From UM Media Relations:
GAME 4
#3/5 Ole Miss Rebels (3-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (1-2, 0-1 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (59,347)
Surface: FieldTurf
Ole Miss Rankings: T-3 (AP), 5 (Coaches)
Vanderbilt Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Series: Ole Miss leads 49-38-2
In Oxford: Ole Miss leads 22-6
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: ESPNU
Allen Bestwick, Play-by-Play
Dan Hawkins, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 158, XM 191
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss leads the nation in scoring offense (64.0 ppg) a year after topping the NCAA in scoring defense (16.0 ppg).
• Ole Miss is 3-0 for the third straight year.
• The Rebels have not trailed in a game this season.
• Ole Miss has scored 43 or more points in three straight games for the first time in school history.
• The Rebels vaulted to No. 3 in this week’s AP poll, matching their best ranking since 1964.
• This meeting is the 90th between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt dating back to 1894 ... The Rebels lead the series 49-38-2 and have won 15 of the last 22 meetings since 1992 ... Ole Miss leads 49-20-2 in SEC games versus VU ... Vanderbilt won the first 19 games in the series, with Ole Miss having won 49 of the last 70 meetings.
• Ole Miss honors Mike Slive with Saturday’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Game.
• The Rebels’ 43-37 win at No. 2 Alabama was their first in Tuscaloosa since 1988, and it’s the first time Ole Miss has defeated the Crimson Tide in consecutive years.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and is tied for the national lead with 10 turnovers forced and seven interceptions.
• Junior transfer QB Chad Kelly leads the SEC in pass efficiency (205.7), passing TDs (9), points responsible for (72), yards per pass attempt (12.3) and yards per completion (19.1).
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 27-15 mark in Oxford and a career record of 57-22. His .643 winning percentage at Ole Miss is the second-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.
VANDERBILT HEAD COACH DEREK MASON
Derek Mason (Northern Arizona, 1993) is in his second year as Vanderbilt’s head coach and has a 4-11 record with the Commodores, including a 1-2 mark so far this season. He served as associate head coach and Willie Shaw Director of Defense for the Stanford Cardinal from 2011-13 and helped Stanford win consecutive Pac-12 championships and make back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award (nation’s top assistant) in 2012. Before going to Palo Alto, Mason coached in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings (2007-09). His pro career also included stops with the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. Other college stops include Ohio University, New Mexico State, Bucknell, Idaho State and Weber State.
VANDERBILT SCOUTING REPORT
The Vanderbilt Commodores are 1-2 overall and 0-1 in SEC play entering Saturday’s contest in Oxford. Derek Mason’s squad is anchored by a stingy defense that allows 17.3 points per game (5th in SEC) and 270.7 yards per outing (3rd in SEC). Opponents have converted just 23.1 percent of third-down tries against VU, the second-best mark in the conference. After struggling to score much the first two games, the ‘Dores broke out with 47 points in last week’s win over Austin Peay. Sophomore QB Johnny McCrary is the SEC leader in total offense (332.0 ypg) and has completed 70 of 117 passes for 880 yards, four TDs and five INTs. Sophomore WR Trent Sherfield is the league leader with 21 catches and 347 yards, while nabbing a pair of TDs. Sophomore RB Ralph Webb leads the team with 192 rushing yards and two TDs.
REBEL-COMMODORE CONNECTIONS
Ole Miss sophomore LB Ray Ray Smith and Vanderbilt redshirt-freshman OL Cole Hardin were teammates at Florence High School in Florence, Alabama.
REBELS VERSUS SEC EAST
• Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 32-34 (.485 winning percentage) vs. the Eastern Division.
• The Rebels and Commodores have met every season since divisional play started, and Ole Miss is 15-8 against Vanderbilt during that time.
• Ole Miss is 15-20 (.429 win pct.) against SEC East schools on the road.
• Ole Miss is 3-3 against SEC East schools under head coach Hugh Freeze.
• The Rebels went 2-0 against East schools last year (won at Vanderbilt, won vs. Tennessee).
