A Little Baseball Talk

For those few Rebs that will be in Oxford this weekend, the Ole Miss baseball team is hosting a three game scrimmage. The team has been divided into two teams each of equal talent and will be three live games, much like a three game series in the spring. I could be wrong, but I believe this will probably wrap up fall ball for Bianco and boys. Here is a little blurb on Satterwhite and Lynn that appeared recently:


OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss junior right-handers Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite were named two of the top 30 professional prospects for the 2008 season by Baseball America, the publication announced on Tuesday.

The prospect list is compiled by the publication through discussions with professional scouts from across the country. Satterwhite was named the No. 23 prospect in the country, while Lynn came in at No. 26 on the list. Both players return to anchor a pitching staff this season that was one of the tops in the nation a year ago as the Rebels advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the third straight season and posted a third-straight 40-win season.

Basketball Season IS Here

Basketball season has arrived and the pre season teams are all coming out. Dwayne Curtis is the lone Reb on either team. I will have more on the season tomorrow.


(UMAA)BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For the second time in as many weeks Ole Miss center Dwayne Curtis was named a preseason All-Southeastern Conference second team selection, this time in a vote by the league coaches released Wednesday by the conference office.

The senior from Chicago received the same honor by a panel of SEC and national media prior to last week’s SEC Media Days.

Curtis averaged 12.2 points and 8.3 rebounds for last year’s SEC Western Division champions. At 6-foot-8 and 262 pounds, Curtis has been the Rebels’ top rebounder in each of his two years in Oxford. In his sophomore year he put up team highs of 13.6 points and 7.6 boards per game in garnering All-SEC honorable mention status from the Associated Press.

Arkansas led all schools with four selections. Alabama’s Richard Hendrix, LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell, Mississippi State’s Jamont Gordon, Tennessee’s Chris Lofton and Vanderbilt’s Shan Foster were unanimous first team selections.

The Rebels play Delta State in an exhibition game Friday at 7 p.m. before kicking off the regular season in Oxford with a Nov. 10 date with Mississippi Valley State. Tip-off for the season opener is slated for 2 p.m.

Rebels Suspend Top Player

I am having connectivity issues so I hope this post goes through.

I am sure everyone has heard this news by now, but this AP article appeared this afternoon, stated Greg Hardy would be suspended indefinately. Since that time we have learned Hardy will be suspended for the rest of the season, and may have played his last football at Ole Miss.

While I absolutely hate to see it happen, I do not blame Orgeron one bit. Hardy is an excellent player, but obviously has some major attitude problems. There is really no good way to spin this post. This kid might have just cost himself a few million dollars.

(AP)JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippi coach Ed Orgeron said Monday he has suspended defensive end Greg Hardy for a violation of team rules.
Orgeron said the suspension is indefinite and offered few details, though he did say later that the Southeastern Conference's sack leader was not in legal trouble.
"I think I have a very, very disciplined team," Orgeron said. "I think the guys know if they violate team rules there are consequences."
Hardy, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound sophomore from Memphis, leads the SEC with eight sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. He was left home and did not play in Saturday's 17-3 loss at Auburn. The Rebels play Northwestern State of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) on Saturday in Oxford.
Hardy, perhaps the team's best athlete and a young star in the SEC, had started just four of eight games before the Auburn game with no explanation from Orgeron.
Hardy is at least the third Ole Miss player to lose starts for apparent disciplinary reasons. Offensive lineman Corey Actis and John Jerry were both demoted earlier this season.
When asked if a "trend" of discipline problems was developing, Orgeron said he would not even repeat the word.
"As I look across the country I see guys getting arrested, I see guys being put in jail," Orgeron said. "I haven't seen any of that with my players. I think we run a very strict, disciplined program here. I feel I have a very well-behaved team."

Tub Survives Rebels

The game was probably a little closer than Tuberville imagined it would be early in the week, as Auburn defeated Ole Miss 17-3 on Saturday. It was a game in which the Rebels really only put together two offensive drives. Most of the game saw the Rebels go three and out on offense, as Seth Adams has trouble releasing the ball under pressure. As far as the defense for the the Rebels, they held the Tigers to third and ones most of the game, but the difference is Auburn converted on just about all of those situations.

The offense saw Ben Jarvus Green Ellis gain 62 yards in a game where he was out injured for parts of the second and third quarter. Quarterback Seth Adams was removed from the game after a hard hit on him in the fourth quarter. With Adams out, Brent Schaeffer came in to connect on three straight passes and a seven yard run before throwing an interception to an Auburn defender in the end zone. That interception all but wrapped up the win for the Tigers.

The defense was led by Tony Fein who had 16 tackles on the day. This was Fein's second game in a row where it seemed like the light finally came on for him on making tackles. The defense was on the field for what felt like an overwhelming part of the game, and they seemed to handle the job pretty well. Notably absent was defensive end Greg Hardy who did not make the trip due to "violation of team rules." It is hard for a team like Ole Miss to win a game when their best defensive player does not even make the trip.

A bright spot on the day was the kicker Joshua Shene. Shene connected on a 41 yarder to end the first half before a holding penalty was called. Shene responded by making a 51 yarder, after the penalty yardage was stepped off, to end the half.

Couple of thoughts:

- I thought Coach O would have gone to Brent Schaeffer earlier in the game. I commented last week I thought Schaeffer would play and that I thought it was bad move to announce Adams the starter so early in the week. Maybe he was using some type of reverse psychology on Schaeffer who knows, but I hope he will not do it name the starter early again this week. I think the little that Schaeffer has played has been good enough to warrant at least a chance to start.

- Greg Hardy needs to pull it together. Hardy is not only hurting the Rebels, but he is hurting his pro career. The NFL is considering more and more these days the off the field character of the athletes they sign. Someone needs to tell Hardy if they have not all ready that he is really messing himself up if he wants to get drafter high in the draft. And in the meantime he is hurting his teammates on a day to day basis.

