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{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}} | {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}} | ||
{{Infobox NCAA football school | {{Infobox NCAA football school | ||
| TeamName = Ole Miss Rebels | | TeamName = Ole Miss Rebels football | ||
| CurrentSeason = |
| CurrentSeason = 2025 Ole Miss Rebels football team | ||
| FirstYear = 1893 | | FirstYear = ]; {{Years or months ago|1893}} | ||
| Image = Ole |
| Image = Ole-miss logo from NCAA.svg | ||
| ImageSize = 200 | | ImageSize = 200 | ||
| AthleticDirector = Keith Carter | | AthleticDirector = ] | ||
| HeadCoach = |
| HeadCoach = ] | ||
| HeadCoachYear = 6th | |||
| HCWins = 44 | |||
| HCLosses = 18 | |||
| Stadium = ] | | Stadium = ] | ||
| FieldName = Jerry Hollingsworth Field | | FieldName = Jerry Hollingsworth Field | ||
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| NCAAdivision = I FBS | | NCAAdivision = I FBS | ||
| Conference = ] | | Conference = ] | ||
| ConfDivision = |
| ConfDivision = | ||
| PastAffiliations = ] (1893–1898) <br>] (1899–1921){{Dubious|date=January 2018}}<br>] (1922–1932) | | PastAffiliations = ] (1893–1898) <br />] (1899–1921){{Dubious|date=January 2018}}<br />] (1922–1932) | ||
| ATWins = |
| ATWins = 675 | ||
| ATLosses = |
| ATLosses = 547 | ||
| ATTies = 35 | | ATTies = 35 | ||
| BowlWins = 26 <!-- omit 2012 season / 2013 BBVA Compass Bowl victory as vacated ---> | |||
| BowlWins = 24 | |||
| BowlLosses = |
| BowlLosses = 15 | ||
| BowlTies = | | BowlTies = | ||
| UnNatlTitles = | |||
| NatlTitles = 3 (], ], ]) | | NatlTitles = 3 (], ], ]) | ||
| ConfTitles = 6 (], ], ], ], ], ]) | |||
| ConfTitles = 6 (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963) | |||
| DivTitles = | | DivTitles = 1 (]) | ||
| Heismans = | | Heismans = | ||
| AllAmericans = |
| AllAmericans = 14 | ||
| uniform = |
| uniform = Ole Miss Uniforms 2022.png | ||
| FightSong = Forward Rebels | | FightSong = Forward Rebels | ||
| MascotDisplay = ] | | MascotDisplay = ] | ||
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| PagFreeLabel = Outfitter | | PagFreeLabel = Outfitter | ||
| PagFreeValue = ] | | PagFreeValue = ] | ||
| Rivalries = ] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (]) | | Rivalries = ] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br />] (])<br /> | ||
| WebsiteName = OleMissSports.com | | WebsiteName = OleMissSports.com | ||
| WebsiteURL = |
| WebsiteURL = https://olemisssports.com/sports/football}} | ||
}} | |||
The '''Ole Miss Rebels football''' program represents the ], also known as "Ole Miss". The Rebels compete in the ] (FBS) of the ] (NCAA) as members of the ] (SEC). The Rebels play their home games at ] on the university's campus in ]. | |||
Founded in 1893 as the state's first football team, Ole Miss has won six ], in 1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963. The team has been co-] once, with ] in 1960 (the only time that Ole Miss has been acknowledged as national champion by the NCAA).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=College football championship history {{!}} NCAA.com|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/college-football-national-championship-history|access-date=2021-09-22|website=www.ncaa.com|language=en|archive-date=December 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230171030/https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/college-football-national-championship-history|url-status=live}}</ref> Ole Miss, however, has never finished a season No. 1 in the ] or ].<ref name="2020ncaabook">{{cite book | url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/FBS.pdf | title=2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records | publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association | date=August 2020 | access-date=September 10, 2021 | pages=125 | archive-date=November 1, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101032438/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/FBS.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/research/championships.cfm#.YTt93p1KjIU|title=AP National Championships - Football - College Poll Archive - Historical College Football, Basketball, and Softball Polls and Rankings|access-date=October 2, 2021|archive-date=March 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220306025306/http://www.collegepollarchive.com/football/ap/research/championships.cfm#.YTt93p1KjIU|url-status=dead}}</ref> With a record of 24–15, Ole Miss has the ] of schools with 30 or more bowl appearances. | |||
The '''Ole Miss Rebels football''' program represents the ], also known as "Ole Miss.” The Rebels compete in the ] (FBS) of the ] (NCAA) and the Western Division of the ] (SEC). As of 2019, the team is coached by Matt Luke. | |||
Founded in 1893 as the state's first football team, Ole Miss has won six Southeastern Conference titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963) and three national titles (1959, 1960, 1962). The Rebels posted their 600th win on September 27, 2008, when they defeated the ] 31–30.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080928/SPORTS030103/809280348|title=The Clarion-Ledger: No. 4 Gators undone by myriad mistakes|publisher=}}</ref> | |||
As of 2024, the team's head coach is ].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eckert |first=David |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Ole Miss football grades: Failure all around after Arkansas loss |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2022/11/20/ole-miss-football-grades-failure-all-around-after-arkansas-loss-lane-kiffin/69641618007/ |access-date=9 June 2023 |website=Clarion Ledger}}</ref> | |||
In 2019, the NCAA vacated 33 of the team's victories — nearly 5 percent of its total wins at the time — and levied a two-year ban on post-season play as punishment for recruiting and academic violations under head coaches ] and ].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/12/ole-miss-vacates-wins-ncaa-violations|title=Ole Miss to vacate 33 FB wins after violations|website=SI.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25}}</ref> | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
{{main|History of Ole Miss Rebels football}} | {{main|History of Ole Miss Rebels football}} | ||
The Ole Miss football team played its first season in 1893 |
The Ole Miss football team played its first season in 1893 and have since fielded a team every year except for 1897 (due to a ] epidemic) and 1943 (due to World War II). In that first season, the team compiled a 4–1 record under head coach ]. In 1899, Ole Miss became a member of the ] (SIAA). The program joined the ] in 1922 and the ] in 1933. | ||
===Johnny Vaught era (1947–1970, 1973)=== | ===Johnny Vaught era (1947–1970, 1973)=== | ||
The modern era of Ole Miss football began in 1947, when ] was ousted in favor of his line coach, ]. A former All-American at ] (TCU), Vaught led the Ole Miss program to national prominence over the next 24 years, posting 23 winning records and making the team a fixture in the national polls. Under Vaught, Ole Miss won the 1959 Dunkel System national championship; the 1960 Football Writers Association of America, Dunkel System, and Williamson System national championships; and the 1962 Litkenhous Ratings national championship. | |||
] (left) and coach ] (right)]] | |||
Just 2–7 in 1946, the Rebels went 9–2 in Vaught's first season at the helm, winning the first of his six SEC titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963). The 1947 season also saw Ole Miss great ] become the first Rebel player to seriously contend for the ], placing fourth in the voting. | |||
], a line coach at Ole Miss in 1946 under ] and a former All-American at ] (TCU), remained in Oxford as head coach in 1947 and led the Ole Miss program to national prominence over the next 24 years, posting 23 winning records. | |||
The Rebels were among the winningest programs in the country during the 1950s. From 1950 to 1959, Ole Miss posted an 80–21–5 record (.778 winning percentage), third only to Oklahoma and Miami (OH) during that decade. Vaught's 1959 squad was honored as the "SEC Team of the Decade." | |||
In his first season at the helm in 1947, the Rebels posted a 9–2 record and won the first of six SEC titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963). The 1947 season also saw Ole Miss great ] become the first Rebel player to be a contender for the ], placing fourth in the voting for the prestigious honor. | |||
In the 1960s, Vaught guided the Rebels to a 77–25–6 record and a .740 winning percentage, which was the ninth-best during that decade. The Rebels were ranked atop the Associated Press poll for three weeks during the 1960 season and one week during the 1961 campaign. The 1960 unit is the only team to win a national championship that is recognized by the NCAA and the college football community at large. That squad finished 10–0–1; the only blemish was a 6–6 tie against ]. Ole Miss was presented with the ] by the Football Writers of America after its ] victory, though that did not carry the same weight of the wire service voting (] and ]) which selected ] as the national champion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://allstatesugarbowl.org/classic/1963-how-they-got-here/|title=1963 - How They Got Here|newspaper=Official Site of the Allstate Sugar Bowl |access-date=September 14, 2021|archive-date=September 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914164127/https://allstatesugarbowl.org/classic/1963-how-they-got-here/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="web.archive.org">{{Cite web|date=2012-11-15|title=United Press International Yearly Final Polls|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/upi_poll.php?year=1960|access-date=2021-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115002431/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/upi_poll.php?year=1960|archive-date=November 15, 2012}}</ref> | |||
Ole Miss won the 1959 Dunkel System national championship; the 1960 Football Writers Association of America, Dunkel System, and Williamson System national championships; and the 1962 Litkenhous Ratings national championship. Vaught's 1962 squad remains the only undefeated team in Ole Miss football history. Vaught's 1959 squad, which was honored as the "SEC Team of the Decade," was ranked the third best collegiate football team from 1956 to 1995, according to the Jeff Sagarin Ratings released in January 1996. | |||
The Rebels’ 1962 season is Ole Miss' only undefeated and untied season: 10–0.<ref name="CFBdata">{{cite web |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/mississippi/undefeated_seasons.php |title=Mississippi - Undefeated and Untied Seasons |access-date=April 7, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020080249/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/mississippi/undefeated_seasons.php |archive-date=October 20, 2012 }}</ref> They capped off the season with a victory in the ], but finished No. 3 in both major polls. In 1964, Ole Miss was ranked preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, but finished with a dismal 5–5–1 record at season's end. | |||
Vaught also made going to postseason play the norm rather than the exception for the Rebel football program. Ole Miss played in 15 consecutive bowl games from 1957 to 1971, a national record at the time. In all, Vaught led Ole Miss to 18 bowl games, posting a 10–8 record. For his efforts, Vaught was named SEC Coach of the Year six times (1947, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962). | |||
In the 1950s and 1960s under Vaught, Ole Miss was a fixture in the national polls. The Rebels were ranked atop the Associated Press poll for three weeks during the 1960 season and one week during the 1961 campaign. In 1964, Ole Miss was ranked preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press poll. | |||
Vaught coached some of the best players in Ole Miss football history. and produced 26 All-America first-teamers. He also coached four players who finished in the top five in the Heisman Trophy voting: Conerly in 1947, Charlie Flowers (5th in 1959), Jake Gibbs (3rd in 1960), and Archie Manning (4th in 1969, 3rd in 1970). | |||
Vaught also made going to postseason play the norm rather than the exception for the Rebel football program. Ole Miss played in 15 consecutive bowl games from 1957 to 1971 which, at that time, was a national record. In all, Vaught led Ole Miss to 18 bowl game appearances, posting a 10–8 record in those contests. For his efforts, Vaught was named SEC Coach of the Year six times (1947, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962). | |||
During his tenure, Vaught coached some of the best players in Ole Miss football history. In 24 seasons, Vaught produced 26 All-America first teamers. He also coached four players who finished in the top five in the Heisman Trophy voting. Along with Conerly in 1947, Charlie Flowers (5th in 1959), Jake Gibbs (3rd in 1960), and Archie Manning (4th in 1969, 3rd in 1970) were in the running for college football's top honor. | |||
Failing health forced Vaught to resign his position in 1970. He was succeeded by ]. | Failing health forced Vaught to resign his position in 1970. He was succeeded by ]. | ||
No Ole Miss coach has since matched Vaught's longevity or winning percentage. ] (left) and coach ] (right)]] | |||
===Billy R. Kinard era (1971–1973)=== | ===Billy R. Kinard era (1971–1973)=== | ||
Billy Kinard |
Billy Kinard, the first Ole Miss alumnus to head up the football program, won 10 games in 1971, fourth-most by a first-year head coach in NCAA Division I history, but was fired after going 5–5 in 1972 and starting the 1973 season 1–2.] awaiting the snap in a 1969 game against Tennessee]] | ||
Vaught was rehired to finish out the 1973 season, then resigned once again as head coach. As of 2022, his final record of 190–61–12 still ranks him in the top 25 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history. | |||
Kinard's tenure saw the team's first Black player, 79 years after the team started and a decade after the university admitted its first Black student. ], a defensive tackle, recruited out of a small school in the Delta region of Mississippi, eventually claimed All-SEC honors and had a long and successful NFL career following his stint at Ole Miss. | |||
Kinard coached the Rebels through the 1972 season and through the third game of the 1973 season. After the disappointing 5–5 season in 1972, the alumni were advocating to have Kinard removed as head coach. The administration fired Kinard after the Rebels started the 1973 season 1–2. The two losses were a shutout to Missouri, 17–0, and an upset by Memphis State, 17–13. Both Billy Kinard and Frank Kinard were fired, and Johnny Vaught was rehired as both the head coach and athletic director. | |||
Following the 1973 football season, Vaught resigned once again as head coach, but remained on as athletic director. His final record with the Rebels was 190–61–12. The 190 victories still rank Vaught in the top 25 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history, and he is the fourth-winningest coach in SEC history. In 1979, Vaught was inducted in the National College Football Hall of Fame. | |||
===Ken Cooper era (1974–1977)=== | ===Ken Cooper era (1974–1977)=== | ||
Ken Cooper, an assistant under Kinard since 1971, was named head coach on January 17, 1974, and took Ole Miss through the 1977 season. Cooper compiled a 21–23 record, and his tenure is probably best remembered for the |
Ken Cooper, an assistant under Kinard since 1971, was named head coach on January 17, 1974, and took Ole Miss through the 1977 season. Cooper compiled a 21–23 record, and his tenure is probably best remembered for the September 1977 upset of ], who finished the season 11–1 and AP and ] national champion. | ||
===Steve Sloan era (1978–1982)=== | ===Steve Sloan era (1978–1982)=== | ||
], the former All-American quarterback at Alabama under ], posted a 20–34 record from 1978 to 1982. | |||
===Billy Brewer era (1983–1993)=== | ===Billy Brewer era (1983–1993)=== | ||
After stepping outside the Ole Miss family football tree the previous nine seasons, Ole Miss |
After stepping outside the Ole Miss family football tree the previous nine seasons, former Rebel star player ] took over as head coach in December 1982. In his 11 seasons as head coach, Brewer led the Rebels to five winning seasons and four bowls, including Ole Miss' 1990 New Year's Day Gator Bowl appearance, which was the program's first January bowl game since 1969. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1986 (8–3–1 record) and 1990 (9–3 record), and in 1986, the Rebels returned to the national rankings for the first time in over a decade. He compiled a 68–55–3 record and led Ole Miss to eight ] victories over rival Mississippi State. | ||
Brewer was dismissed just before the 1994 season after the NCAA infractions committee found him guilty of "unethical conduct," Ole Miss defensive coordinator ] finished the season as interim coach. | |||
In his first season in 1983, Brewer guided the Rebels to their first winning regular season since 1977 with a 7–4 record (Tulane win a result of forfeit). The Rebels also went to their first bowl game since 1971 losing to Air Force 9–3 in the Independence Bowl. | |||
Brewer remained in Oxford for another ten seasons, leading the Rebels to five winning seasons and four bowls, including Ole Miss' 1990 New Year's Day Gator Bowl appearance, which was the program's first January bowl game since 1969. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1986 (8–3–1 record) and 1990 (9–3 record), and in 1986, the Rebels return to the national rankings for the first time in over a decade. | |||
Brewer coached 11 years (1983–93) and compiled a 68–55–3 record, making him (at the time) the second winningest Ole Miss football coach behind Vaught. Brewer also led Ole Miss to eight ] victories over rival Mississippi State. | |||
Brewer was dismissed just prior to the 1994 season after the NCAA infractions committee found him guilty of "unethical conduct," and Ole Miss defensive coordinator ] took over as interim coach, directing the Rebels to a 4–7 record under difficult circumstances highlighted only by a 34–21 victory over rival LSU. | |||
===Tommy Tuberville era (1995–1998)=== | ===Tommy Tuberville era (1995–1998)=== | ||
Hired on December 2, 1994, ] led the 1995 Rebels to a 6–5 record and an Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State. In 1997, Ole Miss recorded its best season in five years with an 8–4 record, a thrilling 15–14 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State and a Motor City Bowl win over ]. The bowl appearance was the program's first since 1992, and the Rebels earned a final national ranking of No. 22 in both polls. | |||
On December 2, 1994, ] was selected as the coach in charge of getting the Rebels on the right track. | |||
After serving as an assistant coach on the collegiate level for nine seasons (eight at ] and one at ]), Tuberville began creating excitement in his first season in 1995, finishing the campaign with a 6–5 record and an Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State. | |||
That excitement grew in 1997, when Ole Miss recorded its best season since 1992 with an 8–4 record, a thrilling 15–14 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State and a Motor City Bowl win over ]. The bowl appearance was the program's first since 1992, and the Rebels earned a final national ranking of No. 22 in both polls. | |||
During the 1998 season, Tuberville repeatedly said he would not leave Ole Miss. With a month to go before the team's bowl game, he told alumni, "They'll have to take me out of here in a pine box". Two days later, he accepted the job of head coach at SEC West rival ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Hall |first=Spencer |date=December 18, 2007 |title=How to quit a coaching job 101 |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=319866&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=22&sid=21319c681b5b3c86c6d974fb45ec7745 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004060510/http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=319866 |archive-date=October 4, 2008 |access-date=April 30, 2016 |work=Sporting News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=2720487&type=story|title=On Football: If coaches' lips are moving, they might be leaving|website=]|access-date=April 30, 2016|archive-date=November 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106020207/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2720487&type=story|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07004/751148-198.stm |title=Anderson: Saban's Tide dance just another little lie – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |publisher=Post-gazette.com |date=January 4, 2007 |access-date=June 17, 2013 |archive-date=January 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126234209/http://post-gazette.com/pg/07004/751148-198.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
===David Cutcliffe era (1998–2004)=== | ===David Cutcliffe era (1998–2004)=== | ||
] took over as head coach on December 2, 1998 |
] took over as head coach on December 2, 1998, just 29 days before the Rebels met Texas Tech in the Sanford Independence Bowl. They prevailed, 35–18, in arguably the biggest upset of the 1998 bowl season. | ||
Instilling a high-powered offensive style, Cutcliffe had four winning seasons in his first five seasons at Ole Miss, in 1999 (8–4), 2000 (7–5), 2001 (7–4) and 2002 (7–6), becoming the first Rebel mentor since Harry Mehre (1938–41) to post winning marks in his first five years. From 1997 to 2003, the Rebels played in six bowl games, tied with Arkansas for the most bowl appearances among SEC Western Division schools during that span. In 2003, Cutcliffe guided the Rebels to a 10–3 overall mark and a share of the SEC West title with eventual BCS National Champion LSU. | |||
Cutcliffe brought with him to Oxford a high-powered offensive style that energized the Rebel fanbase. | |||
Despite his 44–29 record, five straight winning seasons, and guiding the team to its first 10 win season in over 30 years, Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss's Athletic Director Pete Boone in December 2004 after the team posted a disappointing 4–7 record and a third consecutive loss to LSU. | |||
In the time from 1997 to 2003, the Rebels played in six bowl games, tied with Arkansas for the most bowl appearances among SEC Western Division schools during that span. | |||
===Ed Orgeron era (2005–2007)=== | |||
Cutcliffe had four winning seasons in his first five seasons at Ole Miss, in 1999 (8–4), 2000 (7–5), 2001 (7–4) and 2002 (7–6), becoming the first Rebel mentor since Harry Mehre (1938–41) to post winning marks in his first five years. Cutcliffe also directed Ole Miss to four bowl appearances in his first five seasons. | |||
] | |||
] took over on December 16, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2004-12-16-ole-miss-oregeron_x.htm|title=Orgeron introduced as football coach at Ole Miss|website=]|access-date=April 30, 2016|archive-date=February 9, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209151928/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2004-12-16-ole-miss-oregeron_x.htm|url-status=dead|date=December 16, 2004|author-last1=Newman|author-first1=Bruce}}</ref> Named the 2004 National Recruiter of the Year by ''The Sporting News'' and Rivals.com, he compiled two of the best-ranking signing classes in 2006 and 2007. This did not lead to on-the-field success. In 2007, Ole Miss was last in the SEC in scoring offense, turnover margin, rushing offense, rushing defense, punt returns, opponent first downs, red-zone offense, opponent third-down conversions, field goal percentage, time of possession and kickoff coverage. | |||
The 2007 season was an unmitigated disaster for the Rebels. They went winless in the SEC for the first time since 1982 and ended the season at 3–9 (0–8 in SEC play). Orgeron was fired on November 24, 2007. | |||
In 2003 Cutcliffe guided the Rebels to a 10–3 overall mark and a share of the SEC West title with eventual BCS National Champion LSU. Following their 31–28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Rebels finished #13 in the final poll. It was Ole Miss' first New Year's bowl since the 1991 Gator Bowl against Michigan. | |||
===Houston Nutt era (2008–2011)=== | |||
Despite his 44–29 record, five straight winning seasons, and guiding the team to its first 10 win season in over 30 years, Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss's Athletic Director Pete Boone in December 2004 after the team posted a disappointing 4–7 record and three consecutive losses to LSU. | |||
] | |||
Three days later, ] was hired as the next head football coach, just five weeks after he defeated Ole Miss as the head coach of the ].<ref name="Ole Miss Sports">{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=3129559|title=Nutt agrees with Ole Miss hours after resigning from Arkansas|work=ESPN.com|date=November 27, 2007|access-date=April 30, 2016|archive-date=January 17, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117094643/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3129559|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
During Nutt's first season, he guided the Ole Miss Rebels to a 9–4 record with marquee victories over the eventual BCS National Champion ], the reigning BCS National Champion ], and the ] in the ]. The Rebels posted their 600th win on September 27, 2008, when they defeated the Gators 31–30.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080928/SPORTS030103/809280348|title=The Clarion-Ledger: No. 4 Gators undone by myriad mistakes}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> At season's end, the Rebels were ranked in the Top 15 in both major polls. | |||
===Ed Orgeron era (2005–2007)=== | |||
] | |||
], regarded as one of college football's premier defensive line coaches and recruiters, was named the 35th head football coach in the history of the University of Mississippi on December 16, 2004.<ref name="USA Today 12/16/04">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2004-12-16-ole-miss-oregeron_x.htm|title=USATODAY.com – Orgeron introduced as football coach at Ole Miss|publisher=|accessdate=April 30, 2016}}</ref> Orgeron, who took control of the Ole Miss program after serving the previous seven seasons as defensive line coach at the University of Southern California, and played a role in Pete Carroll's Trojan championship in 2004. He also served as USC's recruiting coordinator from 2001 to 2004 and was named assistant head coach in 2003. Orgeron was named the 2004 National Recruiter of the Year by The Sporting News and Rivals.com. | |||
But in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the Rebels won a total of six games, and in the latter season, went winless in SEC play. On November 7, 2011, athletic director Pete Boone forced Nutt to resign, effective at the end of the season, citing what ESPN called the program's "total decline".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/7202990/houston-nutt-mississippi-rebels-resign-end-season |title=Houston Nutt of Mississippi Rebels to resign at end of season |publisher=Espn.go.com |date=November 8, 2011 |access-date=June 17, 2013 |archive-date=May 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523022326/http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7202990/houston-nutt-mississippi-rebels-resign-end-season |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Orgeron's talent as a recruiter created a buzz among Rebel fans and drew national attention when Ole Miss' 2006 signing class ranked as high as fifteenth in the rankings. His 2007 recruiting class was also listed among the best in college football (#31 according to scout.com). However, his recruiting success did not translate to on the field performance. In 2007, Ole Miss was last in the SEC in scoring offense, turnover margin, rushing offense, rushing defense, punt returns, opponent first downs, red-zone offense, opponent third-down conversions, field goal percentage, time of possession and kickoff coverage. | |||
