Eli Manning is now a New York Giant, so Ole Miss might as well not even field a team this season, right? Contrary to popular belief, there was more to the Rebels over the last few years than just No. 10. Oh sure, Manning was a franchise player and was one of the school's all-time greats, but the Rebels were at their best when they were everyone else helped carry the load.
Take for example the two big wins over Florida over the last two years. Manning threw zero touchdown passes and one interception as the Rebel defense dictated the action. The Rebels beat Arkansas last year by holding the vaunted Hog ground attack to 82 yards while the Ole Miss offense ran for 130 yards and got four Jonathan Nichols field goals.
No, don't write of the Rebels just yet. Expect the rest of the team to pick up the slack for the loss of its star with a complete team every bit as good as the one that pulled off ten wins last year.
The kicking game should be the best in the country, the offensive line is the best in the David Cutcliffe era, and the defense should be stronger with an experienced secondary and big line. The quarterbacks? There isn't a Manning, but they'll be fine too as Micheal Spurlock knows the offense and has two tremendous prospects behind him. Sorry SEC West; Ole Miss football isn't in New York.
The Schedule: Ole Miss will be looking for payback to start off the season hosting Memphis after losing 44-34 last year. An oddly scheduled road game at Wyoming breaks up an easy first half of the season, but the second half is a bear. A four-week stretch of Tennessee, Auburn, at Arkansas and at LSU will show if the team really is more than Eli.
Best Offensive Player: Senior OG Doug Buckles. Buckles is the best player on a strong starting five upfront. Even with tackle Tre Stallings, center Chris Spencer and guard Marcus Johnson all looking to have big years, it will still be Buckles who leads the way in the running game and is the most dependable player on the offense.
Best Defensive Player: Senior FS Eric Oliver. Oliver has been the team's leading tackler over the last two seasons serving as the equivalent of a third linebacker. He'll make it three years in a row unless something out-of-the-blue happens.
Key player to a successful season: Yeah, the team will move on and prosper without Eli Manning, but it isn't every day you have a number one pick in the draft leading your program. Michael Spurlock has been a decent understudy for the past two seasons and should be ready to step in and shine. He'll add a better rushing element to the position. If he struggles at all, big passer Ethan Flatt and 2003 super-recruit Robert Lane will be ready to roll.
The season will be a success if ... Ole Miss wins at least eight games. Auburn and LSU should be too tough for the Rebels to get past past, but there's no reason they can't compete and beat teams like Tennessee, Arkansas and South Carolina. An eight-win (or more) season would show that the program is here to stay in the SEC West.
Key game: October 16th vs. Tennessee. With Auburn, at Arkansas and at LSU coming up, this is a must home win to stay in the SEC race. If Ole Miss gets everything together and beats Alabama and South Carolina on the road, it will be 7-0 going into what will be a huge game of national importance.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Passing yards and touchdowns: Ole Miss 3,718 yards & 31 TDs - Opponents 3,589 yards and 26 TDs
- Rushing touchdowns: Ole Miss 18 - Opponents 11
- Third down conversion percentage: Ole Miss 46% - Opponents 37%
Take for example the two big wins over Florida over the last two years. Manning threw zero touchdown passes and one interception as the Rebel defense dictated the action. The Rebels beat Arkansas last year by holding the vaunted Hog ground attack to 82 yards while the Ole Miss offense ran for 130 yards and got four Jonathan Nichols field goals.
No, don't write of the Rebels just yet. Expect the rest of the team to pick up the slack for the loss of its star with a complete team every bit as good as the one that pulled off ten wins last year.
The kicking game should be the best in the country, the offensive line is the best in the David Cutcliffe era, and the defense should be stronger with an experienced secondary and big line. The quarterbacks? There isn't a Manning, but they'll be fine too as Micheal Spurlock knows the offense and has two tremendous prospects behind him. Sorry SEC West; Ole Miss football isn't in New York.
The Schedule: Ole Miss will be looking for payback to start off the season hosting Memphis after losing 44-34 last year. An oddly scheduled road game at Wyoming breaks up an easy first half of the season, but the second half is a bear. A four-week stretch of Tennessee, Auburn, at Arkansas and at LSU will show if the team really is more than Eli.
Best Offensive Player: Senior OG Doug Buckles. Buckles is the best player on a strong starting five upfront. Even with tackle Tre Stallings, center Chris Spencer and guard Marcus Johnson all looking to have big years, it will still be Buckles who leads the way in the running game and is the most dependable player on the offense.
Best Defensive Player: Senior FS Eric Oliver. Oliver has been the team's leading tackler over the last two seasons serving as the equivalent of a third linebacker. He'll make it three years in a row unless something out-of-the-blue happens.
Key player to a successful season: Yeah, the team will move on and prosper without Eli Manning, but it isn't every day you have a number one pick in the draft leading your program. Michael Spurlock has been a decent understudy for the past two seasons and should be ready to step in and shine. He'll add a better rushing element to the position. If he struggles at all, big passer Ethan Flatt and 2003 super-recruit Robert Lane will be ready to roll.
The season will be a success if ... Ole Miss wins at least eight games. Auburn and LSU should be too tough for the Rebels to get past past, but there's no reason they can't compete and beat teams like Tennessee, Arkansas and South Carolina. An eight-win (or more) season would show that the program is here to stay in the SEC West.
Key game: October 16th vs. Tennessee. With Auburn, at Arkansas and at LSU coming up, this is a must home win to stay in the SEC race. If Ole Miss gets everything together and beats Alabama and South Carolina on the road, it will be 7-0 going into what will be a huge game of national importance.
2003 Fun Stats:
- Passing yards and touchdowns: Ole Miss 3,718 yards & 31 TDs - Opponents 3,589 yards and 26 TDs
- Rushing touchdowns: Ole Miss 18 - Opponents 11
- Third down conversion percentage: Ole Miss 46% - Opponents 37%