-I will continue to preach it until I am blue in the face, but early evening games are the way to go. The five o'clock kickoff was perfect, and I enjoyed every minute of it. People had plenty of time to wake up at a decent hour, drive to the game, tailgate for a little while, experience the game, and get home at a decent hour in enough time to watch the SEC night game finish up. While Ole Miss continues to remain adamant about not having night games, we continue to have a terrible atmosphere at games. For Pete's Sake change our game times next year.

The Rebels have an out of conference game this week as they play host to Northwestern State. I can only begin to imagine how few Ole Miss fans will be there. Imagine the Louisiana Tech game minus ten thousands fans in the seats. I would say it will be without a doubt the lowest attendance in the modern era of Ole Miss football.

Yet Another Thursday

Well it is Thursday again and it is time for my weekly Ole Miss prediction. The Rebels head to the Plains this weekend to take on the No. 23 ranked Auburn Tigers. The Tigers are 5-3 and
3-2 in the SEC. The Tigers have had an up and down year thus far with a win over Florida and loss to Mississippi State. They are a very talented team who have really not had it all together but for maybe two games this year.

We all know the Rebels story and it has been a bad season for them. They have been competitive in their two biggest games at home, but are coming off a week in which they played their worst football in the Coach O era.

While I think the Rebels will not play as bad as they did last week, I think they will have alot of trouble hanging with the Tigers. This is a very big game for the future of the season for the Tigers. With an early evening kickoff(UMAA does not know what that is), the atmosphere at Jordan Hare should be rocking and the fans should be pumped up.

All that being said, I think the Tigers will beat the Rebels by about two or three touchdowns. It will be interesting to see if Seth Adams will return to play similar to earlier this season or if he will continue his interception filled play as the past several games.

I always enjoy the trip to Auburn and look forward to another trip, however I am not looking forward to the game.

(UMAA Notes)
SERIES INFO: This meeting will be the 32nd all-time between the Rebels and Tigers dating back to 1928, and Auburn holds a 23-8 advantage in the series. The Tigers boast a 10-2 edge in games played in Auburn, although the teams have split the last four encounters on the Plains. The Rebels prevailed 24-20 there in 2003 and 24-17 in overtime in 1999. The Tigers pulled out a 23-17 victory last year in Oxford and have won 12 of the last 14 meetings dating back to 1993 and 21 of 24 dating back to Auburn’s 35-28 win in the 1971 Gator Bowl.

AUBURN SCOUTING REPORT: The Tigers had their four-game win streak snapped Saturday with a last-second 30-24 loss at fifth-ranked LSU. The balanced Auburn offense is averaging 157.0 yards on the ground and 173.2 through the air. Sophomore RB Ben Tate leads the rushing attack with 76.8 yards per game with four touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Mario Fannin adds a 41.2-yard average with a team-high five TDs. Senior QB Brandon Cox has completed 112-of-188 passes for 1,263 yards, seven TDs and six interceptions. Junior WR Rodgeriqus Smith has easily been the top target with 33 receptions for 453 yards and four scores. The Tiger defense is third in the SEC in rushing defense with just 116.8 yards allowed, and they surrender 305.1 total yards per game. Junior LB Chris Evans boasts team-high 47 total tackles, while senior S Eric Brock has tallied 44 stops, including 33 solos. Sophomore DE Antonio Coleman has registered 10.0 TFLs and four QB sacks, while senior DE Quentin Groves has seven TFLs, three sacks and 18 QB hurries. Senior CB Patrick Lee has recorded eight pass break-ups and three interceptions. Freshman K Wes Byrum has connected on 12-of-16 field goals and 23-of-24 PATs.

COACHING TIES: Besides his four-year stint as Ole Miss head coach, Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville worked with Rebel mentor Ed Orgeron from 1988-92 on the defensive staff for the Miami Hurricanes. Rebel associate head coach Art Kehoe also coached at Miami throughout Tuberville’s entire stint with the Canes, 1986-93. In addition, Ole Miss offensive coordinator Dan Werner was an offensive consultant for Tuberville at Auburn in 1999. Among the current Tiger coaches, there are five members who were on Tuberville’s staff at Ole Miss: Don Dunn (1995-98, DT), Eddie Gran (1994-98, RB), Greg Knox (1995-98, WR/Recruiting Coordinator), Hugh Nall (1995-98, OL) and Terry Price (1995-98, DE). In addition, Wes Yeary was Ole Miss’ FCA Campus Director and Team Chaplain from 1996-2005 and is now Auburn’s Director of Chaplaincy Training & Development.

Aint It About Time

I guess it is better late than never. Now that we have finally announce the baseball expansion and have bids out, can we please move on to the basketball facility. Surely they will begin to work aggressively on this now that the baseball expansion has been agreed to.


OXFORD, Miss. – Construction bids for Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field were approved here today, and work will immediately begin on the expansion of the facility.

Architect David Lemons of Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons, presented bids to the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning on Tuesday and received pre-approval Wednesday for awarding the bid to the Panola Construction Company.

The completion of the renovation is targeted for February 2009.

“We feel this is a successful first step in beginning immediate construction on the baseball stadium,” said Ole Miss Director of Athletics Pete Boone. “We appreciate the diligence that David Lemons has taken in this project in an effort to keep the positive and exciting aspects of the stadium intact while eliminating unnecessary things.”

“Obviously this is a great day for Ole Miss Baseball,” said Rebel head coach Mike Bianco. “It’s great to see all the hard work that Pete Boone and the athletics department has put in this project now come to fruition.”

Among the amenities that will be added include 880 club seats, most of which have already been reserved.

“The response from ticket holders has been gratifying,” Boone said. “We are close to selling out club seats, which obviously helps fund this project.”

The Sad Pad

It is being reported on several message boards that Ole Miss men's basketball practice was cancelled yesterday due to a leaky roof. I don't know wheather it is true or not. However if it is true what an absolute joke, and someone should be paying the consequences for it.

It is also being rumored that this is not the first time the leaky roof has coof into question, and the leak has caused problems in the past. How in the world does an SEC school let this happen? There should be a crew on the roof of the Coliseum at 8:00 in the morning correcting this problem.