NCAA investigators later concluded that Nutt had allowed athletes to play while ineligible. In 2019, the NCAA punished Ole Miss for these violations and others committed by his successor, ], by stripping the team of 33 wins over six seasons.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/12/ole-miss-vacates-wins-ncaa-violations|title=Ole Miss to vacate 33 FB wins after violations|newspaper=Sports Illustrated|language=en|access-date=2019-07-22|archive-date=June 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606152756/https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/12/ole-miss-vacates-wins-ncaa-violations|url-status=live}}</ref> This included all four wins in 2010 and two wins in 2011, making those season the Rebels' first official winless ones in more than a century. | |||
The 2007 season was a historic one for Ole Miss. The Rebels went winless in the SEC for the first time in 25 years since 1982. The Rebels, under Orgeron, ended the season at 3–9 (0–8 in SEC play). | |||
===Hugh Freeze era (2012–2017)=== | |||
The 2007 season culminated with the firing of Orgeron on November 24, 2007. Three days later, ] was hired as the next head football coach. | |||
]]] | |||
On December 5, 2011, ] became the new head coach. The team went 7–6 with a victory over ] in the ]. In Freeze's second year, the Rebels went 8–5 (3–5), defeating then-sixth-ranked LSU on a last-second field goal in Oxford, then beating Georgia Tech, 25–17, in the Music City Bowl. | |||
In 2014, Freeze led Ole Miss to one of its strongest seasons in four decades. The Rebels spent most of the season in the top 10, rising as high as third in October—their highest ranking at that late stage in the season in almost half a century. They ultimately finished 9–3, only the third time since Vaught's tenure that a Rebel team has won as many as nine games. This garnered them a berth in the ], their first major-bowl appearance since 1969. In 2015, Freeze led to the Rebels to perhaps the program's strongest season since 1962, when the team went undefeated and untied, with wins over ranked SEC West Rivals LSU and Mississippi State, and was headlined by a road victory over No. 2-ranked Alabama, their first win in Tuscaloosa since 1988 and the first time they had beaten the Tide in back-to-back seasons. The Rebels earned a trip to the ], their first appearance in this bowl game since 1970, where they beat Oklahoma State 48–20. Freeze led the Rebels to their first 10-win season since 2003, and only the third since the Vaught era. | |||
===Houston Nutt era (2008–2011)=== | |||
] | |||
On November 27, 2007, ] was hired as the 36th head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, just five weeks after having defeated Ole Miss as the head coach of the ].<ref name="Ole Miss Sports">{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3129559|title=Nutt agrees with Ole Miss hours after resigning from Arkansas|work=ESPN.com|accessdate=April 30, 2016}}</ref> | |||
On July 20, 2017, Freeze resigned after Ole Miss officials learned that he had used a university-provided cell phone to place calls to an ] in "a concerning pattern" that began shortly after he took the job in 2011.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ole-miss-coach-hugh-freeze-resigns-amid-explosive-new-information/|title=Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze resigns amid discovery of call to escort service|work=CBSSports.com|access-date=September 18, 2017|language=en|archive-date=September 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919234039/https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ole-miss-coach-hugh-freeze-resigns-amid-explosive-new-information/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/07/20/ole-miss-coach-hugh-freeze-resigns-following-report-of-alleged-call-to-escort-service/|title=Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze resigns: 'Concerning pattern' from phone records forces Rebel coach out|date=2017-07-20|work=The Oxford Eagle|access-date=2019-03-26|language=en-US|archive-date=March 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326000149/https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/07/20/ole-miss-coach-hugh-freeze-resigns-following-report-of-alleged-call-to-escort-service/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=2017-07-20 |title=Ole Miss' Freeze quits; escort-service calls cited |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20117453/hugh-freeze-ole-miss-rebels-resigns-escort-service-calls-cited |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> | |||
The next day, Nutt was officially introduced as the new coach at a press conference at the school's Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for Performing Arts.<ref name="Ole Miss New Leader">{{cite web|url=http://www.olemisssports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=12792&SPID=737&DB_OEM_ID=2600&ATCLID=1327765|title=Ole Miss Athletics: Rebels Find New Leader in Houston Nutt|publisher=}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> During the press conference, Nutt said, "One thing I love about Ole Miss is the tradition," naming past players such as ], ], ], ] and ]. "It's about tradition. That's the reason I am here. I feel like this place can be successful. I feel like this place can win. I can't wait to tell our players this afternoon. That's how you spell fun. The way you spell fun is "W-I-N." That's what it is all about."<ref name="Nutt Press Conference">{{cite web|url=http://www.olemisssports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=737&DB_OEM_ID=2600&SPSID=12792&ATCLID=1329130|title=Ole Miss Athletics: Houston Nutt Introductory Press Conference|publisher=}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | |||
NCAA investigators later concluded that Freeze had cheated on 15 occasions by breaking recruiting rules and allowing students to play who had not maintained the required academic standing; they also determined that his predecessor, Nutt, had broken similar rules. University officials quickly attempted to paint Nutt as the main culprit instead of Freeze. Nutt sued for defamation, and the university settled the suit and issued a public apology.<ref name=":32">{{Cite magazine |last=Rollins |first=Khadrice |date=October 16, 2017 |title=Ole Miss reaches settlement with Houston Nutt |url=https://www.si.com/college/2017/10/16/ole-miss-houston-nutt-lawsuit-settlement |access-date=2022-11-29 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129202343/https://www.si.com/college/2017/10/16/ole-miss-houston-nutt-lawsuit-settlement |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
During Nutt's first season, he guided the Ole Miss Rebels to a 9–4 record with marquee victories over the eventual BCS National Champion ], the reigning BCS National Champion ], and the ] in the ]. At the end of this season, the Rebels were ranked in the Top 15 in both major polls. | |||
This constituted one of the worst violations ever, and in 2019 the NCAA punished Ole Miss by stripping the team of 33 wins over six seasons, including seven from 2012, eight from 2014, and five from 2016. This changed Freeze's official record at Ole Miss from 39–25 over five seasons to 12–25. The NCAA also banned the team from postseason play for two years, stripped it of scholarships for four years, and placed it on three years of probation.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/12/ole-miss-vacates-wins-ncaa-violations|title=Ole Miss to vacate 33 FB wins after violations|newspaper=Sports Illustrated|language=en|access-date=2019-03-25|archive-date=June 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606152756/https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/12/ole-miss-vacates-wins-ncaa-violations|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, the NCAA vacated 33 of the team's victories dating from 2010 to 2016 and levied a two-year ban on postseason play as punishment for recruiting and academic violations under both Nutt and Freeze.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2019/02/12/ole-miss-football-vacate-33-wins-over-six-seasons-after-ncaa-probe/2845295002/|title=Ole Miss football to vacate 33 wins from 2010 to 2016 as a result of NCAA investigation|first=Tom|last=Schad|website=USA Today|quote="The Rebels will vacate 33 wins between 2010 and 2016 in the latest punishment from the NCAA, stemming from the years-long football investigation."|access-date=November 23, 2020|archive-date=April 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417055148/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2019/02/12/ole-miss-football-vacate-33-wins-over-six-seasons-after-ncaa-probe/2845295002/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25977156/ole-miss-football-forced-vacate-33-wins-six-seasons-ncaa-violations|title=Ole Miss vacating 33 football wins after violations|date=February 12, 2019|website=ESPN.com|quote="Ole Miss will vacate 33 football wins over six seasons between 2010 and 2016 for fielding ineligible players, athletic director Ross Bjork said Monday night."|access-date=November 23, 2020|archive-date=November 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130140542/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25977156/ole-miss-football-forced-vacate-33-wins-six-seasons-ncaa-violations|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Nutt and his wife Diana had committed to give a gift of $100,000 to Ole Miss. Half of the contribution will create scholarships for student-athletes. The other half of the gift will be used toward the university's Indoor Practice Facility, which opened in 2004 and cost $17 million to build.<ref name="Clarion Ledger 04-16-09">{{cite web|url=http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090416/SPORTS030103/90416028|title=The Clarion-Ledger: UM’s Nutt giving $100,000 to university|website=Clarionledger.com|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref> | |||
Meanwhile, the team's star quarterback ] and other players told ] officials that Freeze had lied to them about the charges while he recruited them.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Dodd |first=Dennis |date=February 1, 2018 |title=Ole Miss transfers building appeal cases proving they were misled by Hugh Freeze |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ole-miss-transfers-building-appeal-cases-proving-they-were-misled-by-hugh-freeze/ |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129154435/https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ole-miss-transfers-building-appeal-cases-proving-they-were-misled-by-hugh-freeze/ |url-status=live }}</ref> They requested waivers to quickly play for other teams, and were granted them. | |||
On November 7, 2011, it was announced that Coach Nutt would resign, effective at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7202990/houston-nutt-mississippi-rebels-resign-end-season |title=Houston Nutt of Mississippi Rebels to resign at end of season – ESPN |publisher=Espn.go.com |date=November 8, 2011 |accessdate=June 17, 2013}}</ref> | |||
=== Matt Luke era (2017–2019) === | |||
But NCAA investigators later concluded that Nutt had cheated by allowing ineligible students to play. Combined with similar violations by his successor, Hugh Freeze, this constituted one of the worst violations ever,{{POV statement|date=August 2019}}{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}} and in 2019 the NCAA punished Ole Miss by stripping the team of 33 wins over six seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/02/12/ole-miss-vacates-wins-ncaa-violations|title=Ole Miss to vacate 33 FB wins after violations|website=SI.com|language=en|access-date=2019-07-22}}</ref> | |||
On July 20, 2017, co-offensive coordinator ] was named interim head coach following Hugh Freeze's resignation in relation with the escort scandal.<ref name=":9" /> In November 2017, Luke was named the permanent head coach after leading the Rebels to a 6–6 record, including a 31–28 ] win over ]. In the 2019 Egg Bowl, Luke's recruit and future NFL wide receiver ] performed a post-touchdown mockery of a urinating dog, costing the Rebels a penalty and ultimately losing the game by a missed extra point 20–21.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/29/us/ole-miss-dog-loss-trnd/index.html|title=A college football player's crude touchdown celebration cost Ole Miss a win in the Egg Bowl|author=Allen Kim|website=CNN|date=November 29, 2019|access-date=2019-11-30|archive-date=December 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201005319/https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/29/us/ole-miss-dog-loss-trnd/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Luke was ] after the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/gantplayer/2019/12/02/ole-miss-head-football-coach-matt-luke-fired-after-4-8-season/#756509ff5c1f|title=Ole Miss Head Football Coach Matt Luke Fired After 4-8 Season|last=Player|first=Grant|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2020-04-26|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022125308/https://www.forbes.com/sites/gantplayer/2019/12/02/ole-miss-head-football-coach-matt-luke-fired-after-4-8-season/#756509ff5c1f|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
=== |
===Lane Kiffin era (2020–present)=== | ||
On December 7, 2019, Ole Miss announced that it had hired ] head coach ] as their next head coach<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-07 |title=Ole Miss finalizing deal with Kiffin, sources say |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/28240709/ole-miss-finalizing-deal-lane-kiffin-sources-say |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724005527/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/28240709/ole-miss-finalizing-deal-lane-kiffin-sources-say |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-07 |title=Ole Miss brings Kiffin back to SEC as head coach |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/28246292/ole-miss-brings-lane-kiffin-back-sec-head-coach |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=August 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815125038/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/28246292/ole-miss-brings-lane-kiffin-back-sec-head-coach |url-status=live }}</ref> under a four-year, $16.2 million contract.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gabler |first=Nathanael |date=2019-12-09 |title=Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss contract details revealed |url=https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2019/12/09/lane-kiffins-ole-miss-contract-details-revealed/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=The Oxford Eagle |language=en |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724005531/https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2019/12/09/lane-kiffins-ole-miss-contract-details-revealed/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The 44-year old Kiffin arrived in Oxford with a wealth of coaching experience; before serving as the Owls head coach, he served as Alabama's offensive coordinator for three years under ], winning one national championship and three SEC championships while helping to coach ] winner ].<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2019-12-08 |title=Lane Kiffin Hired by Ole Miss as Next Coach |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/07/sports/ncaafootball/lane-kiffin-hired-ole-miss.html |access-date=2023-08-16 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724005526/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/07/sports/ncaafootball/lane-kiffin-hired-ole-miss.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He had also served as head coach at ], ] and the ]'s ].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Ole Miss Hires Lane Kiffin as Head Coach |language=en-us |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/college/2019/12/07/lane-kiffin-ole-miss-head-coach |access-date=2023-08-16 |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724005530/https://www.si.com/college/2019/12/07/lane-kiffin-ole-miss-head-coach |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
On December 5, 2011, ] was announced as the new head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football team. Freeze was previously the head coach at ] and had previously been the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator from 2005–2007. In his ] he went 7–6 and finished the regular season with a win over rival ]. The Rebels won their bowl game against ] in the ]. In Freeze's second year, the Rebels went 8–5 (3–5). The 2013 Rebels defeated then-sixth-ranked LSU on a last-second field goal in Oxford and capped off the season with a 25–17 victory over Georgia Tech in the Music City Bowl. | |||
In his first season at Ole Miss, Kiffin compiled a 5–5 record in an all-SEC Conference schedule, including a 26–20 win over Indiana in the Outback Bowl in ]. On January 2, 2021, Ole Miss signed Kiffin to a contract extension and raise.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Keith |date=2021-01-02 |title=Ole Miss extends Lane Kiffin's contract as head coach |url=https://vicksburgnews.com/ole-miss-extends-lane-kiffins-contract-as-head-coach/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=Vicksburg Daily News |language=en-US |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724010612/https://vicksburgnews.com/ole-miss-extends-lane-kiffins-contract-as-head-coach/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, Kiffin piloted the Rebels to a 10–2 regular-season record, the best in school history, going 6–2 in conference and finishing 11th in both major polls. A 21–7 loss to Baylor in the ] in ], left the Rebels with a final record of 10–3, the eighth time the football team has recorded 10 wins in a season. On December 4, 2021, Ole Miss again extended Kiffin's contract and raised his pay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ole Miss football, Lane Kiffin agree to contract extension |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2021/12/04/mississippi-coach-lane-kiffin-agree-contract-extension/8873782002/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724010609/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2021/12/04/mississippi-coach-lane-kiffin-agree-contract-extension/8873782002/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2022, the Rebels compiled an 8–3 record and were ranked No. 20 in the AP poll in week 12. Running back ] won C Spire Freshman of the Year. On November 29, 2022, amid rumors that ] was interested in hiring Kiffin, the Rebels extended his contract and increased his pay for a third time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lane Kiffin contract extension announced by Ole Miss football; Rebels told before Egg Bowl |url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2022/11/29/ole-miss-football-announces-lane-kiffin-contract-extension/69686947007/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=The Clarion-Ledger |language=en-US}}</ref> Auburn ended up hiring former Ole Miss head coach ] instead.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-28 |title=Auburn hires Freeze, 'the best fit,' as next coach |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35132793/freeze-agrees-next-coach-auburn-sources-say |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> Ole Miss finished the 2022 season 8–5, losing five of their last six games, a showing blamed partly on Kiffin being distracted by Auburn's wooing.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-11-28 |title=Auburn hires Hugh Freeze as next head coach |url=https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2022/11/auburn-expected-to-hire-hugh-freeze-as-next-head-coach.html |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=al |language=en |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724010618/https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2022/11/auburn-expected-to-hire-hugh-freeze-as-next-head-coach.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-28 |title=Auburn hires Freeze, 'the best fit,' as next coach |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35132793/freeze-agrees-next-coach-auburn-sources-say |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207155128/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35132793/freeze-agrees-next-coach-auburn-sources-say |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In 2014, Freeze led Ole Miss to one of its strongest seasons in four decades. The Rebels spent most of the season in the top 10, rising as high as third in October—their highest ranking at that late stage in the season in almost half a century. They ultimately finished 9–3, only the third time since Vaught's tenure that a Rebel team has won as many as nine games. This garnered them a berth in the ]—their first major-bowl appearance since 1969. Freeze led to the Rebels to another strong season in 2015, one that featured wins over ranked SEC West Rivals LSU and Mississippi State, but was headlined by a road victory over then-No. 2-ranked Alabama, their first win in Tuscaloosa since 1988 and only the first time they had beaten the Tide in back-to-back seasons. Ole Miss controlled their own destiny in the SEC West for much of the 2015 campaign, but ultimately finished in second place. The Rebels earned a trip to the ], their first appearance in this bowl game since 1970, where they beat Oklahoma State 48–20. Freeze led the Rebels to their first 10-win season since 2003, and perhaps their best season overall since they went 10–0 in 1962 during the Vaught era. | |||
In 2023, Ole Miss got off to a 3–0 start, including a 37–20 win at No. 24 ], then lost 24–10 to No. 13 Alabama in ]. The following game against arch-rival LSU drew 66,703 people to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, setting a new venue record; Ole Miss won, 55–49, getting revenge for LSU's 45–20 blowout the previous year and eliminating them from the ]. The next week, they beat Arkansas 27–20, exacting revenge for another 2022 blowout. Kiffin led the team to 8–1 before losing to Georgia 17–52 in Athens. The Rebels finished the season 11–2, including a ] win over ] 38–25. | |||
But NCAA investigators later concluded that Freeze had cheated on 15 occasions by breaking recruiting rules and allowing students to play who had not maintained the required academic standing; they also determined that his predecessor, Nutt, had broken similar rules. This constituted one of the worst violations ever, and in 2019 the NCAA punished Ole Miss by stripping the team of 33 wins over six seasons, including seven from 2012, eight from 2014, seven from 2015, and five from 2016. This changed Freeze's official record at Ole Miss from 39–25 over five seasons to 12–25. The NCAA also banned the team from postseason play for two years, stripped it of scholarships for four years, and placed it on three years of probation.<ref name=":1" /> | |||
On July 20, 2017, Freeze resigned after Ole Miss officials learned that he had used a university-provided cell phone to place calls to an ] in "a concerning pattern" that began shortly after he took the job in 2011.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ole-miss-coach-hugh-freeze-resigns-amid-explosive-new-information/|title=Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze resigns amid discovery of call to escort service|work=CBSSports.com|access-date=September 18, 2017|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/07/20/ole-miss-coach-hugh-freeze-resigns-following-report-of-alleged-call-to-escort-service/|title=Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze resigns: 'Concerning pattern' from phone records forces Rebel coach out|date=2017-07-20|work=The Oxford Eagle|access-date=2019-03-26|language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
=== Matt Luke era (2017– ) === | |||
Co-offensive coordinator ] was named interim head coach the same day. In November 2017, Luke was named the permanent head coach after leading the Rebels to a 6-6 record, including a 31-28 Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State. In the 2019 Egg Bowl, Luke's recruit Elijah Moore performed a post-touchdown mockery of a urinating dog, costing the Rebels a penalty and ultimately losing the Egg Bowl by a missed extra point 20-21.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/29/us/ole-miss-dog-loss-trnd/index.html|title=A college football player's crude touchdown celebration cost Ole Miss a win in the Egg Bowl|last=CNN|first=Allen Kim|website=CNN|access-date=2019-11-30}}</ref> | |||
==Conference affiliations== | ==Conference affiliations== | ||
Ole Miss has been affiliated with the following conferences.<ref name="2017MG">{{cite web|title=2017 Ole Miss Media Guide|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2017-18/misc_non_event/2017OleMissFootballGuide_v2.pdf|website=olemisssports.com|publisher=Ole Miss Athletics| |
Ole Miss has been affiliated with the following conferences.<ref name="2017MG">{{cite web|title=2017 Ole Miss Media Guide|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2017-18/misc_non_event/2017OleMissFootballGuide_v2.pdf|website=olemisssports.com|publisher=Ole Miss Athletics|access-date=January 31, 2018|archive-date=February 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201075410/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2017-18/misc_non_event/2017OleMissFootballGuide_v2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{rp|179}} | ||
* Independent (1893–1904) | * Independent (1893–1904) | ||
* ] (1905–1921) <!-- SIAA years per '2017MG' cite, but SIAA years are often contentious --> | * ] (1905–1921) <!-- SIAA years per '2017MG' cite, but SIAA years are often contentious --> | ||
Line 165: | Line 153: | ||
===National championships=== | ===National championships=== | ||
Ole Miss has been selected |
Ole Miss has been selected as ] three times by NCAA-designated major selectors in 1959, 1960 and 1962.<ref name="ncaa.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fbs |title=FBS College Football History |publisher=NCAA.com |access-date=December 9, 2015 |archive-date=December 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229004449/http://www.ncaa.com/history/football/fbs |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfrc.com/Archives/NC_Team_2008.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928010352/http://www.cfrc.com/Archives/NC_Team_2008.htm |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |title=Billingsley's National Champions}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/rebels-football-history.html|title=History of Rebel Football|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=September 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905083129/http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/rebels-football-history.html|archive-date=September 5, 2017|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://issuu.com/olemisssports/docs/olemissfb_2014_issuu?e=1240077 |title=2014 Ole Miss Football Guide |editor1-first=Kyle |editor1-last=Campbell |editor2-last=Jones |editor2-first=Joey |pages=104 |year=2014 |location=University, Mississippi |publisher=University of Mississippi Athletics Media Relations Office |access-date=May 5, 2015 |archive-date=May 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527034920/http://issuu.com/olemisssports/docs/olemissfb_2014_issuu?e=1240077 |url-status=live }}</ref> But the two major wire-service polls of the time: ] and ], named ], ], and ] as the national champions in those years, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-11-13|title=Associated Press Yearly Final Polls|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/ap_poll.php?year=1960|access-date=2021-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113151529/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/ap_poll.php?year=1960|archive-date=November 13, 2012}}</ref><ref name="web.archive.org"/> | ||
