2008 Ole Miss Rebels Season

2008 Ole Miss Rebels Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Ole Miss Rebels

Jan. 2
2009 Cotton Bowl
Ole Miss 47 … Texas Tech 34
Texas Tech appeared to be well on its way to an easy win with a 14-0 first quarter lead on a 35-yard Edward Britton touchdown catch and a Darcel McBath interception return for a score, but Ole Miss came back with two Jevan Snead touchdown passes, getting a brilliant catch from Mike Wallace from 41 yards out. Snead connected with Gerald Harris for a 21-yard score on the way to a 24-21 first half lead, helped by Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell coming up just short on a long run at the end of the half. Marshay Green came up with a 65-yard interception for a touchdown as part of a 24-point Rebel run of points, and then the defense came up big with a safety while allowing just a 12-yard Edward Britton touchdown catch in the second half before giving up a late 17-yard Eric Morris scoring grab when the game was out of reach. .
Player of the Game: Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster ran 14 times for 97 yards and a touchdown, and he led the team with six catches for 83 yards.
Stat Leaders: Texas Tech - Passing: Graham Harrell, 36-58, 364 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Shannon Woods, 6-46. Receiving: Eric Morris, 10-89, 1 TD
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 18-29, 292 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Bolden, 11-101, 1 TD. Receiving: Dexter McCluster, 6-83
Inside The Box Score ... 5 Thoughts on the Cotton Bowl …Graham Harrell set the NCAA record for most career touchdown passes, 134, and was the first player to throw for over 5,000 yards twice. … Michael Crabtree caught four passes for 30 yards and a score. … Texas Tech’s Brandon Williams made four tackles with two sacks and three tackles for loss … The two teams combined to convert 16-of-29 third down chances … Red zone scores: Ole Miss 3-of-3 – Texas Tech 4-of-7. … Total yards: Ole Miss 515 – Texas Tech 469

- 2008 Ole Miss Preview
- 2007 Ole Miss Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2008 Record: 9-4

Aug. 30 Memphis W 41-24
Sept. 6 at Wake Forest L 30-28
Sept. 13 Samford W 34-10
Sept. 20 Vanderbilt L 23-17
Sept. 27 at Florida W 31-30
Oct. 4 South Carolina L 31-24
Oct. 11 OPEN DATE 
Oct. 18 at Alabama L 24-20
Oct. 25 at Arkansas W 23-21
Nov. 1 Auburn W 17-7
Nov. 8 OPEN DATE 
Nov. 15 UL Monroe W 59-0
Nov. 22 at LSU W 31-13
Nov. 28 Mississippi St W 45-0
Cotton Bowl
Jan. 2 Texas Tech W 47-34

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-7
2007 Record: 3-9

Sept. 1 at Memphis W 23-21
Sept. 8 Missouri L 38-25
Sept. 15 at Vanderbilt L 31-17
Sept. 22 Florida L 30-24
Sept. 29 at Georgia L 45-17
Oct. 6 Louisiana Tech W 24-0
Oct. 13 Alabama L 27-24
Oct. 20 Arkansas L 44-8
Oct. 27 at Auburn L 17-3
Nov. 3 NW State W 38-31
Nov. 17 LSU L 41-24
Nov. 24 at Miss St L 17-14

Nov. 28
Ole Miss 45 … Mississippi State 0
Ole Miss dominated throughout with 11 sacks, limiting MSU to -51 net yards rushing, and getting four touchdown passes from Jevan Snead in the blowout. Dexter McCluster started out the scoring with a 36 touchdown run on the opening drive to open the floodgates in a 24-point first quarter. Snead connected with Mike Wallace from 17 and 72 yards out, and with Shay Hodge on a 10-yard touchdown for a 31-0 halftime lead. Ole Miss outgained MSU 461 yards to 37.
Player of the game: Ole Miss defensive linemen Peria Jerry and Greg Hardy combined for five sacks, seven tackles for loss, and nine tackles
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Tyson Lee, 5-9, 49 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 8-17. Receiving: Jamayel Smith, 2-23
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 14-19, 213 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dexter McCluster, 9-68, 1 TD. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 7-89, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The tremendous season keeps on getting better and better. With the huge win over Mississippi State, not only has Ole Miss closed out with a blowout over its rival, coming on the heels of the big win over LSU, but it’s not on a five-game winning streak and has won the last three games by a combined score of 135 to 13. The defensive line has been unbelievable with everyone as healthy as they’ve been all season and the linebacking corps cleaning everything else up. Peria Jerry and Greg Hardy were unstoppable, wreaking havoc into the MSU backfield all game long. Likely the fourth team in the SEC pecking order, it’ll be either the Cotton or the Capital One Bowl.