What if this would have happened during a game and the game had to be postponed because of a leaky roof. This sounds like something that would happen at a 1A MPSA school in the middle of nowhere Mississippi, not something that happens at an SEC school.

What a joke this athletic department has become first we blow the circuits during a football game and lose electricity to half the football stadium and scoreboard and now basketball practice was cancelled because of a leaky roof.

It's time for a change in the powers that be.

(P.S. If someone has more information on this story and the facts I would love to hear it)

On Fire

(UMAA) NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Ole Miss men’s golf team made history Tuesday, winning the rain-shortened Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate, to become the first team in Rebel history to win three consecutive golf tournaments.

The streak began with the Memphis Intercollegiate, and then Rebels won the Squire Creek Invitational last week. Ole Miss fired a one-under 283 in Sunday’s first round to edge arch-rival Mississippi State (284) by one stroke.

Play was suspended twice on Monday due to heavy rains. Teams went back out Tuesday morning to try and complete the second round, but more rain forced officials to cancel the second round, giving the Rebels the win.

“It has rained for over 24 hours solid here,” head coach Ernest Ross said. “The course was completely unplayable. We were declared the winners by one shot. It again shows how important every single shot is in a round of golf. Our guys are thrilled to make history and do something that no other golf team has ever done at Ole Miss.”

Freshman Jonathan Randolph and junior Jesse Speirs shot 69 in the opening round to finish tied for third. Randolph, a native of Brandon, has enjoyed a successful fall in his first season with the Rebels, earning two top-five and three top-10 finishes. This marks his highest finish as a Rebel. Speirs concluded his first fall with the Rebels with three-top five and four top-10 finishes. The Bangor, Maine native was the highest Rebel finisher in four of the five tournaments this fall.

Senior Kyle Ellis carded a one-over 72, David Marino shot 73 and Will Roebuck finished with an 85 to round out the Rebel scoring.

This tournament concluded the fall season for the Rebels. They will begin the spring season Feb. 9-10 at the Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla.

Some Monday PC Notes

Below is Coach O comments from the press conference via the Clarion Ledger. After the way the last 10 or so quarters have gone, I am not sure I would have come flat out and said Adams would be the starter. I would at least wait until Friday or Saturday to name the starter. This way it gives Auburn a little speculation as to who will start, and also I would imagine it would cause more competition in practice with the QB's. Any one else agree?

But what do I know, I am just an arm chair quarterback.



OXFORD — Ole Miss quarterback Seth Adams remains the starter, but coach Ed Orgeron said his patience was wearing thin.
"Obviously, we're not happy with the turnovers," Orgeron said. "... Seth is going to continue to be our starting quarterback, but there's going to be less room for error. If he shows he can't do it, we'll definitely put Brent (Schaeffer) in there."Adams was 9-of-21 passing for 79 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions in Saturday's 44-8 loss to Arkansas. Schaeffer relieved Adams late in the third quarter and was 5-of-13 passing for 103 yards and a late touchdown pass to receiver Mike Wallace.Adams has thrown 10 interceptions over the past three games."You have to throw the football and you have to throw it down the field," Adams said. "... I don't want to play scared and be scared to throw an interception. I don't think that's a good mentality to have.

For Pete's Sake........

Will this team ever win an SEC game? It does not look like it. The Ole Miss Rebels were dominated by the Razorbacks from Arkansas this weekend, as they were defeated 44-8. The Rebels opened up the game with a decent offensive, however they came away with no points and it was all downhill from there as the Hogs led 21-0 after the first quarter.

The offense was miserable as Seth Adams finished the game with four interceptions in a pathetic game for him. It was the type performance we all feared he was going to have coming into the season. Adams was pulled for Brent Schaeffer who connected with Mike Wallace for the Rebels only touchdown in the fourth quarter. Ben Jarvus Green Ellis had a good game as he ended with 84 yards on the day.

The defense was once again miserable. They still are not sure how to tackle and their was plenty of blown coverage also. Greg Hardy, who has played excellent in previous games for the Rebs, did not have they great of an impact against the Razorbacks. Tony Fein appeared to have a good game for the Rebels. It was by far his biggest game in making an impact for the Rebel defense, but it was no where near enough.

All in all this was the most miserable game I can remember going to in Oxford that the Rebels have played in my lifetime. They were absolutely dominated the whole game and the offense was non-existent.

To top things off our wonderful university thought it would be a great idea to shoot fireworks during the half time kickoff of the new capital campaign. When the fireworks went off they knocked the power out on the scoreboard, sound system, ribbon boards, and Rebel Club and it stayed this way for all of the third quarter. I mean what a joke that we were shooting off fireworks in the day and in the mean time knock out the power to half of the stadium. It supposedly also caused a couple of small fires around the area where the fireworks were shot off. What a joke we are.

What is left for the Rebels this season? Who knows. It will be interesting to see if O decides to go with Adams or Schaeffer this week. Adams has thrown ten interceptions in the last eleven quarters. The fan based as expected was pretty upset at the lack of competition on the Ole Miss side of the ball. I can only imagine what the crowd will be like for the Northwestern State game in two weeks.

And I will leave you with stats that do not lie. We are the DOORMAT OF THE SEC.

12th: Scoring Offense
11th: Scoring Defense
12th: Punting
12th: Turnover Margin
12th: Rushing Offense
12th: Rushing Defense
12th: Total Defense
12th: Punt Ret Average
11th: Pass Defense Efficiency
12th: Opponent First Downs
12th: Red Zone Offense
12th: Opponent 3rd Conversion
11th: Sacks ag. Ole Miss
12th: Field Goals
11th: PAT
12th: Time of Possession
12th: Kick off Coverage

Thursday Pigs

Its that time yet again. The Rebels and the Arkansas Hogs meet each other this weekend. Neither team has won an SEC game this year and this should be an interesting game. The Arkansas run game vs the Ole Miss defense probably means alot of yards for the duo in the Razorback backfield.