• Ole Miss vs. SEC Eastern Division since 1992:
School W-L Pct. Last Game
Florida 3-3 .500 2008
Georgia 3-12 .200 2012
Kentucky 5-3 .625 2011
Missouri 0-1 .000 2013
South Carolina 4-2 .667 2009
Tennessee 2-5 .286 2014
Vanderbilt 15-8 .652 2014
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss vaulted to No. 3 in this week’s AP poll and No. 5 in the Amway coaches poll.
• This week’s ranking matches the best since the Rebels were preseason No. 1 in 1964 ... Ole Miss was No. 3 in the polls for three weeks last season.
• Ole Miss was ranked top 25 in all 17 weeks last season ... The current streak of 21 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 26 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.
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.
OLE MISS TO HONOR FORMER SEC COMMISH MIKE SLIVE
The Southeastern Conference will help raise awareness of prostate cancer prevention and honor former commissioner Mike Slive, who battled the disease during his athletics administration career, with Prostate Cancer Awareness Games on each of the 14 league campuses during the month of September. The Prostate Cancer Awareness Game on Ole Miss’ campus will be this week against Vanderbilt.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS
• The Rebels have scored 43+ points in three straight games for the first time in school history.
• 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 have set school records with 149 points in a two-game span and 192 points in a three-game span.
• 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 program history, dating back to 1962.
• The 43 points were the most Ole Miss has ever scored in Tuscaloosa and tied for second-most ever against Alabama.
• For perspective: In 2011 (the year before Hugh Freeze arrived), Ole Miss scored 193 points all year.
LANDSHARKS LOVE TURNOVERS
• Last year, the Rebels’ Landshark defense led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced.
• So far this season, Ole Miss tops the SEC and is tied for the national lead with 10 turnovers forced.
• The Rebels also lead the SEC and are tied for third in the nation with a +6 turnover margin.
• The Rebels’ three defensive touchdowns are tied for most in the nation ... Their seven defensive TDs over the last two years are second-most in the nation behind Ohio State’s eight.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and is tied for the national lead with seven interceptions.
TOP-RATED REBELS
After leading the NCAA in scoring defense last year (16.0 ppg), Ole Miss currently tops the nation in scoring offense (64.0 ppg). The defense isn’t too shabby so far this year, ranking top half of the SEC and top 50 nationally (20.3 ppg).
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 3-0 start and gaudy offensive numbers by completing 47 of 73 passes for 898 yards with nine TDs and only one interception (that slipped through his receiver’s hands).
• Kelly leads the NCAA in yards per pass attempt (12.3) and yards per completion (19.1)
• He ranks 2nd in the nation in pass efficiency (205.7), 4th in points responsible for (72), 6th in passing TDs (9), 19th in total offense yards per game (321.7) and 20th in passing yards per game (299.3).
• He leads the SEC in pass efficiency, passing TDs and points responsible for, while he ranks 2nd in passing yards per game and total offense.
• 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.
ROBERT NKEMDICHE: A BEAST IN ALL THREE PHASES
• Junior DT Robert Nkemdiche has shown his athleticism and prowess on defense, special teams AND offense this year.
• Nkemdiche, the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Alabama road win, has tallied 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack 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).
• He has lined up three times 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.
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through three games, 14 different Rebels have scored touchdowns (12 on offense, two on defense).
• Seven different Rebels have rushed for at least one touchdown: Chad Kelly (3), Jaylen Walton (2), Eugene Brazley (2), Jordan Wilkins (1), Akeem Judd (1), D.K. Buford (1) and Robert Nkemdiche (1).
• Six different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Quincy Adeboyejo (5), Cody Core (3), Laquon Treadwell (1), Markell Pack (1), Robert Nkemdiche (1) and DaMarkus Lodge (1).
• Notably, preseason All-America TE Evan Engram has yet to score this season.
• Sixteen different Rebels have caught a pass, while 12 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.”
OLE MISS IN SEPTEMBER
• Ole Miss is 157-83-7 (.650 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September.
• The Rebels are 46-44-1 (.511 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 3-0 this season - UT Martin (W, 76-3), Fresno State (W, 73-21), at Alabama (W, 43-37) ... They went 3-0 last year - at Vanderbilt (W, 41-3), ULL (W, 56-15), Memphis (W, 24-3).