Nov. 22
Ole Miss 31 …LSU 13
Ole Miss used the Wild Rebel formation to come up with some big plays, like a 13-yard Markeith Summers touchdown to put the game away in the third quarter, but it was Jevan Snead and his two touchdown passes to Mike Wallace that made the difference early on. Snead connected with Wallace from 34 yards out in the first quarter and floated a pass for a 25-yard score in the second. LSU showed some life late in the first half on a nine-yard Terrance Toliver catch, and Colt David hit a 52-yard field goal in the third quarter, but that would be as close as the Tigers would come.
Player of the game: Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead completed 16-of-25 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: LSU - Passing: Jordan Jefferson, 10-20, 129 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jordan Jefferson, 10-23. Receiving: Terrance Toliver, 5-35, 1 TD
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 16-25, 274 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 17-60. Receiving: Mike Wallace, 5-99, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Jevan Snead keeps making strides every week. He had a signature win earlier in the year against Florida, but against LSU, he was nearly perfect. The Wild Rebel formation crossed up the Tigers in key spots, while the defensive line dominated. Not fearing the Tiger passing game at all certainly helped, but the front four was fantastic throughout. Now it’s time to shoot for a big bowl with either the Cotton or one of the Florida New Year’s Day bowls there for the choosing with a win over Mississippi State. As long as the offense doesn’t start turning the ball over, the season will just keep getting better and better.

Nov. 1
Ole Miss 17 … Auburn 7
Ole Miss got two touchdown passes from Jevan Snead with a two-yarder to Shay Hodge in the second quarter and a three-yarder to Derrick Davis in the fourth. Auburn threw the ball well, but kept making mistakes with three key turnovers, all interceptions thrown by Kodi Burns. The lone Tiger score came on a 27-yard Ben Tate run in the third. 10 different receivers caught the ball for Auburn.
Player of the game: Ole Miss RB Cordera Eason ran 14 times for 104 yards
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 27-43, 319 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 5-35, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris Slaughter, 8-131
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 15-30, 140 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 14-104. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 6-62, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ole Miss is a game away from bowl eligibility with UL Monroe, LSU, and Mississippi State left to play. The Rebels were able to beat Auburn by running the ball with a nice mix of Cordera Eason and Dexter McCluster, while Jevan Snead didn’t make any major mistakes and he kept the offense moving. Auburn didn’t even try to run the ball against the Ole Miss defensive front, and while the Rebels gave up over 300 yards through the air, the secondary won its share of battles. The team doesn’t have to be flashy or quirky to get wins; it can beat teams straight up.

Oct. 25
Ole Miss 23 … Arkansas 21
Arkansas scored on a 22-yard Greg Childs catch with just over a minute to play, recovered the onside kick, after the initial call was reversed, and came close, but couldn’t get in range for the game-winning field goal. In Houston Nutt’s game against his old team, his Rebels came up with two Jevan Snead touchdown passes with an eight-yard play to Shay Hodge and an 11-yard pass to Mike Wallace.  A 28-yard Joshua Shene field goal gave the Rebels a 23-14 lead late before the Arkansas flurry.
Player of the game: Ole Miss WR Mike Wallace caught five passes for 120 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 20-38, 282 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 19-129, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Williams, 10-129
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 14-27, 209 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 19-81. Receiving: Mike Wallace, 5-120, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... All of a sudden, Ole Miss is 4-4 and has a few good chances for two wins, playing a down Auburn, UL Monroe and Mississippi State, along with LSU, to get to a bowl game. The defensive line was all over the Arkansas backfield, and although Michael Smith got his rushing yards and Casey Dick played well late, the D did its job throughout. No, the Rebels aren’t going to beat anyone in a shootout, but they’re proving to be tough in tight games. This win was nice for Houston Nutt to beat his former team, but beating Auburn at home next week would be even bigger.