Houston Nutt, the coach of Arkansas, is probably making his last trip to Oxford. Many of the Razorback faithful are ready to get rid of Houston and find a new guy to lead the Hogs. There have been lots of on the field and off the field problems for Arkansas, and it has evidently taken a toll on the Razorbacks this year. Personally I do not think Houston Nutt is that bad of coach, he has taken Arkansas to Atlanta multiple times in his tenure.

As far as this game goes, the Rebels are looking to bounce back from a very emotional loss last weekend. The have evidently had a very good couple of days of practice this week. I think that loss last week took the focus off the record this year for a little while and brought the fanbase together to rally around this team. So I will pick the Rebels to win this game by 4 points. I figure they will eventually win one I pick them to. We have said it once and we will say it again: "The Rebels really need this win."

A few notes from UMAA

ARKANSAS HEAD COACH HOUSTON NUTT: Houston Nutt (Oklahoma State, 1981) is in his ninth season as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. He is 70-47 with the Razorbacks and has a career mark of 106-69 in 15 seasons a collegiate head coach. Prior to Arkansas, Nutt served four seasons as the head coach at Murray State from 1993-1996, posting a 31-16 record, and coached Boise State for one season in 1997, leading the Broncos to a 5-6 mark. Nutt is 6-3 against Ole Miss.

ARKANSAS SCOUTING REPORT: After consecutive non-conference victories over North Texas and Chattanooga, the Razorbacks remained winless in SEC play with a 9-7 home loss to No. 22 Auburn on Saturday. The Arkansas offense is scoring 36.7 points per game and boasts the SEC’s top rushing attack with a 293.2-yard average. Heisman Trophy candidate Darren McFadden leads the conference in rushing at 137.0 yards per game, while fellow junior RB Felix Jones is third with a 112.2-yard clip. Jones also tops the league in kickoff return yards (31.6 ypr) and all-purpose yards (188.5 ypg), just ahead of McFadden (167 ypg). Jones and McFadden are second and third, respectively, on the team in receptions with nine for 79 yards and eight for 61. The team’s top receiver also comes out of the backfield in senior FB Peyton Hillis, who boasts 22 catches for 237 yards and two TDs. Junior QB Casey Dick has completed 72-of-140 passes for 847 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. The Razorback defense is allowing 23.3 points and 342.0 yards per game. Senior SS Matt Hewitt leads the D with 52 total tackles and eight QB hurries. Senior CB Michael Grant has 40 tackles and nine pass break-ups, while sophomore Jerrell Norton has 22 stops, three interceptions and seven break-ups at the other corner. On the line, sophomore Malcolm Sheppard tops the unit with 7.5 TFLs, while fellow end junior Antwain Robinson has the most sacks with two. True freshman K Alex Tejada has connected on 10-of-12 field goals and 26-of-27 PATs

ARKANSAS REBELS: The Ole Miss roster features only one player from the nearby state of Arkansas: Maurce Miller (West Helena).

HOG TIES: Rebel head coach Ed Orgeron and defensive coordinator John Thompson have strong Arkansas ties. One of Orgeron’s first coaching jobs was as an assistant strength coach for the Razorbacks, 1986-87. In addition, Orgeron’s wife Kelly is a native of Jonesboro, Ark. Thompson also hails from the Natural State and had two separate stints on the Arkansas football staff. In 1982, he served as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line, and in 2000, he returned as co-defensive coordinator, helping the Razorbacks rank second in the nation in pass defense and first in the SEC in total defense. Thompson was defensive coordinator in 2001, when the team earned a Cotton Bowl berth. Before arriving in Oxford, he spent two years as the athletics director at his alma mater Central Arkansas.

The Face of Ole Miss Football

Wide Receivers

I think the biggest improvement on the team this year has been the play of the wide receivers. And I believe an overwhelming part of their success belongs to their position coach Hugh Freeze. Freeze has done wonders with this group of receivers. There were many people who felt like the receiving group would be a weakness in our offense this year. Those people felt we did not have the speed nor talent to be competitive in the SEC. Turn out they have been one of the key assets to our team.

Mike Wallace, Shay Hodge, and Marshay Green have all helped make Seth Adams look like an SEC quarterback this season. Adams has really impressed alot of people and shut his naysayers up. He has thrown the ball well and aside from a few int's has played some great games for the Rebels. Now that McCluster is back and has a couple of games under his belt I see us spreading the offense out even more.

I go back to Hugh Freeze. Freeze has been a vital part of this staff from day one. He has been responsible for recruiting and according to all accounts he has connected well with recruits. Freeze has also brought along two of the best players on the team in Greg Hardy and Michael Oher who both played for Freeze at Briarcrest. Freeze has to be one of the up and coming coaches in the NCAA. Considering he was coaching high school just a few years ago, I would say give the guy two more years and he will be a head coach or coordinator somewhere in the NCAA.

After all this guy coached all stars like Charles Harris and Will Drummond, what else could you ask for?

You Decide

I am posting this from YouTube. The video was put together by an Auburn fan and I applaud him for his work. Do you see enough evidence to overturn? Not Me.

Come On Rogers

Evidently Rogers did not agree with the phone call I made to him on Saturday afternoon. I just do not see how there was enough evidence to overturn the call. But it is what it is, time to move on and get ready for the Hogs. I understand the Rebels had one of their better practices of the year this afternoon.





