Published Nov 19, 2011
LSU-Ole Miss pregame notebook
Bryan Lazare
TigerBait.com Senior Writer
LSU can win 11 regular-season games for the second time in school history by beating Ole Miss on Saturday. The only other Tigers squad to win 11 regular-season games was the 2003 team. Only six LSU teams have won 11 games in an entire season. Les Miles has been the coach of three of those teams.
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The only Tigers team which won its first 11 games in a season was the 1958 national championship club. That team finished with an 11-0 record after its Sugar Bowl victory against Clemson.
LSU has an 11-game winning streak, including last season's game against Texas A&M. The Tigers and Oklahoma State share the longest winning streak in the country. LSU has won 18 consecutive night games. The Tigers have never won their first seven Southeastern Conference games in a season.
Under Miles, LSU has a 43-4 record against unranked teams. Also, the Tigers have an 18-9 road record in SEC games with Miles as coach. LSU will attempt to extend the following winning streaks Saturday - night-game victories (18), overall victories (11), road night-game victories (7).
Saturday's LSU-Ole Miss game with be the fourth since it has been known as the Magnolia Bowl. Events surrounding this year's game will benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Fans will have several donation opportunities during the game.
This week's meeting will be the 100th between the Tigers and the Rebels. LSU has won 56 games and Ole Miss has won 39 games. There have been four ties. The Tigers have an 8-5-1 record in games played in Oxford. LSU has won four of the last five games played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
LSU has the best record among SEC schools since the start of the 2002 season. The Tigers have won 79.7 percent of their games (102-26) during that period. Georgia is second at 75 percent (96-32). LSU has the best road record among SEC teams since 2000 at 37-17 (.685 winning percentage).
Since SEC expansion in 1992, LSU and Alabama have the most shutouts - 16. The Tigers' last shutout occurred last season against Louisiana-Monroe.
LSU leads the SEC in net punting (40.4 yards), turnover margin (plus-15), red-zone touchdown efficiency (76.1 percent/35 touchdowns in 46 opportunities), fourth-down conversions (100 percent/3-of-3) and sacks allowed (10).
The Tigers are third in the nation in turnover margin. LSU and Wisconsin have the fewest turnovers in the nation with six.
Miles has won 80.9 percent of his games (72-17) as a coach at a SEC school - the best record among any of the 12 current coaches. Alabama's Nick Saban is second at 78.1 percent (100-28).
With either Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee at quarterback, the Tigers have won 35 games. With Jefferson as the starter, LSU has a 21-7 record. With Lee as the starter, the Tigers have a 14-4 record.
Jefferson needs ten yards to be the school leader in rushing yardage for a quarterback. Lee Hedges is currently No. 1 with 938 rushing yards. Lee is sixth in career touchdown passes with 32 - two behind Jamie Howard. Jefferson is tied for seventh with Alan Risher and Matt Flynn with 31 scoring passes.
Rueben Randle needs one touchdown catch to move into an eighth-place tie for scoring receptions in a season. Dwayne Bowe (2005), Eddie Fuller (1989) and Tony Moss (1989) had nine touchdown catches - one more than Randle has this season.
Brad Wing continues to lead SEC punters with kicks landing inside the opponent's 20. Wing has placed 51.3 percent of his punts (20-of-39) inside the 20-yard line. Tyrann Mathieu is tied with South Carolina's Antonio Allen for the conference lead in fumble recoveries with three.
LSU running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson had the same responsibilities at Ole Miss from 2005-07. Ed Orgeron was the Rebels head coach during that time.
For the second consecutive season, Ole Miss will play host to a No. 1-ranked team. The Rebels lost to top-ranked Auburn 51-31 on October 30, 2010. The Tigers were No. 1 in the country when they defeated Ole Miss 41-24 in Oxford four seasons ago. The Rebels are 0-7 against No. 1 teams.
Ole Miss has only been involved in two games decided by fewer than 14 points. The Rebels lost to Brigham Young 14-13 and Arkansas 29-24. Three of the defeats have been by at least 20 points - Vanderbilt (30-7), Alabama (52-7) and Louisiana Tech (27-7).
Ole Miss leads the SEC in punt returns (22.6-yard average). The top punt returner is Jeff Scott with a 17.2 yard-average on eight returns. Scott, who is suspended from the team, returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown. Freshman Nickolas Brassell returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown.
Zack Stoudt will replace the suspended Randall Mackey as the Ole Miss quarterback. The Rebels have a 1-2 record in games started by Stoudt. He has completed 49 percent of his passes (55-of-112) for 542 yards and two touchdowns with seven interceptions.