Oct. 18
Alabama 24 … Ole Miss 20
It was all Alabama in the first half as John Parker Wilson threw two touchdown passes including a 26-yarder to Marquis Maze and a 30-yarder to Mike McCoy on the way to a 24-3 lead. And then came the second half, and then came Ole Miss. The Rebels dominated after halftime as Jason Cook caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Rob Park on a fake field goal, and Jevan Snead connected with Shay Hodge for a 17-yard touchdown. Down four, Snead had one last shot but the drive stalled around midfield. The two teams combined to convert just 5-of-25 third down chances.
Player of the game: Alabama S Rashad Johnson made nine tackles with a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and an interception
Stat Leaders: Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 16-31, 192 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Enrique Davis, 11-70. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 4-64, 1 TD 
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 16-25, 219 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mark Ingram, 17-73, 1 TD. Receiving: Nick Walker, 5-65
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Ole Miss is more than just plucky. It showed in the second half against Alabama that the team really can play thanks to an excellent job done by the lines. The defense was fantastic against the run, holding its own against the great Bama O line, while Jevan Snead found the same sort of groove he had against Florida. More importantly, the team appears to be above moral victories now. The talent might not be there compared to the top teams, but there’s enough to win with.

Oct. 4
South Carolina 31 … Ole Miss 24
Chris Smelley threw three touchdown passes including two to Jason Barnes from 20 and six yards out, and he hit Joe Hills for a four-yard score midway through the fourth quarter for a comfortable ten-point Gamecock lead. Ole Miss could only manage a 37-yard Joshua Shene field goal in the second half after putting 21 on the board in the first half on short touchdown runs from Cordera Eason and Dexter McCluster and a 24-yard Brandon Bolden scoring grab.
Player of the game: South Carolina QB Chris Smelley completed 22-of-32 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley, 22-32, 327 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 19-73. Receiving: Jason Barnes, 7-76, 2 TD
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 21-32, 243 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dexter McCluster, 8-40, 1 TD. Receiving: Dexter McCluster, 6-99
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... A week after the huge win over Florida, Ole Miss couldn’t come up with the same second half magic and failed to get the really big play to turn the tide against South Carolina. The running game wasn’t consistent, Jevan Snead, despite coming up with a good game overall, couldn’t get moving in the second half, and the defense couldn’t get to Chris Smelley enough to force a few big mistakes. This was a big loss; the team needed to win at home. Now comes the trip to Alabama after an off-week.

Sept. 27
Ole Miss 31 ... Florida 30
Jevan Snead found Shay Hodge for an 86-yard touchdown with just over five minutes to play to give Ole Miss a seven point lead. Florida roared back with a quick six play, 68-yard drive with Percy Harvin running in untouched for a 15-yard score, but the extra point was blocked. The Gators got one last shot, but Tim Tebow was stuffed on a 4th-and-one play on the Ole Miss 32. Snead started out the scoring with a one-yard run, but Florida seemingly had the game in hand with a 17-point second quarter as Harvin scored on a 43-yard pass play and Tebow ran for a one-yard score. Ole Miss answered in the third quarter with 17 points of its own highlighted by a 40-yard Dexter McCluster scoring run, but Tebow answered with a one-yard touchdown run to tie it in the fourth. Florida outgained the Rebels 443 yards to 325, but lost three fumbles.
Player of the game: In a losing cause, Florida WR Percy Harvin ran ten times for 82 yards and a touchdown and caught 13 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 24-38, 319 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Percy Harvin, 10-82, 1 TD. Receiving: Percy Harvin, 13-186, 1 TD
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 9-20, 185 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Dexter McCluster, 11-60, 1 TD. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 3-133, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Talk about finding a way to get a win, Ole Miss was outplayed by Florida, couldn't get the offense to consistently move, cranking out just ten first downs, committed ten penalties, and had no prayer of slowing down Percy Harvin, but when a big plays was needed, someone came through. Jevan Snead was having a mediocre game, and then he connected with Shay Hodge for the big go-ahead touchdown. The gassed defense was getting ripped to shreds late, but Kentrell Lockett blocked the extra point to keep the lead. Florida needed one more play on the big final drive, but Peria Jerry made the stop on fourth down to seal the win. With a brutal schedule ahead, this was a great win that should kick off the Houston Nutt era to show just how good the program can become.