In ], the final Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) polls placed the Rebels second and third, respectively, behind the national champion ]. Students made "AP" and "UPI" dummies, hung them from the Union Building, and burned them while chanting, "We're No. 1, to hell with AP and UPI."<ref>{{Dead link|date=June 2024 | fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> The Gophers, however, subsequently lost the ] to Washington, and Ole Miss defeated Rice, 14–6, in the ], leading the ] (FWAA) to vote Mississippi as national champions and present them with the ].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Travers|first=Steven|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=02P66g_FE9IC&q=1960+mississippi|title=Pigskin Warriors: 140 Years of College Football's Greatest Traditions, Games, and Stars|date=2009-10-16|publisher=Taylor Trade Publications|isbn=978-1-58979-458-0|language=en}}</ref><ref> p. 92-94</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
Line 171: | Line 161: | ||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Season|Coach|Selectors|Record|Bowl|Opponent|Result|Final AP|Final Coaches}} | {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Season|Coach|Selectors|Record|Bowl|Opponent|Result|Final AP|Final Coaches}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || rowspan="3"|] || Berryman, Dunkel, Sagarin || 10–1 || ] || ] || '''W''' 21–0 || |
| ] || rowspan="3"|] || Berryman, Dunkel, Sagarin || 10–1 || ] || ] || '''W''' 21–0 || No. 2 || No. 2 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Billingsley, Football Writers, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, NCF, Williamson || 10–0–1 || ] || ] || '''W''' 14–6 || |
| ] || Billingsley, Football Writers, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, NCF, Williamson || 10–0–1 || ] || ] || '''W''' 14–6 || No. 2 || No. 3 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || Billingsley, Litkenhous, Sagarin || 10–0 || ] || ] || '''W''' 17–13 || |
| ] || Billingsley, Litkenhous, Sagarin || 10–0 || ] || ] || '''W''' 17–13 || No. 3 || No. 3 | ||
|} | |} | ||
The major wire service polls of the time (Associated Press & United Press), named ] the National Champion in 1959, ] in 1960, and ] in 1962.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/poll_results.php?year=1955|title=AP and Coaches Yearly Final Polls|website=Cfbdatawarehouse.com|accessdate=April 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/poll_results.php?year=1960|title=AP and Coaches Yearly Final Polls|website=Cfbdatawarehouse.com|accessdate=April 30, 2016}}</ref> | |||
===Conference championships=== | ===Conference championships=== | ||
Line 201: | Line 189: | ||
===Divisional championship=== | ===Divisional championship=== | ||
The SEC |
The SEC was split into two divisions from the 1992 season through the 2023 season, with Ole Miss competing in the SEC West during that time. Ole Miss has won a share of one divisional title, but has yet to make an appearance in the ]. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
Line 207: | Line 195: | ||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Season|Division|Opponent|CG Result}} | {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Season|Division|Opponent|CG Result}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ]† || SEC West ||colspan="2"| ''N/A lost tie-breaker to ] | | ]† || SEC West ||colspan="2"| ''N/A lost tie-breaker to ]'' | ||
|} | |} | ||
† Co-champions | † Co-champions | ||
==Head coaches== | ==Head coaches== | ||
Ole Miss has had 38 head coaches in over a century of play.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/mississippi/|title=Ole Miss Rebels Coaches|website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com|access-date=December 12, 2020|archive-date=December 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221211220228/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/mississippi/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="2017MG" />{{rp|181}} | |||
Ole Miss has had 37 head coaches in over a century of play.<ref name="2017MG" />{{rp|181}} | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
|- | |||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Coach|Seasons|Record|Pct.}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1893 || 4–1 || {{winpct|4|1|0}} | |||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Coach|Seasons|Record}} | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1894 || 4–1 || {{winpct|4|1|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1895 || 2–1 || {{winpct|2|1|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1896 || 1–2 || {{winpct|1|2|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
| ''No team'' || 1897 || || | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1898 || 1–1 || {{winpct|1|1|0}} | |||
| ''No team'' || 1897 || | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1899 || 3–4 || {{winpct|3|4|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1900 || 0–3 || {{winpct|0|3|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] & ] || 1901 || 2–4 || {{winpct|2|4|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
| ] || 1902 || 4–3 || {{winpct|4|3|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1903–1904 || 6–4–1 || {{winpct|6|4|1}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| |
| ''No coach'' || 1905 || || | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1906 || 4–2 || {{winpct|4|2|0}} | |||
| ''No coach'' || 1905 || | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1907 || 0–6 || {{winpct|0|6|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1908 || 3–5 || {{winpct|3|5|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1909–1911 || 18–7–2 || {{winpct|18|7|2}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1912 || 5–3 || {{winpct|5|3|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1913–1914 || 11–7–2 || {{winpct|11|7|2}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1915–1916 || 5–12 || {{winpct|5|12|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1917–1918 || 2–7–1 || {{winpct|2|7|1}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1919–1921 || 11–13 || {{winpct|11|13|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1922–1923 || 8–11–1 || {{winpct|8|11|1}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1924 || 4–5 || {{winpct|4|5|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1925–1929 || 21–22–3 || {{winpct|21|22|3}} | |||
| ] || 1924 || 4–5 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1930–1937 || 38–38–8 || {{winpct|38|38|8}} | |||
| ] || 1925–1929 || 21–22–3 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1938–1942, 1944–1945 || 39–26–1 || {{winpct|39|26|1}} | |||
| ] || 1930–1937 || 38–38–8 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ''No team'' || 1943 || || | |||
| ] || 1938–1942, 1944–1945 || 39–26–1 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| |
| ] || 1946 || 2–7 || {{winpct|2|7|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1947–1970, 1973 || 190–61–12 || {{winpct|190|61|12}} | |||
| ] || 1946 || 2–7 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1971–1973 || 16–9 || {{winpct|16|9|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1974–1977 || 21–23 || {{winpct|21|23|0}} | |||
| ] || 1971–1973 || 16–9 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1978–1982 || 20–34–1 || {{winpct|20|34|1}} | |||
| ] || 1974–1977 || 21–23 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1983–1993 || 67–56–3 || {{winpct|67|56|3}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1994 || 4–7 || {{winpct|4|7|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1995–1998 || 25–20 || {{winpct|25|20|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 1998–2004 || 44–29 || {{winpct|44|29|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 2005–2007 || 10–25 || {{winpct|10|25|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 2008–2011 || 18–26 || {{winpct|18|26|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || |
| ] || 2012–2016 || 39–25 || {{winpct|39|25|0}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ]† || 2017–2019 || 15–21 || {{winpct|15|21|0}} | |||
| ] || 2012–2016 || 12–25 | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 2020–present || 34–15 || {{winpct|34|15|0}} | |||
| ]† || 2017–present || 15–21 | |||
|} | |} | ||
† Includes interim status |
† Includes interim status | ||
==Bowl games== | ==Bowl games== | ||
] | ]]] | ||
]]] | |||
Ole Miss has participated in 42 bowl games and compiled a record of 26–15 through the 2024 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/mississippi/bowls.html|title=Ole Miss Rebels Bowls|access-date=February 12, 2021|archive-date=April 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420140813/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/mississippi/bowls.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The school's victory in the ] was subsequently vacated and is not included.<ref name="vacatedbowl" /> | |||
Ole Miss has participated in 37 bowl games, with the Rebels having a record of 24–13.<ref name="University of Mississippi Athletics">{{cite book|last=Vaught|first=John|title=Rebel Coach, My Football Family|year=1971|publisher=Memphis State University Press |location=Memphis, Tenn|isbn=0-87870-008-0|page=59}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
Line 511: | Line 503: | ||
| ] | | ] | ||
| ] | | ] | ||
| 38–17 (vacated)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/friv/forfeits.html|title=Forfeits and Vacated Games|access-date=February 12, 2021|archive-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302140246/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/friv/forfeits.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="vacatedbowl">{{cite news | url=https://olemiss.rivals.com/news/ole-miss-vacates-more-than-30-wins-over-a-span-of-six-seasons | work=Rivals | title=Ole Miss vacates more than 30 wins over a span of six seasons | first=Chase | last=Parham | date=February 11, 2019 | access-date=February 11, 2019 | archive-date=February 12, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212020145/https://olemiss.rivals.com/news/ole-miss-vacates-more-than-30-wins-over-a-span-of-six-seasons | url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| '''W''' 38–17 (vacated W) | |||
|- | |- | ||
| ] | | ] | ||
Line 521: | Line 513: | ||
| ] | | ] | ||
| Hugh Freeze | | Hugh Freeze | ||
| ] | | ] † | ||
| ] | | ] | ||
| L 3–42 | | L 3–42 | ||
Line 527: | Line 519: | ||
| ] | | ] | ||
| Hugh Freeze | | Hugh Freeze | ||
| ] | | ] † | ||
| ] | | ] | ||
| '''W''' 48–20 | | '''W''' 48–20 | ||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| '''W''' 26–20 | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
| Lane Kiffin | |||
| ] † | |||
| ] | |||
| L 7–21 | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
| Lane Kiffin | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| L 25–42 | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
| Lane Kiffin | |||
| ] † | |||
| ] | |||
| '''W''' 38–25 | |||
|- | |||
| ] | |||
| Lane Kiffin | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| '''W''' 52–20 | |||
|} | |} | ||
† ] bowl game | |||
==Milestones== | ==Milestones== | ||
<!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | ||
* Most points |
* Most points scored in a game by Ole Miss came in a 114–0 win over Union College on October 29, 1904.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olemisssports.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ole/genrel/auto_pdf/record-book-0810 |title=Ole Miss Official Athletic Site – University of Mississippi |publisher=Olemisssports.Com |access-date=June 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308043323/http://www.olemisssports.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ole/genrel/auto_pdf/record-book-0810 |archive-date=March 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> | ||
* Ole Miss became the nation's first college football team to fly "en masse" to a game in 1937. The team flew from Memphis to Philadelphia to play Temple University ] (University of New Mexico took the first flight of any team in 1929 |
* Ole Miss became the nation's first college football team to fly "en masse" to a game in 1937. The team flew from Memphis to Philadelphia to play Temple University ]. (University of New Mexico took the first flight of any team in 1929.)<ref>{{cite web|title=''The University of Mississippi: A Pictorial History''|page=161|url=http://www.olemissbook.com/|website=Olemissbook.com/|access-date=October 7, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430192537/http://www.olemissbook.com/|archive-date=April 30, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RS4VAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA194|title=Where Football Is King: A History of the SEC|first=Christopher J.|last=Walsh|date=July 18, 2006|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|isbn=9781461734772|access-date=October 7, 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://newmexicohistory.org/people/the-flying-lobos|title=New Mexico Office of the State Historian - people|website=Newmexicohistory.org|access-date=October 7, 2017|archive-date=September 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929091154/http://newmexicohistory.org/people/the-flying-lobos|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
* Ole Miss' first game to |
* Ole Miss' first game to be broadcast on television was in 1948 against Memphis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olemissbook.com/|title=Olemissbook.com|website=Olemissbook.com|access-date=October 7, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430192537/http://www.olemissbook.com/|archive-date=April 30, 2009}}</ref> | ||
* The speed limit on the Ole Miss campus is 18 |
* The speed limit on the Ole Miss campus is 18 mph in honor of ], who wore the number during his playing days at Ole Miss. After Archie's son ] won his second Super Bowl, the university changed the speed limit in some areas of campus to 10 mph to honor the former All-American Rebel. | ||
* Ole Miss plays a central role in ]' book '']'' and its 2009 film adaptation, '']''. | * Ole Miss plays a central role in ]' book '']'' and its 2009 film adaptation, '']''. | ||
==Notable games== | ==Notable games== | ||
*]: ]- The 11th-ranked Rebels splashed onto the national scene by defeating the 3rd-ranked ] in Oxford on November 15, 1952 by the score of 21–14. This game is credited by many for being the catalyst to the great run the Rebels had from 1952 to 1963. | *]: ]- The 11th-ranked Rebels splashed onto the national scene by defeating the 3rd-ranked ] in Oxford on November 15, 1952, by the score of 21–14. This game is credited by many for being the catalyst to the great run the Rebels had from 1952 to 1963. | ||
*]: ]- On Halloween night, No. 3-ranked Ole Miss squared off with No. 1-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. The game was a defensive struggle with the Rebels clinging to a 3–0 lead in the fourth quarter. Future Heisman winner Billy Cannon changed the game off a fortuitous bounce on a ]. The replay is still played whenever a reference to this rivalry is made. Ole Miss had one last chance to pull off the win, but was stopped short on 4th and a yard at the goal-line by Billy Cannon. LSU won 7–3. | *]: ]- On Halloween night, No. 3-ranked Ole Miss squared off with No. 1-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. The game was a defensive struggle with the Rebels clinging to a 3–0 lead in the fourth quarter. Future Heisman winner Billy Cannon changed the game off a fortuitous bounce on a ]. The replay is still played whenever a reference to this rivalry is made. Ole Miss had one last chance to pull off the win, but was stopped short on 4th and a yard at the goal-line by Billy Cannon. LSU won 7–3. | ||
*]: ]- On January 1, 1960, one of the most anticipated rematches in college football history took place, but No. 2-ranked Ole Miss dominated No. 1-ranked LSU from start to finish and came away with a decisive 21–0 win over the Tigers. The Rebels finished the season having only given up 21 points all year, declared national champions by several polls, and named the third-rated team in history (through 1995) by the Sagarin ratings, behind only two great Nebraska teams. | *]: ]- On January 1, 1960, one of the most anticipated rematches in college football history took place, but No. 2-ranked Ole Miss dominated No. 1-ranked LSU from start to finish and came away with a decisive 21–0 win over the Tigers. The Rebels finished the season having only given up 21 points all year, declared national champions by several polls, and named the third-rated team in history (through 1995) by the Sagarin ratings, behind only two great Nebraska teams. | ||
*]: ] More affectionately known as, "The Mule Game" or "The Jackson Massacre", the 18th-ranked Rebels faced off against the 3rd-ranked ] in Jackson MS. Prior to the game, Tennessee's Steve Kiner was interviewed by Sports Illustrated. When asked about the Rebels and all their horses in the backfield, Kiner replied, "...more like a bunch of mules." When asked specifically about ], he responded, "Archie who?" This inspired the Rebels and to a 38–0 shellacking of the Vols, a win that pushed the Rebels into the ] | *]: ] More affectionately known as, "The Mule Game" or "The Jackson Massacre", the 18th-ranked Rebels faced off against the 3rd-ranked ] in Jackson MS. Prior to the game, Tennessee's Steve Kiner was interviewed by Sports Illustrated. When asked about the Rebels and all their horses in the backfield, Kiner replied, "...more like a bunch of mules." When asked specifically about ], he responded, "Archie who?" This inspired the Rebels and to a 38–0 shellacking of the Vols, a win that pushed the Rebels into the ] | ||
*]: ]- On a hot, humid day, the Rebels took advantage of the weather to stun the third-ranked Irish 20–13. It was the only loss for the Irish that season as they went on to claim the 1977 AP national championship. | *]: ]- On a hot, humid day, the Rebels took advantage of the weather to stun the third-ranked Irish 20–13. It was the only loss for the Irish that season as they went on to claim the 1977 AP national championship. | ||
*]: LSU- Billy Brewer's 5–2–1 Rebels entered Tiger Stadium, where they had not won since 1968, to face 12-ranked LSU. Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Mark Young and the Rebels built a 21–9 halftime lead. LSU stormed back in the second. With 12:09 remaining, LSU's David Browndyke booted a 21-yard FG that trimmed the lead to 21–19. Later, LSU QB Tommy Hodson led the Tigers from the LSU 34 to the Rebel 13. But with only 0:09 to play, Browndyke's potential game-winning 30-yard FG sailed wide left and ignited a wild celebration among Rebel fans jammed into southeast corner of Tiger Stadium. | *]: LSU- Billy Brewer's 5–2–1 Rebels entered Tiger Stadium, where they had not won since 1968, to face 12-ranked LSU. Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Mark Young and the Rebels built a 21–9 halftime lead. LSU stormed back in the second. With 12:09 remaining, LSU's David Browndyke booted a 21-yard FG that trimmed the lead to 21–19. Later, LSU QB Tommy Hodson led the Tigers from the LSU 34 to the Rebel 13. But with only 0:09 to play, Browndyke's potential game-winning 30-yard FG sailed wide left and ignited a wild celebration among Rebel fans jammed into southeast corner of Tiger Stadium. | ||
*]: ] |
*]: ]—After a harsh two-season bowl ban, Tommy Tuberville's 1997 Rebels squad arrived in Baton Rouge with a 3–2 record and in search of a signature win. Meanwhile, the 5–1 and No. 8-ranked Tigers entered fresh off an upset of then No. 1-ranked Florida. After trailing 21–14 at the half, the Rebels dominated the second half, outscoring the Tigers 22–0 en route to a 36–21 win. Ole Miss QB Stewart Patridge threw for a career-high 346 yards with two touchdowns. John Avery rushed for 137 yards and two scores. Their combined efforts accounted for all but five of the Rebels’ 488 yards of total offense. The celebrated win at Tiger Stadium was the first for Ole Miss over a top 10 opponent since 1977. Ole Miss fished the season with a record of 8–4 (4–4 SEC) that included a Motor City Bowl win over Marshall. | ||
*]: ]- After three years of SEC purgatory, the Rebels desperately needed a spark. That spark came in the form of defeating the fourth ranked Florida Gators 31–30 in Gainesville. Ole Miss took a 31–24 lead with 5 minutes to go in the game on an 86-yard touchdown pass thrown by Jevan Snead to Shay Hodge. Florida responded within two minutes to bring the game within one, only to have their PAT blocked by Kentrell Lockett. Florida regained possession but turned the ball over on downs after Heisman winner ] was stopped on fourth-and-one. The win would catapult the Rebels to back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories. The win gave Ole Miss their 600th win all-time. | *]: ]- After three years of SEC purgatory, the Rebels desperately needed a spark. That spark came in the form of defeating the fourth ranked Florida Gators 31–30 in Gainesville. Ole Miss took a 31–24 lead with 5 minutes to go in the game on an 86-yard touchdown pass thrown by Jevan Snead to Shay Hodge. Florida responded within two minutes to bring the game within one, only to have their PAT blocked by Kentrell Lockett. Florida regained possession but turned the ball over on downs after Heisman winner ] was stopped on fourth-and-one. The win would catapult the Rebels to back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories. The win gave Ole Miss their 600th win all-time. | ||
*]: ]- The 11th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels fought back from a 14–3 halftime deficit to knock off |
*]: ]- The 11th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels fought back from a 14–3 halftime deficit to knock off No. 3-ranked Alabama for the first time since 2003. Led by senior quarterback Bo Wallace's 3 touchdown passes and the nation's 2nd ranked defense, the Rebels made an emphatic statement that they were real title contenders. | ||
*]: ]- On September 19, 2015, Head Coach Hugh Freeze's AP No. 15 Rebels beat the AP No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, 43–37, in Tuscaloosa, making Freeze only the third head coach, along with Les Miles and Steve Spurrier, to defeat a ]-coached team in back-to-back years. It was also the first time Ole Miss had beaten any Alabama team twice in a row and only the second Rebel win in Tuscaloosa (the only other having come in 1988 under Billy Brewer). The Tide turned the ball over five times, a number which includes two attempted kickoff returns and three interceptions by three different Ole Miss defenders, Trae Elston, C.J. Johnson, and Tony Bridges. The 2015 victory catapulted the Rebels to the |
*]: ]- On September 19, 2015, Head Coach Hugh Freeze's AP No. 15 Rebels beat the AP No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, 43–37, in Tuscaloosa, making Freeze only the third head coach, along with Les Miles and Steve Spurrier, to defeat a ]-coached team in back-to-back years. It was also the first time Ole Miss had beaten any Alabama team twice in a row and only the second Rebel win in Tuscaloosa (the only other having come in 1988 under Billy Brewer). The Tide turned the ball over five times, a number which includes two attempted kickoff returns and three interceptions by three different Ole Miss defenders, Trae Elston, C.J. Johnson, and Tony Bridges. The 2015 victory catapulted the Rebels to the No. 3 spot in the Associated Press Week 3 rankings. | ||
*]: ]- December 30, 2023, for the first time in Ole Miss' 129 seasons of college football, the Rebels won 11 games, capping off the season with a 38-25 victory over No. 10 Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Ole Miss offense picked apart the nation's top defense, recording the most points (38), passing yards (394) and total yards (540) Penn State had allowed the whole season. Those 540 yards marked the second straight bowl game for Ole Miss with at least 500 yards of total offense, again displaying head coach Lane Kiffin's offensive prowess in his second New Year's Six appearance at the helm for the Rebels. | |||
*]: ]- November 9, 2024, #16 Ole Miss defeated #3 Georgia 28-10 in front of a record crowd of 68,126. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart threw a disastrous interception during the Rebels' opening drive, setting up Georgia near the Ole Miss endzone. Georgia would later score and go up 7-0, but that would be the only touchdown they would score for the remainder of the game. Jaxson Dart left the game with an apparent ankle injury, resulting in backup quarterback ] entering the game. Simmons helped lead the Rebels to a touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7, and Dart came back in on their next drive. The Rebels went into halftime with a 16-7 lead after kicking 3 Caden Davis field goals over the course of the second quarter. Georgia subsequently got a field goal to make it 16-10 after halftime, but they would not score any more points. Jaxson Dart threw a 10-yard pass to Juice Wells to make the score 22-10 but the Rebels couldn't get the 2-point conversion. Ole Miss kicked 2 more field goals in the 4th quarter and won 28-10. The fans stormed the field with 16 seconds on the clock and were told to push back, as the game wasn't technically over. When the game did end, however, the fans tore down the goalposts in celebration. This was Ole Miss' first win over a Top 5 opponent since 2015 when they beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Lane Kiffin's first Top 5 win as Ole Miss head coach. | |||
==Uniforms== | ==Uniforms== | ||
] | |||
Ole Miss currently utilizes three jersey options along with two pant styles. The Rebels use red jerseys for their primary home uniforms and blue jerseys as alternates; both have bold white numbers and white shoulder stripes. White jerseys with red numbers and stripes are used on the road. These jerseys are paired with either gray pants with red and blue stripes or white pants with red stripes. | |||
Ole Miss primarily uses four jersey options along with two pant styles and two helmet variations. They often mix and match these jerseys, helmets, and pants to create a wide range of uniform combinations. Since the 2017 season, Ole Miss has taken the field in at least ten different uniform combinations. The Rebels have traditionally used red jerseys for their primary home uniforms and blue jerseys as alternates; both have bold white numbers and white vertical shoulder stripes. The Rebels have also made extensive use of their new "powder blues," a uniform combination consisting of solid white pants, a powder blue jersey with white shoulder stripes, and the powder blue helmet. This uniform combination started as an alternate uniform, but has become very popular among fans and players; since the 2020 season it has been worn as the primary home uniform. White jerseys with red numbers and stripes are typically used on the road. These jerseys are paired with either gray pants with red and blue stripes or solid white pants, though for the 2018 season were paired with white pants with red stripes as part of a "white out" uniform combination. A similar white road uniform with navy stripes and letters has also been used. | |||
Typically, Ole Miss uses two helmet designs. The Rebels’ primary helmet is navy blue with a single red stripe and |