Brandon Bolden will replace Scott as the starting running back. Bolden has rushed for 399 yards and four touchdowns on 77 carries this season. Brassell has been a two-way player with 23 catches for 341 yards and two touchdowns and 14 tackles with five pass breakups.
Wide receiver Donte Moncrief needs five catches and 27 receiving yards to break the freshman school records currently held by Mike Espy, who had 30 receptions for 465 yards in 2002. The Rebels have started nine true freshmen. They have made a combined 30 starts.
Saturday is Senior Day for Ole Miss. The Rebels have 13 seniors, five from Louisiana high schools - running back Bolden (Scotlandville), kicker David Hankins (Byrd), safety Damien Jackson (Pineville), defensive end Kentrell Lockett (Hahnville) and offensive tackle Alex Washington (Carroll).
Coach Houston Nutt has a 6-7 all-time record against LSU. Nutt's teams have won three of their last four games against the Tigers. His 2007 Arkansas team defeated top-ranked LSU 50-48 at Tiger Stadium.
OLE MISS
Head coach: Houston Nutt (135-94, career record)
Overall record: 2-8; SEC record: 0-6
TEAM STATISTICS
Ole Miss: 131.5 rushing yards per game
LSU opponents: 83.8 rushing yards per game
Ole Miss: 166.3 passing yards per game
LSU opponents: 169.4 passing yards per game
Ole Miss: 50 percent pass completion rate
LSU opponents: 53 percent pass completion rate
Ole Miss: 297.8 yards per game
LSU opponents: 253.2 yards per game
Ole Miss: 18.7 points per game
LSU opponents: 10.7 points per game
Ole Miss: 20 turnovers
LSU opponents: 21 turnovers
Ole Miss: 33 percent on third-down conversions
LSU opponents: 34 percent on third-down conversions
LSU: 195.1 rushing yards per game
Ole Miss opponents: 209.9 rushing yards per game
LSU: 173.9 passing yards per game
Ole Miss opponents: 215.8 passing yards per game
LSU: 62 percent pass completion rate
Ole Miss opponents: 60 percent pass completion rate
LSU: 369.0 yards per game
Ole Miss opponents: 425.7 yards per game
LSU: 36.5 points per game
Ole Miss opponents: 30.2 points per game
LSU: 6 turnovers
Ole Miss opponents: 16 turnovers
LSU: 47 percent on third-down conversions
Ole Miss opponents: 41 percent on third-down conversions
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing leaders
LSU: Spencer Ware - 150 carries, 580 yards, 6 touchdowns
Ole Miss: Jeff Scott - 116 carries, 529 yards, 6 touchdowns (suspended - will not play)
Passing leaders
LSU: Jarrett Lee - 166 attempts, 103 completions, 62 percent, 1,289 yards, 14 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
Ole Miss: Randall Mackey - 155 attempts, 77 completions, 50 percent, 1,112 yards, 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions (suspended - will not play)
Receiving leaders
LSU: Rueben Randle - 38 receptions, 733 yards, 8 touchdowns
Ole Miss: Donte Moncrief - 26 receptions, 439 yards, 4 touchdowns
Punting leaders
LSU: Brad Wing - 39 punts, 42.9-yard average
Ole Miss: Tyler Campbell - 61 punts, 43.2-yard average
Kick-scoring leaders
LSU: Drew Alleman - 13-of-15 on field goals, 44-of-45 on extra points, 83 points
Ole Miss: Bryson Rose - 7-of-9 on field goals, 20-of-21 on extra points, 41 points
Return leaders
LSU: Morris Claiborne - 13 kickoff returns, 383 yards, 1 touchdown
Ole Miss: Tobias Singleton - 17 kickoff returns, 420 yards
Tackle leaders
LSU: Eric Reid - 57 tackles; Brandon Taylor - 57 tackles
Ole Miss: Mike Marry - 73 tackles
Interception leaders
LSU: Morris Claiborne - 4 interceptions
Ole Miss: Charles Sawyer - 4 interceptions
Pass breakup leaders
LSU: Tharold Simon - 8 pass breakups
Ole Miss: Charles Sawyer - 7 pass breakups
Sack leaders
LSU: Sam Montgomery - 7 sacks
Ole Miss: Wayne Dorsey - 3 sacks (injured - will not play)
Quarterback-hurry leaders
LSU: Barkevious Mingo - 5 quarterback-hurries
Ole Miss: Gerald Rivers - 4 quarterback-hurries