Sept. 20
Vanderbilt 23 … Ole Miss 17
Vanderbilt’s Ryan Hamilton picked off three passes, came up with a goal line stop of Ole Miss RB Cordera Eason, and came up with a recovered fumble off a muffed punt, but it was a big play from Chris Marve to save the game. Ole Miss WR/RB Dexter McCluster was pushing his way toward the end zone when Marve stripped the ball loose. D.J. Moore recovered it in the end zone, and the Commodores had preserved the six-point win. Ole Miss took a 17-7 first quarter lead when Mike Wallace answered a Hamilton 79-yard interception return for a score with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Ole Miss offense never found the end zone as DT Peria Jerry scored on a 13-yard fumble return. The Commodores scored 16 unanswered points as Bryant Hahnfeldt nailed field goals from 34, 31 and 40 yards out after Jared Hawkins caught a nine-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter.
Player of the game: Vanderbilt FS Ryan Hamilton made six tackles, picked off three passes, taking one 79 yards for a touchdown, made a goal line tackle, and recovered a fumble.
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 6-7, 40 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 17-72. Receiving: Sean Walker, 3-12
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 12-25, 184 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 12-88. Receiving: Dexter McCluster, 7-132
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It should say something that Ole Miss was awful against Vanderbilt but still had a chance to win the game late. There were six turnovers, Jevan Snead struggled, and the attack was inconsistent, but the defense held Vandy to 202 yards and only gave up one offensive touchdown. This was a home game the Rebels had to have with a trip to Florida up next. There are still winnable games against Arkansas, UL Monroe and Mississippi State, but now there will have to be an upset, and no slips, to get to a bowl.

Sept. 13
Ole Miss 34 … Samford 10
Ole Miss needed a little while to wake up against Samford, but after getting down 7-3 the scoring started to flow. Samford got a 13-yard Riley Hawkins touchdown run, and then Ole Miss scored on four straight possessions helped by three short touchdown runs form Brandon Bolden, Cordera Eason and Enrique Davis. Marshay Green put an end to a 31-point scoring run with a 77-yard punt return. Ole Miss outgained the Bulldogs 424 yards to 198.
Player of the game: Ole Miss CB Cassius Vaughn made seven tackles and a sack
Stat Leaders: Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 13-24, 222 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 13-68, 1 TD. Receiving: Mike Wallace, 4-101
Samford - Passing: Dustin Taliaferro, 16-22, 124
Rushing: Chris Evans, 23-49. Receiving: Jonathan Lowery, 4-55
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Samford didn’t make a whole bunch of mistakes, and Ole Miss didn’t force many errors in a go-through-the-motions win. Jevan Snead threw two interceptions, but he came up with some big pass plays to lead to easy scores. The ground game was solid with 196 yards and three touchdowns, and Mike Wallace had a good day with four catches for 101 yards. The defense might not have been a brick wall, but it didn’t allow anything deep when Samford was in comeback mode.

Sept. 6
Wake Forest 30 ... Ole Miss 28
In a fantastic game. Wake Forest won on a 41-yard Sam Swank field goal with three seconds to play. The Demon Deacons had to go 57 yards in less than a minute to get into position after Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead gave the Rebels the lead on a terrific, scrambling five-yard touchdown pass to Cordera Eason with 1:01 to play. In the seesaw game, Swank kept Wake Forest alive with two field goals and Riley Skinner came up with two touchdown passes to keep pace with Snead, who threw for four scores to four different receivers.
Player of the game: Wake Forest PK Sam Swank hit three field goals from 21, 27, and the game-winner from 41 yards out.
Stat Leaders: Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 20-31, 253 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Bolden, 8-36. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 5-66, 1 TD
Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner, 32-42, 267 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Brandon Pendergrass, 8-49, 1 TD. Receiving: D.J. Boldin, 11-123
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... While the Rebels are going to be extremely disappointed, and rightly so considering they were a hiccup away from being 2-0 with a layup against Samford ahead, there's reason to be fired up. QB Jevan Snead isn't just good, he's special, and he makes everyone around him better. Even with the injury problems on the defensive line, the Rebels did a great job against the Wake Forest running game holding it to 81 yards and a 2.6-yard average. Now it would be nice if a steady running back could emerge. Brandon Bolden and Cordera Eason were decent against the Demon Deacons, but they need to be better.

