2010 NCAA Football Preview: Mississippi
Ole Miss has a long, storied history in football. The school holds the proud distinction of being the first football team in the state of Mississippi, and currently ranks 26th on the list of programs with the most wins. Back in September of 2008 they earned a milestone win, their 600th, a 31-30 victory over the Florida Gators.
During its 115-year history the program has seen its ups and downs. The mid-50s and early ‘60s were good to the Rebels. Five of their six SEC titles were won then, as they triumphed in 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963, with their only other SEC title having come in 1947. They also lay claim to four national championships, but none of the usual polls ever voted them into the top spot.
After a 2007 season that saw the team lose every SEC game a change was needed. That change culminated in the hiring of Houston Nutt to replace Ed Ogeron. With Nutt the Rebels were hoping to see a change in culture and a return to the old days of winning. In his first season he did just that leading the team to a 9-4 season including a win over top 10 Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl to finish the season in the top 20.
The only problem with winning is that people expect it to continue. Expectations will be high and the pressure will be on Nutt to do even better this year, but with the starters that the Rebels lost, 9-4 might be the best they can hope for.
Offense
Much of the offense from last season is gone leaving ample opportunity for someone new to step up and lead the team.
Departing quarterback Jevan Snead never really lived up to the hype so his absence may not be as missed as expected were it not for the team’s best running back and wide receiver also leaving. Nathan Stanley is penciled into start at QB so far; last season he threw all of 23 passes, completing 11 for just 163 yards. Randall Mackey comes to the team from East Mississippi Community College, and even though he is not expected to start he should make it on the field.
At running back the team will miss Dexter McCluster. Last season he carried the ball 181 times for 1169 yards and eight touchdowns. Brandon Bolden got a fair amount of time last season and will look to get much more now with McCluster gone. He averaged 4.6 yards per rush last season. Neither Enrique Davis nor Rodney Scott got much time in 2009, but have the talent to help Bolden pick up some of the slack. But they'll have a tough time with much of the offensive line being new.
Defense
Coordinator Tyrone Nix will have his hands full early on, not so much because the team needs to replace a hand full of starters, but more because the defense will need to step up while the offense breaks in its newcomers. If he can get the unit to perform much like last season’s then the Rebels may be in good shape.
All-conference nose tackle Jerrell Powe returns to plug up the middle against the run. With his academic issues finally out of the way, the six-foot-two, 340 pound Powe will be able to concentrate on football. Rejoining him are seniors Lawson Scott and Kentrell Lockett. Along with end Wayne Dorsey from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College the front four will likely be even better in 2010.
Another pair of seniors will be back to help anchor the defense in linebackers Allen Walker and Jonathan Cornell. Between the two they had 130 tackles in 2009 and could be even better working with the talent the Tigers have on the front four.
They'll have to overcome some glaring holes on offense, but Nutt and Rebel fans would love to prove the naysayers wrong by being better than ever.
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