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
• Junior DB Tony Conner is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Alabama.
• Questionable for Vanderbilt: senior OL Justin Bell, junior OL Robert Conyers, junior CB Tony Bridges
• 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.
FIRST-TIME STARTERS
• Eight Rebels made their first career start vs. UT Martin: (Offense) Javon Patterson (LG), Sean Rawlings (RT), Hunter Thurley (TE), Damore’ea Stringfellow (WR), Chad Kelly (QB); (Defense) Channing Ward (DE), Christian Russell (MLB), Tony Bridges (CB)
DEBUTS
Thirty-two players have made their Ole Miss debut this year: Justin Anderson (DB), Dillon Barrett (TE), Brandon Bell (WR), Tony Bridges (CB), D.K. Buford (RB), Terry Caldwell (LB), Drew Davis (QB), Luke Davis (LB), Ross Donelly (DT), Victor Evans (DE), Jacob Feeley (C), Will Few (LS), Jordan Gallegos (WR), Josh Johnson (DB), Martin Johnson (RB), D.J. Jones (DT), Akeem Judd (RB), Chad Kelly (QB), DaMarkus Lodge (WR), Cale Luke (WR), Garrald McDowell (DL), Javon Patterson (OG), Sean Rawlings (OT), Jordan Sims (OL), Johnathan Rattliffe (DB), Tee Shepard (CB), John-Patrick Sherling (LB), Breeland Speaks (DT), Damore’ea Stringfellow (WR), Hunter Thurley (TE), Alex Weber (WR), Zedrick Woods (DB)
ODDS AND ENDS
• Ole Miss is 3-0 for the third straight year.
• Ole Miss has not trailed in a game this season.
• 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.
• A win Saturday against Vanderbilt would even Hugh Freeze’s SEC record to 13-13.
• Ole Miss tops the SEC and is tied for third nationally with a +6 turnover margin.
• Ole Miss ranks fourth in the SEC in 4th down conversion (80%), while the Rebel defense is second in the league in opponents’ 4th down conversion (25%).
• Ole Miss is 21-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 3-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 22-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-13 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 240 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 ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring (64.0 ppg), just ahead of Baylor (61.0 ppg).
• The Rebels have converted all 15 of their red zone trips this season (12 TDs, 3 FGs) and are tied for the national lead with a 100 percent conversion rate.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, red zone offense, total offense (567.3 ypg) and passing offense (352.3 ypg).
• Senior WR Cody Core ranks 2nd in the SEC in receiving ypg (99.7), followed by junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo (4th, 74.7 ypg) and junior WR Laquon Treadwell (6th, 65.7 ypg).
• Adeboyejo tops the SEC and is tied for the national lead with five receiving touchdowns (on 10 catches).
• Core tops all SEC players and ranks eighth nationally with 24.9 yards per reception.
• 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.
• 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 (61), yards (957) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end.
• Preseason All-American junior WR Laquon Treadwell has caught a pass in 25 straight games in which he’s played, which ranks top 20 in the nation.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 43rd nationally in scoring defense (20.3 ppg).
• The Rebels’ red zone defense allows 75% scoring opportunities to score, which is fifth-best in the SEC.
• 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 and national lead with three interceptions, having picked off a pass in each game.
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
• Sophomore DB A.J. Moore tops the SEC with two fumble recoveries and is tied for the league lead with two forced fumbles.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks fifth in school history with 3,613 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,635 ... He needs 69 all-purpose yards to overtake Jeff Scott and Brandon Bolden and move into third place.
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich is a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and 21-for-21 on PATs this season ... He ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring at 11.0 points per game.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
GAME 4
#3/5 Ole Miss Rebels (3-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (1-2, 0-1 SEC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (59,347)
Surface: FieldTurf
Ole Miss Rankings: T-3 (AP), 5 (Coaches)
Vanderbilt Rankings: NR (AP), NR (Coaches)
Series: Ole Miss leads 49-38-2
In Oxford: Ole Miss leads 22-6
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissFB
Television: ESPNU
Allen Bestwick, Play-by-Play
Dan Hawkins, Analyst
Satellite Radio: Sirius 158, XM 191
WHAT TO WATCH FOR…
• Ole Miss leads the nation in scoring offense (64.0 ppg) a year after topping the NCAA in scoring defense (16.0 ppg).
