TigerBait.com - LSU-Ole Miss pregame notebook

November 21, 2009

Bryan Lazare
TigerBait.com Senior Writer

LSU will be playing Ole Miss for the 98th time. The Tigers have a 55-38-4 record against the Rebels. Ole Miss snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with its 31-13 victory last season.

LSU has won four consecutive games against the Rebels in Oxford. The Tigers' last defeat on the road against Ole Miss was a 37-31 setback in 1998.

LSU has won nine consecutive games in the state of Mississippi - six at Starkville against Mississippi State and four at Oxford against the Rebels. The last defeat in Mississippi came against the Bulldogs (17-16) in 1999.

The Tigers have not allowed a first-quarter touchdown in its last six games. The last team to score a first-quarter touchdown against LSU was Mississippi State. The Tigers' interception streak ended at 11 last week against Louisiana Tech.

By defeating the Bulldogs, LSU has won at least eight games for ten consecutive years. Only four schools have a longer active streak - Georgia and Texas (12 years) and Virginia Tech and Boise State (11 years).

The Tigers are also bowl eligible for the tenth straight season. Only two SEC teams have a longer streak - Florida (19 years) and Georgia (13 years).

LSU is first in the Southeastern Conference in punt returns (16.2 average), but is last in kickoff returns (17.2 average). The Tigers are also last in fourth-down conversions (18 percent).

Under Les Miles, LSU has a 17-6 record against SEC West teams and a 13-6 record in conference road games.

With the victory against Louisiana Tech, Miles recorded his 50th victory as Tigers coach. Miles got to the 50-win mark faster than any LSU coach. It took Miles just 63 games to get to 50 victories. Charles McClendon needed 74 games to reach 50 victories.

Brandon LaFell needs seven catches to move past Josh Reed into third place on the school's all-time list. LaFell is the active SEC leader in catches (161) and touchdowns receptions (23).

With Charles Scott out for the season, Keiland Williams is the team's leading active rusher with 328 yards on 59 carries. LaFell has 43 catches for 560 yards and nine touchdowns. Terrance Toliver, who made no catches last week, has 42 receptions.

Kelvin Sheppard leads the team in tackles with 87. Sheppard, Drake Nevis and Rahim Alem share the lead in tackles-for-loss with eight. Alem has four sacks and four quarterback-hurries.

Patrick Peterson has registered 13 passes defended - two interceptions and 11 breakups. Chris Hawkins is next with seven - two interceptions and five breakups.

Trindon Holliday and Chad Jones have combined for 339 yards on 21 punt returns. Opposing teams have returned just nine punts for 41 yards. Holliday leads the SEC with a punt return average of 14.0 yards.

This year's LSU-Ole Miss game will be the second Magnolia Bowl, which was created by the Student Government Organization at both schools. The trophy will be presented to the winning team following the game.

The Rebels have their best record after ten games since 2003 when they were 8-2. Ole Miss' 1959 national championship team will be honored Saturday.

LSU is just the second ranked opponent to play the Rebels this season. Ole Miss lost to No. 3 Alabama 22-3 last month.

The Rebels have not been involved in many close games this season. The only game decided by fewer than 13 points was Ole Miss' 16-10 loss at South Carolina. The Rebels' seven victories have come by an average margin of 27 points.

Ole Miss has not played in an overtime game since its 23-20 loss at LSU three years ago. Since overtime was instituted, both the Rebels and the Tigers have 6-5 records in those games.

Ole Miss is the best team in the SEC at scoring touchdowns in the red zone. The Rebels have been in the red zone 31 times and have scored 24 touchdowns.

Ole Miss has the best third-down defense in the SEC. Opponents have converted just 27 percent (41-of-153) of their third-down situations.

The Rebels are also the best in preventing re-zone touchdowns. Opposing teams have been in the red zone 33 times and have scored just ten touchdowns. LSU's defense is second as it has allowed nine touchdowns in 27 red-zone chances.

Quarterback Jevan Snead needs just 17 passing yards to become the second Ole Miss player to throw for at least 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. The other quarterback is Eli Manning, who surpassed the 2,000-yard mark in three straight campaigns.

The Rebels are 16-7 in games started by Snead. In the victories, Snead has completed 58 percent of his passes with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In the losses, Snead has completed 50 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Dexter McCluster has accounted for 1,149 yards from scrimmage this season. McCluster has rushed for a team-best 755 yards and six touchdowns. He is also the No. 2 receiver for Ole Miss with 31 catches for 394 yards.

Shay Hodge leads the SEC in catches with 50 and receiving yards with 810. He is the SEC's active leader in career receiving yardage (2,321 yards).

Jesse Grandy has been a threat on kickoffs with 544 yards on 19 returns - a 28.6 average. Grandy has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Joshua Shene is 9-of-11 on field goals and 36-of-38 on extra points.

Tyler Campbell is averaging 43.7 yards on 33 punts. Campbell, who has had two punts blocked, has forced 14 fair catches. Andrew Ritter's average kickoff has reached the opponent's 5.

Three Rebels have made at least 60 tackles - free safety Kendrick Lewis (67), strong safety Johnny Brown (64) and middle linebacker Jonathan Cornell (61). Tackle Jerrell Powe leads the team with ten tackles-for-loss.

End Kentrell Lockett has been a factor in the pass rush with four sacks and eight quarterback-hurries. Backup end Emmanuel Stephens has 2½ sacks and six quarterback-hurries.

No Ole Miss defender has intercepted more than one pass. The top secondary player has been cornerback Cassius Vaughn, who has one interception and nine pass breakups.

Rebels coach Houston Nutt has a 5-6 record against LSU. While the coach at Arkansas, the Razorbacks lost four of their ten games against the Tigers. Nutt has won 50 SEC games. The only active coaches with more are Steve Spurrier (104) and Mark Richt (52).

There are 13 Louisiana natives on the Ole Miss roster. Six of those players are listed as starters for the game against LSU.

The starters are running back Brandon Bolden and center Daverin Geralds/Scotlandville, cornerback Marshay Green/Bastrop, Lewis/O. Perry Walker, Lockett/Hahnville and linebacker Patrick Trahan/St. Augustine.

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