NATIONAL CHAMPS.NET
Coach: David Cutcliffe
9-4, 1 year
1999 Record: 8-4
Sep 04 @Memphis Won 3-0
Sep 11 Arkansas State Won 38-14
Sep 18 Vanderbilt Lost 34-37
Sep 25 @Auburn Won 24-17
Oct 02 @South Carolina Won 36-10
Oct 09 Tulane Won 20-13
Oct 16 Alabama Lost 24-30
Oct 30 @Louisiana State Won 42-23
Nov 06 Arkansas Won 38-16
Nov 20 Georgia Lost 17-20
Nov 25 @Mississippi State Lost 20-23
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Dec 31 Oklahoma Won 27-25
1999 Final Rankings
AP-22,  BCS-NR,  Coaches-22
2000 Outlook

Expectations are soaring headed into the 2000 season for the team from Oxford. It didn't hurt that most preseason magazines are riding high on the Rebels this year. With that said, anything less than a SEC Championship game may be a disappointment to most fans. If quarterback Romaro Miller steps into that great senior player/leader mold and can move the ball consistently through the air, the Rebels are going to put some serious points on the board. Aside from Miller, the two biggest keys to the Mississippi season will be how well the undersized and inexperienced middle of the defensive line, which usually is a large need in the SEC, turns out. The second will be a much needed improvement in pass coverage. The calenders are most likely circled for the second game of the year as Coach Tommy Tuberville returns to Oxford for the first time with his Auburn cast. But it's no secret that the Alabama game on October 14, which Ole Miss has not won since 1988, may be for the SEC West title. Coaches and fans are looking for bigger and better things after three consecutive bowl victories, like maybe a January bowl game. If the defense can rise up it's definitely possible, but certainly no guarantee.
Projected Record: 9-3

Mississippi 2000 Schedule

MISSISSIPPI
*POWER RATINGS
Offense
Defense
QB - 4 DL - 2
RB - 5 LB - 3
WR - 2 DB - 2
OL - 3  

 


MISSISSIPPI REBELS
2000 FOOTBALL PREVIEW



In depth coverage of
Rebel sports.

2000 OFFENSE
Ole Miss wouldn't exchange their Ole Tailbacks with anyone in the country. Versatile senior Deuce McAllister is being promoted as a Heisman Trophy candidate as he emerged last season as a do everything kind of guy who can run, catch, return kickoffs and punts, and even throw the ball. He ran for 840 yards averaging 5.4 yards every time he was handed the ball and caught 20 passes, and will be one of the nation's premier kick returners. Joe Gunn, the other half of the tandem, probably would have had a 1000 yard rushing total if he had not been hurt in the last game of the season. He returns as the SEC's leading returning rusher with 985 yards. QB Romaro Miller enters his third season as a starter and senior leader. His numbers show he threw for 14 touchdowns and 2000 yards last year, but with defending foes geared to stop the run, Miller will be expected to produce more if the Rebels want to make it to the SEC final. There are holes that need filling at the wide out spots. Ole Miss must replace one of the best clutch receivers in school history, Cory Peterson, as well as the team's second leading receiver Maurice Flournoy, who was dismissed from the team for undisclosed reasons. It will be key that Grant Heard, who redshirted last season, return to his 1998 form where he caught 40 passes. On the offensive line, both starting tackles from a year ago are gone, but the ingredients are there for coaches to form a similar group that helped Mississippi finish first in SEC West rushing in 1999. The special teams people are jumping for joy as placekicker Les Binkley, who was 14-of-16 on field goals and 36 for 36 on PAT's returns.
OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART
QB Romaro Miller 6-1 195 Sr. Eli Manning 6-4 200 Fr.
RB Deuce McAllister 6-1 220 Sr. Joe Gunn 5-9 207 Jr.
FB Tremaine Turner 5-10 190 So.   Charles Stackhouse 6-2 221 Jr.
WR Grant Heard 6-2 190 Sr.   Ross Barkley 5-11 170 Jr.
WR Jamie Armstrong 6-0 180 Jr.   Mike Salters 6-0 195 So.
T Terrence Metcalf 6-3 300 Jr.   Cliff Woodruff 6-6 275 Fr.
G Shane Grice 6-1 315 Sr.   German Bello 6-3 290 So.
C Ben Claxton 6-3 290 So.   Charlie Perkins 6-2 295 Sr.
G Keydrick Vincent 6-5 350 Sr.   Augustus Carwell 6-3 343 So.
T Matt Koon 6-4 285 Jr.   Belton Johnson 6-4 290 So.
TE Doug Zeigler 6-3 235 So.   Mitch Skrmetta 6-4 245 Jr.
K Les Binkley 5-9 170 Sr.   Lee Rogers 5-11 175 Fr.
Returning starters in bold.

Key Losses: Cory Peterson-WR, Maurice Flournoy-WR, Adam Bettis-TE,
Todd Wade-OL, Tutan Reyes-OL


2000 DEFENSE

On the minus side, coaches have to be concerned about the front four on defense where the Rebels lost four tackles, including All-SEC performer Kendrick Clancy. Size could also play a factor in that there is none. On the plus side, Ole Miss was one of the more effective teams in the country versus the run last year and defensive end returnees Derrick Burgess and Shane Elam were both a big part of that equation. The linebackers are led by Eddie Strong, who may be the team's best defensive player and for that matter one of the SEC's best. Coaches will attempt to keep Eddie in situations where he's not removed from the play by formations because they want him near the football. If there was a weakness last year it was clearly in the backfield. Replacing Independence Bowl Defensive MVP Tim Strickland at corner and Ronnie Heard at safety will be a major priority. Two starters are back in Lucas and Taylor and with them the Rebels still return five players who have drawn starting roles in the secondary. But it's unlikely to expect the DL to immediately start recording sacks and hurried throws from opposing QB's at the start, so the pressure will be on the coverage unit. Senior punter Reagan King has the leg but needs to improve on his 38 yard average from 1999.

DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART
DE Derrick Burgess 6-2 260 Sr. John Romm 6-2 241 Sr.
DT Anthony Sims 6-2 272 Jr. Dusty Braddock 6-1 262 So.
DT Antionne Scott 6-2 255 Sr.   Jesse Mitchell 6-3 260 Fr.
DE Shane Elam 6-1 240 Sr.   Justin Blake 6-2 245 So.
OLB Kevin Thomas 5-9 190 Jr.   Amzie Williams 6-1 220 Sr.
MLB Eddie Strong 6-2 235 Jr.   Chad Cook 6-0 230 Sr.
OLB Shawn Johnson 6-1 220 Sr.   Ryan Hamilton 6-2 217 So.
CB Ken Lucas 6-1 201 Sr.   Desmon Johnson 5-9 160 So.
CB Justin Coleman 5-9 175 Jr.   Kevin Farmer 5-8 162 Jr.
SS Anthony Magee 5-11 180 Sr.   Kenny Woods 6-2 215 Sr.
FS Syniker Taylor 6-0 195 Jr.   Wes Scott 6-1 190 So.
P Reagan King 6-2 225 Sr.   Ben Craddock 5-11 190 Sr.
Returning starters in bold.

Key Losses: Kendrick Clancy-DL, Comone Fisher-DL, Tyler Williams-DL,
Michael Boone-DL, Armegis Spearman-LB, Al Rice-LB, Ronnie Heard-DB,
Tim Strickland-DB