Memphis, TN (My Sportsbook) - The eighth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels enter the 2009 season with lofty expectations and they jump right into a tough situation this weekend with a visit to the Memphis Tigers at the Liberty Bowl.
After as successful run at Arkansas, Houston Nutt took over at the helm of the Ole Miss program and worked his magic in 2008. Nutt took over a program that had suffered through four straight losing seasons and led the Rebels to a 9-4 finish and a 47-34 triumph over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. Ole Miss also went from winless in the SEC in 2007 to 5-3 a year ago, marking one of the biggest turnarounds in school history. Thanks to Nutt, the Rebels now begin the year with their highest ranking since 1970 and there is even talk that this club could compete for a national title.
"I am not really worried about proving this or that," Nutt said when asked about the hype surrounding his team. "What I want to do is to come out and play really hard for sixty minutes."
As for Memphis, it managed to make a postseason trip for the second straight season, although the team looked completely out of place in a 41-14 setback to South Florida in the 2008 St. Petersburg Bowl. That loss dropped the Tigers to a 6-7 finish, their second losing season in the past three years. Entering his ninth season at Memphis, head coach Tommy West knows what it takes to be successful and he has talent in place to lead the Tigers to an improvement in 2009.
Memphis and Ole Miss are meeting for the 59th time this weekend, with the Rebels holding a commanding 46-10-2 lead in the all-time series. Ole Miss has won the last four meetings in the rivalry and that includes a 41-24 triumph in the 2008 season-opener for both schools.
The focal point of the Ole Miss' offense will once again be quarterback Jevan Snead, a former Texas signal-caller that tossed 26 touchdown passes a year ago and reminded the Rebel faithful of Eli Manning. Snead completed 56.3 percent of his tosses for 2,762 yards in 2008 and coach Nutt thinks the best is yet to come from him.
"I really expect him to be much, much better," says Nutt of Snead. "As you could see, the last half of the year, how much better Jevan got for us, being really a coach on the field, I think it had a lot to do with it."
Snead will also have plenty of weapons to work with, as two of his top options in receivers Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster are welcomed back. Hodge posted 44 catches for 725 yards and a team-high eight scores last year, while McCluster also finished with 44 receptions, to go with 625 yards and a score.
In the backfield, Brandon Bolden (542 yards) and Cordera Eason (647 yards) will both get plenty of carries, and expect McCluster, who led the team with 655 rushing yards, to once again be used in similar fashion to what Florida did with Percy Harvin.
Three starters are back in the fold on the offensive line, which has good size and should have no trouble opening holes and protecting Snead.
Defensively, the Rebels did a solid job in 2008, holding foes to 19.0 ppg and 307.2 total ypg. The unit returns eight starters from a year ago and that should give Ole Miss another chance at success on this side of the ball.
Up front, Greg Hardy proved to be a serviceable pass rusher off the bench in 2008, notching a team-high 8.5 sacks in nine games, and he figures to play a bigger role this season although he has been nicked up most of the summer.
There is experience at linebacker as well, but it is Patrick Trahan that could make this group stand out. Trahan, whose career has taken many turns, posted 29 tackles in limited role last year and the team is expecting to fulfill his potential in 2009.
The secondary returns three starters and this unit is highlighted by free safety Kendrick Lewis. Last season, Lewis led the team with 85 tackles and four interceptions and he is clearly one of the top returning players for the Rebels.
Memphis produced 417.2 total ypg last season and the offense will once again be the strength of this team in 2009. The emergence of quarterback Arkelon Hall was a big reason for this unit's success last year, as the talented gunslinger threw for 2,275 yards and 12 scores despite missing two games with a thumb injury.
"I feel good about our quarterback," said West. "Arkelon (Hall) has made really good decisions through this camp. That was what I expected. That's what I wanted to see out of him. I think he's in the best shape he's ever been in."
Hall will also be aided by the return of his top two wideouts in Carlos Singleton and Duke Calhoun, whom combined for 92 catches, 1,278 yards and eight scores in 2008.
When the Tigers aren't airing it out, they will be handing it off to Curtis Steele, who was voted C-USA Newcomer of the Year in 2008. The speedy and elusive Steele rushed for 1,223 yards and seven scores in his debut with Memphis, but could find it difficult to build on those numbers with an offensive line that returns just one starter from a year ago.
The Tigers' defense lacked consistency last season, so the return of seven starters should have this unit be a bit more stable. Providing the defense with some sort of pass rush will be Jada Brown, who has all the tools to break through after logging 24 tackles and two sacks last year.
At linebacker is where the Tigers should be able to make up for any issues along the line, as three starters return to go with some promising newcomers. Greg Jackson is the leader of this group and he is coming off a solid 2008 campaign, notching 52 tackles, 11.5 TFLs and four sacks in 10 games.
Much like the linebackers, the secondary is experienced for the Tigers, especially at the corners with the return of Deante Lamar and D.A. Griffin. Lamar is a burner that made 35 tackles last year, while Griffin is a more physical corner that posted 64 stops in 2008.