(Clarion Ledger)OXFORD — The Southeastern Conference backed replay official Doyle Jackson this afternoon, saying he made the right call in overruling an Ole Miss pass reception late in the Rebels’ football game against Alabama.
“I watched it this morning and I saw what (Jackson) saw,” said SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding. “I'm perfectly good with the ruling.” But Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron and athletic director Pete Boone disagreed today during a morning press conference, saying there was no indisputable evidence to overrule the call.Jackson’s decision was pivotal in Alabama preserving a 27-24 victory over Ole Miss on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.“I’m sick,” Orgeron said. “But I have to deal with it. There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s very, very unfair. It’s not about me, it’s about my team. We should have been allowed to play those last seven seconds and let the best team win.”The controversy surrounds a fourth-down circus catch made by Ole Miss receiver Shay Hodge at the Alabama 4-yard line with 7 seconds remaining in the game. The official on the field ruled it a catch, but after a lengthy delay, the call was overturned by Jackson.After the game, the SEC released a statement on Jackson’s decision."In the judgement of the replay official, Doyle Jackson, (Hodge) stepped out of bounds on his own (making him an ineligible receiver). Also, the replay official ruled (Hodge) touched the football first, thereby making it an illegal touch.”Redding said that on the replays he viewed on Monday, it was clear that Hodge was not forced out of bounds on the play. Redding said there were two views of who touched the ball first — one showed Hodge touching the ball first while the other showed both receivers touching it at the same time. No replay showed Alabama cornerback Lionel Mitchell, who was defending on the play, touching the ball first. But after viewing the replay with tapes obtained from the Ole Miss film crew, Orgeron said he felt the call should have never been overturned because there wasn’t indisputable evidence. The NCAA football rules manual states that “In order to reverse an on-field ruling, the replay official must see indisputable video evidence through one or more video replays provided to the monitor.”Orgeron said he felt Hodge was forced out of bounds by Alabama defender Lionel Mitchell and that Mitchell touched the ball before Hodge. At the very least, Orgeron said that neither judgement was indisputable.When the play was overturned, angry Ole Miss fans littered the field with bottles and cups, leading to three arrests for disorderly conduct and this comment from Alabama coach Nick Saban to the Associated Press: “There is no class in that. I just want our players to represent the university with class. If (Ole Miss fans) want to be classless, that's their business.”Boone responded that Saban was quick to find fault with the Ole Miss fans when Alabama fans have done the same things in the past.“I’m not really sure it’s some other coach that ought to be talking about our fans,” Boone said. “And I kind of resented that.”Boone said he realized that there was no changing the outcome of the game, but that “It’s important, I think, for us to stick up (for ourselves) in situations like this.”

Rebs Lose Another Close One

I don't have much to say about this game. We all know the outcome and it was not pretty for the Rebels nor the fans. I will make more comments about the game in general and my thoughts another day. However these things I know are true:

• This Rebel team plays better when they are losing than when they are ahead and trying to keep a lead.
• The Ole Miss defense was part of the problem yet again yesterday. They were on the field alot in the first half, but I felt they made some great adjustments at half time and played better.
• Greg Hardy is a beast.
• The Ole Miss receivers are the most improved unit on the field.
• Special teams for the most part is a joke. Coverage is absolutely terrible. The one bright spot on special teams is the punt block.
• The SEC referees were bad on Saturday. They made a bad call and should pay for it. There is no way there was enough evidence to overturn the call. Maybe they were right on the field maybe they were wrong. The one thing I do know is a ruling on the field can not be reversed unless there is enough evidence to do so. And there is no way in the world there was enough to overturn.

The Hogs are on the schedule this week, and yet another lunch time era game. I think the outcome for the Bama game this week drained too much out of our team, and it will take alot for O and company to get them focused this week.

Prediction Thursday

Well it is Thursday and we all know I post my predictions on Thursday. This one is a tough one for me. Back in July I told a group of people that I was marking this game down as a win for the Rebels. I was basing this thought on the way the previous two games have gone with Alabama. I was thinking the seniors and coaches on this team would remember and be fired up and prepared for this game. While they may still be those previous mentioned things, I think Alabama will come into this game extremely focused.

Saban has been ticked off for the past several games with the way his team has finished games, and the Houston game was just the tip of the iceberg. I feel like Saban probably let his team have it this week and they had a tough mentally challenging week of football practice to prepare them for this game. John Parker Wilson needs this game to keep his starting QB job.

So this game is a toss up for me. I feel like it can go one way or the other. I think the Rebels will come into the game fired up like they have the past several home SEC games and will be in this game for a couple of quarters. On the other side Alabama will probably be more focused for this game than any other one this season. If the Rebels are going to beat Saban while he is at Alabama, they better do it now before he begins to recruit his players.

Scouting the Tide

(UMAA)

SERIES INFO: This meeting will be the 55th all-time between Ole Miss and Alabama dating back to 1894. The Crimson Tide holds a 43-9-2 advantage in the series, including a 44-8-2 lead on-the-field. Ole Miss received a win by forfeit for Alabama’s 19-14 victory in 1993. Alabama has won 17 of the last 20 on-the-field meetings and three straight. The Tide has escaped each of the last two meetings by three points including last year’s 26-23 overtime game in Tuscaloosa. Ole Miss has won two of the last three Oxford encounters with Alabama, although the Tide enjoys a 5-2 on-the-field edge at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The last two meetings between Ole Miss and Alabama have been decided on the final play in three-point wins for the Crimson Tide ... Ole Miss will be facing its first SEC Western Division foe of the year ... The Rebels are making their third TV appearance of the year and split the first two ... Ole Miss senior QB Seth Adams has thrown for 200 or more yards four times this year.

ALABAMA SCOUTING REPORT: The Crimson Tide snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating Houston 30-24 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. Alabama opened the season with wins over Western Carolina, Vanderbilt and No. 16 Arkansas. Freshman running back Terry Grant leads the Tide ground game with 88.5 yards per game and five TDs and is a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree. Sophomore back Glen Coffee has also rushed for 372 yards and three scores. Junior quarterback John Parker Wilson has completed 115 of his 213 attempts, good for 1,248 yards, eight TDs and four interceptions. Wilson’s top target is senior WR D.J. Hall, who is the Tide’s all-time leading receiver. He has 26 receptions for 439 yards and three TDs this season, while sophomore Mike McCoy boasts 20 grabs for 150 yards and one score. The Crimson Tide defense is led by freshman LB Rolando McClain with 42 total tackles, including 4.5 TFLs, while junior FS Rashad Johnson has recorded 31 stops with three interceptions. Senior DE Wallace Gilberry has team-highs of nine TFLs and nine QB hurries to go with 37 tackles. Sophomore K Leigh Tiffin has connected on 9-of-14 field goals and all 20 PATs.

