Number Four: The 2003 Football Season: A Peak

The 2003 football season finds it's way to number 4 on the biggest sports memories/news of the last four years. This entry will not be long, because the following three entries all fall under the 2003 football season. But I felt like the 2004 season as a whole should be mentioned at this point.

Once Eli Manning announced he would come back for his senior season after the 2002 football season, season ticket sales sky rocketed. Many Rebel fans believed Eli would lead the Rebels to an SEC Championship. After the first four games many began to believe we were destined for the Independence Bowl again. The Rebels were 2-2 after a close win over Vandy plus a win of LA-Monroe and two losses to Memphis and Texas Tech. Having to travel to the Swamp it looked like the Rebels would start the season 2-3. However the Rebels defeated the Gators and the fire was back into the Rebel nation. I still remember this game was during Rush and everyone in the house was watching the game, no one cared that Rush was going on. All eyes were on the big screen. After the Florida victory, the Rebels won five straight and were on course to win the SEC West. The rest will be told over the next several days.

For those of us that have been in Oxford for the past 4 years, the 2003 football season was the peak of Ole Miss athletics. The football team has gone 7-15 since that season. Also a new coach has taken over. I can remember being at the press conference when David Cucliffe was fired. It was a tough scene to watch, but it comes with the territory. I believe brighter things are on the way for the Rebels. Ed Ogeron has brought a new style to Oxford, and it is only a matter of time before things return to the way they were during the 2003 season.