Aug. 30
Ole Miss 41 ... Memphis 24
The Ole Miss offense took got rolling early with Shay Hodge catching a 64-yard touchdown pass and Dexter McCluster running for a 32-yard score on the way to a 27-7 lead late in the first half. The Rebels put it away early in the third quarter on a 15-yard Hodge scoring grab. Memphis got two Will Hudgens touchdown passes and a one yard Hudgens run, but the Tigers next threatened after the first quarter.
Player of the game: Ole Miss WR/RB Dexter McCluster ran six times for 64 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 61 yards
Stat Leaders: Memphis - Passing: Arkelon Hall, 15-27, 159 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Curtis Steele, 15-83. Receiving: Carlos Singleton, 6-89
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 10-22, 185 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Brandon Bolden, 8-76, 1 TD. Receiving: Dexter McCluster, 4-61, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The new offense wasn't always consistent against Memphis, but it was effective. Houston Nutt's new Wild Rebel formation does a better job of getting the speedy players in space, and Dexter McCluster took full advantage. QB Jevan Sneed only completed 10 of 22 passes, but he made more than his share of big plays and was good on third downs. Defensively, Jamarca Sanford was all over the place finishing with 13 tackles. 

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Patrick Trahan LB 6-3 225 New Orleans, La. St. Augustine; Auburn; Northwest Mississippi C.C.
JUNIOR COLLEGE: A National Junior College Athletic Association second-team All-America in 2007 ... Credited with 96 tackles, 14 losses, six sacks, four forced fumbles and one INT in 2007 ... Rated the No. 13 JUCO player in the nation by SuperPrep ... Ranked the No. 2 JUCO player in the state by The Clarion-Ledger ... Coached by Randy Pippin ...  AUBURN: Redshirted as a freshman at in 2005 ... Played in 12 games for the Tigers in 2006, recording 11 tackles and 1.0 TFL ... HIGH SCHOOL: Totaled 120 tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions and caused 10 fumbles as a senior ... Made 66 tackles, 16 sacks and forced nine fumbles as a junior ... Earned first-team All-State and All-District honors ... A member of the Mobile Press-Register Super Southeast 120... Named to the Tom Lemming and SuperPrep All-Southwest Teams

Potential Instant Impact Players

Enrique Davis RB 6-1 215 Lynn Haven, Fla. A. Crawford Mosley; Hargrave
PREP SCHOOL: Signed with Auburn in 2007, but did not enroll ... Rated the No. 1 postgraduate player in the nation by  Scout.com ... Coached by Robert Prunty ... HIGH SCHOOL: A Parade Magazine All-American ... Rushed for 1,293 yards and 16 scores as a senior ... Totaled 1,817 yards and 24 touchdowns his junior year ... Selected to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl after his senior season ... Named to the Florida Sports Writers Association 4A All-State third team ... Named a PrepStar "Dream Team" recruit ... Ranked the No. 3 RB in the nation by PrepStar ... Selected to the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Super Southern 100 and the Orlando Sentinel's Top 100 ... Named to the Florida Super 75 by the Florida Times Union and All-County by the Panama City News Herald his senior year ...  Ranked 64th on the Mobile Press Register's Super Southeast 120

Julian Whitehead DB 5-10 180 Lilburn, Ga. Parkview; Hargrave
PREP SCHOOL: Credited with 25 tackles, eight PBUs and four INTs ... Coached by Robert Prunty ... HIGH SCHOOL: Recorded 36 tackles, seven PBUs and two INTs as a junior ... Named All-County ... Missed his senior season due to injury ... Played freshman and sophomore seasons at Stephenson High School ... Coached at Parkview by Cecil Flowe ... Coached at Stephenson by Ron Gartrell ... Also ran track.