• Ole Miss is 3-0 for the third straight year.
• The Rebels have not trailed in a game this season.
• Ole Miss has scored 43 or more points in three straight games for the first time in school history.
• The Rebels vaulted to No. 3 in this week’s AP poll, matching their best ranking since 1964.
• This meeting is the 90th between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt dating back to 1894 ... The Rebels lead the series 49-38-2 and have won 15 of the last 22 meetings since 1992 ... Ole Miss leads 49-20-2 in SEC games versus VU ... Vanderbilt won the first 19 games in the series, with Ole Miss having won 49 of the last 70 meetings.
• Ole Miss honors Mike Slive with Saturday’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Game.
• The Rebels’ 43-37 win at No. 2 Alabama was their first in Tuscaloosa since 1988, and it’s the first time Ole Miss has defeated the Crimson Tide in consecutive years.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and is tied for the national lead with 10 turnovers forced and seven interceptions.
• Junior transfer QB Chad Kelly leads the SEC in pass efficiency (205.7), passing TDs (9), points responsible for (72), yards per pass attempt (12.3) and yards per completion (19.1).
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 27-15 mark in Oxford and a career record of 57-22. His .643 winning percentage at Ole Miss is the second-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.
VANDERBILT HEAD COACH DEREK MASON
Derek Mason (Northern Arizona, 1993) is in his second year as Vanderbilt’s head coach and has a 4-11 record with the Commodores, including a 1-2 mark so far this season. He served as associate head coach and Willie Shaw Director of Defense for the Stanford Cardinal from 2011-13 and helped Stanford win consecutive Pac-12 championships and make back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances. He was a finalist for the Broyles Award (nation’s top assistant) in 2012. Before going to Palo Alto, Mason coached in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings (2007-09). His pro career also included stops with the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. Other college stops include Ohio University, New Mexico State, Bucknell, Idaho State and Weber State.
VANDERBILT SCOUTING REPORT
The Vanderbilt Commodores are 1-2 overall and 0-1 in SEC play entering Saturday’s contest in Oxford. Derek Mason’s squad is anchored by a stingy defense that allows 17.3 points per game (5th in SEC) and 270.7 yards per outing (3rd in SEC). Opponents have converted just 23.1 percent of third-down tries against VU, the second-best mark in the conference. After struggling to score much the first two games, the ‘Dores broke out with 47 points in last week’s win over Austin Peay. Sophomore QB Johnny McCrary is the SEC leader in total offense (332.0 ypg) and has completed 70 of 117 passes for 880 yards, four TDs and five INTs. Sophomore WR Trent Sherfield is the league leader with 21 catches and 347 yards, while nabbing a pair of TDs. Sophomore RB Ralph Webb leads the team with 192 rushing yards and two TDs.
REBEL-COMMODORE CONNECTIONS
Ole Miss sophomore LB Ray Ray Smith and Vanderbilt redshirt-freshman OL Cole Hardin were teammates at Florence High School in Florence, Alabama.
REBELS VERSUS SEC EAST
• Since the SEC started divisional play in 1992, Ole Miss is 32-34 (.485 winning percentage) vs. the Eastern Division.
• The Rebels and Commodores have met every season since divisional play started, and Ole Miss is 15-8 against Vanderbilt during that time.
• Ole Miss is 15-20 (.429 win pct.) against SEC East schools on the road.
• Ole Miss is 3-3 against SEC East schools under head coach Hugh Freeze.
• The Rebels went 2-0 against East schools last year (won at Vanderbilt, won vs. Tennessee).
• Ole Miss vs. SEC Eastern Division since 1992:
School W-L Pct. Last Game
Florida 3-3 .500 2008
Georgia 3-12 .200 2012
Kentucky 5-3 .625 2011
Missouri 0-1 .000 2013
South Carolina 4-2 .667 2009
Tennessee 2-5 .286 2014
Vanderbilt 15-8 .652 2014
IN THE POLLS
• Ole Miss vaulted to No. 3 in this week’s AP poll and No. 5 in the Amway coaches poll.