Typically, Ole Miss uses one of two helmet designs. The Rebels’ traditional primary helmet is navy blue with a single red stripe and "Ole Miss" written in script on each side. The other helmet's blue is a lighter color, a shade known as "powder blue." In recent years, the powder blue helmet has seen more and more use. Since its reintroduction in the 2014 season, the Rebels have worn powder blue helmets in over half their games, typically with their red or white jerseys, and have arguably become the team's primary helmet. | ||
In 2017, Ole Miss |
In 2017, Ole Miss used special helmets for a military-appreciation game against ] and a rivalry game against LSU. The military appreciation helmets, which have been worn multiple times since then in both navy and powder blue variations, were the same as the primary design, except the logo on each side of the helmet was filled with an American flag design.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/ole-miss-football/look-ole-miss-unveils-special-helmet-decal-honor-military/|title=LOOK: Ole Miss unveils special helmet decal to honor military|date=November 8, 2017|work=Saturday Down South|access-date=December 28, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=December 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228172250/https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/ole-miss-football/look-ole-miss-unveils-special-helmet-decal-honor-military/|url-status=live}}</ref> The helmets worn against LSU were powder blue with jersey numbers on each side, similar to a design worn by the Rebels in the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/10/21/ole-miss-replace-script-logo-old-school-numbers-football-helmets-lsu/|title=Why Ole Miss replaced its script logo with old-school numbers on its football helmets against LSU|date=October 21, 2017|work=The Oxford Eagle|access-date=December 28, 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=April 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418113759/https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2017/10/21/ole-miss-replace-script-logo-old-school-numbers-football-helmets-lsu/|url-status=live|author-last1=Potter|author-first1=Davis}}</ref> | ||
In 2022, Ole Miss debuted new alternate helmets in partnership with ], a camouflage and apparel company, for their game against ]. The helmets featured a unique camouflage design, called WAV3,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10135908-photo-ole-miss-unveils-camouflage-cfb-helmet-for-game-vs-oklahoma | title=Photo: Ole Miss Unveils Camouflage CFB Helmet for Game vs. Oklahoma | website=] }}</ref> created by Realtree's experts. This collaboration between Ole Miss Athletics and Realtree had been in development for several months prior. Realtree’s founder and CEO, Bill Jordan, is an Ole Miss alumnus who played wide receiver for the Rebels in the early 1970s and has remained closely connected to the program. The Jordan family name is prominently displayed on the indoor field at the Manning Center.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://realtree.com/the-realblog-with-stephanie-mallory/ole-miss-realtree-partner-on-football-helmet-exclusive-gear | title=Ole Miss, Realtree Partner on Football Helmet, Exclusive Gear }}</ref> | |||
==Rivalries== | |||
In 2024, Ole Miss also revealed new alternate away uniforms during a game against ] that featured a white jersey, powder blue numbers and stripes with red accents.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://olemisssports.com/news/2024/9/12/ole-miss-football-to-debut-new-white-uniforms-at-wake-forest | title=Football to Debut New White Uniforms at Wake Forest }}</ref> In the same season, they unveiled the second edition their WAV3 collaboration helmets with ] in a game against ].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://olemiss.rivals.com/news/what-realtree-founder-bill-jordan-thinks-about-the-new-ole-miss-helmets | title=What Realtree founder Bill Jordan thinks about the new Ole Miss helmets | date=September 19, 2024 }}</ref> | |||
===Mississippi State=== | |||
{{very long section|date=August 2018}} | |||
] | |||
<!-- Editors, please do not add any content here but instead add it to the main article, ]. This is not a place for game outcomes, etc. --> | |||
{{Main|Egg Bowl}} | |||
==Rivalries== | |||
The '''Battle for the Golden Egg''' (nicknamed the '''Egg Bowl''') is the Rebels' biggest game of the year, against in-state SEC rival ]. The teams have played each other 114 times since 1901, and the first game officially known as "The Battle of the Golden Egg" was in 1927.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olemisssports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2600&ATCLID=1208400&SPID=737&SPSID=82783|title=Ole Miss football 2007 Media guide|publisher=}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> While it is called a "Bowl", the game is not a postseason bowl game but a regular season ] game. Ole Miss leads the series with 62 wins to MSU's 46 wins, and there have been 6 ties. | |||
===Alabama=== | |||
In 2012, which was Ole Miss coach ]'s first Egg Bowl, Ole Miss beat #25 Mississippi State to clinch their first bowl game since 2009. The following year, Mississippi State reclaimed the Golden Egg with an overtime win in Starkville, by beating the Rebels, 17–10. | |||
{{Main|Alabama–Ole Miss football rivalry}} | |||
The Alabama–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ole Miss Rebels. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and have competed in the SEC Western Division since the 1992 season. | |||
In 2014, the game gained much more national attention due to the postseason implications the game possessed. Mississippi State entered the game with a #4 ranking in ], and had a spot in the Playoff on the line entering the game against Ole Miss, who was ranked #19. This marked only the fifth time in the rivalry's history that both teams entered the game ranked. MSU also had a chance at making the SEC title game, where they needed a win and an ] loss. In an upset, Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 31–17 and took back the Golden Egg and jumped from #19 to #9 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Both schools got ] bowl games. Ole Miss would later vacate this win due to NCAA violations. | |||
It has been one of the conference's most lopsided rivalries. Alabama leads the series 53–10–2 (50–9–2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits). From 2004 to 2013, Alabama won every game between the two teams, including six wins by double digits. However, in 2014, No. 11 Ole Miss beat No. 3 Alabama 23–17 for the first time since 2003. Ole Miss cornerback ] sealed the victory with an interception in the fourth quarter. The victory catapulted Ole Miss to No. 3 in the AP Poll, their highest ranking since 1964. In 2015, Ole Miss visited Alabama as double digit underdogs. The Rebels upset the No. 2 Crimson Tide 43–37 for their second ever victory in Tuscaloosa. This marked the first time Ole Miss had beaten Alabama in back to back seasons. Following the upset, Ole Miss jumped to No. 3 in the AP Poll, marking the first time that Ole Miss had been ranked in the top three in consecutive seasons since 1963–64. | |||
Ole Miss entered the 2015 Egg Bowl with a #18 ranking in the ] rankings, and MSU was #21, which marked the first time ever that both teams entered the game ranked two seasons in a row, and it was only the sixth time in this rivalry's history that this was accomplished. The game was considered to be a play-in game for the ], which is the most prestigious SEC bowl destination other than the College Football Playoff. This was also the final home game for Mississippi State quarterback ], who is widely regarded as the best player in MSU football history. Ole Miss entered the game as only two point favorites but won the Egg Bowl convincingly 38–27 and led by 25 points at halftime. This was Ole Miss's first road win against Mississippi State since 2003 and it was the first time that the Rebels beat the Bulldogs two years in a row since 2003–04. | |||
Going into the 2016 Egg Bowl, both teams had gone through disappointing seasons. MSU had already clinched bowl ineligibility (or so was thought) at 4–7 and Ole Miss was 5–6, and needed to win the game in order to become bowl eligible. Ole Miss was an eight-point favorite over the Bulldogs and had won the last two meetings, but Mississippi State thoroughly routed Ole Miss 55–20 in Oxford, marking the first time the Rebels had lost at home to the Bulldogs since 2010. The loss resulted in a 5–7 season for the Rebels and MSU, and was the first time in Hugh Freeze's tenure at Ole Miss that they would fail to clinch a bowl berth. MSU would end up making a bowl game due to lack of qualified 6–6 teams. | |||
===LSU=== | |||
{{very long section|date=August 2018}} | |||
{{Main|Magnolia Bowl}} | |||
Ole Miss first played ] on December 3, 1894 winning 26–6 in ]. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and seemingly every contest had conference, and at times national title implications – a tradition recently renewed, as the 2003 matchup decided the SEC Western Division Champion, and helped propel LSU to a national championship. | |||
A trophy has now been named for the LSU–Ole Miss rivalry known as the "Magnolia Bowl" which began in 2008 with a 31–13 victory by the Ole Miss Rebels. The 2009 game was also won by Ole Miss 25–23.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lsureveille.com/news/1.306825|archive-url=https://archive.is/20090622002219/http://www.lsureveille.com/news/1.306825|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-06-22|title=The Daily Reveille: LSU, Ole Miss to student body: "Name that Rivalry"}}</ref> The 2010 edition was another classic, typical of the games between these two, with LSU scoring with under a minute left to prevail 43–36, which was LSU's first win in the series since the creation of the Magnolia Bowl. | |||
The 100th meeting of the series in 2011 was forgettable for the Rebels in every regard. LSU humiliated the Rebels 52–3 at Oxford, and could have made the score even more lopsided if not for Tigers coach ] ordering third-string quarterback ] to take a knee four times after LSU gained a first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 1-yard line with five minutes to play. 2012 issued another Bayou Classic with LSU winning 41–35 via a 1 yd TD plunge by ] with less than one minute to go in the contest. | |||
On October 19, 2013 the much-favored ranked number 6 LSU Tigers faced off against a Rebel team that had just came off a three-game losing streak to defeat the Tigers 27–24 on a last-second 46-yard field goal. 2014 was another very memorable classic; however, this one featured better defensive play by both teams. Ole Miss entered with a #3 ranking and as favorites in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1999. #24 LSU pulled the upset by beating the Rebels 10–7 on a last–minute interception thrown by Rebels' quarterback ], which catapulted LSU ten spots in the AP Poll. | |||
In 2015, Ole Miss entered the game with a #22 ranking in the College Football Playoff while the Tigers were #15. However, Strong offensive production by Rebels quarterback ] and turnovers forced by the Ole Miss defense led the Rebels to a 38–17 rout of the Tigers, which was Ole Miss's largest margin of victory over LSU since 1992. LSU leads the overall series over Ole Miss 59–41–4, but since the creation of the Magnolia Bowl, the series is tied, 4–4. | |||
===Arkansas=== | ===Arkansas=== | ||
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Ole Miss first played Arkansas in 1908, with Arkansas winning that game 33–0. They would play each other many times, though sporadically, over the next several decades, including two meetings in the ] in 1963 and 1970; Ole Miss won both Sugar Bowl matchups. | Ole Miss first played Arkansas in 1908, with Arkansas winning that game 33–0. They would play each other many times, though sporadically, over the next several decades, including two meetings in the ] in 1963 and 1970; Ole Miss won both Sugar Bowl matchups. | ||
In the 1980s, Arkansas dominated the Rebels |
The two teams have played each other annually since 1981. In the 1980s, Arkansas dominated the Rebels. The 1990 meeting between the two teams ended memorably. Having the ball inside the Ole Miss 20 and trailing by 4 with seconds remaining, Arkansas needed a score. The Hogs handed the ball to running back Ron Dickerson who seemed to have an open path to the endzone. At the goal line, Safety Chris Mitchell stopped Dickerson at the one yard line as time expired. In 1991, Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference. The next year the SEC divided into two divisions. Both teams were placed in the SEC West. Ole Miss won the first conference contest in Little Rock by a score of 17–3. | ||
During the 2000s, the rivalry was reignited by a series of close games and coaching changes. The 2001 ] set an NCAA record for most overtime periods played (7). Arkansas won that game 58–56 off a 2-point Rebel conversion that got stopped just short of the goal line. Since then, five FBS football games have reached seven overtime periods. In November 2007, ] resigned as the head coach for Arkansas and was hired as Ole Miss' head coach a week later. 2008 saw the first game between Ole Miss and Arkansas after Nutt left Arkansas to coach Ole Miss. The Rebels kicked a field goal with less than 3 minutes remaining to go up 23–14, but Arkansas scored with a minute left. Arkansas was awarded with the recovery of an onside kick, but received a penalty for offensive pass interference before turning the ball over on downs. Ole Miss and Nutt won 23–21. The following season, Ole Miss won 30–17 led by running back Dexter McCluster who had over 200 all purpose yards, including a 60 yd touchdown in the 3rd quarter. In 2010, Arkansas finally beat their former coach Houston Nutt after a 38–24 game in Fayetteville. In 2015, the Rebels' 52–53 loss to Arkansas saw them fall out of first place in the SEC West and lose the division. | |||
In 1991, Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference, and was placed in the same division as Ole Miss when the conference split into two divisions in 1992. Ole Miss won the first conference contest in Little Rock by a score of 17–3. | |||
As of 2023 Arkansas leads the series, 37–30–1 but Ole Miss has won 4 of the last 6. | |||
The two teams have played each other annually since 1981 yet the intensity of the rivalry pretty much died from the early 1970s until 2007. | |||
===Auburn=== | |||
The ] set a NCAA record for most overtime periods played (7). It has since been tied, but never broken. Arkansas won that game 58–56 off a 2-point Rebel conversion that got stopped just short of the goal-line. | |||
{{main|Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalry}} | |||
The end of 2007 saw the rivalry return to a heated one after ] resigned as the head coach for Arkansas, only to be hired as Ole Miss' head coach a week later. | |||
The Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalry, dating back to their first meeting in 1928, is one of the oldest matchups in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Both founding members of the SEC, the two teams have met annually since 1990, following their placement in the SEC West division in 1992. The rivalry gained additional intensity in 1999 when former Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville controversially left to coach at Auburn. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/college/ole-miss-crushes-former-rebels-coach-tommy-tuberville-with-epic-pine-box-message/7PakTPRJNg7xJpHmawtzCM/|title=Ole Miss crushes former Rebels coach Tommy Tuberville with epic 'pine box' message|access-date=July 8, 2018|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709035135/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/college/ole-miss-crushes-former-rebels-coach-tommy-tuberville-with-epic-pine-box-message/7PakTPRJNg7xJpHmawtzCM/|url-status=dead}}</ref> More recently, the rivalry intensified with reports that current Ole Miss head coach ] was in negotiations for the vacant head coaching position at Auburn in 2022. These rumors were later confirmed true but Kiffin declined to pursue it. <ref name="b161">{{cite web | last=Heim | first=Mark | title=Lane Kiffin reveals the reason why he didn't take the Auburn job | website=al | date=Aug 29, 2024 | url=https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2024/08/lane-kiffins-daughter-reason-he-didnt-take-auburn-job.html | access-date=Oct 17, 2024}}</ref> Auburn leads the series 35–12 through the 2023 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.winsipedia.com/auburn/vs/ole-miss|title=Winsipedia - Auburn Tigers vs. Ole Miss Rebels football series history|website=Winsipedia|access-date=June 1, 2020|archive-date=February 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201082337/http://www.winsipedia.com/auburn/vs/ole-miss|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===LSU=== | |||
2008 saw the first game between Ole Miss and Arkansas in which Nutt returned to Arkansas in his first game against his former team. Emotions were high, and pads popped throughout the game. Ole Miss kicked a field goal with less than 3 minutes remaining to go up 23–14, seemingly icing the victory. Not to be outdone, Arkansas took one minute to march down the field, and scored with a minute left. After a replay review, Arkansas was awarded with the recovery of an onside kick. Unfortunately for the Hogs, a controversial offensive interference was called, pushing them back, and ultimately turned the ball over on downs. Ole Miss and Nutt won 23–21. | |||
{{Main|Magnolia Bowl}} | |||
Ole Miss first played ] on December 3, 1894, winning 26–6 in ]. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and several matchups had conference, and at times, national title implications. Since then, the rivalry has only had one contest with significant national title implications. The 2003 loss to LSU decided the SEC Western Division Champion, and helped propel LSU to a national championship. | |||
The student bodies at both universities created a trophy for the LSU–Ole Miss rivalry in 2008, and renamed the matchup the "Magnolia Bowl." Ole Miss won the first two official Magnolia Bowls in 2008 31–13 and 2009 25–23.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lsureveille.com/news/1.306825|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090622002219/http://www.lsureveille.com/news/1.306825|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-06-22|title=The Daily Reveille: LSU, Ole Miss to student body: "Name that Rivalry"}}</ref> LSU won their first official Magnolia Bowl in 2010 with a last minute score, 43–36. | |||
The following season, 2009, Arkansas went to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Ole Miss again won, 30–17, this time at the hands of an all-world performance by Dexter McCluster, who had over 200 all purpose yards, including a 60 yd touchdown bolt in the 3rd that broke the game open. | |||
The 2010s featured several memorable Magnolia Bowls. LSU humiliated the Rebels 52–3 at Oxford in 2010.] ordered third-string quarterback ] to take a knee four times after LSU gained a first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 1-yard line with five minutes to play. The Rebels lost the 2012 Magnolia Bowl 35–41 during the last minute of the game when LSU's ] scored a 1 yd touchdown run. On October 19, 2013, an unranked Rebel team beat the No. 6 ranked Tigers 27–24 on a last-second 46-yard field goal. In 2014, Ole Miss entered with a No. 3 ranking. No. 24 LSU pulled the upset by beating the Rebels 10–7 on a last–minute interception thrown by Rebels' quarterback ]. In 2015, No. 22 Ole Miss upset No. 15 LSU 38–17, which was Ole Miss's largest margin of victory over LSU since 1992. After 2015, Ole Miss would not beat LSU again until 2021, when the No. 12 Rebels won 31–17 in front of a sellout crowd on the day Ole Miss Legend Eli Manning's jersey was being retired. The following year, however, unranked LSU won convincingly 45–20 over No. 7 Ole Miss in Death Valley after the Rebels suffered a second half collapse. In 2023, in front of 66,703 fans (the largest crowd in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium history), #20 Ole Miss defeated #13 LSU 55–49 in what was the highest-scoring game in the rivalry. | |||
In 2010, Arkansas was able to finally claim a win over their former head coach Houston Nutt with a 38–24 decision in Fayetteville that was dominated by sloppy play and sloppier weather. 2011 proved to be another thriller with the Hogs escaping Oxford with a 29–24 victory. Ole Miss returned the favor in 2012 by traveling to Little Rock and scoring a last-second FG to win 30–27. | |||
LSU leads the overall series over Ole Miss LSU leads 63–42–4; since the creation of the Magnolia Bowl, LSU leads the series, 9–5. | |||
In 2013, Arkansas went to Oxford to play the Rebels in a game where the Razorbacks were heavy underdogs, and the Rebels were fresh off of an upset win over then-no. 6 LSU and a blowout win over Idaho. Ole Miss won decisively, beating the Razorbacks by ten points, 34–24. The next year, in 2014, Ole Miss entered as favorites again and with a #8 ranking against an Arkansas team who had a record of 5–5 and needing a win to clinch a bowl game. Due to poor offensive production and multiple injuries, the Rebels got blown out by the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, 30–0, which sent Ole Miss tumbling eleven spots in the College Football Playoff rankings to #19. | |||
===Memphis=== | |||
The 2015 game in this series was of particular importance to Ole Miss because at the time of the game, the Rebels controlled their own destiny in the SEC West, and were once again big favorites over the Razorbacks. This game featured multiple lead changes, and needed overtime to decide a winner. In the extra period, Ole Miss scored the first touchdown, which put Arkansas in a situation where they needed to also needed to score a touchdown to avoid a loss. The Razorbacks were faced with a 4th & 25, and quarterback Brandon Allen found tight end Hunter Henry who caught the ball short of the first down, but heaved it backwards before being tackled. The ball was recovered by running back Alex Collins who ran it for 31 yards and converted the fourth and 25. On the next play, the Razorbacks scored a touchdown and instead of tying the game with an extra point, they decided to go for the win by going for the two point conversion. The Rebels appeared to have won the game by stopping the two point attempt, but a facemask penalty gave the Razorbacks another try. Arkansas converted, winning the game 53–52 in one of the most heartbreaking losses in Hugh Freeze's tenure at Ole Miss. | |||
{{Main|Memphis–Ole Miss football rivalry}} | |||
The Ole Miss–Memphis football rivalry has also been a far less competitive rivalry series. The Rebels hold a 47–12–2 advantage over the Tigers in this non-conference series. The two schools have met 62 times from 1921 to 2019. | |||
Ole Miss won every game between 2005 and 2009, and the teams temporarily suspended competition from 2010 to 2013. The rivalry was resumed in 2014. Ole Miss won the game 24–3 to increase their winning streak against Memphis to six straight. In 2015, The Tigers upset No. 13 Ole Miss, 37–24. The Rebels fell 11 spots in the AP Poll to No. 24 and Memphis entered the rankings at No. 18.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/071812aaa.html |title=Ole Miss, Memphis Renewing Rivalry in Football, Men's Hoops – Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site – Men's Basketball |publisher=Olemisssports.com |access-date=December 9, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222081254/http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/071812aaa.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It was the Tigers' first victory over a ranked team since defeating No. 6 Tennessee in 1996. Memphis won the most recent matchup 15–10 on August 31, 2019. As of 2020, there are no future games scheduled between the two teams.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://olemisssports.com/documents/2019/10/24/Future_Schedules.pdf|title=Future Schedules (PDF)|website=Ole Miss Athletics|language=en|access-date=2019-12-31|archive-date=December 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231055755/https://olemisssports.com/documents/2019/10/24/Future_Schedules.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
===Alabama=== | |||
{{very long section|date=August 2018}} | |||
{{Main|Alabama–Ole Miss football rivalry}} | |||
===Mississippi State=== | |||
The Alabama–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and Ole Miss Rebels football team of the University of Mississippi. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and both have competed in the SEC Western Division since the 1992 season. | |||
It has been one of the conference's most lopsided rivalries, with Alabama officially leading the series 48–11–2 (50–9–2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits). From 2004–2013, Alabama won every single game in this rivalry, six of which were won by double digits. | |||
In 2014, however, Ole Miss got its first win over Alabama since 2003 when the #11 Ole Miss Rebels got one of their most signature victories in the history of their football program by beating then–no.3 Alabama, 23–17. The game was sealed by an interception by Ole Miss cornerback ] and catapulted Ole Miss to third in the AP Poll, their highest ranking since 1964. | |||
The very next year, Ole Miss played Alabama as nearly double digit underdogs, having won only one road game against Alabama in the history of their program, in 1988. Ole Miss once again managed to upset the second–ranked Crimson Tide, 43–37, thanks in part to an explosive Rebel offense led by quarterback ] in a game where the Rebels never trailed and led by as many as twenty points and as many as nineteen in the fourth quarter. This marked the first time Ole Miss had beaten Alabama in back to back seasons, and, following this upset Ole Miss once again jumped to #3 in the AP Poll, marking the first time since 1963–64 that Ole Miss had been ranked in the top three in consecutive seasons. | |||
===Vanderbilt=== | |||
{{very long section|date=August 2018}} | {{very long section|date=August 2018}} | ||
] | |||
{{Main|Ole Miss–Vanderbilt football rivalry}} | |||
<!-- Editors, please do not add any content here but instead add it to the main article, ]. This is not a place for game outcomes, etc. --> | |||
{{Main|Egg Bowl}} | |||
The '''Battle for the Golden Egg''' (nicknamed the '''Egg Bowl''') is the Rebels' last game of the season against in-state SEC rival ]. The teams have played each other 114 times since 1901, and the first game officially known as "The Battle of the Golden Egg" was in 1927.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.olemisssports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2600&ATCLID=1208400&SPID=737&SPSID=82783|title=Ole Miss football 2007 Media guide}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The game gets its name from the trophy awarded to the winner of the contest; the football element of the trophy is based on the much more ovoid and rounded football used in 1927 when it was designed, and resembles a large golden egg. While it is called a "Bowl", the game is not a postseason bowl game but a regular season ] game. Twenty-nine Egg Bowls have been played on Thanksgiving Day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mississippiweekend.com/history-of-the-egg-bowl/|title=History of the Egg Bowl|date=November 25, 2019|website=Mississippi Weekend|access-date=February 22, 2020|archive-date=February 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222183304/http://www.mississippiweekend.com/history-of-the-egg-bowl/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ole Miss leads the series with 64–46–6. | |||
Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have played annually since 1942. When the SEC split into divisions in 1992, the Commodores and Rebels were selected as permanent cross-division rivals. Though Vanderbilt won the first 18 games in the rivalry, Ole Miss leads the all-time series 50–39–2. As of late, this rivalry hasn't gotten as much attention as other rivalries in the SEC as the Rebels have won 16 of the last 24, nine of which were won by double digits. However, the rivalry continues to grow following Vanderbilt's surprising blow-out victory over the Rebels in 2016. | |||
In 2014, the game gained much more national attention due to the postseason implications the game possessed. Although both teams were considered to be Playoff contenders mid-season when the Bulldogs were #1 and the Rebels were #3, they each suffered a loss (Mississippi State had 1 loss at the time while Ole Miss had 3 losses). The postseason implications were still high, however. Mississippi State entered the game with a No. 4 ranking in ], and had a spot in the Playoff on the line entering the game against No. 19 Ole Miss. MSU also had a chance at making the SEC title game, where they needed a win and an ] loss. In an upset, Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 31–17 and jumped from No. 19 to No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Both schools got ] bowl games, although neither would win their bowl games (Ole Miss lost 42–3 to TCU in the Peach Bowl on December 31, and later that night, Mississippi State lost 49–34 to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl). | |||
In 2008, the Rebels entered their game against the Commodores looking to get their 600th all–time win, but Vanderbilt beat the Rebels in Oxford, 23–17, just one week before Ole Miss's monumental upset against fourth-ranked Florida Gators on the road. In 2009, Ole Miss entered their matchup against Vanderbilt coming off of an upset loss to South Carolina, which sent them from #4 in the rankings to #21. The Rebels rebounded from a loss to the Gamecocks by beating Vanderbilt 23–7, their first win against the Commodores after two straight losses. | |||
Ole Miss entered the 2015 Egg Bowl with a No. 18 ranking in the ] rankings, and MSU was No. 21. The game was considered to be a play-in game for the ] as Florida, who had been predicted by many to get the bid, lost 27–2 to rival Florida State that same day. Ole Miss entered the game as only two point favorites but won the Egg Bowl convincingly 38–27 and led by 25 points at halftime. This was Ole Miss's first road win against Mississippi State since 2003, and the first time that the Rebels beat the Bulldogs two years in a row since 2003–04. | |||
Vanderbilt would win the next three games in this series, two of which were by double digits. The 2012 matchup was one where the Commodores won and the Rebels were in search of their sixth win to become bowl–eligible for the first time since 2009, but the Commodores beat the Rebels in heartbreaking fashion, 27–26. The next season, in 2013, Ole Miss was looking to end its three-game losing streak against the Commodores, and did so successfully, beating Vanderbilt 39–35 in a thriller. This put the Rebels in the rankings at #25 the next week which was the first time Ole Miss was ranked since 2009. In 2014, Ole Miss blew out Vanderbilt, 41–3 in Nashville. | |||
In 2023, the 12th ranked Ole Miss Rebels shut down Mississippi State 17-7 to win Battle for the Golden Egg on Thanksgiving night. Quinshon Judkins rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, and Jaxson Dart threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Caden Prieskorn early in the fourth quarter to give the Rebels a 10-point lead they would not relinquish. | |||
In 2015, Ole Miss entered with a #3 ranking and were 26 point favorites against Vanderbilt. However, the Commodores stingy defense challenged Ole Miss, and although they couldn't quite win, they tested the Rebels in a game Ole Miss won 27–16. This was Ole Miss's first home win against Vanderbilt since 2006. | |||
In 2016, Vanderbilt beat Ole Miss 38-17 at Vanderbilt Stadium. Vanderbilt scored 31 unanswered points to defeat the Rebels after the Commodores trailed 17-7 early in the 2nd quarter. Powered by 123 rushing yards from current all-time Vanderbilt rushing yards leader ], the Commodores beat the Rebels to snap a three-game skid in the series. | |||
===Memphis=== | |||
{{Main|Memphis–Ole Miss football rivalry}} | |||
The Ole Miss–Memphis football rivalry has also been a far less competitive rivalry series. The Rebels hold a 48–11–2 advantage over the Tigers in the series. The two schools have met 60 times from 1921 to 2014. | |||
===Tennessee=== | |||
This rivalry was temporarily terminated from 2010 to 2013, with Ole Miss winning every game in 2005–09. The rivalry was resumed in 2014 when Ole Miss entered ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll and Memphis was unranked and heavy underdogs. The Rebels played host to the Tigers, and although Memphis played Ole Miss competitively through the first three quarters, the Rebels ultimately pulled away in the fourth quarter after only holding a 7–3 after the end of the third. Ole Miss won the game 24–3 to increase their winning streak against Memphis to six straight. | |||
{{Main|Tennessee Volunteers football rivalries#Ole Miss}} | |||
These two schools first played in 1902, with Tennessee winning 11–10. The two schools would go on to play for all but 9 times between 1927 and 1991 (1939–1941, 1943, 1952–1955, 1970–1971).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winsipedia - Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ole Miss Rebels football series history |url=https://www.winsipedia.com/tennessee/vs/ole-miss |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Winsipedia |language=en}}</ref> Ole Miss is Tennessee's 4th most played all time behind only Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Alabama. Tennessee is the 7th most played opponent for the Rebels behind Mississippi St, LSU, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tulane. Similarly to the Auburn–Tennessee rivalry, the SEC expansion in 1992 ended the yearly meetings as Tennessee and Ole Miss were placed in opposite divisions. Each team had two permanent cross division opponents from 1992 to 2005, with the Vols getting Alabama and Arkansas, while Ole Miss drew Vanderbilt and Georgia.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Emerson |first=Seth |title=Grudges, politics and gentlemen's agreements: The chaotic history of SEC scheduling |url=https://theathletic.com/4445067/2023/04/28/sec-schedule-history/ |access-date=July 4, 2023 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}</ref> This rivalry has mostly been played in November, with only 17 of the 65 meetings between the two being played in a different month. Many times, the games have been played in ], an area with significant ties to both schools. Tennessee leads the all-time series 44–20–1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winsipedia - Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ole Miss Rebels football series history |url=http://www.winsipedia.com/tennessee/vs/ole-miss |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=Winsipedia |language=en}}</ref> | |||
The two sides have played several memorable games, including the 1962 meeting where a 10–0 victory for Ole Miss, included an all-out brawl between the sides.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 16, 2014 |title=Throwback Thursday: Ole Miss vs. Tennessee |url=https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/sec-throwback-thursday-ole-miss-tennessee-week8-2014/ |access-date=July 4, 2023 |website=Saturday Down South |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1969, UT fans wore buttons to the game emblazoned with the phrase "Archie Who?" to mock ]. Ole Miss subsequently defeated the Vols 38–0 and inspired the creation of a famous song called "The Ballad of Archie Who."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fights overshadow last undefeated Ole Miss vs UT game |url=https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/fights-overshadow-last-undefeated-ole-miss-vs-ut-game/51-95095233 |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=wbir.com |date=October 14, 2014 |language=en-US}}</ref> The Manning family again ignited the rivalry when Archie's son ] chose to attend Tennessee over Ole Miss. In 1996, Manning faced raucous Ole Miss crowd in Memphis in his first game against the Rebels, leading the Vols to a dominant 41–3 win.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tennessee vs Ole Miss Box Score, October 3, 1996 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/1996-10-03-mississippi.html |access-date=July 4, 2023 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title='This one is special' - The Knoxville Focus |url=https://www.knoxfocus.com/archives/this-weeks-focus/this-one-is-special/ |access-date=July 4, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2021, the matchup featured the return of former Tennessee coach ] to ]. Kiffin, now the head coach of Ole Miss, had coached Tennessee for one year before infamously departing to become the head coach of ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 13, 2010 |title=Kiffin leaves Tennessee after 1 year for USC |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=4820737 |access-date=July 4, 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> #13 ] came out with a close win by a score of 31–26 after the game was delayed by fans throwing debris toward the Ole Miss sideline in the 4th quarter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ole Miss 31-26 Tennessee (Oct 16, 2021) Final Score |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401282110 |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref> | |||
The 2015 game of this rivalry was of particular importance, especially to Memphis. This was one of the most anticipated games in the history of Memphis football as they hosted then–no. 13 Ole Miss. It appeared as if the Rebels were going to blow out the Tigers after taking a 14–0 lead in the first quarter, but Memphis answered with 24 straight points before halftime. The Tigers extended their lead to 31–14 after scoring on the first possession of the third quarter, and held on to their lead for the rest of the game, upsetting Ole Miss, 37–24. The Rebels fell eleven spots in the AP Poll to No. 24 and Memphis entered the rankings at #18.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/071812aaa.html |title=Ole Miss, Memphis Renewing Rivalry in Football, Men's Hoops – Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site Ole Miss Rebels Official Athletic Site – Men's Basketball |publisher=Olemisssports.com |date= |access-date=December 9, 2015}}</ref> It was the Tigers' first victory over a ranked team since defeating No. 6 Tennessee in 1996. The next game between the two teams will be hosted by Memphis on August 31, 2019. | |||
===Tulane=== | ===Tulane=== | ||
{{Main|Ole Miss–Tulane football rivalry}} | {{Main|Ole Miss–Tulane football rivalry}} | ||
Ole Miss and Tulane |
Ole Miss and ] have been rivals since the time that Tulane was an SEC member. Ole Miss leads the series 43–28 through the 2023 season.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |title=Winsipedia - Tulane Green Wave vs. Ole Miss Rebels football series history |url=https://www.winsipedia.com/tulane/vs/ole-miss |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=Winsipedia |language=en}}</ref> The Rebels have dominated the rivalry in recent decades, they currently (as of 2024) hold an 11-game winning streak versus the Green Wave, dating all the way back to 1989.<ref name=":10" /> Their next matchup is slated for 2025 in Oxford.<ref name=":2" /> | ||
===Vanderbilt=== | |||
{{Main|Ole Miss–Vanderbilt football rivalry}} | |||
Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have played annually since 1942. When the SEC split into divisions in 1992, the Commodores and Rebels were selected as permanent cross-division rivals. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 52–40–2. The Rebels have won 16 of the last 24 games, including nine games by double digits. However, Vanderbilt has sustained the rivalry with a surprising blow-out victory over the Rebels in 2016. | |||
==Team of the Century== | ==Team of the Century== | ||
In 1992, to commemorate the 100th year of Ole Miss football, the Ole Miss Athletic Department put together a so-called "Team of the Century," recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of 26 players.<ref name="cstv.com">{{cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/HistoryRecords1.pdf |
In 1992, to commemorate the 100th year of Ole Miss football, the Ole Miss Athletic Department put together a so-called "Team of the Century," recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of 26 players.<ref name="cstv.com">{{cite web|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/HistoryRecords1.pdf|title=History of Ole Miss Football|website=Grfx.cstv.com|access-date=October 7, 2017|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114402/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ole/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/HistoryRecords1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | ||
The ] for the Team of the Century was ], who coached Ole Miss from |
The ] for the Team of the Century was ], who coached Ole Miss from 1947 to 1970 and again in 1973. | ||
===Offense=== | ===Offense=== | ||
Line 675: | Line 681: | ||
|] || 1942, 47–48 || ] | |] || 1942, 47–48 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
|'''C''' || ] |
|'''C''' || ]|| 1987–90 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
|rowspan=5|'''OL'''|| ] || 1960–62 || ] | |rowspan=5|'''OL'''|| ] || 1960–62 || ] | ||
Line 699: | Line 705: | ||
| ] || 1972–75 || ] | | ] || 1972–75 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| rowspan=4|'''LB''' || ] || 1986–89 || ] | | rowspan=4|'''LB''' || ] || 1986–89 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] |
| ]|| 1961–63 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1957–59 || ] | | ] || 1957–59 || ] | ||
Line 709: | Line 715: | ||
| rowspan=5|'''DB''' || ] || 1957–59 || ] | | rowspan=5|'''DB''' || ] || 1957–59 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] |
| ]|| 1967–69 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] |
| ]|| 1987–90 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || 1952–54 || ] | | ] || 1952–54 || ] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] |
| ]|| 1987–89|| Shaw, MS | ||
|} | |} | ||
===Special |
===Special teams=== | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
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==Hall of Fame== | ==Hall of Fame== | ||
===College Football Hall of Fame=== | ===College Football Hall of Fame=== | ||
]]] | |||
Ole Miss has nine players and two coaches in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfbhall.com/about/inductees/|title=Inductees - Football Players & Coaches - College Football Hall of Fame|website=www.cfbhall.com}}</ref> | |||
]]] | |||
Ole Miss has nine players and two coaches in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cfbhall.com/about/inductees/|title=Inductees - Football Players & Coaches - College Football Hall of Fame|website=www.cfbhall.com|access-date=November 1, 2018|archive-date=August 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807014549/http://www.cfbhall.com/inductees/?player=0732&tt=1414537148|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Player|Position|Inducted}} | {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Player|Position|Inducted}} | ||
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|- | |- | ||
| ] || ] || 2014 | | ] || ] || 2014 | ||
|- | |||
| ] || ] || 2019 | |||
|} | |} | ||
† Charter member | † Charter member | ||
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===Pro Football Hall of Fame=== | ===Pro Football Hall of Fame=== | ||
There have been |
There have been three Ole Miss players inducted into the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/heroes-of-the-game/colleges/|title=Hall of Famers by College - Hall of Famers - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com|access-date=November 1, 2018|archive-date=December 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211012712/https://www.profootballhof.com/heroes-of-the-game/colleges/|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Player|Position|Inducted}} | {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Player|Position|Inducted}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || ] || |
| ] || ] || 1971 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ] || ] || |
| ] || ] || 2007 | ||
|- | |||
| ] || ] || 2024 | |||
|} | |} | ||
===Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame=== | ===Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame=== | ||
{{Citation needed|date=November 2018}}{{Importance inline}} | {{Citation needed|date=November 2018}}{{Importance inline|date=June 2020}} | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
* Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard (1955) | |||
|- | |||
* Charles "Charlie" Conerly (1959) | |||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Player|Position|Inducted}} | |||
* Barney Poole (1966) | |||
|- | |||
| Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard || ] || 1955 | |||
|- | |||
| Charles "Charlie" Conerly || ] || 1959 | |||
|- | |||
| Barney Poole || End || 1966 | |||
|- | |||
| Louis N. Pappas || — || 2005 | |||
|} | |||
===National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame=== | ===National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame=== | ||
Ole Miss has one former player in the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.{{ |
Ole Miss has one former player in the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nationalqbclub.com/hall-of-fame | title=Hall of Fame }}</ref> {{Importance inline|date=June 2020}} | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
* Archie Manning (2004) | |||
|- | |||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Player|Inducted}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] || 2004 | |||
|} | |||
==Active in the NFL== | ==Active in the NFL== | ||
''*Only includes players who have been on an NFL active roster, Practice Squad, or IR during the 2024-25 NFL season.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mississippi Players/Alumni |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/mississippi/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Mississippi Rebels in the NFL {{!}} Ourlads.com |url=https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/active-nfl-players-by-college/ole-miss/91602 |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=www.ourlads.com}}</ref> | |||
*], QB, ] | |||
*], OL, ] | |||
=== Active Roster or Injured Reserve === | |||
*], RB, ] | |||
*], |
*], S, ] | ||
*], |
*], WR, ] | ||
*], |
*], LB, ] | ||
*], |
*], TE, ] | ||
*], |
*], S, ] | ||
*], |
*], WR, ] | ||
*], |
*], DB, ] | ||
*], |
*], DE, ] | ||
*], |
*], DL, ] | ||
*], DL, ] | *], DL, ] | ||
*], CB, ] | |||
*], DE, ] | |||
*], DE, ] | |||
*Lavon Hooks, DE, ] | |||
*], CB, ] | |||
*], DE, ] | |||
*], RB, ] | |||
*], OL, ] | |||
*], WR, ] | |||
*], WR, ] | |||
*], TE, ] | *], TE, ] | ||
*], |
*], CB, ] | ||
*], WR, ] | |||
*], CB, ] | |||
*], WR, ] | |||
*], WR, ] | |||
*], OG, ] | |||
*], CB, ] | |||
*], LB, ] | |||
*Mark Robinson, LB, ] | |||
*], OL, ] | |||
*], DE ] | |||
*], TE, ] | |||
=== Practice Squad === | |||
* ], OG, ] | |||
* ], LB, ] | |||
* ], LB, ] | |||
* ], WR, ] | |||
* ], DE, ] | |||
* ], WR, ] | |||
==Tailgating== | ==Tailgating== | ||
Line 815: | Line 852: | ||
==Confederate symbols== | ==Confederate symbols== | ||
Since 1983 {{citation needed|date=August 2018}}, the administration has distanced itself from ] symbols. In 1997{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}, the university student senate passed a resolution requesting fans not to display the ] at university athletic events. The university also banned flag poles to discourage fans from displaying the Confederate flag at football games and other athletic events after head coach ] complained that the battle flag had hampered his attempts to recruit top-notch black athletes. Coaches prior to Tuberville also expressed concerns about the difficulty of recruiting black athletes. | |||
The team has long associated itself with the ]. Since 1936,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ole Miss Traditions |url=https://olemisssports.com/sports/2018/7/20/trads-ole-miss-trads-html.aspx |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Ole Miss Athletics |language=en |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202175601/https://olemisssports.com/sports/2018/7/20/trads-ole-miss-trads-html.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> the team has gone by the name Rebels, a nickname for the ] that fought against the United States during the ]. | |||
In 1972, Ole Miss' first black football player, ], was signed and began playing. The defensive tackle, recruited out of a small school in the Delta region of Mississippi, eventually claimed All-SEC honors and had a long and successful NFL career following his stint at Ole Miss. | |||
In 1936, the team introduced a ], ], a cartoonish, older-aged gentleman in ] garb whose name alludes to service in the ]; in 1979, the team would add a student costumed as Colonel Reb to the ] squad. In the 1940s, students began waving the ] in the football stands; the team followed suit.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |title=Black Cheerleader Balks at Waving the 'Rebel' Flag |work=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1982/09/04/129559.html?pageNumber=6 |access-date=2022-12-02 |language=en |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202171028/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1982/09/04/129559.html?pageNumber=6 |url-status=live }}</ref> The marching band began playing "]" around 1948,<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2016-08-24 |title=University of Mississippi bans Confederate 'anthem' Dixie |url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/24/university-of-mississippi-dixie-ban-confederate-south |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=the Guardian |language=en |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202180342/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/24/university-of-mississippi-dixie-ban-confederate-south |url-status=live }}</ref> according to David Sansing, Ole Miss professor emeritus of history and author of the sesquicentennial history of the university. "I think it really was adopted around the combination of the centennial and the ] movement in the South," Sansing said. "1948 was the centennial celebration, and that's when Ole Miss was cloaked and covered with all the memorabilia of the Confederacy."<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Ganucheau |first=Adam |date=2016-08-19 |title=For Ole Miss sports, 'Dixie' is dead |url=https://mississippitoday.org/2016/08/19/for-ole-miss-sports-dixie-is-dead/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=Mississippi Today |language=en-US |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206005548/https://mississippitoday.org/2016/08/19/for-ole-miss-sports-dixie-is-dead/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
Though the team is still called the Rebels, its embrace of Confederate symbols began to change in 1983, two decades after the school was ]. That September, John Hawkins, a Black cheerleader for Ole Miss, refused to carry the battle flag onto the home stadium's football field, as was long custom.<ref name=":5" /> To quell the outcry that followed, school Chancellor Porter L. Fortune Jr. banned the official use of the flag but said students could continue to wave it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Coleman |first=Milton |date=April 21, 1983 |title=Rebel Flag Banned at Ole Miss |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1983/04/21/rebel-flag-banned-at-ole-miss/62ef4f83-ba59-48bd-8726-7677f5d45ffb/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202165117/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1983/04/21/rebel-flag-banned-at-ole-miss/62ef4f83-ba59-48bd-8726-7677f5d45ffb/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In 1997, the university banned flag poles at games, an attempt to stop the waving of Confederate flags without directly confronting fans who wanted to do so.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Sticks banned at Ole Miss, but some Confederate flags still appear |url=https://apnews.com/article/b11212b8025fd9cd7f8ca269195361a8 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202180654/https://apnews.com/article/b11212b8025fd9cd7f8ca269195361a8 |url-status=live }}</ref> The step was taken after head coach ] complained that the flag-waving had hampered his attempts to recruit top-notch Black athletes.<ref name=":7" /> Coaches before Tuberville also expressed concerns about the difficulty of recruiting black athletes. | |||
In 2003, the school ended the use of the costumed Colonel Reb mascot at athletic events,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2003/07/03/Sports/Controversial.Mascot.Sent.To.Showers-2802313.shtml|title=Daily Mississippian via University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Ka Leo newspaper:Controversial mascot sent to showers|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304225047/http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2003/07/03/Sports/Controversial.Mascot.Sent.To.Showers-2802313.shtml|archive-date=March 4, 2008}}</ref> though it would sell official Colonel Reb merchandise through the end of the decade. An unofficial Colonel Reb mascot still makes appearances in ], Ole Miss' tailgating area, before home games.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022}} | |||
In 2009, the university chancellor asked the school's marching band to stop playing "]", an early-1980s fight song that combined elements of "Dixie" and the "]". Students had customarily chanted "The South will rise again", a reference to the ] pseudohistory, during the song's final line.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-11-11 |title=Ole Miss song banned over controversial chant |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=4643111 |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202175601/https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=4643111 |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
