB C.J. Johnson, junior CB Kailo Moore, sophomore WR Damore’ea Stringfellow, senior RB Jaylen Walton
at Memphis - junior DB Tony Conner, senior DT Issac Gross, senior LB C.J. Johnson, junior CB Kailo Moore
• Senior LB C.J. Johnson is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Florida.
• Junior DB Tony Conner is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Alabama.
• Out for season: junior OL Robert Conyers (knee), senior DT Issac Gross (neck), sophomore DT Herbert Moore
(ACL), freshman RB Eric Swinney (leg) ... Ole Miss announced before the Fresno State game that Gross, the team’s
returning starter at nose tackle, is had to have season-ending neck surgery ... He plans to redshirt and return for a
fifth season upon a successful surgery and recovery ... Conyers tore an ACL at Memphis.
ODDS AND ENDS
• Ole Miss’ final five games of the regular season are against SEC West foes.
• Ole Miss will not have a bye until Nov. 14, after playing 10 straight weekends.
• The Rebels have outscored opponents 96-26 in the first quarter this year.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally with 180 first downs on the year.
• Rebel opponents are controlling the clock by nearly 10 minutes per game (35:06 to 24:54), as Ole Miss has yet to have the edge in time of possession in any game this year.
• 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 is 23-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 5-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 24-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-15 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 faced UT Martin and New Mexico State for the first time in program history this year.
• The Rebels traveled to Florida for the first time since 2008 and to Memphis for the first time since 2009.
• Denzel and Robert Nkemdiche’s 272 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 seventh in the nation in scoring (43.6 ppg).
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, total offense (521.0 ypg, 11th in nation), passing offense (353.9 ypg, 10th in nation) and passing efficiency (163.5, 11th in nation).
• The Rebels’ 65.4 pass completion percentage is second-best in the SEC and 25th nationally.
• Ole Miss set a school record with 440 passing yards at Memphis, breaking the previous mark of 436 in Archie Manning’s memorable performance vs. Alabama on Oct. 4, 1969.
• Junior WR Laquon Treadwell leads the SEC and ranks 15th nationally with 7.0 receptions/game, while he is second in the SEC and 22nd nationally with 93.4 receiving ypg.
• Over the last four games, Treadwell is averaging 8.8 catches and 114.3 yards per outing.
• Treadwell’s three 100-yard receiving games are tied for eighth-most in a season in Ole Miss history.
• Treadwell ranks third in school history with 169 career receptions, eighth with 1,894 receiving yards, sixth with 14 TD catches and tied for third with six 100-yard receiving games ... He needs four catches to pass Shay Hodge for second place and 17 yards to pass Mike Wallace for seventh.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks third in school history with 3,969 career all-purpose yards, 13th with 1,558 rushing yards and tied for ninth with 21 total touchdowns.
• Junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo tops the SEC and ranks 13th nationally with six touchdown catches, while Treadwell is tied for third among league players with four.
• Adeboyejo ranks second among SEC players and 17th nationally with 20.2 yards per catch, while senior WR Cody Core is fourth in the SEC and 30th nationally at 18.5.
• Against Fresno State, Adeboyejo became the first Rebel to catch three TDs since Donte Moncrief in 2012 vs. Miss. St.
• 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 (73), yards (1,091) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end ... He needs 23 receiving yards to overtake Jim Poole’s (1969-71) all-time record of 1,113.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 40th nationally in scoring defense (22.1 ppg) after leading the country in that category last season.
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 43rd in the nation in total defense (359.4 ypg).
• The Rebels average 8.3 tackles for loss per outing, which is third-best among SEC teams and 10th nationally.
• Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC and tied for 13th nationally with 10 interceptions.
• Senior DB Trae Elston is one of seven players in the nation with a pair of interception returns for TD this year ... His 93-yard return against UT Martin was the Rebels’ longest since Charles Sawyer’s 96-yarder vs. BYU in 2011.
• Elston is tied for second in the SEC and ninth nationally with four interceptions ... He’s vying to become the third straight Rebel to lead the SEC in picks (Cody Prewitt in 2013, Senquez Golson in 2014).
• Senior DB Mike Hilton leads all SEC players and ranks 15th nationally with nine passes defended.
• Hilton leads the team and tops all SEC defensive backs with 7.0 tackles for loss, which is tied for 10th-most among all SEC players.
• 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 41 tackles.
• Twenty-five different Rebels have recorded a tackle for loss, and eight different players have registered a sack.
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks third in the SEC and 16th nationally in net punting (40.6-yard average).
• The Rebels allow opponents to average 3.88 yards per punt return, which leads the SEC and ranks 23rd nationally.
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks third in school history with 3,969 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,777.
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich is 9-for-11 on field goals and 35-for-35 on PATs this season ... He’s only missed two field goals under 50 yards in his career and has made every kick between 30-49 yards.
• Wunderlich ranks sixth in the SEC and 42nd nationally in scoring at 8.9 points per game.
• Sophomore P Will Gleeson is sixth among SEC punters with a 42.8-yard average.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
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.
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.
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 262-93-8 (.733 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