Saban posted a 4-1 mark against Ole Miss during his time at LSU, and the average margin of victory was 5.8 points with an average of 2.3 points in the final three meetings.

Reb Golfers Win Tourney

Brice Who?

(UMAA) MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Ole Miss men’s golf team fired a season-best 280 in the first round of the Memphis Intercollegiate and followed that up with a solid second round 292 Tuesday morning to capture the team title at Colonial Country Club. Four Rebels finished in the top 13 led by junior Jesse Speirs’ second-place showing.
“Our guys played the best round of the year yesterday, and followed up with a solid showing today under wet and windy conditions,” head coach Ernest Ross said. We are very pleased to have four players in the top 13 in the field. We are extremely excited for Jesse Speirs. He almost won the tournament. He’s proving to be a real force in college golf.”

A Little Baseball Talk

From UMAA:


OXFORD, Miss. – The accolades continued to come in for the 2007 Ole Miss Baseball recruiting class on Monday as the latest class of Rebels to set foot on campus was ranked as the 14th-best class in the nation by Baseball America.

The publication – which tracks the sport of baseball across all collegiate divisions and professionally – is the second to name Ole Miss’ class as one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. In September, Collegiate Baseball magazine also included the Rebels among the top 25 nationally in recruiting.

It marks the fifth class under Bianco to have been ranked nationally by recruiting services.

Ole Miss is currently in the middle of fall practices as the team prepares for the upcoming season, which will start on February 23, 2008, when the Rebels will host Minnesota in a three-game series at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.

Ole Miss saw four players depart after being drafted, including two second-round picks in right-hander Will Kline and All-SEC and All-American shortstop Zack Cozart. Also drafted were left-hander Craig Rodriguez, second baseman Justin Henry from a squad that made the program’s third-straight Super Regional appearance and hosted an NCAA Regional for the fourth-consecutive season.

Ole Miss is one of only two programs in the country to host an NCAA Regional each of the last four seasons and one of only four programs, the only one in the Southeastern Conference, to advance to an NCAA Super Regional each of the last three seasons. Over the last five years, the Rebels have posted more SEC wins than any other program and are the only program to post a winning record in conference play each season since 2002.

The 2007 recruiting class is comprised of 17 fresh faces to the Rebel program, including 11 freshman and six junior college transfers, and continue that tradition of excellence under Bianco as the Rebels signed another balanced class. Arriving in the fall of 2007 are a bevy of hitters, pitchers and solid defensive players covering all positions on the field.

Yet Another Miserable Decision By UMAA

Why we have lights, I have no idea

(UMAA)OXFORD, Miss. -- The Oct. 20 football game between Ole Miss and Arkansas is set for a 1 p.m. CT kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field. No TV plans for the contest have been made at this time.
The game will be the third straight home game for the Rebels, who host Alabama this weekend.

A Win is a Win

A shutout this weekend for the Ole Miss football team put the Rebs back in the win column, as they defeated Louisiana Tech 24-0. There is not too much to say about this football game. It was one of the more boring games I have ever witnessed at Vaught Hemingway. Louisiana Tech was very sub par and did not bring much to the table as far as talent goes.

The offense probably had its worst game of the season. Our rushing offense was terrible. We only had something like 6 yards at halftime, against a weak defense. Tech defended our rush better than any SEC team we have faced this year. The bright spot of the offense was probably the fact Dexter McCluster caught a touchdown from Seth Adams early in the game. It is the first time McCluster has seen the endzone in quite sometime in a Rebel uniform. Hopefully he will be worked more into the offense over the weeks to come.

The defense probably gained some confidence this week as the held a team to zero points. The first shut out the Rebels have had since the Egg Bowl in 2003. Our linebackers continue to have some problems and the d line appears to be getting better. As Peria Jerry gets more healthy so does the d line in my opinion. Now Greg Hardy appears to be banged up all over, the Rebs really need Hardy healthy to win games.

All I will say about the punting game is that we had two punts, one for 16 and another for 8 between two punters. Without a doubt the worst punting performance I have ever witnessed.

This week Bama rolls into town. They have been shaky the whole season and have been up and down. Saban is a great coach, but does not really have the best players there right now. If we are going to beat Bama with Saban as coach, now is probably the year to do it.

Game Times

This is a good article from the Oxford Eagle conerning game times.