In 2010, the university began to phase out the use of Colonel Reb on official merchandise such as hats and shirts; it reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as a historical mark of the university.<ref> {{dead link|date=October 2017}}</ref> After a polling and a February 2010 campus vote, officials announced on October 14, 2010, that students, alumni and season ticket holders at the university had picked ] as their new mascot.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news/story?id=5684400|title=Rebel Black Bear voted new Mississippi mascot|work=ESPN.com|date=October 14, 2010|access-date=April 30, 2016|archive-date=January 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118173255/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5684400|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ezing.net/rebelthebear/|title=访问错误|website=Ezing.net|access-date=October 14, 2010|archive-date=October 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017152543/http://www.ezing.net/rebelthebear/|url-status=live}}</ref> The bear beat out two other finalists, the Rebel Land Shark and something called the "Hotty Toddy," an attempt to personify the school cheer. (The bear would be replaced in 2018, by the Landshark, a reference to a celebratory hand symbol that players began using in 2008.<ref name="Amy">{{cite news |last1=Amy |first1=Jeff |date=October 6, 2017 |title=Chancellor: Ole Miss Will Take Landshark as On-Field Mascot |work=U.S. News & World Report |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/mississippi/articles/2017-10-06/chancellor-ole-miss-will-take-landshark-as-on-field-mascot |access-date=October 7, 2017 |archive-date=October 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008025803/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/mississippi/articles/2017-10-06/chancellor-ole-miss-will-take-landshark-as-on-field-mascot |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Bracey |date=October 6, 2017 |title=Ole Miss taps Landshark as new mascot |work=The Clarion-Ledger |url=http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2017/10/06/ole-miss-landshark-mascot/739910001/ |access-date=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fins Up, Rebels! |date=October 6, 2017 |url=http://www.olemisssports.com/genrel/100617aaa.html |access-date=October 7, 2017 |archive-date=November 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130180621/http://www.olemisssports.com/genrel/100617aaa.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=October 7, 2017 |title=Ole Miss replaces bear mascot with Landshark |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20939377/ole-miss-rebels-retire-rebel-bear-mascot-replaced-landshark |access-date=October 7, 2017 |archive-date=October 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007030639/http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20939377/ole-miss-rebels-retire-rebel-bear-mascot-replaced-landshark |url-status=live }}</ref>) | |||
In 2003, the school's mascot, ], was discontinued from official participation in athletic events by the school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2003/07/03/Sports/Controversial.Mascot.Sent.To.Showers-2802313.shtml|title=Daily Mississippian via University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Ka Leo newspaper:Controversial mascot sent to showers|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304225047/http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2003/07/03/Sports/Controversial.Mascot.Sent.To.Showers-2802313.shtml|archivedate=March 4, 2008}}</ref> The school solicited ideas to replace Colonel Reb, but after an exceedingly lackluster response, decided to go without a mascot. An unofficial Colonel Reb mascot still makes appearances in ], Ole Miss' tailgating area, before home games. In 2010, the university began its plan to phase out the use of Colonel Reb on official merchandise such as hats and shirts. The university has reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as a historical mark of the university.<ref> {{dead link|date=October 2017}}</ref> On October 14, 2010, it was announced that students, alumni and season ticket holders at the university had picked ] as their new mascot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5684400|title=Rebel Black Bear voted new Mississippi mascot|work=ESPN.com|accessdate=April 30, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ezing.net/rebelthebear/|title=访问错误|website=Ezing.net}}</ref> The announcement was the result of a campus-wide vote in February and months of polling. The bear beat out two other finalists, the Rebel Land Shark and something called the "Hotty Toddy," an attempt to personify the school cheer. | |||
In 2016, the athletic department banned "Dixie" itself as well as a medley that included a "Dixie" theme.<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":8" /> Later that year, Chancellor ] asserted that the name "Rebels" was no longer used to refer to the Confederacy but "is used today in a completely different and positive way: to indicate someone who bucks the status quo, an entrepreneur, a trendsetter, a leader".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-06-10 |title=History, Context, Identity |url=https://chancellor.olemiss.edu/history-context-identity/ |access-date=2022-12-02 |website=Office of the Chancellor |language=en-US |archive-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202181404/https://chancellor.olemiss.edu/history-context-identity/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
On October 6, 2017, Chancellor ] announced that the new university mascot would be the Landshark, beginning with the 2018–19 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olemisssports.com/genrel/100617aaa.html |title=Fins Up, Rebels!|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20939377/ole-miss-rebels-retire-rebel-bear-mascot-replaced-landshark|title=Ole Miss replaces bear mascot with Landshark|accessdate=October 7, 2017}}</ref> The black bear will be replaced by the Landshark, in reference to a celebratory hand symbol that players began using in 2008.<ref name=Amy>{{cite news|last1=Amy|first1=Jeff|title=Chancellor: Ole Miss Will Take Landshark as On-Field Mascot |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/mississippi/articles/2017-10-06/chancellor-ole-miss-will-take-landshark-as-on-field-mascot|accessdate=October 7, 2017|work=U.S. News & World Report |agency=Associated Press|date=October 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Harris|first1=Bracey|title=Ole Miss taps Landshark as new mascot |url=http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2017/10/06/ole-miss-landshark-mascot/739910001/|accessdate=October 7, 2017|work=The Clarion-Ledger|date=October 6, 2017}}</ref> | |||
== Team honors == | == Team honors == | ||
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2020}} | |||
===Chucky Mullins Courage Award=== | ===Chucky Mullins Courage Award=== | ||
Line 859: | Line 906: | ||
* 2018 – C. J. Moore | * 2018 – C. J. Moore | ||
* 2019 – Austrian Robinson | * 2019 – Austrian Robinson | ||
* 2020 – Jaylon Jones | |||
* 2021 – Keidron Smith | |||
* 2022 — KD Hill | |||
* 2023 - Cedric Johnson | |||
* 2024 - JJ Pegues | |||
===Retired numbers=== | ===Retired numbers=== | ||
{{Also|List of NCAA football retired numbers}} | |||
* No. 18: ] | |||
{{multiple image | |||
* No. 38: ] | |||
|align= | |||
|total_width = 300 | |||
|image1 = Archie manning 1970 sugarbowl.jpg | |||
|image2 = Eli Manning Giants QB.jpg | |||
|footer = Archie Manning (left) and his son Eli have their numbers retired by Ole Miss | |||
}} | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
|- | |||
! colspan=6 style ={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels|color=white}} | '''Ole Miss Rebels retired numbers''' | |||
|- | |||
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels|color=white}}; width=40px| No. | |||
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels|color=white}}; width= 150px| Player | |||
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels|color=white}}; width= px| Pos. | |||
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels|color=white}}; width=100px| Tenure | |||
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels|color=white}}; width= px| No. ret. | |||
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Ole Miss Rebels|color=white}}; width= px| Ref. | |||
|- | |||
| '''10''' || ] || ] || 1999–2003 || 2021 || <ref name=oleret> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117204300/https://theheismanwinners.com/ole-miss-rebels |date=November 17, 2022 }} at The Heisman Winners.com</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117204255/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32459741/ole-miss-rebels-retire-eli-manning-no-10-jersey |date=November 17, 2022 }} | |||
Oct 23, 2021 by Alex Scarborough on ESPN</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221117204257/https://www.oxfordeagle.com/2021/10/23/ole-miss-football-retires-eli-mannings-jersey-number/ |date=November 17, 2022 }} By Jake Thompson at Oxford Eagle, 23 Oct 2021</ref> | |||
|- | |||
| '''18''' || ] || QB || 1968–1970 || || <ref name=oleret/> | |||
|- | |||
| '''38''' || ]{{refn|Retired from football after a severous injure that led him a ] during a game against the ] in 1989.|group=n1|name=chucky}} || ] || 1988–1989 || || <ref name=oleret/> | |||
|- | |||
| '''74''' || ]{{refn|Regarded as the first black player in the program history.|group=n1|name=afro}} || ] || 1972–1975 || 2022 || <ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118021255/https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-sports-overlooked-gambling-issue-improprieties-being-ignored-as-betting-soars-nationwide/ |date=November 18, 2022 }} By Austin Nivison on CBS Sports, Sep 23, 2022</ref> | |||
|} | |||
;Notes | |||
{{reflist|group=n1}} | |||
== Future opponents == | == Future opponents == | ||
=== |
===Conference opponents=== | ||
From 1992 to 2023, Ole Miss played in the West Division of the SEC and played each opponent in the division each year along with several teams from the East Division. The SEC will expand the conference to 16 teams and will eliminate its two divisions in 2024, causing a new scheduling format for the Rebels to play against the other members of the conference.<ref name="24sec16">{{cite web|first=Seth|last=Emerson|title=SEC approves 8-game football schedule for 2024, no decision yet on long-term format|publisher=The Athletic|url=https://theathletic.com/4573099/2023/06/01/sec-football-schedule-2024/|date=2023-06-01|access-date=2023-06-20|archive-date=June 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620191009/https://theathletic.com/4573099/2023/06/01/sec-football-schedule-2024/|url-status=live}}</ref> Only the 2024 conference schedule was announced on June 14, 2023, while the conference still considers a new format for the future. Notably, Alabama and Auburn are off the schedule for the first time since the SEC expanded to 12 teams in 1992, and Texas A&M is off for the first time since the Aggies joined the conference in 2012.<ref name="24sec">{{cite web|first=David|last=Eckert|title=Ole Miss football's 2024 SEC schedule includes Oklahoma, Georgia and Florida|publisher=Mississippi Clarion Ledger|url=https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2023/06/14/ole-miss-football-schedule-2024-sec-opponents-nonconference/70317495007/|date=2023-06-14|access-date=2023-06-20}}</ref> | |||
====2024 Conference Schedule==== | |||
{{CFB schedule | {{CFB schedule | ||
| opprank = y | |||
| rankyear = 2020 | |||
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I FBS | |||
| poll = AP | |||
| timezone = Central | |||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |{{CFB schedule entry | ||
| |
| away = y | ||
| opponent = ] | |||
| time = | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| w/l = | |||
| site_cityst = ] | |||
| nonconf = y | |||
| gamename = ] | |||
| neutral = y | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| gamename = ] | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| site_cityst = ] | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |{{CFB schedule entry | ||
| |
| away = y | ||
| opponent = ] | |||
| time = | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| w/l = | |||
| site_cityst = ] | |||
| nonconf = y | |||
}} | |||
| rank = | |||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| site_stadium = ] | | site_stadium = ] | ||
| site_cityst = ] | | site_cityst = ] | ||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |{{CFB schedule entry | ||
| opponent = ] | |||
| date = September 19 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | | site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | ||
| site_cityst = Oxford, MS | | site_cityst = Oxford, MS | ||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |{{CFB schedule entry | ||
| date = September 26 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| away = y | | away = y | ||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | | opponent = ] | ||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| gamename = ] | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| site_cityst = ] | | site_cityst = ] | ||
| gamename = ] | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |{{CFB schedule entry | ||
| opponent = ] | |||
| date = October 3 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| gamename = ] | |||
| site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | | site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | ||
| site_cityst = Oxford, MS | | site_cityst = Oxford, MS | ||
| gamename = ] | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |{{CFB schedule entry | ||
| opponent = ] | |||
| date = October 10 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| away = y | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| gamename = ] | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| site_cityst = ] | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | |||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |||
| date = October 17 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | | site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | ||
| site_cityst = Oxford, MS | | site_cityst = Oxford, MS | ||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |{{CFB schedule entry | ||
| date = October 24 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| rank = | |||
| nonconf = y | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | |||
| site_cityst = Oxford, MS | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | |||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |||
| date = November 7 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| away = y | | away = y | ||
| opponent = ] | |||
| rank = | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| site_cityst = ] | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| site_cityst = ] | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |||
| date = November 14 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| away = y | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| gamename = ] | |||
| site_stadium = ] | |||
| site_cityst = ] | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | }} | ||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |||
| date = November 21 | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| nonconf = y | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | |||
| site_cityst = Oxford, MS | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | |||
|{{CFB schedule entry | |||
| date = {{tooltip|November 26|Thursday (Thanksgiving)}} | |||
| time = | |||
| w/l = | |||
| rank = | |||
| opponent = ] | |||
| gamename = ] | |||
| site_stadium = Vaught–Hemingway Stadium | |||
| site_cityst = Oxford, MS | |||
| tv = | |||
| attend = | |||
}} | |||
}} | |||
===Intra-division opponents=== | |||
Ole Miss plays the other six SEC West opponents once per season. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|Even numbered years|Odd numbered years}} | |||
|- | |||
| ] || at Alabama | |||
|- | |||
| at ] || Arkansas | |||
|- | |||
| ] || at Auburn | |||
|- | |||
| at ] || LSU | |||
|- | |||
| at ] || Texas A&M | |||
|- | |||
| ] || at Mississippi State | |||
|} | |||
=== Non-division opponents === | |||
Ole Miss plays Vanderbilt as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the ''East'' division among the other six schools.<ref name="nondivopp">{{cite web| title=SEC Future Football Schedule Rotation Announced|publisher=fbschedules.com| url=http://www.fbschedules.com/2014/05/sec-future-football-schedule-rotation-2025/|accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|2021|2022|2023|2024|2025}} | |||
|- | |||
| Vanderbilt || at Vanderbilt || Vanderbilt || at Vanderbilt || Vanderbilt | |||
|- | |||
| at ] || ] || at ] || ] || at ] | |||
|} | |||
=== Non-conference opponents === | === Non-conference opponents === | ||
Announced schedules as of |
Announced schedules as of April 26, 2020.<ref name="schedannounce">{{cite web|url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/ole-miss/|title=Ole Miss Rebels Future Football Schedules|publisher=FBSchedules.com|access-date=April 26, 2020|archive-date=April 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200416100434/https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/ole-miss/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/future-football-schedules.html|title=Future Football Schedules|publisher=OleMissSports.com|access-date=August 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816194421/http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/future-football-schedules.html|archive-date=August 16, 2017|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> | ||
:''No games |
:''No games scheduled for the 2035-2036 seasons.'' | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|- | |- | ||
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels |
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Ole Miss Rebels|2024|2025|2026|2027|2028|2029|2030|2032|2033|2034|2037}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| vs. ]* (Atlanta) | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | | ] | ||
| ] |
| ] | ||
| ] |
| <s>]</s> | ||
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* The Rebels will face off against the Baylor Bears on September 5, 2020 in the ] at ] in ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/14793093/baylor-bears-ole-miss-rebels-open-2020-season-houston|title=Sources: Baylor, Ole Miss agree to start 2020 season in Houston|last=McMurphy|first=Brett|date=February 17, 2016|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=August 17, 2016}}</ref> and against the Louisville Cardinals in 2021 in the ] at ] in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fbschedules.com/2017/08/ole-miss-louisville-2021-chick-fil-kickoff-game/|title=Ole Miss and Louisville to play in 2021 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game|last=Kelley|first=Kevin|date=August 15, 2017|publisher=FBSchedules.com|accessdate=August 16, 2017}}</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ole Miss Rebels Football}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Ole Miss Rebels Football}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 22:01, 3 January 2025
Football team of the University of Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football | |||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
[REDACTED] | |||
First season | 1893; 132 years ago | ||
Athletic director | Keith Carter | ||
Head coach | Lane Kiffin 6th season, 44–18 (.710) | ||
Stadium | Vaught–Hemingway Stadium (capacity: 64,038) | ||
Field | Jerry Hollingsworth Field | ||
Year built | 1915 | ||
Field surface | Natural grass | ||
Location | Oxford, Mississippi | ||
NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
Conference | Southeastern Conference | ||
Past conferences | Independent (1893–1898) Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1899–1921) Southern Conference (1922–1932) | ||
All-time record | 675–547–35 (.551) | ||
Bowl record | 26–15 (.634) | ||
Claimed national titles | 3 (1959, 1960, 1962) | ||
Conference titles | 6 (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963) | ||
Division titles | 1 (2003) | ||
Rivalries | Alabama (rivalry) Arkansas (rivalry) Auburn (rivalry) LSU (rivalry) Memphis (rivalry) Mississippi State (rivalry) Tulane (rivalry) Vanderbilt (rivalry) | ||
Consensus All-Americans | 14 | ||
Current uniform | |||
Colors | Cardinal red and navy blue | ||
Fight song | Forward Rebels | ||
Mascot | Tony the Landshark | ||
Marching band | Pride of the South | ||
Outfitter | Nike | ||
Website | OleMissSports.com |
The Ole Miss Rebels football program represents the University of Mississippi, also known as "Ole Miss". The Rebels compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Rebels play their home games at Vaught–Hemingway Stadium on the university's campus in Oxford, Mississippi.
Founded in 1893 as the state's first football team, Ole Miss has won six Southeastern Conference titles, in 1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963. The team has been co-national champion once, with Minnesota in 1960 (the only time that Ole Miss has been acknowledged as national champion by the NCAA). Ole Miss, however, has never finished a season No. 1 in the AP or Coaches' Poll. With a record of 24–15, Ole Miss has the fourth-highest postseason winning percentage of schools with 30 or more bowl appearances.
As of 2024, the team's head coach is Lane Kiffin.
History
Main article: History of Ole Miss Rebels footballThe Ole Miss football team played its first season in 1893 and have since fielded a team every year except for 1897 (due to a yellow fever epidemic) and 1943 (due to World War II). In that first season, the team compiled a 4–1 record under head coach Alexander Bondurant. In 1899, Ole Miss became a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The program joined the Southern Conference in 1922 and the Southeastern Conference in 1933.
Johnny Vaught era (1947–1970, 1973)
The modern era of Ole Miss football began in 1947, when Harold Drew was ousted in favor of his line coach, Johnny Vaught. A former All-American at Texas Christian University (TCU), Vaught led the Ole Miss program to national prominence over the next 24 years, posting 23 winning records and making the team a fixture in the national polls. Under Vaught, Ole Miss won the 1959 Dunkel System national championship; the 1960 Football Writers Association of America, Dunkel System, and Williamson System national championships; and the 1962 Litkenhous Ratings national championship.
Just 2–7 in 1946, the Rebels went 9–2 in Vaught's first season at the helm, winning the first of his six SEC titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963). The 1947 season also saw Ole Miss great Charlie Conerly become the first Rebel player to seriously contend for the Heisman Trophy, placing fourth in the voting.
The Rebels were among the winningest programs in the country during the 1950s. From 1950 to 1959, Ole Miss posted an 80–21–5 record (.778 winning percentage), third only to Oklahoma and Miami (OH) during that decade. Vaught's 1959 squad was honored as the "SEC Team of the Decade."
In the 1960s, Vaught guided the Rebels to a 77–25–6 record and a .740 winning percentage, which was the ninth-best during that decade. The Rebels were ranked atop the Associated Press poll for three weeks during the 1960 season and one week during the 1961 campaign. The 1960 unit is the only team to win a national championship that is recognized by the NCAA and the college football community at large. That squad finished 10–0–1; the only blemish was a 6–6 tie against LSU. Ole Miss was presented with the Grantland Rice Trophy by the Football Writers of America after its Sugar Bowl victory, though that did not carry the same weight of the wire service voting (AP and Coaches' Poll) which selected Minnesota as the national champion.
The Rebels’ 1962 season is Ole Miss' only undefeated and untied season: 10–0. They capped off the season with a victory in the Sugar Bowl, but finished No. 3 in both major polls. In 1964, Ole Miss was ranked preseason No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, but finished with a dismal 5–5–1 record at season's end.
Vaught also made going to postseason play the norm rather than the exception for the Rebel football program. Ole Miss played in 15 consecutive bowl games from 1957 to 1971, a national record at the time. In all, Vaught led Ole Miss to 18 bowl games, posting a 10–8 record. For his efforts, Vaught was named SEC Coach of the Year six times (1947, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962).
Vaught coached some of the best players in Ole Miss football history. and produced 26 All-America first-teamers. He also coached four players who finished in the top five in the Heisman Trophy voting: Conerly in 1947, Charlie Flowers (5th in 1959), Jake Gibbs (3rd in 1960), and Archie Manning (4th in 1969, 3rd in 1970).
Failing health forced Vaught to resign his position in 1970. He was succeeded by Billy Kinard.
No Ole Miss coach has since matched Vaught's longevity or winning percentage.
Billy R. Kinard era (1971–1973)
Billy Kinard, the first Ole Miss alumnus to head up the football program, won 10 games in 1971, fourth-most by a first-year head coach in NCAA Division I history, but was fired after going 5–5 in 1972 and starting the 1973 season 1–2.
Vaught was rehired to finish out the 1973 season, then resigned once again as head coach. As of 2022, his final record of 190–61–12 still ranks him in the top 25 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history.
Kinard's tenure saw the team's first Black player, 79 years after the team started and a decade after the university admitted its first Black student. Ben Williams, a defensive tackle, recruited out of a small school in the Delta region of Mississippi, eventually claimed All-SEC honors and had a long and successful NFL career following his stint at Ole Miss.
Ken Cooper era (1974–1977)
Ken Cooper, an assistant under Kinard since 1971, was named head coach on January 17, 1974, and took Ole Miss through the 1977 season. Cooper compiled a 21–23 record, and his tenure is probably best remembered for the September 1977 upset of Notre Dame, who finished the season 11–1 and AP and UPI national champion.
Steve Sloan era (1978–1982)
Steve Sloan, the former All-American quarterback at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant, posted a 20–34 record from 1978 to 1982.
Billy Brewer era (1983–1993)
After stepping outside the Ole Miss family football tree the previous nine seasons, former Rebel star player Billy Brewer took over as head coach in December 1982. In his 11 seasons as head coach, Brewer led the Rebels to five winning seasons and four bowls, including Ole Miss' 1990 New Year's Day Gator Bowl appearance, which was the program's first January bowl game since 1969. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1986 (8–3–1 record) and 1990 (9–3 record), and in 1986, the Rebels returned to the national rankings for the first time in over a decade. He compiled a 68–55–3 record and led Ole Miss to eight Egg Bowl victories over rival Mississippi State.
Brewer was dismissed just before the 1994 season after the NCAA infractions committee found him guilty of "unethical conduct," Ole Miss defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn finished the season as interim coach.
Tommy Tuberville era (1995–1998)
Hired on December 2, 1994, Tommy Tuberville led the 1995 Rebels to a 6–5 record and an Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State. In 1997, Ole Miss recorded its best season in five years with an 8–4 record, a thrilling 15–14 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State and a Motor City Bowl win over Marshall University. The bowl appearance was the program's first since 1992, and the Rebels earned a final national ranking of No. 22 in both polls.
During the 1998 season, Tuberville repeatedly said he would not leave Ole Miss. With a month to go before the team's bowl game, he told alumni, "They'll have to take me out of here in a pine box". Two days later, he accepted the job of head coach at SEC West rival Auburn University.
David Cutcliffe era (1998–2004)
David Cutcliffe took over as head coach on December 2, 1998, just 29 days before the Rebels met Texas Tech in the Sanford Independence Bowl. They prevailed, 35–18, in arguably the biggest upset of the 1998 bowl season.
Instilling a high-powered offensive style, Cutcliffe had four winning seasons in his first five seasons at Ole Miss, in 1999 (8–4), 2000 (7–5), 2001 (7–4) and 2002 (7–6), becoming the first Rebel mentor since Harry Mehre (1938–41) to post winning marks in his first five years. From 1997 to 2003, the Rebels played in six bowl games, tied with Arkansas for the most bowl appearances among SEC Western Division schools during that span. In 2003, Cutcliffe guided the Rebels to a 10–3 overall mark and a share of the SEC West title with eventual BCS National Champion LSU.