• This week’s ranking matches the best since the Rebels were preseason No. 1 in 1964 ... Ole Miss was No. 3 in the polls for three weeks last season.
• Ole Miss was ranked top 25 in all 17 weeks last season ... The current streak of 21 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 26 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.
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.
OLE MISS TO HONOR FORMER SEC COMMISH MIKE SLIVE
The Southeastern Conference will help raise awareness of prostate cancer prevention and honor former commissioner Mike Slive, who battled the disease during his athletics administration career, with Prostate Cancer Awareness Games on each of the 14 league campuses during the month of September. The Prostate Cancer Awareness Game on Ole Miss’ campus will be this week against Vanderbilt.
REBELS SOAR TO OFFENSIVE RECORDS
• The Rebels have scored 43+ points in three straight games for the first time in school history.
• 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 have set school records with 149 points in a two-game span and 192 points in a three-game span.
• 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 program history, dating back to 1962.
• The 43 points were the most Ole Miss has ever scored in Tuscaloosa and tied for second-most ever against Alabama.
• For perspective: In 2011 (the year before Hugh Freeze arrived), Ole Miss scored 193 points all year.
LANDSHARKS LOVE TURNOVERS
• Last year, the Rebels’ Landshark defense led the SEC and ranked eighth nationally with 34 turnovers forced.
• So far this season, Ole Miss tops the SEC and is tied for the national lead with 10 turnovers forced.
• The Rebels also lead the SEC and are tied for third in the nation with a +6 turnover margin.
• The Rebels’ three defensive touchdowns are tied for most in the nation ... Their seven defensive TDs over the last two years are second-most in the nation behind Ohio State’s eight.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC and is tied for the national lead with seven interceptions.
TOP-RATED REBELS
After leading the NCAA in scoring defense last year (16.0 ppg), Ole Miss currently tops the nation in scoring offense (64.0 ppg). The defense isn’t too shabby so far this year, ranking top half of the SEC and top 50 nationally (20.3 ppg).
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 3-0 start and gaudy offensive numbers by completing 47 of 73 passes for 898 yards with nine TDs and only one interception (that slipped through his receiver’s hands).
• Kelly leads the NCAA in yards per pass attempt (12.3) and yards per completion (19.1)
• He ranks 2nd in the nation in pass efficiency (205.7), 4th in points responsible for (72), 6th in passing TDs (9), 19th in total offense yards per game (321.7) and 20th in passing yards per game (299.3).
• He leads the SEC in pass efficiency, passing TDs and points responsible for, while he ranks 2nd in passing yards per game and total offense.
• 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.
ROBERT NKEMDICHE: A BEAST IN ALL THREE PHASES
• Junior DT Robert Nkemdiche has shown his athleticism and prowess on defense, special teams AND offense this year.
• Nkemdiche, the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Alabama road win, has tallied 11 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 0.5 sack 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).
• He has lined up three times 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.
SPREADING THE BALL
• Through three games, 14 different Rebels have scored touchdowns (12 on offense, two on defense).
• Seven different Rebels have rushed for at least one touchdown: Chad Kelly (3), Jaylen Walton (2), Eugene Brazley (2), Jordan Wilkins (1), Akeem Judd (1), D.K. Buford (1) and Robert Nkemdiche (1).
• Six different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass: Quincy Adeboyejo (5), Cody Core (3), Laquon Treadwell (1), Markell Pack (1), Robert Nkemdiche (1) and DaMarkus Lodge (1).
• Notably, preseason All-America TE Evan Engram has yet to score this season.
• Sixteen different Rebels have caught a pass, while 12 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.”
OLE MISS IN SEPTEMBER
• Ole Miss is 157-83-7 (.650 winning pct.) all-time during the month of September.
• The Rebels are 46-44-1 (.511 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 3-0 this season - UT Martin (W, 76-3), Fresno State (W, 73-21), at Alabama (W, 43-37) ... They went 3-0 last year - at Vanderbilt (W, 41-3), ULL (W, 56-15), Memphis (W, 24-3).
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
• Junior DB Tony Conner is out at least four weeks after knee surgery on a torn meniscus he suffered at Alabama.