One thing is for sure about attending Ole Miss football games — you’d better check on the time for kickoff, regardless of whether you’re headed to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on campus or to a road game the Rebels are playing.Already this season, the Rebels have had home games at three different times. Add in road games (even factoring in for time zone changes) and you’ve got another couple of time slots that have been taken.The Rebels hosted Missouri at 5 p.m., Florida at 11:30 a.m. and they have a 1 p.m. kickoff for Saturday’s Homecoming contest with Louisiana Tech. Next weekend, with the Alabama Crimson Tide coming to town, the TV folks are on hand and kickoff is at 11:30 a.m. again. With three more home games to go, including one against LSU, there’s a good chance fans — as well as the football team and local businesses — will have to figure in yet another starting time. It could be 2:30 p.m. or 6 or 6:45 or even 8, depending on TV’s wishes.So which time do fans, businesses, coaches, players and others really prefer? If we could go back to the days of very few TV games, what would you suggest to Ole Miss Athletic Director Pete Boone as far as a regular kickoff time?The majority of people involved with Ole Miss football in some form or fashion apparently prefer a late-afternoon or early-evening kickoff.“Night games, for sure,” fan Mark Dooty of Hattiesburg said. “The game atmosphere is more exciting. It’s just a lot more fun. People have got most of the day to get here and get ready.”“Most definitely night games,” Jeff Busby of University Sporting Goods said. “It’s so much better for retail (sales). People come in and shop all day and then go to the game. The later, the better.”“We like the evening games,” Tony Mize of the Beacon restaurant said. “Places that serve alcohol might like earlier games because of their hours, but we like to serve the breakfast and lunch crowds before they head to the Grove.”The preference appears to be for kickoff somewhere between 4 and 6 p.m. Later than that, it seems, doesn’t help.“Too late and you lose the chance to get people to visit the Square and eat after the game,” Randy Yates of Ajax Diner said. “I would prefer all of them to be about 4 p.m. We can get lunch and dinner crowds then.”“I don’t know that the games after 6 do us any more good. At some point, people are going to head to the Grove and the game,” Busby said.“Much after 5 and you start dealing with lots of late-night travel for the folks that go very far,” Dooty said. “Of course, lots of folks stay around here. But not everyone can. And when we head back home, it’s a lot better leaving at 9 than midnight or so.”There’s no question about which game time most fans and business owners like the least.“Kickoffs at 11:30 (in the morning) are the worst for retail,” Busby said. “You get just a few who get here in time to shop before the game and only a very small run by people on their way out of town. They’re headed home.”“Those morning games take away almost all of the lunch crowd we get,” Yates said. “And you can only do so much after one of those games.”“The only advantage for those games, or games at 1 or so, is that you’re not getting home too late,” fan Billy Petty of Enid said. “Part of the game is socializing before and after, and most of us prefer to do that before the game. That’s no problem with 5 o’clock games. In the morning, it’s tough because most folks just can’t get here early enough.”So who, if anyone, would rather play earlier rather than later?Would you believe the ones actually playing?“Yes, coaches would generally like to play earlier,” Boone said. “The teams have worked all week to get ready and then they have to sit around waiting when it’s a later kickoff. They’re not enjoying things quite like the fans in the Grove.”The compromise, outside of TV-mandated changes, by Boone and the Ole Miss athletic department involves different kickoff times depending on when the game falls on the schedule.“It’s really a weather thing, dealing with the heat of early games,” Boone said. “We decided a few years back to aim for night games — 6 o’clock or 5 — in September and switch to afternoon games — generally 1 — from October on.“We’ve gotten feedback from fans that wanted night games and they seem to want that 5 or 6 p.m. start. I haven’t heard a lot from retail folks, but it’s obvious they like those times, too,” Boone said. “So we factor in the fans and the team’s wishes and try to compromise as much as possible.”So it’s relatively simple – 5 p.m. in August and September, 1 p.m. the rest of the year. That is, unless one of the networks wants to televise the Rebels.“That’s usually about half the time, sometimes more, sometimes less,” Boone said. “There’s not a lot we can do about that. That’s why people put things like ‘TBA’ and ‘Time Subject to Change’ on tickets.”“I don’t mind TV; I just don’t like 11:30 games,” Dooty said. “For the time and money you spend (coming to games), you’d like for them to give you a chance for what you come up here for.”For now, however, the times will continue to be different. Even to the point of changing week to week.

Prediction Thursday

Well the Rebels return to non conference action this week as they take on another set of Bulldogs from Louisiana Tech. This could be a game the Rebels need. LA Tech does not have the type talent the Rebels have faced over the past month or so. However they still have a great offense and throw for alot of yards in their spread offense.

I feel like in the end though, the Rebels will win this one by about 10 points. This Ole Miss team is never going to run away with the game and get up big on an opponent and keep that lead. This game is going to allow some second team players the opportunity to play some downs and prove they belong on the field, if they want to.

All in all I think it will be a very small crowd in Oxford. I am predicting about 40,000 in the stands however they will announce more than that. Unfortunately this is the state Ole Miss football is in, and there is no draw to bring your average fan to Oxford for a game.

Change in Line Up

(Oxford Eagle)True freshman safety Johnny Brown could get his chance to shine this weekend when the Ole Miss football team hosts Louisiana Tech in the Rebels’ Homecoming game Saturday at 1 p.m.Brown was wearing the first-team jersey at Wednesday’s practice, replacing sophomore Kendrick Lewis, who worked with the second team Wednesday.Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron said after practice that the change is not permanent but that he was experimenting and would review the things Thursday and Friday before making a final decision about personnel.He did say though that he likes what he has seen in Brown.“He’s a good athlete,” Orgeron said. “He can make some plays, and he’s learned the defense pretty well for a freshman. He’s still not there, but we think he’s going to be a good one.“He was a good running back in high school and he has a lot of confidence. He does well in space.”Senior Thomas Eckers was also working out as first-team center, with former starter Corey Actis at second team. Eckers started last week against Georgia, although Orgeron would not say why Actis did not play against the Bulldogs.

Former Rebs to Play in MLB Post Season

(UMAA)OXFORD, Miss. – With the game tied in the sixth inning on Monday night and a playoff berth on the line, Seth Smith stepped to the plate for the Colorado Rockies and tripled to the wall in center field for the biggest hit of his professional career to date. A batter later, Smith crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly to give his team a 6-5 lead.

While Smith’s run didn’t prove to be the game winning run – the Rockies would lose the lead before coming up with three runs in the 13th inning to win – it was a big step for the outfielder as he helped Colorado earn a playoff appearance for the first time since 1995. The Rockies are hoping Smith can continue to have an impact as they challenge Philadelphia in the first round of the play-offs at 2 p.m. CST on Wednesday.

Smith, a three-year letterwinner with the Rebels was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2002.

Another former Rebel and current Major League outfielder will also take the field on Wednesday hoping to help his team to the World Series. Bobby Kielty hits the diamond with the Boston Red Sox against the Anaheim Angels.

Kielty hit .218 for Boston in the regular season and was picked up by the Red Sox after being designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics in July. Kielty played for the Rebels in the 1998 season, earning a letter before being drafted by the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox will take on the Anaheim Angels at 5:30 p.m. CST on Wednesday.

David Dellucci could see the field in the postseason as well, giving the Rebels three former outfielders in the playoffs. Dellucci spent most of the summer on the disabled list for the Indians, but returned to action late as Cleveland claimed the American League Central Division. He hit .230 for the season with 11 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 20 RBI. He also scored 25 runs for the Indians.

Cleveland will take on the New York Yankees at 5:30 p.m. CST on Thursday and does not have to name their playoff roster until Thursday morning.