Despite his 44–29 record, five straight winning seasons, and guiding the team to its first 10 win season in over 30 years, Cutcliffe was fired by Ole Miss's Athletic Director Pete Boone in December 2004 after the team posted a disappointing 4–7 record and a third consecutive loss to LSU.
Ed Orgeron era (2005–2007)
Ed Orgeron took over on December 16, 2004. Named the 2004 National Recruiter of the Year by The Sporting News and Rivals.com, he compiled two of the best-ranking signing classes in 2006 and 2007. This did not lead to on-the-field success. In 2007, Ole Miss was last in the SEC in scoring offense, turnover margin, rushing offense, rushing defense, punt returns, opponent first downs, red-zone offense, opponent third-down conversions, field goal percentage, time of possession and kickoff coverage.
The 2007 season was an unmitigated disaster for the Rebels. They went winless in the SEC for the first time since 1982 and ended the season at 3–9 (0–8 in SEC play). Orgeron was fired on November 24, 2007.
Houston Nutt era (2008–2011)
Three days later, Houston Nutt was hired as the next head football coach, just five weeks after he defeated Ole Miss as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
During Nutt's first season, he guided the Ole Miss Rebels to a 9–4 record with marquee victories over the eventual BCS National Champion Florida Gators, the reigning BCS National Champion LSU Tigers, and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2009 Cotton Bowl Classic. The Rebels posted their 600th win on September 27, 2008, when they defeated the Gators 31–30. At season's end, the Rebels were ranked in the Top 15 in both major polls.
But in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the Rebels won a total of six games, and in the latter season, went winless in SEC play. On November 7, 2011, athletic director Pete Boone forced Nutt to resign, effective at the end of the season, citing what ESPN called the program's "total decline".
NCAA investigators later concluded that Nutt had allowed athletes to play while ineligible. In 2019, the NCAA punished Ole Miss for these violations and others committed by his successor, Hugh Freeze, by stripping the team of 33 wins over six seasons. This included all four wins in 2010 and two wins in 2011, making those season the Rebels' first official winless ones in more than a century.
Hugh Freeze era (2012–2017)
On December 5, 2011, Hugh Freeze became the new head coach. The team went 7–6 with a victory over Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl. In Freeze's second year, the Rebels went 8–5 (3–5), defeating then-sixth-ranked LSU on a last-second field goal in Oxford, then beating Georgia Tech, 25–17, in the Music City Bowl.
In 2014, Freeze led Ole Miss to one of its strongest seasons in four decades. The Rebels spent most of the season in the top 10, rising as high as third in October—their highest ranking at that late stage in the season in almost half a century. They ultimately finished 9–3, only the third time since Vaught's tenure that a Rebel team has won as many as nine games. This garnered them a berth in the 2014 Peach Bowl, their first major-bowl appearance since 1969. In 2015, Freeze led to the Rebels to perhaps the program's strongest season since 1962, when the team went undefeated and untied, with wins over ranked SEC West Rivals LSU and Mississippi State, and was headlined by a road victory over No. 2-ranked Alabama, their first win in Tuscaloosa since 1988 and the first time they had beaten the Tide in back-to-back seasons. The Rebels earned a trip to the 2016 Sugar Bowl, their first appearance in this bowl game since 1970, where they beat Oklahoma State 48–20. Freeze led the Rebels to their first 10-win season since 2003, and only the third since the Vaught era.
On July 20, 2017, Freeze resigned after Ole Miss officials learned that he had used a university-provided cell phone to place calls to an escort service in "a concerning pattern" that began shortly after he took the job in 2011.
NCAA investigators later concluded that Freeze had cheated on 15 occasions by breaking recruiting rules and allowing students to play who had not maintained the required academic standing; they also determined that his predecessor, Nutt, had broken similar rules. University officials quickly attempted to paint Nutt as the main culprit instead of Freeze. Nutt sued for defamation, and the university settled the suit and issued a public apology.
This constituted one of the worst violations ever, and in 2019 the NCAA punished Ole Miss by stripping the team of 33 wins over six seasons, including seven from 2012, eight from 2014, and five from 2016. This changed Freeze's official record at Ole Miss from 39–25 over five seasons to 12–25. The NCAA also banned the team from postseason play for two years, stripped it of scholarships for four years, and placed it on three years of probation. In 2019, the NCAA vacated 33 of the team's victories dating from 2010 to 2016 and levied a two-year ban on postseason play as punishment for recruiting and academic violations under both Nutt and Freeze.
Meanwhile, the team's star quarterback Shea Patterson and other players told NCAA officials that Freeze had lied to them about the charges while he recruited them. They requested waivers to quickly play for other teams, and were granted them.
Matt Luke era (2017–2019)
On July 20, 2017, co-offensive coordinator Matt Luke was named interim head coach following Hugh Freeze's resignation in relation with the escort scandal. In November 2017, Luke was named the permanent head coach after leading the Rebels to a 6–6 record, including a 31–28 Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State. In the 2019 Egg Bowl, Luke's recruit and future NFL wide receiver Elijah Moore performed a post-touchdown mockery of a urinating dog, costing the Rebels a penalty and ultimately losing the game by a missed extra point 20–21. Luke was dismissed after the game.
Lane Kiffin era (2020–present)
On December 7, 2019, Ole Miss announced that it had hired Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin as their next head coach under a four-year, $16.2 million contract. The 44-year old Kiffin arrived in Oxford with a wealth of coaching experience; before serving as the Owls head coach, he served as Alabama's offensive coordinator for three years under Nick Saban, winning one national championship and three SEC championships while helping to coach Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry. He had also served as head coach at USC, Tennessee and the NFL's Oakland Raiders.
In his first season at Ole Miss, Kiffin compiled a 5–5 record in an all-SEC Conference schedule, including a 26–20 win over Indiana in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. On January 2, 2021, Ole Miss signed Kiffin to a contract extension and raise. In 2021, Kiffin piloted the Rebels to a 10–2 regular-season record, the best in school history, going 6–2 in conference and finishing 11th in both major polls. A 21–7 loss to Baylor in the 2022 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, left the Rebels with a final record of 10–3, the eighth time the football team has recorded 10 wins in a season. On December 4, 2021, Ole Miss again extended Kiffin's contract and raised his pay. In 2022, the Rebels compiled an 8–3 record and were ranked No. 20 in the AP poll in week 12. Running back Quinshon Judkins won C Spire Freshman of the Year. On November 29, 2022, amid rumors that Auburn was interested in hiring Kiffin, the Rebels extended his contract and increased his pay for a third time. Auburn ended up hiring former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze instead. Ole Miss finished the 2022 season 8–5, losing five of their last six games, a showing blamed partly on Kiffin being distracted by Auburn's wooing.
In 2023, Ole Miss got off to a 3–0 start, including a 37–20 win at No. 24 Tulane, then lost 24–10 to No. 13 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The following game against arch-rival LSU drew 66,703 people to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, setting a new venue record; Ole Miss won, 55–49, getting revenge for LSU's 45–20 blowout the previous year and eliminating them from the College Football Playoff. The next week, they beat Arkansas 27–20, exacting revenge for another 2022 blowout. Kiffin led the team to 8–1 before losing to Georgia 17–52 in Athens. The Rebels finished the season 11–2, including a Peach Bowl win over Penn State 38–25.
Conference affiliations
Ole Miss has been affiliated with the following conferences.
- Independent (1893–1904)
- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1905–1921)
- Southern Conference (1922–1932)
- Southeastern Conference (1933–present)
Championships
National championships
Ole Miss has been selected as national champion three times by NCAA-designated major selectors in 1959, 1960 and 1962. But the two major wire-service polls of the time: AP Poll and Coaches' Poll, named Syracuse, Minnesota, and Southern California as the national champions in those years, respectively.
In 1960, the final Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) polls placed the Rebels second and third, respectively, behind the national champion Minnesota Golden Gophers. Students made "AP" and "UPI" dummies, hung them from the Union Building, and burned them while chanting, "We're No. 1, to hell with AP and UPI." The Gophers, however, subsequently lost the Rose Bowl to Washington, and Ole Miss defeated Rice, 14–6, in the Sugar Bowl, leading the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to vote Mississippi as national champions and present them with the Grantland Rice Award.
Season | Coach | Selectors | Record | Bowl | Opponent | Result | Final AP | Final Coaches |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Johnny Vaught | Berryman, Dunkel, Sagarin | 10–1 | Sugar Bowl | LSU | W 21–0 | No. 2 | No. 2 |
1960 | Billingsley, Football Writers, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, NCF, Williamson | 10–0–1 | Sugar Bowl | Rice | W 14–6 | No. 2 | No. 3 | |
1962 | Billingsley, Litkenhous, Sagarin | 10–0 | Sugar Bowl | Arkansas | W 17–13 | No. 3 | No. 3 |
Conference championships
Ole Miss has won six SEC championships.
Season | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
---|---|---|---|---|
1947 | SEC | Johnny Vaught | 9–2 | 6–1 |
1954 | 9–2 | 5–1 | ||
1955 | 10–1 | 5–1 | ||
1960 | 10–0–1 | 5–0–1 | ||
1962 | 10–0 | 6–0 | ||
1963 | 7–1–2 | 5–0–1 |
Divisional championship
The SEC was split into two divisions from the 1992 season through the 2023 season, with Ole Miss competing in the SEC West during that time. Ole Miss has won a share of one divisional title, but has yet to make an appearance in the SEC Championship Game.
Season | Division | Opponent | CG Result |
---|---|---|---|
2003† | SEC West | N/A lost tie-breaker to LSU |
† Co-champions
Head coaches
Ole Miss has had 38 head coaches in over a century of play.
Coach | Seasons | Record | Pct. |
---|---|---|---|
Alexander Bondurant | 1893 | 4–1 | .800 |
C. D. Clark | 1894 | 4–1 | .800 |
H. L. Fairbanks | 1895 | 2–1 | .667 |
John W. Hollister | 1896 | 1–2 | .333 |
No team | 1897 | ||
T. G. Scarbrough | 1898 | 1–1 | .500 |
W. H. Lyon | 1899 | 3–4 | .429 |
Z. N. Estes | 1900 | 0–3 | .000 |
William Shibley & Daniel S. Martin | 1901 | 2–4 | .333 |
Daniel S. Martin | 1902 | 4–3 | .571 |
M. S. Harvey | 1903–1904 | 6–4–1 | .591 |
No coach | 1905 | ||
Thomas S. Hammond | 1906 | 4–2 | .667 |
Frank A. Mason | 1907 | 0–6 | .000 |
Frank Kyle | 1908 | 3–5 | .375 |
Nathan Stauffer | 1909–1911 | 18–7–2 | .704 |
Leo DeTray | 1912 | 5–3 | .625 |
William L. Driver | 1913–1914 | 11–7–2 | .600 |
Fred A. Robins | 1915–1916 | 5–12 | .294 |
Dudy Noble | 1917–1918 | 2–7–1 | .250 |
R. L. Sullivan | 1919–1921 | 11–13 | .458 |
Roland Cowell | 1922–1923 | 8–11–1 | .425 |
Chester S. Barnard | 1924 | 4–5 | .444 |
Homer Hazel | 1925–1929 | 21–22–3 | .489 |
Ed Walker | 1930–1937 | 38–38–8 | .500 |
Harry Mehre | 1938–1942, 1944–1945 | 39–26–1 | .598 |
No team | 1943 | ||
Harold Drew | 1946 | 2–7 | .222 |
Johnny Vaught | 1947–1970, 1973 | 190–61–12 | .745 |
Billy Kinard | 1971–1973 | 16–9 | .640 |
Ken Cooper | 1974–1977 | 21–23 | .477 |
Steve Sloan | 1978–1982 | 20–34–1 | .373 |
Billy Brewer | 1983–1993 | 67–56–3 | .544 |
Joe Lee Dunn | 1994 | 4–7 | .364 |
Tommy Tuberville | 1995–1998 | 25–20 | .556 |
David Cutcliffe | 1998–2004 | 44–29 | .603 |
Ed Orgeron | 2005–2007 | 10–25 | .286 |
Houston Nutt | 2008–2011 | 18–26 | .409 |
Hugh Freeze | 2012–2016 | 39–25 | .609 |
Matt Luke† | 2017–2019 | 15–21 | .417 |
Lane Kiffin | 2020–present | 34–15 | .694 |
† Includes interim status
Bowl games
Ole Miss has participated in 42 bowl games and compiled a record of 26–15 through the 2024 season. The school's victory in the 2013 BBVA Compass Bowl was subsequently vacated and is not included.
† New Year's Six bowl game
Milestones
- Most points scored in a game by Ole Miss came in a 114–0 win over Union College on October 29, 1904.
- Ole Miss became the nation's first college football team to fly "en masse" to a game in 1937. The team flew from Memphis to Philadelphia to play Temple University Temple Owls. (University of New Mexico took the first flight of any team in 1929.)
- Ole Miss' first game to be broadcast on television was in 1948 against Memphis.
- The speed limit on the Ole Miss campus is 18 mph in honor of Archie Manning, who wore the number during his playing days at Ole Miss. After Archie's son Eli Manning won his second Super Bowl, the university changed the speed limit in some areas of campus to 10 mph to honor the former All-American Rebel.
- Ole Miss plays a central role in Michael Lewis' book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game and its 2009 film adaptation, The Blind Side.
Notable games
- 1952: Maryland- The 11th-ranked Rebels splashed onto the national scene by defeating the 3rd-ranked Maryland Terrapins in Oxford on November 15, 1952, by the score of 21–14. This game is credited by many for being the catalyst to the great run the Rebels had from 1952 to 1963.
- 1959: LSU- On Halloween night, No. 3-ranked Ole Miss squared off with No. 1-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. The game was a defensive struggle with the Rebels clinging to a 3–0 lead in the fourth quarter. Future Heisman winner Billy Cannon changed the game off a fortuitous bounce on a punt return that went 89 yards. The replay is still played whenever a reference to this rivalry is made. Ole Miss had one last chance to pull off the win, but was stopped short on 4th and a yard at the goal-line by Billy Cannon. LSU won 7–3.
- 1960: LSU- On January 1, 1960, one of the most anticipated rematches in college football history took place, but No. 2-ranked Ole Miss dominated No. 1-ranked LSU from start to finish and came away with a decisive 21–0 win over the Tigers. The Rebels finished the season having only given up 21 points all year, declared national champions by several polls, and named the third-rated team in history (through 1995) by the Sagarin ratings, behind only two great Nebraska teams.
- 1969: Tennessee More affectionately known as, "The Mule Game" or "The Jackson Massacre", the 18th-ranked Rebels faced off against the 3rd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in Jackson MS. Prior to the game, Tennessee's Steve Kiner was interviewed by Sports Illustrated. When asked about the Rebels and all their horses in the backfield, Kiner replied, "...more like a bunch of mules." When asked specifically about Archie Manning, he responded, "Archie who?" This inspired the Rebels and to a 38–0 shellacking of the Vols, a win that pushed the Rebels into the 1970 Sugar Bowl
- 1977: Notre Dame- On a hot, humid day, the Rebels took advantage of the weather to stun the third-ranked Irish 20–13. It was the only loss for the Irish that season as they went on to claim the 1977 AP national championship.
- 1986: LSU- Billy Brewer's 5–2–1 Rebels entered Tiger Stadium, where they had not won since 1968, to face 12-ranked LSU. Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Mark Young and the Rebels built a 21–9 halftime lead. LSU stormed back in the second. With 12:09 remaining, LSU's David Browndyke booted a 21-yard FG that trimmed the lead to 21–19. Later, LSU QB Tommy Hodson led the Tigers from the LSU 34 to the Rebel 13. But with only 0:09 to play, Browndyke's potential game-winning 30-yard FG sailed wide left and ignited a wild celebration among Rebel fans jammed into southeast corner of Tiger Stadium.
- 1997: LSU—After a harsh two-season bowl ban, Tommy Tuberville's 1997 Rebels squad arrived in Baton Rouge with a 3–2 record and in search of a signature win. Meanwhile, the 5–1 and No. 8-ranked Tigers entered fresh off an upset of then No. 1-ranked Florida. After trailing 21–14 at the half, the Rebels dominated the second half, outscoring the Tigers 22–0 en route to a 36–21 win. Ole Miss QB Stewart Patridge threw for a career-high 346 yards with two touchdowns. John Avery rushed for 137 yards and two scores. Their combined efforts accounted for all but five of the Rebels’ 488 yards of total offense. The celebrated win at Tiger Stadium was the first for Ole Miss over a top 10 opponent since 1977. Ole Miss fished the season with a record of 8–4 (4–4 SEC) that included a Motor City Bowl win over Marshall.
- 2008: Florida- After three years of SEC purgatory, the Rebels desperately needed a spark. That spark came in the form of defeating the fourth ranked Florida Gators 31–30 in Gainesville. Ole Miss took a 31–24 lead with 5 minutes to go in the game on an 86-yard touchdown pass thrown by Jevan Snead to Shay Hodge. Florida responded within two minutes to bring the game within one, only to have their PAT blocked by Kentrell Lockett. Florida regained possession but turned the ball over on downs after Heisman winner Tim Tebow was stopped on fourth-and-one. The win would catapult the Rebels to back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories. The win gave Ole Miss their 600th win all-time.
- 2014: Alabama- The 11th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels fought back from a 14–3 halftime deficit to knock off No. 3-ranked Alabama for the first time since 2003. Led by senior quarterback Bo Wallace's 3 touchdown passes and the nation's 2nd ranked defense, the Rebels made an emphatic statement that they were real title contenders.
- 2015: Alabama- On September 19, 2015, Head Coach Hugh Freeze's AP No. 15 Rebels beat the AP No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, 43–37, in Tuscaloosa, making Freeze only the third head coach, along with Les Miles and Steve Spurrier, to defeat a Nick Saban-coached team in back-to-back years. It was also the first time Ole Miss had beaten any Alabama team twice in a row and only the second Rebel win in Tuscaloosa (the only other having come in 1988 under Billy Brewer). The Tide turned the ball over five times, a number which includes two attempted kickoff returns and three interceptions by three different Ole Miss defenders, Trae Elston, C.J. Johnson, and Tony Bridges. The 2015 victory catapulted the Rebels to the No. 3 spot in the Associated Press Week 3 rankings.
- 2023: Penn State- December 30, 2023, for the first time in Ole Miss' 129 seasons of college football, the Rebels won 11 games, capping off the season with a 38-25 victory over No. 10 Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Ole Miss offense picked apart the nation's top defense, recording the most points (38), passing yards (394) and total yards (540) Penn State had allowed the whole season. Those 540 yards marked the second straight bowl game for Ole Miss with at least 500 yards of total offense, again displaying head coach Lane Kiffin's offensive prowess in his second New Year's Six appearance at the helm for the Rebels.
- 2024: Georgia- November 9, 2024, #16 Ole Miss defeated #3 Georgia 28-10 in front of a record crowd of 68,126. Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart threw a disastrous interception during the Rebels' opening drive, setting up Georgia near the Ole Miss endzone. Georgia would later score and go up 7-0, but that would be the only touchdown they would score for the remainder of the game. Jaxson Dart left the game with an apparent ankle injury, resulting in backup quarterback Austin Simmons entering the game. Simmons helped lead the Rebels to a touchdown drive to tie the game at 7-7, and Dart came back in on their next drive. The Rebels went into halftime with a 16-7 lead after kicking 3 Caden Davis field goals over the course of the second quarter. Georgia subsequently got a field goal to make it 16-10 after halftime, but they would not score any more points. Jaxson Dart threw a 10-yard pass to Juice Wells to make the score 22-10 but the Rebels couldn't get the 2-point conversion. Ole Miss kicked 2 more field goals in the 4th quarter and won 28-10. The fans stormed the field with 16 seconds on the clock and were told to push back, as the game wasn't technically over. When the game did end, however, the fans tore down the goalposts in celebration. This was Ole Miss' first win over a Top 5 opponent since 2015 when they beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and Lane Kiffin's first Top 5 win as Ole Miss head coach.
Uniforms
Ole Miss primarily uses four jersey options along with two pant styles and two helmet variations. They often mix and match these jerseys, helmets, and pants to create a wide range of uniform combinations. Since the 2017 season, Ole Miss has taken the field in at least ten different uniform combinations. The Rebels have traditionally used red jerseys for their primary home uniforms and blue jerseys as alternates; both have bold white numbers and white vertical shoulder stripes. The Rebels have also made extensive use of their new "powder blues," a uniform combination consisting of solid white pants, a powder blue jersey with white shoulder stripes, and the powder blue helmet. This uniform combination started as an alternate uniform, but has become very popular among fans and players; since the 2020 season it has been worn as the primary home uniform. White jerseys with red numbers and stripes are typically used on the road. These jerseys are paired with either gray pants with red and blue stripes or solid white pants, though for the 2018 season were paired with white pants with red stripes as part of a "white out" uniform combination. A similar white road uniform with navy stripes and letters has also been used.
Typically, Ole Miss uses one of two helmet designs. The Rebels’ traditional primary helmet is navy blue with a single red stripe and "Ole Miss" written in script on each side. The other helmet's blue is a lighter color, a shade known as "powder blue." In recent years, the powder blue helmet has seen more and more use. Since its reintroduction in the 2014 season, the Rebels have worn powder blue helmets in over half their games, typically with their red or white jerseys, and have arguably become the team's primary helmet.
In 2017, Ole Miss used special helmets for a military-appreciation game against Louisiana and a rivalry game against LSU. The military appreciation helmets, which have been worn multiple times since then in both navy and powder blue variations, were the same as the primary design, except the logo on each side of the helmet was filled with an American flag design. The helmets worn against LSU were powder blue with jersey numbers on each side, similar to a design worn by the Rebels in the 1960s.
In 2022, Ole Miss debuted new alternate helmets in partnership with Realtree Outdoors, a camouflage and apparel company, for their game against Kentucky. The helmets featured a unique camouflage design, called WAV3, created by Realtree's experts. This collaboration between Ole Miss Athletics and Realtree had been in development for several months prior. Realtree’s founder and CEO, Bill Jordan, is an Ole Miss alumnus who played wide receiver for the Rebels in the early 1970s and has remained closely connected to the program. The Jordan family name is prominently displayed on the indoor field at the Manning Center.
In 2024, Ole Miss also revealed new alternate away uniforms during a game against Wake Forest that featured a white jersey, powder blue numbers and stripes with red accents. In the same season, they unveiled the second edition their WAV3 collaboration helmets with Realtree Outdoors in a game against Oklahoma.
Rivalries
Alabama
Main article: Alabama–Ole Miss football rivalryThe Alabama–Ole Miss football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Ole Miss Rebels. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and have competed in the SEC Western Division since the 1992 season.