Rest of the Class

Ferbia Allen	DE/TE	6-5	225	Pine Bluff, Ark.	Dollarway
Brandon Bolden	RB	5-11	215	Baton Rouge, La.	Scotlandville Magnet
E.J. Epperson	TE	6-3	230	Humboldt, Tenn.	Humboldt
Brandon Green	C	6-2	315	Southaven, Miss.	Southaven; Northwest Miss C.C.
H.R. Greer	FB	6-0	225	Olive Branch, Miss.	Southern Baptist Education Center
Gerald Harris	TE	6-5	245	Terrell, Texas	Terrell; Navarro College
Melvin Harris	WR	6-6	185	Buford, Ga.	Buford
Aaron Hawkins	OL	6-3	315	Lithonia, Ga.	Martin Luther King
Lekenwic Haynes	DB	6-3	200	Rosenberg, Texas	B.F. Terry
Jason Jones	LB	6-2	220	Albany, Ga.	Westover
Randall Mackey	ATH	6-1	180	Bastrop, La.	Bastrop
Demareo Marr	DB	6-2	180	Southaven, Miss.	Desoto Central; Northwest Miss C.C.
Hunter Miller	DB	6-1	185	Sherwood, Ark.	Sylvan Hills
Jared Mitchell	DB	6-3	190	Chesterfield, Mo.	Parkway Central; Hargrave
Gerald Rivers	DE	6-5	240	Ellenwood, Ga.	Cedar Grove
Brandon Sanders	DB	6-0	190	Suwanee, Ga.	Peachthree Ridge
Andre Sterling	RB	5-10	200	Knoxville, Tenn.	Farragut
Justin Smith	DL	6-4	280	Alpharetta, Ga.	Chattahoochee
Nathan Stanley	QB	6-5	195	Tahlequah, Okla.	Sequoyah
Emmanuel Stephens	DE	6-2	220	Houston, Texas	Waltrip; Blinn C.C.
Joshua Tatum	OL	6-5	315	Marbury, Ala.	Marbury
Devin Thomas	RB	5-11	195	San Antonio, TX	Madison
Kermit Tyler	OL	6-4	335	Marrero, La.	L.W. Higgins
Chris Wilkes	QB	6-4	220	Orlando, Fla.	Dr. Phillips
Horatio Williams	WR	6-2	175	Oxford, Miss.	Oxford

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: It's not like Ed Orgeron was kicked out with an empty cupboard. He did a decent job of bringing in some good talents at key spots, and Houston Nutt will benefit. As long as his head is screwed on straight, Greg Hardy will be one of the nation's premier pass rushers and the star of a defense loaded with experience. Michael Oher's decision to return for one more year gives Nutt a strong O line to work around.
Why to be grouchy: The road schedule is harsh playing at Wake Forest, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and LSU. There's a ton of experience back on both sides of the ball, but is there a lot of talent compared to the rest of the SEC? The West is nasty, and it'll be hard to make a quick move up in the standings unless there's a huge improvement in just about every area. With all the veterans coming back, many Rebel fans will be hoping for miracles from Nutt, but they'll have to wait a little bit.
The number one thing to work on is: Getting the new backfield transfers in place. Texas transfer Jevan Snead has to take the quarterback job by the reins from day one, and UCLA transfer Jeremy McGee and Cordera Eason have to replace BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The offense has to start scoring. It moved the ball at times, but closing was a huge problem averaging a mere 20 points per game.
Biggest offensive loss: RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Biggest defensive loss: CB Nate Banks
Best returning offensive player: OT Michael Oher, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: DE Greg Hardy, Jr.

2007 Recap
Recap: Shortly after going 3-9 and failing to win a league game for the first time since 1982, Ole Miss pulled the plug on Ed Orgeron, a failed three-year experiment with an inexperienced head coach.  The Rebels came close to a statement win in games against Florida and Alabama, but couldn’t close either deal, beating only Memphis, Louisiana Tech, and Northwestern State.  In the end, little went right for a wayward program that finished dead last in the SEC in total offense and total defense.           

Offensive Player of the Year: RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Greg Hardy

Biggest Surprise: It came in a loss, but Ole Miss was at its best on Sept. 22, putting a scare into the Gators for four quarters before falling short, 30-24.  At least for one day, the Rebels consistently moved the ball on offense, getting 302 yards and two touchdown passes from Seth Adams.  If they played all year the way they pushed Florida on that Saturday afternoon, the Rebs would have flirted with a .500 season.      

Biggest Disappointment: In a microcosm of Orgeron’s tenure, Ole Miss couldn’t put away Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, squandering a two-touchdown lead in the final quarter of a painful 17-14 loss.  To add insult to injury, the collapse ensured a bowl game for the rival Bulldogs, who desperately needed to lock down win No. 7.    

Looking Ahead: With Houston Nutt replacing Orgeron on the sidelines, Ole Miss is already off to a positive start in the offseason.  The former Arkansas coach knows his way around the SEC West, and could be inheriting the school’s best pure passer, Texas transfer Jevan Snead, since Eli Manning left Oxford for the NFL.