Polk Is Right

One of the very few things I will ever agree with Ron Polk is the argument against the NCAA about the new rules concerning NCAA baseball teams and scholarships. Polk is righ on in fighting the NCAA on this issue. I respect him for writing letter to every NCAA team to try and get a veto to override the new NCAA rules. Thank you Ron.

(Clarion Ledger)STARKVILLE — Thirty NCAA Division I schools have submitted votes requesting an override of a portion of the recent legislation affecting college baseball, the total necessary to force the Division I Board of Directors to review the rule, according to The NCAA News.
The override campaign has been championed by Mississippi State coach Ron Polk. A longtime critic of the NCAA, Polk mailed an 18-page letter to 1,421 influential people last month with the hope of educating them about the impact of the new rules.At the Board of Directors’ Nov. 1 meeting, the board can do one of three things: accept the override and rescind the legislation; take no additional action; or revise the proposal.The override centers on the minimum scholarship percentage requirement for baseball players. After an earlier override, the Board of Directors lowered the percentage from 33 percent to 25 percent, according to The NCAA News.

AK Rounds Out Class

Head Ole Miss basketball coach Andy Kennedy got another commitment this week as Will Bogan has committed to the Rebels. It is believed this will be Kennedy's last commitment of the year as he has given out all of his schaolarships. Bogan will bring a deep true deep threat to the Rebels. While there have been some decent shooters after the last few years, based on some of the articles and highlites I have seen, I don't think we have had one like Bogan.

From what I understand Bogan has not been highly recruited as of yet, but was beginning to draw alot of attention from some larger name colleges. Kennedy evidently came across Bogan at a AAU camp this summer, and he really like his style of play. Believe me if Kennedy is going to bring this guy all the way from Idaho there is a good reason for it. (Click above for highlites)

Here is an article from Yahoo Sports on Boggan:

Not many high-major prospects come out of the state of Idaho, but the top 2008 prospect in the state Will Bogan has a couple high-majors on his trail. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard from Caldwell (Idaho) Vallivue High School will visit an SEC school later this month.
Bogan, who was spotted by Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy during the last week of the evaluation period in Las Vegas, will travel to Oxford, Miss., on an official visit on September 22. And Ole Miss isn't the only high-major school aware of Bogan's abilities. With the strong possibility of one or both of the Lopez twins leaving for the NBA, Stanford is recruiting the largely unknown guard.
"The Stanford situation is unique," said Bogan's father Bill Bogan. "Their three scholarships for 2008 are already committed, but Coach Johnson said Will has the next one if it comes open."
A savvy player, Bogan has a blend of quickness and deep shooting ability that makes him awful difficult to defend.
"Will has such deep range," said Bogan's travel team coach Loren Schwarzhoff of Boise Flight. "He's almost unguardable because if you come out after him, he'll just go right by you. He's also extremely unselfish and just doesn't make mistakes with the basketball.
"He's a gym rat and the type of player who will end up being an assistant coach at whatever school he goes to."

AK Adds Another

Several websites are reporting Rebel men's basketball coach Andy Kennedy got a verbal commitment from Terrance Henry a four star forward and one of the Top 100 players in the country. This is once again big news for the Kennedy Administration.

From Strands of Crepe Paper Blog:

Henry verbals to AK, Mike White
According to Dave Telep of scouthoops.com, Ole Miss got a commitment from Terrence Henry of Carroll High School in Monroe, LA. Henry is a Top 100 and a huge get for Ole Miss. He visited Arkansas last weekend and had visit set to visit Kansas officially for Midnight Madness at Lawrence in a couple of weeks. Bill Self had an inhome with him a little over a week ago so he was a priority for them.Don't underestimate the connection of former Ole Miss point guard Chris Oney, who is Henry's high school coach. He was a teammate of Ole Miss assistant Michael White.

Ole Miss to Play UAB

UAB announced today they will play Ole Miss in a home and home over the next several years. We have been begging to get Memphis off the schedule and they decide to trade them with UAB. I live in Birmingham and am excited to see the Rebels will be coming here to play, but I could have probably thought of a few better opponents that would be the same caliber as UAB that I would have rather played. Folks, Legion Field aint what it used to be. It is a dump and a little scary to go to at night. You thought the atmosphere around the Liberty Bowl was bad, wait until you come to the Ham for a game at Legion Field. Granted Birmingham is a great town with lots of restaurants and bars to go to on Friday and Saturday and we will have a big party for this game, but there will be no atmosphere around the stadium or at the game. I don't know one single UAB fan and I live in the city, so I have no idea who goes to the games. The one thing I do know is they are always passing out free tickets.

I have been saying for years we should be playing Tulane on off years from the LSU game in Baton Rouge. There is one thing that Ole Miss fans love and that is going to New Orleans for a football game. Hundreds of fans go to N.O. each year for the game that is in Baton Rouge. We would definitely have thousands in New Orleans were we to play the Green Wave on a home and home each year.

I know some people are saying there is no difference between Tulane and UAB on the amount of talent. But if we have to go on the road to play a non conference game, why not go to a place where you are going to travel the most fans to and New Orleans is that place.

UAB Release-UAB will play a home-and-home series with Ole Miss with the Blazers traveling to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. in 2009 and the Rebels coming to Birmingham during the 2012 season.
The home-and-home series with a Southeastern Conference school is a first for the Blazers. In fact, Ole Miss will be just the second SEC school to play in Birmingham. UAB is currently in the midst of a five-game series with Mississippi State with three games in Starkville and two at Legion Field.
When UAB plays MSU in Starkville this coming Saturday (Oct. 6), the game will mark the Blazers' 12th contest against SEC competition. All but one of those, however, has been played away from Birmingham.
"Having a home-and-home series with Ole Miss is huge for our program," said Mackin, "and what we want to do more of in the future in regards to our scheduling. It is something our fans can get excited about, and obviously, our players and coaches can look forward to. Ole Miss has an outstanding SEC program with great tradition and is a school close in proximity to us. They have a lot of alumni in the Birmingham area and throughout the southeast."