It has been one of the conference's most lopsided rivalries. Alabama leads the series 53–10–2 (50–9–2 without NCAA vacations and forfeits). From 2004 to 2013, Alabama won every game between the two teams, including six wins by double digits. However, in 2014, No. 11 Ole Miss beat No. 3 Alabama 23–17 for the first time since 2003. Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson sealed the victory with an interception in the fourth quarter. The victory catapulted Ole Miss to No. 3 in the AP Poll, their highest ranking since 1964. In 2015, Ole Miss visited Alabama as double digit underdogs. The Rebels upset the No. 2 Crimson Tide 43–37 for their second ever victory in Tuscaloosa. This marked the first time Ole Miss had beaten Alabama in back to back seasons. Following the upset, Ole Miss jumped to No. 3 in the AP Poll, marking the first time that Ole Miss had been ranked in the top three in consecutive seasons since 1963–64.
Arkansas
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Ole Miss first played Arkansas in 1908, with Arkansas winning that game 33–0. They would play each other many times, though sporadically, over the next several decades, including two meetings in the Sugar Bowl in 1963 and 1970; Ole Miss won both Sugar Bowl matchups.
The two teams have played each other annually since 1981. In the 1980s, Arkansas dominated the Rebels. The 1990 meeting between the two teams ended memorably. Having the ball inside the Ole Miss 20 and trailing by 4 with seconds remaining, Arkansas needed a score. The Hogs handed the ball to running back Ron Dickerson who seemed to have an open path to the endzone. At the goal line, Safety Chris Mitchell stopped Dickerson at the one yard line as time expired. In 1991, Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference. The next year the SEC divided into two divisions. Both teams were placed in the SEC West. Ole Miss won the first conference contest in Little Rock by a score of 17–3.
During the 2000s, the rivalry was reignited by a series of close games and coaching changes. The 2001 Ole Miss–Arkansas game set an NCAA record for most overtime periods played (7). Arkansas won that game 58–56 off a 2-point Rebel conversion that got stopped just short of the goal line. Since then, five FBS football games have reached seven overtime periods. In November 2007, Houston Nutt resigned as the head coach for Arkansas and was hired as Ole Miss' head coach a week later. 2008 saw the first game between Ole Miss and Arkansas after Nutt left Arkansas to coach Ole Miss. The Rebels kicked a field goal with less than 3 minutes remaining to go up 23–14, but Arkansas scored with a minute left. Arkansas was awarded with the recovery of an onside kick, but received a penalty for offensive pass interference before turning the ball over on downs. Ole Miss and Nutt won 23–21. The following season, Ole Miss won 30–17 led by running back Dexter McCluster who had over 200 all purpose yards, including a 60 yd touchdown in the 3rd quarter. In 2010, Arkansas finally beat their former coach Houston Nutt after a 38–24 game in Fayetteville. In 2015, the Rebels' 52–53 loss to Arkansas saw them fall out of first place in the SEC West and lose the division.
As of 2023 Arkansas leads the series, 37–30–1 but Ole Miss has won 4 of the last 6.
Auburn
Main article: Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalryThe Auburn–Ole Miss football rivalry, dating back to their first meeting in 1928, is one of the oldest matchups in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Both founding members of the SEC, the two teams have met annually since 1990, following their placement in the SEC West division in 1992. The rivalry gained additional intensity in 1999 when former Ole Miss head coach Tommy Tuberville controversially left to coach at Auburn. More recently, the rivalry intensified with reports that current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was in negotiations for the vacant head coaching position at Auburn in 2022. These rumors were later confirmed true but Kiffin declined to pursue it. Auburn leads the series 35–12 through the 2023 season.
LSU
Main article: Magnolia BowlOle Miss first played LSU on December 3, 1894, winning 26–6 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Throughout the fifties and sixties, games between the two schools featured highly ranked squads on both sides and several matchups had conference, and at times, national title implications. Since then, the rivalry has only had one contest with significant national title implications. The 2003 loss to LSU decided the SEC Western Division Champion, and helped propel LSU to a national championship.
The student bodies at both universities created a trophy for the LSU–Ole Miss rivalry in 2008, and renamed the matchup the "Magnolia Bowl." Ole Miss won the first two official Magnolia Bowls in 2008 31–13 and 2009 25–23. LSU won their first official Magnolia Bowl in 2010 with a last minute score, 43–36.
The 2010s featured several memorable Magnolia Bowls. LSU humiliated the Rebels 52–3 at Oxford in 2010.Les Miles ordered third-string quarterback Zach Mettenberger to take a knee four times after LSU gained a first-and-goal at the Ole Miss 1-yard line with five minutes to play. The Rebels lost the 2012 Magnolia Bowl 35–41 during the last minute of the game when LSU's Jeremy Hill scored a 1 yd touchdown run. On October 19, 2013, an unranked Rebel team beat the No. 6 ranked Tigers 27–24 on a last-second 46-yard field goal. In 2014, Ole Miss entered with a No. 3 ranking. No. 24 LSU pulled the upset by beating the Rebels 10–7 on a last–minute interception thrown by Rebels' quarterback Bo Wallace. In 2015, No. 22 Ole Miss upset No. 15 LSU 38–17, which was Ole Miss's largest margin of victory over LSU since 1992. After 2015, Ole Miss would not beat LSU again until 2021, when the No. 12 Rebels won 31–17 in front of a sellout crowd on the day Ole Miss Legend Eli Manning's jersey was being retired. The following year, however, unranked LSU won convincingly 45–20 over No. 7 Ole Miss in Death Valley after the Rebels suffered a second half collapse. In 2023, in front of 66,703 fans (the largest crowd in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium history), #20 Ole Miss defeated #13 LSU 55–49 in what was the highest-scoring game in the rivalry.
LSU leads the overall series over Ole Miss LSU leads 63–42–4; since the creation of the Magnolia Bowl, LSU leads the series, 9–5.
Memphis
Main article: Memphis–Ole Miss football rivalryThe Ole Miss–Memphis football rivalry has also been a far less competitive rivalry series. The Rebels hold a 47–12–2 advantage over the Tigers in this non-conference series. The two schools have met 62 times from 1921 to 2019.
Ole Miss won every game between 2005 and 2009, and the teams temporarily suspended competition from 2010 to 2013. The rivalry was resumed in 2014. Ole Miss won the game 24–3 to increase their winning streak against Memphis to six straight. In 2015, The Tigers upset No. 13 Ole Miss, 37–24. The Rebels fell 11 spots in the AP Poll to No. 24 and Memphis entered the rankings at No. 18. It was the Tigers' first victory over a ranked team since defeating No. 6 Tennessee in 1996. Memphis won the most recent matchup 15–10 on August 31, 2019. As of 2020, there are no future games scheduled between the two teams.
Mississippi State
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The Battle for the Golden Egg (nicknamed the Egg Bowl) is the Rebels' last game of the season against in-state SEC rival Mississippi State University (MSU). The teams have played each other 114 times since 1901, and the first game officially known as "The Battle of the Golden Egg" was in 1927. The game gets its name from the trophy awarded to the winner of the contest; the football element of the trophy is based on the much more ovoid and rounded football used in 1927 when it was designed, and resembles a large golden egg. While it is called a "Bowl", the game is not a postseason bowl game but a regular season SEC game. Twenty-nine Egg Bowls have been played on Thanksgiving Day. Ole Miss leads the series with 64–46–6.
In 2014, the game gained much more national attention due to the postseason implications the game possessed. Although both teams were considered to be Playoff contenders mid-season when the Bulldogs were #1 and the Rebels were #3, they each suffered a loss (Mississippi State had 1 loss at the time while Ole Miss had 3 losses). The postseason implications were still high, however. Mississippi State entered the game with a No. 4 ranking in College Football Playoff, and had a spot in the Playoff on the line entering the game against No. 19 Ole Miss. MSU also had a chance at making the SEC title game, where they needed a win and an Alabama loss. In an upset, Ole Miss beat the Bulldogs 31–17 and jumped from No. 19 to No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Both schools got New Year's Six bowl games, although neither would win their bowl games (Ole Miss lost 42–3 to TCU in the Peach Bowl on December 31, and later that night, Mississippi State lost 49–34 to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl).
Ole Miss entered the 2015 Egg Bowl with a No. 18 ranking in the College Football Playoff rankings, and MSU was No. 21. The game was considered to be a play-in game for the Sugar Bowl as Florida, who had been predicted by many to get the bid, lost 27–2 to rival Florida State that same day. Ole Miss entered the game as only two point favorites but won the Egg Bowl convincingly 38–27 and led by 25 points at halftime. This was Ole Miss's first road win against Mississippi State since 2003, and the first time that the Rebels beat the Bulldogs two years in a row since 2003–04.
In 2023, the 12th ranked Ole Miss Rebels shut down Mississippi State 17-7 to win Battle for the Golden Egg on Thanksgiving night. Quinshon Judkins rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, and Jaxson Dart threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Caden Prieskorn early in the fourth quarter to give the Rebels a 10-point lead they would not relinquish.
Tennessee
Main article: Tennessee Volunteers football rivalries § Ole MissThese two schools first played in 1902, with Tennessee winning 11–10. The two schools would go on to play for all but 9 times between 1927 and 1991 (1939–1941, 1943, 1952–1955, 1970–1971). Ole Miss is Tennessee's 4th most played all time behind only Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Alabama. Tennessee is the 7th most played opponent for the Rebels behind Mississippi St, LSU, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tulane. Similarly to the Auburn–Tennessee rivalry, the SEC expansion in 1992 ended the yearly meetings as Tennessee and Ole Miss were placed in opposite divisions. Each team had two permanent cross division opponents from 1992 to 2005, with the Vols getting Alabama and Arkansas, while Ole Miss drew Vanderbilt and Georgia. This rivalry has mostly been played in November, with only 17 of the 65 meetings between the two being played in a different month. Many times, the games have been played in Memphis, an area with significant ties to both schools. Tennessee leads the all-time series 44–20–1.
The two sides have played several memorable games, including the 1962 meeting where a 10–0 victory for Ole Miss, included an all-out brawl between the sides. In 1969, UT fans wore buttons to the game emblazoned with the phrase "Archie Who?" to mock Archie Manning. Ole Miss subsequently defeated the Vols 38–0 and inspired the creation of a famous song called "The Ballad of Archie Who." The Manning family again ignited the rivalry when Archie's son Peyton chose to attend Tennessee over Ole Miss. In 1996, Manning faced raucous Ole Miss crowd in Memphis in his first game against the Rebels, leading the Vols to a dominant 41–3 win. In 2021, the matchup featured the return of former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin to Neyland Stadium. Kiffin, now the head coach of Ole Miss, had coached Tennessee for one year before infamously departing to become the head coach of USC. #13 Ole Miss came out with a close win by a score of 31–26 after the game was delayed by fans throwing debris toward the Ole Miss sideline in the 4th quarter.
Tulane
Main article: Ole Miss–Tulane football rivalryOle Miss and Tulane have been rivals since the time that Tulane was an SEC member. Ole Miss leads the series 43–28 through the 2023 season. The Rebels have dominated the rivalry in recent decades, they currently (as of 2024) hold an 11-game winning streak versus the Green Wave, dating all the way back to 1989. Their next matchup is slated for 2025 in Oxford.
Vanderbilt
Main article: Ole Miss–Vanderbilt football rivalryVanderbilt and Ole Miss have played annually since 1942. When the SEC split into divisions in 1992, the Commodores and Rebels were selected as permanent cross-division rivals. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 52–40–2. The Rebels have won 16 of the last 24 games, including nine games by double digits. However, Vanderbilt has sustained the rivalry with a surprising blow-out victory over the Rebels in 2016.
Team of the Century
In 1992, to commemorate the 100th year of Ole Miss football, the Ole Miss Athletic Department put together a so-called "Team of the Century," recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of 26 players.
The head coach for the Team of the Century was Johnny Vaught, who coached Ole Miss from 1947 to 1970 and again in 1973.
Offense
Position | Player | Years | Hometown |
---|---|---|---|
QB | Archie Manning | 1968–70 | Drew, MS |
RB | Charlie Conerly | 1942, 46–47 | Clarksdale, MS |
John "Kayo" Dottley | 1947–50 | McGehee, AR | |
Charlie Flowers | 1957–59 | Marianna, AR | |
E | Floyd Franks | 1968–70 | Biloxi, MS |
Barney Poole | 1942, 47–48 | Gloster, MS | |
C | Dawson Pruett | 1987–90 | Mobile, AL |
OL | Jim Dunaway | 1960–62 | Columbia, MS |
Gene Hickerson | 1955–57 | Atwood, TN | |
Stan Hindman | 1963–65 | Newton, MS | |
Everett Lindsay | 1989–92 | Raleigh, NC | |
Marvin Terrell | 1957–59 | Indianola, MS |
Defense
Position | Player | Years | Hometown |
---|---|---|---|
DL | Frank "Bruiser" Kinard | 1935–37 | Jackson, MS |
Kelvin Pritchett | 1988–90 | Atlanta, GA | |
Ben Williams | 1972–75 | Yazoo City, MS | |
LB | Tony Bennett | 1986–89 | Alligator, MS |
Kenny Dill | 1961–63 | West Point, MS | |
Larry Grantham | 1957–59 | Crystal Springs, MS | |
Freddie Joe Nunn | 1981–84 | Noxubee Co., MS | |
DB | Billy Brewer | 1957–59 | Columbus, MS |
Glenn Cannon | 1967–69 | Gulfport, MS | |
Chris Mitchell | 1987–90 | Town Creek, AL | |
Jimmy Patton | 1952–54 | Greenville, MS | |
Todd Sandroni | 1987–89 | Shaw, MS |
Special teams
Position | Player | Years | Hometown |
---|---|---|---|
PK | Robert Khayat | 1957–59 | Moss Point, MS |
P | Jim Miller | 1976–79 | Ripley, MS |
Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
Ole Miss has nine players and two coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Player | Position | Inducted |
---|---|---|
Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard | T | 1951† |
Charles "Charlie" Conerly | HB | 1965 |
Barney Poole | End | 1974 |
Johnny Vaught | Coach | 1979 |
Doug Kenna‡ | QB | 1984 |
Thad "Pie" Vann | Coach | 1987 |
Archie Manning | QB | 1989 |
Parker Hall | HB | 1991 |
Jerry Dean "Jake" Gibbs | QB | 1995 |
Charlie Flowers | FB | 1997 |
Wesley Walls | TE | 2014 |
Patrick Willis | LB | 2019 |
† Charter member
‡ Played freshman year at Ole Miss, then appointed to the U.S. Military Academy where he played for Army as a sophomore, junior and senior
Pro Football Hall of Fame
There have been three Ole Miss players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Player | Position | Inducted |
---|---|---|
Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard | G | 1971 |
Gene Hickerson | T | 2007 |
Patrick Willis | LB | 2024 |
Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame
Player | Position | Inducted |
---|---|---|
Frank M. "Bruiser" Kinard | T | 1955 |
Charles "Charlie" Conerly | HB | 1959 |
Barney Poole | End | 1966 |
Louis N. Pappas | — | 2005 |
National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame
Ole Miss has one former player in the National Quarterback Club Hall of Fame.
Player | Inducted |
---|---|
Archie Manning | 2004 |
Active in the NFL
*Only includes players who have been on an NFL active roster, Practice Squad, or IR during the 2024-25 NFL season.
Active Roster or Injured Reserve
- Daijahn Anthony, S, Cincinnati Bengals
- A. J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
- Chance Campbell, LB, Tennessee Titans
- Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
- A.J. Finley, S, Los Angeles Chargers
- Malik Heath, WR, Green Bay Packers
- Mike Hilton, DB, Cincinnati Bengals
- Cedric Johnson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
- Benito Jones, DL, Miami Dolphins
- D. J. Jones, DL, Denver Broncos
- Jaylon Jones, CB, Chicago Bears
- Dawson Knox, TE, Buffalo Bills
- Deane Leonard, CB, Los Angeles Chargers
- DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
- Jonathan Mingo, WR, Carolina Panthers
- Elijah Moore, WR, Cleveland Browns
- Royce Newman, OG, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- De'Antre Prince, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Otis Reese, LB, Tennessee Titans
- Mark Robinson, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Laremy Tunsil, OL, Houston Texans
- Sam Williams, DE Dallas Cowboys
- Kenny Yeboah, TE, New York Jets
Practice Squad
- Ben Brown, OG, Las Vegas Raiders
- Marquis Haynes, LB, Carolina Panthers
- Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste, LB, Los Angeles Chargers
- Laquon Treadwell, WR, Indianapolis Colts
- Isaac Ukwu, DE, Detroit Lions
- Dayton Wade, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Tailgating
Main article: The Grove (Ole Miss)Confederate symbols
The team has long associated itself with the Confederacy. Since 1936, the team has gone by the name Rebels, a nickname for the secessionist military force that fought against the United States during the American Civil War.
In 1936, the team introduced a mascot, Colonel Reb, a cartoonish, older-aged gentleman in plantation-owner's garb whose name alludes to service in the Confederate States Army; in 1979, the team would add a student costumed as Colonel Reb to the cheerleading squad. In the 1940s, students began waving the Confederate battle flag in the football stands; the team followed suit. The marching band began playing "Dixie" around 1948, according to David Sansing, Ole Miss professor emeritus of history and author of the sesquicentennial history of the university. "I think it really was adopted around the combination of the centennial and the Dixiecrat movement in the South," Sansing said. "1948 was the centennial celebration, and that's when Ole Miss was cloaked and covered with all the memorabilia of the Confederacy."
Though the team is still called the Rebels, its embrace of Confederate symbols began to change in 1983, two decades after the school was integrated at bayonet point. That September, John Hawkins, a Black cheerleader for Ole Miss, refused to carry the battle flag onto the home stadium's football field, as was long custom. To quell the outcry that followed, school Chancellor Porter L. Fortune Jr. banned the official use of the flag but said students could continue to wave it.
In 1997, the university banned flag poles at games, an attempt to stop the waving of Confederate flags without directly confronting fans who wanted to do so. The step was taken after head coach Tommy Tuberville complained that the flag-waving had hampered his attempts to recruit top-notch Black athletes. Coaches before Tuberville also expressed concerns about the difficulty of recruiting black athletes.
In 2003, the school ended the use of the costumed Colonel Reb mascot at athletic events, though it would sell official Colonel Reb merchandise through the end of the decade. An unofficial Colonel Reb mascot still makes appearances in The Grove, Ole Miss' tailgating area, before home games.
In 2009, the university chancellor asked the school's marching band to stop playing "From Dixie with Love", an early-1980s fight song that combined elements of "Dixie" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Students had customarily chanted "The South will rise again", a reference to the Lost Cause pseudohistory, during the song's final line.
In 2010, the university began to phase out the use of Colonel Reb on official merchandise such as hats and shirts; it reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as a historical mark of the university. After a polling and a February 2010 campus vote, officials announced on October 14, 2010, that students, alumni and season ticket holders at the university had picked Rebel Black Bear as their new mascot. The bear beat out two other finalists, the Rebel Land Shark and something called the "Hotty Toddy," an attempt to personify the school cheer. (The bear would be replaced in 2018, by the Landshark, a reference to a celebratory hand symbol that players began using in 2008.)
In 2016, the athletic department banned "Dixie" itself as well as a medley that included a "Dixie" theme. Later that year, Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter asserted that the name "Rebels" was no longer used to refer to the Confederacy but "is used today in a completely different and positive way: to indicate someone who bucks the status quo, an entrepreneur, a trendsetter, a leader".
Team honors
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Chucky Mullins Courage Award
At the end of each spring's practices, the team plays the Grove Bowl, which pits Ole Miss players against each other. The senior defensive player who most embodies Chucky Mullins' spirit and courage receives the "Chucky Mullins Memorial Courage Award" and the right to wear Mullins' No. 38 jersey, which was otherwise retired in 2006.
- Recipients
- 1990 – Chris Mitchell
- 1991 – Jeff Carter
- 1992 – Trea Southerland
- 1993 – Johnny Dixon
- 1994 – Alundice Brice
- 1995 – Michael Lowery
- 1996 – Derek Jones
- 1997 – Nate Wayne
- 1998 – Gary Thigpen
- 1999 – Ronnie Heard
- 2000 – Anthony Magee
- 2001 – Kevin Thomas
- 2002 – Lanier Goethie
- 2003 – Jamil Northcutt
- 2004 – Eric Oliver
- 2005 – Kelvin Robinson
- 2006 – Patrick Willis
- 2007 – Jeremy Garrett
- 2008 – Jamarca Sanford
- 2009 – Marcus Tillman
- 2010 – Kentrell Lockett
- 2011 – D. T. Shackelford
- 2012 – Jason Jones
- 2013 – Mike Marry
- 2014 – D. T. Shackelford
- 2015 – Mike Hilton
- 2016 – John Youngblood
- 2017 – Marquis Haynes
- 2018 – C. J. Moore
- 2019 – Austrian Robinson
- 2020 – Jaylon Jones
- 2021 – Keidron Smith
- 2022 — KD Hill
- 2023 - Cedric Johnson
- 2024 - JJ Pegues
Retired numbers
See also: List of NCAA football retired numbers Archie Manning (left) and his son Eli have their numbers retired by Ole MissOle Miss Rebels retired numbers | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | No. ret. | Ref. |
10 | Eli Manning | QB | 1999–2003 | 2021 | |
18 | Archie Manning | QB | 1968–1970 | ||
38 | Chucky Mullins | CB | 1988–1989 | ||
74 | Ben Williams | DT | 1972–1975 | 2022 |
- Notes
- Retired from football after a severous injure that led him a quadriplegic during a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in 1989.
- Regarded as the first black player in the program history.
Future opponents
Conference opponents
From 1992 to 2023, Ole Miss played in the West Division of the SEC and played each opponent in the division each year along with several teams from the East Division. The SEC will expand the conference to 16 teams and will eliminate its two divisions in 2024, causing a new scheduling format for the Rebels to play against the other members of the conference. Only the 2024 conference schedule was announced on June 14, 2023, while the conference still considers a new format for the future. Notably, Alabama and Auburn are off the schedule for the first time since the SEC expanded to 12 teams in 1992, and Texas A&M is off for the first time since the Aggies joined the conference in 2012.
2024 Conference Schedule
Opponent | Site | Result |
---|---|---|
at Arkansas | ||
at Florida | ||
Georgia | ||
Kentucky |
| |
at LSU | ||
Mississippi State |
| |
Oklahoma |
| |
at South Carolina |
Non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of April 26, 2020.
- No games scheduled for the 2035-2036 seasons.
2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2032 | 2033 | 2034 | 2037 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Furman | Washington State | Charlotte | South Alabama | at South Alabama | at Oregon State | at Virginia Tech | Purdue | at Purdue | Virginia Tech | |
Middle Tennessee | The Citadel | at Charlotte | at UConn | Alcorn State | BYU | Georgia Southern | ||||
at Wake Forest | Georgia State | Oregon State | at BYU | |||||||
Georgia Southern | Tulane | Eastern Kentucky | UConn |
References
- Ole Miss Athletics Style Guide. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
- "College football championship history | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
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