• Questionable for Vanderbilt: senior OL Justin Bell, junior OL Robert Conyers, junior CB Tony Bridges
• 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.
FIRST-TIME STARTERS
• Eight Rebels made their first career start vs. UT Martin: (Offense) Javon Patterson (LG), Sean Rawlings (RT), Hunter Thurley (TE), Damore’ea Stringfellow (WR), Chad Kelly (QB); (Defense) Channing Ward (DE), Christian Russell (MLB), Tony Bridges (CB)
DEBUTS
Thirty-two players have made their Ole Miss debut this year: Justin Anderson (DB), Dillon Barrett (TE), Brandon Bell (WR), Tony Bridges (CB), D.K. Buford (RB), Terry Caldwell (LB), Drew Davis (QB), Luke Davis (LB), Ross Donelly (DT), Victor Evans (DE), Jacob Feeley (C), Will Few (LS), Jordan Gallegos (WR), Josh Johnson (DB), Martin Johnson (RB), D.J. Jones (DT), Akeem Judd (RB), Chad Kelly (QB), DaMarkus Lodge (WR), Cale Luke (WR), Garrald McDowell (DL), Javon Patterson (OG), Sean Rawlings (OT), Jordan Sims (OL), Johnathan Rattliffe (DB), Tee Shepard (CB), John-Patrick Sherling (LB), Breeland Speaks (DT), Damore’ea Stringfellow (WR), Hunter Thurley (TE), Alex Weber (WR), Zedrick Woods (DB)
ODDS AND ENDS
• Ole Miss is 3-0 for the third straight year.
• Ole Miss has not trailed in a game this season.
• 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.
• A win Saturday against Vanderbilt would even Hugh Freeze’s SEC record to 13-13.
• Ole Miss tops the SEC and is tied for third nationally with a +6 turnover margin.
• Ole Miss ranks fourth in the SEC in 4th down conversion (80%), while the Rebel defense is second in the league in opponents’ 4th down conversion (25%).
• Ole Miss is 21-4 under Freeze when leading at the half, including a 3-0 mark this year.
• Ole Miss is 22-2 under Freeze when it rushes for 150 or more yards, 5-13 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 240 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 ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring (64.0 ppg), just ahead of Baylor (61.0 ppg).
• The Rebels have converted all 15 of their red zone trips this season (12 TDs, 3 FGs) and are tied for the national lead with a 100 percent conversion rate.
• Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring, red zone offense, total offense (567.3 ypg) and passing offense (352.3 ypg).
• Senior WR Cody Core ranks 2nd in the SEC in receiving ypg (99.7), followed by junior WR Quincy Adeboyejo (4th, 74.7 ypg) and junior WR Laquon Treadwell (6th, 65.7 ypg).
• Adeboyejo tops the SEC and is tied for the national lead with five receiving touchdowns (on 10 catches).
• Core tops all SEC players and ranks eighth nationally with 24.9 yards per reception.
• 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.
• 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 (61), yards (957) and touchdowns (5) by a tight end.
• Preseason All-American junior WR Laquon Treadwell has caught a pass in 25 straight games in which he’s played, which ranks top 20 in the nation.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Ole Miss ranks seventh in the SEC and 43rd nationally in scoring defense (20.3 ppg).
• The Rebels’ red zone defense allows 75% scoring opportunities to score, which is fifth-best in the SEC.
• 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 and national lead with three interceptions, having picked off a pass in each game.
• Senior DB Chief Brown returned an INT 22 yards for his first career touchdown vs. Fresno State.
• Sophomore DB A.J. Moore tops the SEC with two fumble recoveries and is tied for the league lead with two forced fumbles.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Senior RB Jaylen Walton ranks fifth in school history with 3,613 career all-purpose yards and holds the school record for career kick return yards with 1,635 ... He needs 69 all-purpose yards to overtake Jeff Scott and Brandon Bolden and move into third place.
• Sophomore K Gary Wunderlich is a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and 21-for-21 on PATs this season ... He ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring at 11.0 points per game.
• Against UT Martin, junior DT Robert Nkemdiche recorded the Rebels’ first blocked field goal since 2010 (Allen Walker vs. Fresno State).
